Friday, December 13, 2013

Two Months & Counting

I was thinking I hadn't yet accomplished much in my new job, when I stopped to consider it's only been 2 months since I started! Sitting in meetings where others had great progress reports on various projects led me to think I wasn't stepping up, but a reality check reminded me it takes time to settle in - it's been a long time since I've been the "newbie" anywhere. It's not like I've just been sitting home, waiting for something to happen (although the possible October government shut-down did cause a little concern!). I've traveled to at least 10 libraries, participated in a few board and director trainings, met a lot of new folks and dealt with some interesting issues, all while becoming familiar with standards, laws and other procedures I wasn't familiar with. The holidays, when things seem to slow down a bit, are a good time to regroup and make some definite plans. I've attended webinars and trainings, including the ContentDM series for the Montana Memory Project - I'd seen some of that in action but going through the complete set really helped in understanding the process of creating a collection. There has been new grant money allocated to that so I'm looking forward to helping libraries with their preservation plans. Another project is a Lifelong Learning and Community Outreach idea - it could be 2 separate goals or we could find a way to combine things. An early idea involved the creation of traveling kits libraries could borrow for recording patron stories and experiences; this might involve training in the use of the equipment and how to share what was collected. Partnering with community groups would also be a big part of this. That's a discussion we'll have next month. So I will remind myself to be patient and see what new challenges and opportunities come along in the next few months!

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

We've entered the Week of the Deep Freeze here, with day time temperatures barely getting above zero. Reports say this type of extended sub-arctic freeze hasn't happened for 40 years - it brings back memories of my Alaskan days! So, it's time to get in to hibernation mode and take advantage of the opportunities the internet offers. Lots of online learning sessions are noted on my calendar now. Yesterday I learned about the Impact Survey from TechSoup, available to public libraries as a way to gather data from users. This will be a great tool for Montana's libraries, allowing them to learn how their patrons are using library computers and databases. This information can then be used to demonstrate the library's value in the community, an important consideration when budgeting and funding discussions come up. Library standards specify feedback should be gathered every 2 years - often a difficult task for libraries to manage. The survey will make it much easier. It's as simple as inserting some simple code into a website, and will result in valuable data that can be used for comparisons with other similar libraries. I'd like to be able to help all libraries take advantage of this. Today there are a few more learning opportunities, one specifically on rural libraries and how they can be promoting innovation in their communities. Not every library can manage to create a maker space but there are probably other ways to be creative - I'm curious to find out what options might be out there! The state library has a grant we are looking at using for life-long learning and community outreach programs, and I'm hoping some ideas from today's session will be useful in supporting that. Another idea for the grant is to develop a traveling "story-gathering" toolbox so libraries could record local community experts and stories, like the LibraryYOU program. I would love to learn more about video recording and editing, and be able to train others to do the same. This sounds like it could be so much fun! This could also be a good time to play with the various gadgets in the Petting Zoo, just to make sure I'm familiar with all the available features in case someone asks. They are just sitting here, and an unused gadget is a sad thing!