Lightning Round Presentations
Presenters: Jolanda Durbin, Eagle Valley Library District; Erin Hollingsworth, Wilkinson Public Library; Andy Hamilton, Mesa County Public Library
Session: Friday, October 4th at 11:40 a.m.
Room: Mesa
Our Library of Things
Jolanda Durbin (She, her, hers)
Eagle Valley Library District, Avon, Eagle, Gypsum
A Library of Things
What is the Library of Things?
A collection of real items circulating at Eagle Valley Library District Libraries
Where the Library of Things began
Part of a strategic plan to explore non-traditional items for circulation,
Funding and supplies came from partnerships, and the adult programming budget
Since initial funding was through partnerships and the adult programming budget all the initial LoT items were either items the partner wanted to provide, or adult items that EVLD adult services thought would be good additions
Things in the Library
The Library of Things contains:
Additional considerations:
Obviously we all want all our items to find their user, in this case I mean that they are items that either people want to try out before purchasing (cameras) or want to use when they visit our area, and either left at home on accident or don’t have space to store when not in use (walking sticks, dry bags, etc.)
The games in this collection are predominantly card games and were specifically selected because you can play them with missing cards. Though the cameras are expensive, the librarian who selected them chose gopros and instamax mini because they are simple to use, and relatively sturdy. It’s really important to budget for things like service and staff time when introducing new formats and unusual items to your collection. Our wifi hotspot devices were donated, the internet service was not. Each of these items required some kind of special packaging and staff training - what to look for at checkout, what we have, etc.
Cataloging Things, Kits, and Real Objects
EVLD had real objects and kits before the Library of Things.
It’s in the bag: & Read it again! book kits, Check out state parks, Walking Mountains Adventure Packs, circulating items from the Spark Studio, as well as projectors, and maps.
MARMOT standards were consulted
Using OCLC Connexion Browser records were either edited for local holdings or created
Almost all LoT records required links in the records for Pika to find “cover” images
Per Pascal’s suggestion I use filezilla to upload the same images to Marmot for Pika access that I linked in Sierra records for pika “covers”
All items are tagged, and I am adding images of the contents and inside of travel cases for all EVLD items with multiple pieces.
Thank you!
Questions?
Please reach out if you think of a question later: jdurbin@evld.org
Adventures in Tech Help
Erin Hollingsworth
Wilkinson Public Library, Telluride
Adventures in Tech Help...
-History of tech help @ WPL
-Outreach opportunity
Drop-In Device Advice:
THE FORMAT: Over a given period of time, patrons could drop in with their technology-related questions.
THE GOOD: People came!
THE CHALLENGE: Too many people came at once = overwhelmed staff member.
WHAT WE LEARNED: People need help and will come to the library to get it!
Focused Tech Classes:
THE FORMAT: A different topic every week, published in advance.
THE GOOD: People came! Patrons could pick and choose which classes to attend. Collaborative learning environment.
THE CHALLENGE: Sometimes, a patron needed more help than could be provided in a group environment.
WHAT WE LEARNED: One-on-one and drop-in help is still needed.
Moving Forward...
BIG PICTURE: Crucial service for a variety of ages with varying technological competencies. Big payoff. Try it and see what happens!
NEXT: Continue to offer focused classes AND drop-in/one-on-one help.
REQUESTED TOPICS: iCloud, Passwords, iPhoto, Google Photos
Going as Paperless as Possible
Andy Hamilton, Technology Services Manager, Mesa County Libraries
Introduction
Andy Hamilton
Technology Services Manager, Mesa County Libraries
Why Bother?
Tell the story of thinking “there must be a better way to do this”. Use visual aid.
Use Cases
Paging Slips
Almost entirely paperless - we do print some Prospector transit slips
Lists (In-Transit, Missing, etc)
MCL Technology Services does all Prospector reports paperlessly
Patron Receipts
An email option on self-check kiosks
Focus on paging slips because most paper-intensive
Equipment Needed
Apps We Use
Gmail
Google Drive
Adobe
Process (Paging Slips)
Switching to Apple TV
Brainstorm
Could this work at your library?
What other use cases might this work for?
Other paperless tips and tricks?
Thank you!
We hope you’ve enjoyed MUG