According to the Today Show’s website, local Kindness Rocks groups are springing up around the country. The geographic groupings may be as large as your state or as small as a rural community and often form on Facebook. In my area there’s a Facebook group of more than 500 members for my county of 80,000 residents, several of whom are my Facebook friends, and they’ve found and posted the Today Show article linked above. Facebook also hosts the page for the official movement.

A quick Google search of “Kindness Rocks” brings up media coverage from a variety of newspapers, television, blogs large and small, and, of course, Pinterest. So, how did Megan Murphy, the woman behind it all, start a viral, movement that has spread across the US and to countries as diverse as Germany, Thailand, and Haiti? It began as her personal hobby, and as she saw how it touched other people she added a website and social media. For a bit more about the early days of the project, including the anonymity Murphy used at first, check out this post on the Scary Mommy blog.

Whether a painted rock has a greeting-card-like sentiment, a quote from Nelson Mandela, or a simple smiley face, it could be just what someone needs when it’s found. It can be artistically beautiful or very rudimentary. The fact that there is no one “right” way to inspire another person makes this a potential library project for any and all ages and events.

If the word “paint” makes alarm bells go off in your head, simply prep-paint the base coat color onto the rocks prior to your public event and reduce the needed supplies to markers. You also have plenty of options to make it part of a larger, themed experience. It could easily fit an event or emphasis on friendship, diversity, mental health, art, or communication.

Your audience may also respond to the simple invitation to be the creative force behind stealthy and random acts of kindness. After all, kindness really does rock.

The post Kindness Rocks first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Data Based Decisions
Data-based decisions are increasingly becoming the norm for website owners, companies, and government agencies. Data gathered from online customers has driven the success of Amazon’s first physical bookstore, which I learned a lot about by paying them a visit. The data these decisions are based on is often known as big data, or sets of data too large to be handled effectively by humans or a computer with normal capabilities. In the library world, these decisions are similar to the data based decisions of other businesses as they involve inventory, product development and participation (like Self-E), human resource and hiring, and image management.

Do we stock more e-books for electronic check out? Do we opt into Overdrive and Self-E? How many digital librarians do we need to have, hire, or train? What is our library to the community? Are we a digital center, with maker labs and other activities, or are we an archive for paper books and nothing more? It is vital when making these decisions that we have all of the facts, not just those presented by certain portions of the publishing industry. Quarter after quarter, AAP reports that e-book sales are declining, while Amazon and other sites report they are on the rise. What’s the real story?

The Sources of the AAP Information
The AAP gets its sales figures from the 1,200 largest publishers, and continues to report declining e-book sales.[1] This sounds like a pretty impressive big data sample, and it is. It’s also much easier to examine that segment of the market rather than looking at a broader picture. The sales numbers come straight from the publishers, right? But those sales figures, limited to just the largest publishers, leave out most small presses and indie authors, and they also counts sales of physical books to bookstores rather than those sold to consumers. What’s the difference?

Well, if a book sits on the shelf too long at Barnes & Noble, for instance, it moves first to the bargain table. Why? Because it costs more to ship it back to the publisher than it does to sell it at a discount, since they only get a partial refund of the cover price. Even if it is returned to the publisher, or a distributor, those books are pulped and recycled rather than shelved in a warehouse for future sales that may never come. It’s just a cheaper option. So the number of physical books is somewhat artificially inflated, as not all of those books make it to the hands of readers. E-books, however, are a different story. Once ordered, they are immediately in the hands of the reader, or at least at their disposal on their device.

What They Left Out
The information they don’t have comes from sites who do not report e-book sales, and the hundreds of indie publishers, from small press to single authors, who also do not report sales numbers to the AAP. And that is a ton of books.

A website called Author Earnings, the brainchild of Hugh Howey and his partner, known simply as Data Guy, has been gathering sales data for well over a year now. In March, in a presentation at Digital Book World (DBW), their data and methods were presented in an eye-opening keynote address. The data offers a much broader picture of the industry.

Basically, there are five major retailers of e-books in the United States: Amazon, the largest; Apple Books; Barnes & Noble (Nook); Kobo US; and the now nearly obsolete Google Play Books. A large majority of the books sold on those sites are not reported to the AAP, as they are published through non-traditional (read: small press or indie author) methods. The share of the market these books have is growing all the time.

Fig. 1: 95% of US ebook sales go through only 5 major online retailers [2]

Pricing: In the pricing war between publishers and libraries, a more complete picture shows the prices of books actually selling, and can certainly give libraries leverage toward fairer pricing, and even toward moving to an ownership model.

Inventory: What genre are people reading and buying; i.e., what genre are they likely to borrow? This is important because the overall picture shows different trends than the partial picture the AAP numbers present.

Personnel: If e-books are indeed on the rise, and becoming the norm, more digital librarians are needed, or at least librarians who are tech-savvy. This seems logical anyway, as more libraries are becoming community gathering places, educational and making centers, and sources for Internet access for those who do not have it at home.

Image Management: My wife’s grandfather loves his local library. He most often visits it on his iPad. He’s reading e-books borrowed through their digital library system. The library fosters the image that is it more than just a physical building, but a place that extends to the Internet.

All of these things make an assumption: e-books are on the rise and here to stay. What about the APA numbers and the way they conflict with those of Amazon and other retailers?

