Naked Conversations / by Robert Scoble and Shel Israel

Naked Conversations: How blogs are chaging the way businesses talk with each other / by Robert Scoble and Shel Israel

At the OCLC Members' Meeting in Ontario, CA, one of the speakers mentioned this book. Robert Scoble runs Microsoft's Channel 9 web site and his blog http://www.scobleizer.com had received recognition in Fortune, Fast Company, and The Economist. She Israel is a technology guru and has been involved in Powerpoint, Filemaker and Sun Microsystems workstations.

This book, although it has a corporate slant, has much to say to academic institutions that rings true. Notes to follow...

Excerpt from:
Bloggings's Six Pillars: There are six key differences between blogging and any other communications channel. You can find any of them elsewhere. These are the Six Pillars of Blogging:

1.Publishable.Anyone can publish a blog.You can do it cheaply and post often. Each posting is instantly available worldwide.

2.Findable. Through search engines, people will find blogs by subject, by author, or both. The more you post, the more findable you become.

3.Social. The blogosphere is one big conversation. Interesting topical conversations move from site to site, linking to each other. Through blogs, people with shared interests build relationships unrestricted by geographic borders.

4.Viral. Information often spreads faster through blogs than via a newsservice. No form of viral marketing matches the speed and efficiency of a blog.

5.Syndicatable. By clicking on an icon, you can get free "home delivery" of RSS- enabled blogs into your e-mail software. RSS lets you know when a blog you subscribe to is updated, saving you search time. This process is considerably more efficient than the last- generation method of visiting one page of one web site at a time looking for changes.

6.Linkable. Because each blog can link to all others, every blogger has access to the tens of millions of people who visit the blogosphere every day.

You can find each of these elements elsewhere. None is, in itself, all that remarkable. But in final assembly, they are the benefits of the most powerful two-way Internet communications tool so far developed.

Digitization Policy from ALA's Office of Information Technology

The Digitization Policy Task Force of ALA's Office for Information Technology has developed a document on digitization policy. In this document nine basic principles are presented as principles or assumptions to move libraries forward in the digitization agenda.

The basic principles include:

Principle 1: Digital libraries ARE libraries. The policies of the Association apply fully to digital libraries including the core values such as commitment to access, confidentiality/privacy, the public good, and professionalism.
---Mary Ann’s first thoughts: Are digital collections the same as libraries? Is there the same commitment to access, confidentiality, public good and professionalism or are these resources so fluid as to provide a wider perspective.

Principle 2: Digital content, like other library materials, must be given the same consideration for collection development, ease of access, freedom of information, and preservation.
--Mary Ann’s first thoughts: Why? In this world of packaged resources (e.g. Proquest’s database collections, we do not “select” or “evaluate” individual titles, but rather, we select an overall database that serves most of our needs. In some cases, we don’t even know of the extent of titles added to a “package” or if it is “balanced” as we would hope a tangible, physical collection would be.

Principle 3: Digital activities and the resulting collections must be sustainable by libraries. Sustainability requires secure and ongoing funding, technology solutions that are appropriate to the longevity of the cultural record, and long-term management capabilities.
--Mary Ann’s first thoughts: While this is a desired goal, how do libraries that cannot sustain their physical collections with secure and ongoing funding lobby to get into this arena. This is not a reality but a goal. Years ago there was a maxim on an OCLC poster that read: “Without technical standards, systems cannot grow.” Now, anyone can publish their intellectual thoughts and records on the web. My question is “Is it even manageable?” or “What is it that we really want to manage?”

Principle 4: Digitization on a large scale requires collaboration. Collaboration enables the building of collections that support research, scholarship and information needs of diverse communities. Collaboration will require strong organizational support and promotion by cultural heritage professionals, their institutions, and their associations.
--Mary Ann’s first thoughts: True for large scale projects. But some of the really “long tail” items will provide intrinsic value in access, even if not through large scale collaboration. A small collection of memorabilia from an aboriginal tribe may be as “valuable” as any large scale projects…and it could be easily made available with minimal collaboration. Collaboration is often a luxury.

Principle 5: Digital activity requires ongoing communication for its success. The library and cultural heritage community must reach out to the public, to government, and to funding institutions with a clear and compelling message regarding the role of digital libraries and collections.
--Mary Ann’s first thoughts: There is merit is digital activity even without communication.

Principle 6: Digital collections increasingly address an international audience. These collections are part of a global information infrastructure that is not limited by geography.
--Mary Ann’s first thoughts: International audience, yes; however, there is still an issue with the digital divide in our national (as well as international) audience.

