Tuesday, October 18, 2011

No More Library Workshops!

Does your library experience low attendance rate to your library workshops? As a librarian instructor, you have worked so hard to get people to attend your workshops, but still  not much improvement. Does that mean your patrons do not need the information? Does that mean library workshops have no value to your library community? Librarians all know that is not the case. Here is an innovative way to make some changes: No more workshops in the library! One-on-one and on demand instructional sessions instead.

I look at this as a patron driven change and another level of providing library instruction. I can certainly see some of the advantages of one-on-one or on demand sessions:
  • Fit into the patron's schedule
  • Deliver content based on individual's needs or at the point of need
  • Provide a conformable environment to ask questions -- patrons
  • Reduce the tense of speaking in public -- librarians
I believe it's time to make a change for better or worse depending on what you think and what content you want to deliver. It might be more effective to turn those workshops that have hands on components into one-on-one sessions. 

    Friday, October 14, 2011

    Want to Start an iPad Program for a Library?

    Yesterday I attended the ALA Webinar, Integrating iPads and Tablets Computers into Library Services (1). I  think the presenters did a great job. I hope MLA hosts a similar webcast to show successful iPad programs in health sciences libraries. At least one thing I learned from the webinar was that librarians need to ask questions before setting up a tablet program for their library:
    • What's it for? Is it for staff development, in-house use such as in class, or for circulating them to library patrons?
    • What content are you going to load on the device? Content would include apps and tools related to patron needs.
    • Do you have technical support for the program? 
    • How are you going to train library staff to provide frontline support for the program?
    If you already have a tablet program in your library, what's your thought so far?