Fig. 2: What does an incomplete picture of the market tell us about consumer spending by genre… [3]

Fig. 4: …versus what a complete image of the market says? [4]

This does not mean paper books are dead. Far from it. In nonfiction and reference, paper books still dominate the market. While e-textbooks are popular to some, the novelty has worn off in favor of note taking and highlighting in the margins, to the point where Barnes & Noble is closing its e-textbook division, Yuzu.[5]

What this Means to Libraries
The library will never be a solely digital space, yet it’s unlikely libraries will ever go back to being a solely physical place either. Both digital and physical collections are important, even though they make collections management much more complicated.

The key is to have a realistic view of the publishing world. Digital media experts often say “everything is a concept” and creative thinking and innovation are just as important to the library industry as knowledge and analysis. This intuitive and imaginative approach is critical in what Daniel Pink calls the “Conceptual Age” in his book, A Whole New Mind.[6]

Programs like Self-E, the Open eBooks app, and free digital libraries set up by different states will all have an impact on how and where the library spends its budget.

The key may be to realize that using simply traditional sources of information is what has become a clearly nontraditional industry may be a mistake, and looking at the whole picture offers benefits not otherwise available.

References:

[1] Association of American Publishers, “AAP StatShot: Publisher Net Revenue from Book Sales Declines 2.0% Through Third Quarter of 2015,” Association of American Publishers Newsroom [website], January 27, 2016.

[2] Data Guy, “Outside the Data Box: a fresh look at ebook sales” (2016 Digital Book World Keynote Presentation), March 11, 2016.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Michael Kozlowski, “Barnes and Noble Closes Digital Textbook Division,” Good E-Reader, March 8, 2016.

[6] Daniel H. Pink, A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future (New York: Riverhead Books, 2005).

Resources:

Making Data-Based Decisions

Author Earnings

Digital Book World

Open eBooks

Further Reading:

E-book Trends Flattening, Paper Books Holding Their Own

A Visit to Amazon Books

The post The Myth of the E-book Plateau first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

1. Current trends in early literacy practices and education. My school district recently began to follow the Fountas & Pinnell Guided Reading. When children and their families come in looking for a “level M” book, it’s a huge cause of frustration for my circulation staff. A trained children’s librarian should be aware of developments such as this and be able to offer recommendations. Similarly, a familiarity with the Common Core can aid not just in customer service, but also in collection development.
2. The importance of the reference interview. Reference interviews aren’t just for reference anymore! They can also be helpful in performing reader’s advisory. A librarian who is able to assess exactly what a patron is looking for is a huge asset to his or her department.
3. Understanding the needs of all levels of readers. Some children read far above their grade level and are not ready for the mature content that can come with higher-level books. Others struggle, and in the words of Marie Joyce, Children’s Librarian at the Free Public Library of Hasbrouck Heights, NJ, “it’s important to get them books they can read but that are not ‘babyish.’” A successful children’s librarian should be able to help find resources for all reading levels.
4. An awareness of pop culture. Just as it’s important to be cognizant of current educational trends, it can greatly help a children’s librarian to be aware of what’s going on in popular culture. Some of the highest-circing items in my library’s juvenile collection are LEGO books and Star Wars tie-ins. Similarly, we recently held an American Girl tea party that was an overwhelming success. Staying up to date on these things can help a professional relate better to young patrons, not to mention make the library a “cooler” place to hang out.
5. Management and networking skills. “Children librarians seem to be doing more and more on less available time. We are not an island…we need staff help, whether it is preparing crafts and props to marketing programs to patrons. Good management skills help rally the internal staff and outsiders who support the library with time and money,” points out Robin Rockman, Youth Services Librarian at Oradell (NJ) Free Public Library. Furthermore, many children’s librarians are also tasked with making sure their department runs smoothly. Having a good professional rapport with support staff makes this duty far easier.
6. How to talk to children. It seems obvious, but providing good service to children is far different than working with adults, or even teens. Establishing a non-intimidating but still authoritative stance with young patrons is key in a public library.
7. Technological know-how. That’s not to say every children’s librarian should be fluent in three different programming languages, but being able to leverage different resources can be a huge aid in both program development and customer service. It is also important to understand how screen time can affect our youngest patrons. It’s no longer out of place to have a parent or caregiver come into the library looking for app suggestions for their preschooler.
8. How to be a creative problem-solver. Children are unpredictable! You never know when a scheduled performer might not show up, or a kid has an accident during story time. Flexibility and being able to think quickly on his or her feet will pay off greatly during those moments of uncertainty.
9. Time management. Many children’s librarians are responsible for scheduling programming. Yet providing enough events for the public without burning themselves or their staff out can be a tricky act of balance. Similarly, most people in this position wear many different hats, from programming to collection development to community outreach and more. Being able to manage anything without being overwhelmed is vital.
10. How to promote library services. I come from a digital marketing background, and what I learned while working in that industry has helped me almost every day in my library career. Now more than ever, it’s necessary to stay relevant in the eyes of the public and elected officials. We can’t do that if no one knows about what we offer. From social media marketing to creating catchy in-house displays and merchandising, a keen sense for promoting library awareness will ensure the longevity of our field.

What other topics do you think a children’s librarian needs to know about? Share your thoughts in the comments!

The post Ten Things a Children’s Librarian Needs to Know first appeared on Public Libraries Online.