Principle 7: Digital collections are developed and sustained by an educated workforce. Members of the cultural heritage professions must engage in continuous learning and be able to explore new technology, to work with new partners, and to reach new audiences.
--Mary Ann’s first thoughts: Seems elitist…

Principle 8: Digital materials must be the object of appropriate preservation. Preservation activities require the development of standards and best practices as well as models for sustainable funding to guarantee long term commitment to these materials.

Principle 9: Digital collections and their materials must adhere to standards to maximize their usefulness. Standards must serve the broadest community of users, support sustainable access and use over time, and provide user functionality that promotes the core library values
(http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/statementspols/corevaluesstatement/corevalues.htm).

OCLC Western 2007 Users' Meeting

OCLC Western 2007 Users’ Meeting:
“Mapping the User Centric Environment”

Measuring your library’s value
70219762
…for every $1 spent on the library, a community sees an average of $4 in return (St. Louis Public Library”

www.berkandassociated.com/pdf/draft
Google it: “library services calculator” “academic libraries”
Maine State government
Hawaii at Manoa Library
Check academic emphasis

Are we asking the ultimate question? Oclc.org/nextspace
www.oclc.org/roi (return on investment)

Telling your story
http://msl.mt.gov/what’syourstory/home.htm

Advocacy: www.ala.org/ala/issues/freeonlinetraining.htm

Naked conversations: How Blogs are Changing the Way Businesses Talk with Customers by Robert Scoble and Shel Israel

Library conflict management: Turning Enemies into Allies

Library Conflict Management: Turning Enemies into Allies (SIRSI seminar with Pat Wagner)

Pat focuses on healthy vs. nonhealthy conflicts in libraries and provides strategies to alleviate conflict situations. In addition to providing an overview of nonhealthy vs. healthy conflicts, Pat presents a 3 point “cure” and the 4 magic words to alleviate negative energy situations. Also outlined are the 10 symptoms of problem organizations.

Some notes that stood out for me (and ones I want to remember)!
• Conflicts cost money…it reduces productivity and distracts the staff from positive customer service; creates a loss of trust and respect
• Conflict personalities may include obsession personalities (obsession with the past…different from venting)
• Take the “true believer” test: If there is nothing I can do to make you happy and if there is only one way, then that person is a true believer…
• Personal vs. personnel issue: Ask myself…if this was a person I “liked,” what would I do…and do the szame (talk to the person, don’t punish them, work on a resolution…)
Healthy workplaces focus on the current problem not the past, focuses on the solution behavior not the person; look for people who can help resolve issues, have a “civility clause” (which insists that people must treat each other civilly---say hello, greet them, etc.)

How you can tell if people can deal with “healthy conflict”:
• Happy home life
• People cheerfully take responsibiolity for their lieves
• People invest intheir futures

The “cure”:
• Ask the person bringing forth the conflict:
• What do you want to happen?
• What do I want to happen?
• What are you willing to accept? Change?

Other issues:
• What do you want to have happen next? Instead?
• Despite the fact that you may have to live with a situation, what would satisfy you and allow you to move forward?

Advice to the manager:
• Think of people as neutral without a hidden agenda
• Assume they are doing the best they can with the information they have
• Decide if it is personal or personality

Ten Symptoms: Copy from Powerpoint
1. Bitterness (people stuck in the past)
2. Exempting themselves (refuse to go to meetings because they feel “entitled”
3. Personal crises…loss of a loved one,

Contact: pat@pattern.com

OCLC’S Workshop on Developing and Managing Digital Programs

March 27, 2007
In class exercise notes:

Flowchart of Digital Assets
Yes, We will take it!
Move it
Develop paper trail
--Accession it, e.g. 2007-01, 02, etc
--Deed of gift (document it)
--Define it in terms of condition, quantity and date range
--Where did it come from (donor, org, etc.)
--Consider the preservation issues (identify what may be needed, special processing?)
Weed it?
Inventory it for quality
How is it organized? Archivists suggest keeping it in this original organization
•Make a decision and create a plan
--Describe it –as a minimum, abstract
--Store it issues; preservation issues, digitize it?
--Who will do it??
--Create a Finding Aid

Creating a finding Aid:
Collection name Donor’s name(s) Account # Location Begin date End date Number of boxes/linear feet/cubic feet Contact name Notes


Webinar coming up on how you can use Worldcat’s Collection Analysis Tools to assist with digitization activities.

