Libraries and Social Networks

There's been a lot of conversation online about the new report from OCLC, Sharing, Privacy and Trust in Our Networked World (.pdf download, 280 pp.). There's a lot to digest, but it's plenty interesting.

The report studies the way that Internet usage has evolved and matured, focusing on

...four primary areas:

1. User practices and preferences on their favorite social spaces
2. User attitudes about sharing and receiving information on social spaces, commercial sites and library sites
3. Information privacy; what matters and what doesn’t
4. Librarian social networking practices and preferences; their views on privacy, policy and the potential of social networks for libraries

And it comes to conclusions which some may find reassuring, but others see as concerning. The good folk at the Libraries Build Communities blog note the following highlights:

• this data shows the distinction between “digital natives” and “digital immigrants” to be almost non-existent; we’ve all been online for long enough
• the shift from users simply reading the web (in 2005) to authoring it (in 2007) is startling; library web site use decreased by 33% during this same period
• people who use social networking sites (drum roll please) read more than people who don’t. HA!
• social networking is qualified by interaction; social media is qualified by content creation, publishing, and sharing - more than a quarter of the general pop surveyed had used either (28%), making them more likely to participated in the social web than to have searched or borrowed from a library web site (20%)
• people participate in social networking for interaction; users believe that it helps maintain current relationships (42%) or develop new ones (47%)
• the general public (13%) and US library directors (14%) generally don’t think there’s a place for the library in the social web; when they do, they think we should host book clubs.

What does this mean for our future? As has been said before, books are our brand. Will library websites always be marginal in the social web? Is the community conversation in libraries essentially limited to face-to-face, though virtual elsewhere? Is this a problem or an opportunity?

Part of the report's conclusion notes:

Brand creates an important and useful set of expectations of what the organization should deliver, and conversely, brand often puts boundaries around what users believe an organization can deliver.

The library brand has put boundaries around the expectations of libraries on the social Web. Overwhelmingly, neither the general public nor librarians see a role for libraries as providers of social sites. Offline, libraries are vibrant social spaces. They are hubs of community activities and provide a venue for open exchange and dialogue. Yet, neither users nor librarians can
see such a role for libraries online.

Are we self-limiting or wisely recognizing our capacity and role? Some may read this with relief and others with sadness. This report deserves to be widely read, and we should consider the conclusions as we plan our websites and online catalogs.

Information R/evolution

Thanks to Tasha Saecker of the Menasha Library & Sites and Soundbytes for pointing out this one! Another good one from Michael Wesch in Digital Ethnography at Kansas State U. -- similar to his "The Machine Is Us/ing Us".

Building study issues in the press

Editorial reactions from selected writers on the Post Crescent's online forum, with some of my thoughts in response in italics:

Jamtheman:
I agree we are changing and the use of how one uses the library system is also changing.We have an explosive movement in the North. I would like to use OWLS and see if they can freely provide the same information that a $50,000 study will provide. We have the knowledge...Go north young readers.

This refers to how Appleton is growing to the north, with two fairly new high schools and some major annexation miles from the downtown. Northern considerations should be a major part of this study.

OWLS certainly has expertise, but not in building design or construction -- for that you need professional expertise, likely from an architect. That will allow service needs to be translated into building concepts with some associated cost projections. And while OWLS has the ability to do many things, they are already doing many things -- this is a major project and OWLS staff does not have lots of spare time on their hands.

MikeB:
Seems to me the librarians are getting short shrift in this deal in favor of fattening the pockets of outside consultants. Who would be more expert in the library's needs, a consultant or the people that run the library? As I see it it should be a fairly simple and straight forward proposition. Look at the needs of the library over all then look at the city's demographics to determine if the existing building should be added to or a new building elsewhere in town is needed. To me it looks like the city is just trying to avoid taking any responsibility for any decisions.

From this librarian's perspective, our librarians are not getting short shrift, they're asking for help. I would certainly expect that any consultants hired would be responsive to library staff and Board, so that our expertise will be taken into account.

