CIL 2008: HiTech & HiTouch w/ Jenny Levine

Listening to Jenny Levine talk about this topic...a few points I like:

- reminded me about the idea of placing "signage" at a "dead end" CAT search so patrons can get help (meebo, hours, email etc.)

- Jenny Levine really reminds me of our own Helen Smith

- a little human touch on a website can make a big difference--in reference to IM clients on library web sites...how nice it it to just see "I'm available"?

- If our brand is books, why don't libraries take advantage of the serendipity that new online tools allow for?

- Check out Clay Shirky's book "Here Comes Everybody"

- How do we make a "cluster map" idea around library services?
- right now the only connections around a book are 1) other works by the author 2) subject headings...light bulb moment!
- showed LT here and how the tags in LT let you find other people with similar interest
- screen shots of bibliocommons (200 beta testers)
- consists of library covers, recent contributers (!) highlighted, browse on amazon, has an inbox (connect outside the library with others)
- it's basically a Facebook mock up for libraries ("Findbook")
- what we do is bigger than getting one person to one piece of content

Questions from the audience:
How do you get staff excited about this stuff?
- use content like recipes to get people interested, then evolve it into other things (love this idea)
- don't frame it as the tool...frame it as what people can get out of the tool.

Build it and they will come idea...is it true? Is it worth it?
- If it's free to build, and no one uses it, is a failure? not really
-as much as we talk about how we're behind in technology, libraries are actually on the leading edge (we don't realize it)
- need to reassess how we evaluate these tools...what does make it a success?

How do you keep up?
- Just pick a few sites and read at least once a week..those sites/blogs will pick up the good stuff
-don't let it overwhelm you...let it go if you get busy and then pick back up when you can..just do what you can!

Good session!