Read The Big Moo. That’s just a quick piece of advice for today. The book, edited by Seth Godin, brings together 33 top minds of business and industry to present ideas on how to “remarkablize your organization.” Who doesn’t want to be remarkable, right?
Several chapters hit me as being particularly relevant, but one is especially relevant to public libraries. When Everything is Free (p.6) envisions a world where all business models are like that of National Public Radio. Product is free and the organization’s revenue is dependent on customer loyalty, donations, etc. Public libraries already operate under a similar model.
The author tells of how a wealthy NPR listener left NPR $200 million in her will and how more than 25,000 people signed an online petition within days when a personality change at NPR caused waves among its listeners.
Think about your communities? Are we attracting that kind of broad-based customer loyalty, so much that if our budget is threatened, we have thousands of people come charging to our defense? No?
The author asks some pointed questions at the end of the chapter, some worth considering as we plan future services:
For a moment, imagine that within a year global competition causes your company to rely on donations to survive. How will you prepare? How will you change your relationship with customers? Will you change at all?
How will you attract and keep customers who will chip in extra money if you can’t meet your yearly revenue goals?
How will you change your product to become so valuable that customers will pay a fair price after they’ve used it freely for a year?
What will you do differently to survive?
There is an article in the May 21st issue of Library Hotline that talks about the Danbury Library in Connecticut using LibraryThing to offer tagging, user reviews and book recommendations via their online catalog.
http://www.librarything.com/blog/2007/05/librarything-for-libraries-in-danbury.php
This is being done through a service called LibraryThing for Libraries: http://www.librarything.com/forlibraries/. It’s not free but pretty reasonable. They do not proclaim to be entering the automation business. But it seems to me like they are offering something that all the automation vendors should be offering in their online catalogs.
From the LibraryThing Blog:
“LibraryThing was built on library data, and we’ve been graciously invited into the library conversation. We are charging for LibraryThing for Libraries, but our prices are in an entirely different league from what libraries are accustomed to pay for their online catalog software. And as these catalogs add “social” features, LibraryThing for Libraries will exert powerful downward pressure on prices. Ultimately, the industry needs a newcomer to take a huge slice of a smaller market. We’re not going to be that company, but we can push the trend along.
Check it out!
Television and the Internet are slowly creeping toward each other as these technologies merge. Eventually you’ll be able to watch mainstream broadcast TV and Internet content on a single monitor. While you’re waiting, there are some pretty cool bleed-over technologies to tune into:
Blip.tv is a video sharing/social networking service that does YouTube one better. Where YouTube collects single, simple video clips, Blip.tv videos are mini “ TV series.” Anyone can create a show, post it, and advertise it to others through a “trailer.” You can search for shows by popular tags, and subscribe to favorite shows via an RSS-feed-like process.
In a model more familiar to library audiences, “MyLibraryDV” offers existing TV programs as downloadable video for patrons to watch on a home computer. This video-on-demand service from Recorded Books is in partnership with public libraries. Here in South Carolina, Anderson County Public Library is offering this service. DVD-quality popular programs such as America’s Test Kitchen, Rick Steves’ Europe, Antiques Roadshow, and some feature-length films are offered. Programming is somewhat limited – no prime time shows and few current movies are available – but it’s a start and may be of interest to your community.For either of these services, a broadband connection and a fast graphics processor are needed for optimum viewing at home.
Finally, just so you’ll be in the know about another video development that your patrons will be following: “Machinima” animated films are made by taking graphic characters and elements from online games and virtual worlds, such as Second Life and World of Warcraft, and creating story lines and video content around them. Here’s an explanation of machinima. Wikipedia also has a good article which includes a listing of current Machinima offerings.
“Current” soon becomes “yesterday” in this new world of video. Catch on soon!
Have you wondered about the new social tool Twitter, but haven’t had a chance to find out what it’s all about? Is it just a new flash-in-the-pan web tool, or something truly useful for work or personal pursuits?
Created by the developer of Blogger, Twitter is mobile software that lets you broadcast and receive little messages, via your cell phone or computer, to or from multiple friends. For a concise, clear explanation of Twitter — how it works, and why people are using it, see Newbie’s guide to Twitter Here’s a map showing real-time twittering around the globe.
Although much of the current use and content of Twitter messaging is pretty trivial, the best thing about Twitter is the ability to set it up as an aggregator to catch your favorite RSS feeds. Twitter is true mass communication. Give it a look and if your library customers are using it, leave a comment here!
The Illinois Library Association and MySpace have developed bookmarks to educate library users about Internet Safety. The three bookmarks are:
Dealing with Cyberbullies: Tips for Kids
Safe Blogging: Tips for Teens
Social Networking: Tips for Parents
The NetSafety site also has articles, data and websites related the using the Internet safely for parents, library staffs and young people.