But I disagree that the proposition is either simple or straightforward. Since this story broke in the press, I've had people tell me that it's obvious we should build branches, I've had people tell me it's obvious we should expand our current building, I've had people tell me it's obvious we should relocate to a new building with modern design, allowing us to build some new efficiencies into operations.

I know what I think, but that doesn't give me alternatives with costs. And it's the people of this community, through their input and representatives on the Library Board and Council -- maybe even through referendum -- who get to choose. What do you, the people, collectively want? What will you pay? Not simple questions at all.

Cassandra:
All I know is that the library needs a bigger parking lot.

I can sure argue for that, but I've had other people tell me it's obvious the library needs a smaller parking lot so more people will use nearby parking ramps. Seriously. This issue alone could generate a long discussion.

tcsbiz:
Outsiders are brought for the following:

1. A knowledge of what other communities are doing.

2. The existing staff can have tunnel vision and not be aware of alternatives.

3. To minimize conflicts of interest. There are people in the community who would question large expenditures proposed by the staff.

There's no doubt that the staff could analyze the situation and propose changes but bringing in outsiders has the appearance of impartiality whether or not the impartiality actually exists.

I mostly agree -- one additional reason is particular expertise, such as civil engineering, architectural planning and cost-estimating. It's everybody's job to keep an eye on that impartiality thing, though outside consultants are less likely to have a local or hidden agenda. Not that my agenda is hidden, but it's sure possible I have tunnel vision. You could also argue that any proposal from staff is self-interested (like we would want the headaches this entails).

Newspaper editorial spot on

This opinion piece appeared in today's Post-Crescent, and indicates a good understanding of the value of public libraries, as well as current community needs. Thanks, Post-Crescent!

Posted November 5, 2007

Editorial: Library study needed to best serve city

A public library is a vital part of any community. It's a gateway to reading, but it's much more than that. It's a gateway to learning, through all sorts of media. It's a gateway to technology. And it's a community center — a place to meet, a place to be, where all are welcome.

The Appleton Public Library is no exception. It's one of the centers of the city. But the time has come to explore whether the library is meeting the needs of city residents.

Appleton has grown a lot since the library was built, in 1981, and slightly expanded, in 1996. More people are using the library, and the library has more to offer people. As a result, space in the building has become a problem.

The city's 2008 budget proposal includes $50,000 for a space needs study of the library — an idea we heartily endorse.

The importance of the study is not so much what the space needs are today, but what they'll be in the future. Expansion of some sort will be needed someday. But what kind of expansion would be best to serve the changing community?

Since any proposal, realistically, wouldn't become a reality for several years, the time is right now to conduct the study.

The library's long-range plan maps out a course. This study is needed to determine what kind of building is needed to follow that course.

The Common Council should keep the library study in the 2008 budget.

Let the public discourse begin...

This is the text of an email sent to the Library staff, the day after the City Council Finance Committee reviewed the Mayor's budget for all departments, and the our local newspaper published an article featuring the request for a library building study
---
Notes on a Sunday morning...

I know, this should be a day of rest, but I had to go and read this morning's Post Crescent first thing ...

The headline on page 2 states, in impressively large type, "Library space study budgeted." True enough, but the reality is complex and political. We've been asking for a space study for three years. This year is the first time it's been in the Mayor's budget. And now it's in the Finance Committee's budget, on a 3-2 vote, and going to the full City Council for approval on November 14. At that point, it could be removed from the budget by a majority of the Council. Based on the split vote in committee, some of the other remarks from alderpersons, and the media attention, we can expect the issue to arise in deliberations.