Good example at Wash State Pullman, Bank of Endicott Records
www.wsulibs.wsu.edu/holland/masc/finders/cg332.htm

Refer to MPLP handout ?more product, Less process: answer to a request for a “middle way”
traditional Adequate WSU PCC?
Arrangement
Unfoldered materials into folders Y Y
Folders into series Y Maybe, if size/complexity of collection warrants
Items within folders Y N y
N
Description
Collection/record group Y Y
Series Y Maybe, if size/complexity of collection warrants
Folders Y May list, not describe y May list or describe
Items May list or describe N Y
N
Preservation
Refolder Y N Y: if original folders brittle or otherwise damaged
Remove fasteners Y N
Segregate and/or photocopy clippings, carbons, onionskins Y N
Segregate and/or sleeve photos Y N
Encapsulate or mend torn documents Y N
Interleave scrapbooks or photo albums Y N

Metrics

Hours per cubic foot 15 2-4

Sabbatical leave -- Libraries visited as of April 2007

Public and University Libraries:
Seattle Public Library
San Mateo County Libraries (2)
University of WA
Sonoma State University
San Mateo County—ask Vicki…new library
Camarillo Public Library
Cerritos Public Library
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

Community College Libraries:
Allan Hancock
Allan Hancock—Lompoc Campus
Bakersfield
Cerritos
Chaffey
College of San Mateo
College of the Sequoias
Cypress
De Anza
Foothill
Fullerton
Golden West
Grossmont
Mesa (AZ)
Modesto
Mt Sac
Orange Coast
Riverside
San Joaquin Delta

Customer is always right: A Sirsi Seminar with Ulla de Striker……………

Customer is always right: A Sirsi Seminar with Ulla de Striker……………

This seminar could be used as a discussion springboard for a library tech public service class. The presenter urges us to place ourselves in the “shoes of the customer” asking ourselves how we would feel if we were on the other side of the desk.

Although this seminar summarizes so many basic principles of public service, (aka walk a mile in their shoes, working as a “public service team” whether in tech or public service…at the desk on over the phone and online.)

Chatty conversational style based on her own service experiences rather than strongly motivational. Addresses experiences of public service interactions, culture of the organization that fosters customer experiences, challenges of positive public service events, implications of human resources in managing an organization. A little disjointed…common sense approach (have a friend, be a friend). Not recommended as a stellar example of motivation toward excellent public service.

Covered:
• Key characteristics of a positive customer experience
• Special challenges associated with today’s realities
• Simple principles
• Finding out how clients experience us
• Human resources implications


--referred to
• “Emotional public service” presentation (SIRSI?)
• Stephen Arnold March 2005 presentation on user behavior
• Harvey McCay’s 66 things we need to understand about our customers (amazon


Recommends four basic principles” Attention, Engagement, Appropriate result, and Followup.

5 Principles of great public service:

1. It is all about them! Nothing we do in the course of the day that is not related to a quality customer experience (suggest Gallery of Library Staff)
2. Empower everyone to do the right thing at the right time (explain later!)
3. Break the rules!…
4. Talk about public service experiences
5. Be warm, friendly while still professional…build relationahips…

When hiring…look for the strong public service attitudes…everything else is trainable

Learning 2.0 : Make "play" your New Year's resolution / A Sirsi/Dynix Institute with Helene Blowers/ Technology Director

SIRSI abstract: As the Nationwide insurance commercials taunt "life comes at you fast", it's time for librarians to jump into the knowledge pool of Web 2.0 technologies and discover how these tools are changing the way many library users communicate, collaborate and receive information. Helene Blowers, Technology Director for the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County shares insights and best practices around the creation of Learning 2.0, an online self-discovery program designed to encourage staff to explore new technologies (blogs, wikis, podcasts etc.) and reward them for ’play’.
Helene uses her background and experiences as a Technology trainer to provide a framework for planning strategies to expose new technologies to your staff. Starting ten years ago, she started the delivery of “Tech Talks” to the county library staff of over 350 staff members. The trigger for developing the Learning 2.0 programs was an article in Information Outlook (February 26) called 43 Things I (or you) might want to do this year (http://tinyurl.com/y47cauhttp://tinyurl.com/y47cau).

This is the model for many world wide initiatives including the Infopeople challenge:
http://our23things.infopeople.org
to be continued (trying to just capture some of my recent activities)

CCL Workshop--Robin Shapiro from Portland CC

Portland Community College’s Library presence in the Online Course Environment

Robin described how Porland Community College explored a variety of strategies for integrating library resources into WebCT for distance learners.

When they were first brainstorming techniques to implement library instruction to distance ed students, Library staff developed a wiki (Pccdistance.pbwiki.com) to capture ideas as well as brainstorming sessions. Robin developed a handout for us that provided “library presence strategies for distance learning—from simplest to most complex”


Library fusion.blogspot.com

CHECK IT OUT: Feed2JS.org RSS feed transfer into Java script
CHECK IT OUT: Chatango

Handouts excellent….will be available on the CCL webpage…http://cclccc.org