The Myth and the Reality of the Evolving Patron | American Libraries Magazine

Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Internet and American Life Project

By Brita Zitin

The Scoop

Lee Rainie

Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Internet and American Life Project, knows how to win over a roomful of librarians, as he proved at the RUSA President’s Program, where he was the keynote speaker. He’s generous with both his flattery (“Every day spent with librarians is a good day”) and his cat photos (the feline census of his slideshow reached well into the double digits). But he also delivers—in abundance—what information professionals really want: reliable data that makes library work more meaningful.

The research pursued by Rainie and his colleagues at the Pew Internet and American Life Project covers library use on the national level and cannot substitute for insight into a particular community gathered through the kind of deep listening advocated by the Harwood Institute [http://www.ala.org/transforminglibraries/libraries-transforming-communities]. Still, Rainie has a talent for translating these broad strokes into practical tips. Drawing on Pew’s recent report “Parents, Children, Libraries, and Reading,” he said, “If you want to figure out who loves you most, it’s parents of minor children, and within that, the moms. Romance the moms.” Read more…

via The Myth and the Reality of the Evolving Patron | American Libraries Magazine.

40 Great Apps for Mobile Reference and Outreach | American Libraries Magazine

40 Great Apps for Mobile Reference and OutreachBy Sanhita SinhaRoy

via 40 Great Apps for Mobile Reference and Outreach | American Libraries Magazine.

Mobile phone apps

The desire to learn about useful mobile apps is rampant among librarians, judging by the overflow crowd at Sunday’s Conversation Starter billed to deliver ““40 Great Apps for Mobile Reference and Outreach.”

More than 200 conference-goers packed the small room booked for the session, with many peering through the doorway and sitting on the floor. During their presentation, branch manager Richard Le and adult services librarian Mel Gooch, both from San Francisco Public Library, shared what they have found to be dozens of apps that provide innovative services, useful mobile content, and opportunities for outreach.

Here’s the full list of the 40 apps they discussed, as well as some suggestions Le and Gooch provided for ways in which librarians can explore and integrate them into their library’s mobile strategy. They range from the more obvious (Amazon, Google Maps, and Dropbox) to the more obscure (EasyBib, SitOrSquat, and SportsTap). Most are compatible with both Android and iOS (Apple) devices, and all are free unless otherwise noted: Read more….

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25 Vintage Photos of Librarians Being Awesome – Flavorwire

Librarians, in case you hadn’t heard, are essential members of society — likely to expand minds wherever they go — and, as such, are fully worthy of hero worship (whether they’re among the coolest librarians alive or just pretty cool). That’s at least part of the impetus behind My Daguerreotype Librarian, ”[a] tumblr dedicated to literally or figuratively hunky and babely librarians from the past.” Inspired by the website, here’s a little extra literary goodness: 25 awesome vintage photos of librarians from ages past.

minnie

Minnie Oakley and Florence Baker Hayes, two Wisconsin State Historical Society librarians, 1896. [Photo via]

 

Read more…..

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Curb Your Librarian Frustration in 8 Steps – Stephen’s Lighthouse

It’s the start of a new month. Are you frustrated yet?  Is your job driving you crazy? Your boss? Your customers?  Are you thinking too much about quitting, retiring, vacationing, or abandoning your dreams?  Do you fantasize your hands around someone’s neck?

Now, before you fold your arms and stomp off into the sunset there is something you should know. This is normal. Every professional worth their salt and who has had an ounce of success has been there.   If you care, you get frustrated . . . and sometimes angry, demotivated or sad.  Worry when you’re at the point of “whatevah.”  Whenever you experience one of those moments (or weeks, months, etc.) you have to spend some time considering your choices and reconnecting to your passion.  Passion drives most of us – it’s what makes librarians put up with the pay! 😉 Luckily for the world, most of us choose to keep going and making a difference.

And you should too.  If no one has told you lately . . . you matter.  Librarians matter.  Information matters.

So, before you throw in the towel, or just wallow in the blues and self pity, let’s think about how to curb some of that frustration a bit so you can get back to striving for success, innovation, great client interactions, fame and fortune (well maybe not the fortune… tongue firmly in cheek).  Let’s move on and make a difference in the world. Read more…