The Post Crescent article was actually pretty good, though I don't believe I said that the library is literally bursting at the seems. We're not, although space is getting tight, and we know that the time from a study to any significant change will be measured in years. We also know:

• we may have enough space for today, but not for long-term needs
• several areas of the collection are already quite tight, despite increasingly aggressive weeding
• shelving on top and bottom shelves alleviate some needs but is not ideal for accessibility of materials
• growth in collections and technology has eaten into floor space and reading/study seating
• Appleton is growing in size and population, with two high schools north of Highway 41, continued annexation and construction, especially to the northeast and southeast
• more people from Appleton use libraries in our neighboring communities than vice versa, often citing convenient location and parking as reasons
• our exit and entryway are not ideal for security: this makes it hard for Circulation staff to monitor and creates problems when groups use our meeting room before or after hours
• our Young Adult area is very small -- smaller than Little Chute's and much smaller than libraries in Waupaca and LaCrosse, restricting our ability to attract and serve people at a critical age
• for economy and expediency, our 1996 expansion ignored our 1994 building study's actual recommendations and built smaller than needed for future growth

I really have to disagree with Alderperson Jirschele's comment that this study would be premature because the library needs to first determine a philosophy of service. I think we've done that with our long range plan (on our website at http://www.apl.org/policies/ApprovedPlan07.pdf), and we have given a copy of that plan to all of our City Council members. I'll be reminding Ald. Jirschele of that and trying to understand his concern. What we're looking at is not what kind of library service is needed, but what facilities options are best for delivering that service for Appleton in the coming years. Our current building is a response to existing needs in the 1990s, not future needs in the 21st century.

Assuming we get the study approved in the final budget, we will work with the Library Board and the City's Facilities Management Department to make it happen. Most likely this would mean creating a "Request for Proposals" to consulting firms who have experience in studying library building alternatives. Often this includes a team of a library services consultant and an architect. Until we actually get into a study, it's hard to anticipate every possible alternative, but major ones at this point involve:

• doing nothing
• remodeling and/or expanding our current building
• relocating to a new building
• adding branch(es), either though construction or storefront rental
• developing a joint library with one or more neighboring municipalities

I think we're very fortunate that our Library Foundation has generously offered to contribute $10,000 to the cost of a study. We've also been talking with the Foundation about soliciting donations to help with any project that might happen. Because of community support, public libraries often are able to get significant contributions for building projects, and I hope this would ease the burden on Appleton taxpayers and help any future library projects go forward.

This will be interesting as we proceed. I hope that everyone on our staff has a sense of what we're doing and why, as I'm sure you'll all get questions. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me or refer people to me.

There were more budget issues, but I think the building study was the big one. Nobody from the Council even asked about the materials budget, so I hope that will be OK. More to come, I'm sure!

There's other stuff to talk about, but enough for now.

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Library staff, APL users, etc. this is a good point to leave a comment here...

1 conference, 4 blogs, 8 bloggers, 36 posts

We had a great Wisconsin Library Association Conference in Green Bay last week, thanks to a lot of good work by many people. I put a post in the blog partway through the week, but there are a lot of postings in four different blogs that I know of. If I'm missing some, please post a comment / link! Thanks to all the bloggers for sharing their experiences:

Michael Golrick / Thoughts of a Library Administrator:

• The 411 on Mashups
• Wisconsin Public Library Standards and Certification
• Non-Profit Marketing
• Flash! The Future of the talking book
• Learning Games and Simulations
• Applying Survey Methodology in the Real World
• Keynote by David Maraniss
  

Tasha Saecker / Sites & Soundbytes:

• Poets as Peacemakers, Poets as Healers
• Palm Program
• The New Media Ecology
• Leadership and Resilience
• Tasha's Library 2.0 Presentation Slides
• Podcasting as a Library Tool
• Intellectual Freedom Issues with Judith Krug of ALA
• Preconference - Living Your Life on Purpose with Joan Gilman

Leslie Farrell / Posterhead

• New Media Ecology presentation by Lee Rainie
• Managing Your Library for Great Customer Service with Jefferey Russell

The WLA Blog - with bloggers Beth Carpenter, Joy Schwarz, Pete Gilbert, Nanette Bulebosh, & Amanda Werhane

• The 411 on Mashups (Joy)
• The 411 on Mashups (Beth)
• Tracing Your Ancestors Through Genealogy Tips and Tricks (Joy)
• WisconsinEye.com (Amanda)
• Non-Profit Marketing: What I Should Know about Marketing That My Mother Wouldn't Tell Me (Amanda)
• Taking the "Non" Out of Non-User (Beth)
• UW-Madison Libraries/Google Partnership (Joy)
• The New Media Ecology (Joy)
• The New Media Ecology (Beth)
• Those Who Can, Teach: Becoming a More Effective "One Shot" Trainer (and Explainer) (Joy)
• Tasha explains Library 2.0 for you (Nanette)
• Library Conference Planning 101: Backs to the WAAL (Amanda)
• David Maraniss keynote (Amanda)
• Real World RSS: Developing a Current Awareness Service for Your Patrons (Joy)
• Web 2.0 (Beth)
• Podcasting as a Library Tool (Beth)
• Lutie Stearns and Her Library Legacy - Stuart Stotts (Pete)
• Putting Library Services Where Our Users Live and Work: Future of the OPAC (Joy)
• Applying Survey Methodology in the Real World (Joy)

Thank you all --Wisconsin library folks rock!

Social Digital Global Shift

We need more rocking librarians. This isn't a library song per se, but it puts that 2.0 thang in perspective -- and it's catchy! The redoubtable David Lee King strikes again.

Jan Brett visit

They waited for hours, in a line that went around three sides of the library building. Parents were patient and kids were amazingly well-behaved. They were waiting to meet author Jan Brett and get her to sign a book.

For our library, it was a great low-cost program and collaboration with our local independent bookseller, Conkey's Bookstore. It was Conkey's, with their publisher contacts, that plugged us in to Jan's new book tour, promoting The Three Snow Bears. Jan's bus was parked for the afternoon in the library parking lot, so we had the out-of-pocket cost for a few meters. Jan, her husband and her (publisher's) staff did a lot of the work, as did the folks from Conkey's. We gave out about 200 tickets for book signings, and over 400 children and parents went through the library meeting room before the day ended. Conkey's wound up selling a lot of books in our meeting room (a worthwhile exception to the commercial use of the meeting room policy).

In late afternoon, Jan came into the library, was introduced to a receptive audience, presented a donation of several books to staff, gave a talk and drew a picture. Children, parents and librarians alike were captivated, but the best was yet to come. Following her talk, Jan signed books -- and it was a good thing that we had given out tickets so that she was not mobbed.

She was there for hours, much longer than she had agreed on or planned. Yet every child that approached her got the benefit of a big smile, a short talk and Jan's full attention. It was very fine to see a big name writer take as much time as needed to make every child feel special.

It was long hours for our hard-working children's staff, who assisted at every step and worked to keep kids entertained with stories and songs through the long wait, but I hope we see Jan on her next tour!

(Photos by Michael Kenney)

Heroes boost & disparage libraries

Ya gotta love irony. I'm rather fond of the show Heroes, but they are quick to reflect common library prejudice.

Two things in the same week:

1. a new ALA graphics catalog shows up with a cover photo of a "Read" poster featuring Sendhil Ramamurthy of the NBC series Heroes.
2. in the latest episode of "Heroes" (10/15/07), as reported on the Library Geek Woes blog

   Teenage Claire wanted to sneak out of the house to meet her boyfriend, so at the dinner table announced that she had to go to the library that evening to work on a research project. Her brother responds, "Duh, Claire, haven't you ever heard of the Internet?" To which she replies, "Well, duh, that's why I'm going to the library. My paper is on how the library is obsolete!"

The depressing thing, of course, is that her family buys this as reasonable and sensible. Presumably viewers are meant to see it that way as well. Perhaps Professor Mohinder Suresh should have a little chat with Cheerleader Claire on the value of libraries! That's more likely to happen than the mainstrema media buying a clue about what we do.

WLA - learning in person & online

We're in the midst of the Wisconsin Library Association annual conference in Green Bay. It's great to rub elbows with colleagues, meet vendors, have lots of conversations -- some quick, some in-depth -- and of course, go to programs. The conference team and WLA staff are doing a great job as usual.

Thanks to some good bloggers and the WLA website, there are opportunities to learn and talk about the programs even for those who were not able to get here. The WLA blog has extensive notes on many of the programs. Worth watching and following as the website become richer with links to presentations and online resources.