Marketing Your Library's Electronic Resources: A how-to-do-it manual by Marie R. Kennedy & Cheryl LaGuardia (Review)

With libraries typically spending an increasing chunk of their budgets on e-resources, ensuring these products are both visible and accessible to our users has become crucial. As our digital libraries continue to evolve outside of our physical spaces, the links between the library and its resources are sometimes not as obvious as we would like them to be. As Kennedy and LaGuardia put it, the adage of “if we build it [subscribe to it], they will come" can not necessarily be relied upon in an environment where there is intense competition for our users’ attention.

The first key point the authors make is that one-off marketing events won’t work in isolation, they need to be part of a bigger plan. In this context, a nine-step cycle for developing a marketing plan for e-resources is presented, but in truth the structure could be applied to nearly any aspect of library services. Indeed there is a lot of detail on general issues such as the process of developing a marketing plan, and communicating a deliberate, clear and consistent message to your users. This could be interpreted as either a strength or weakness of the book depending on the reader's individual needs and motivations. The activities and processes that the authors discuss will undoubtedly provide a solid grounding in marketing for librarians in most contexts. However, whilst the text frequently links back to the area of e-resources, it often does not extend beyond the general. As a reader looking for specifics to take away, I was somewhat disappointed in this respect. For example, from memory I can’t recall a single mention of Twitter, and a quick look at the index lists a mere two pages under “social networks and marketing techniques”. Discovery interfaces get a similarly brief mention, when it would have been possible to devote an entire chapter to this area alone.

That said, Kennedy & LaGuardia do an excellent job of summarising the relevant literature in the area, although as a result, at times it is hard to hear the authors’ own voices and experiences coming through. Throughout the book there are extracts from various libraries’ marketing plans, and the last third or so of the book comprises sample plans and forms, which provide useful guidance and ideas for those developing their own strategies. There are also some nice quick reference aspects, such as the list of marketing techniques based on Kennedy’s (2010) previous research on pages 52 & 53. This provides some at-a-glance inspiration for practical ideas for promoting your e-resources, including techniques such as calendars, VLEs and user guides.

Whilst the book is certainly well-written and contains high quality information, at times I question if the level of detail included about writing a marketing plan is necessary, when there is a wealth of other resources and publications users could have consulted for such information. This approach would have freed up some space for a deeper analysis and discussion of specific promotional and marketing techniques for e-resources, and how effective (or otherwise) they are. Instead the book is very much a one-stop shop, and for those already familiar with marketing plans and strategies and looking for highly specific advice, this can be a little frustrating. For those completely new to the area however, this is certainly a book that will serve as a useful toolkit from start to finish - if there is such a thing as a finish in marketing!

Read More

Tablet-PCs in the K-12 classroom and beyond

Previous research suggests that TPCs constructively aid teaching and students' individual learning processes in the K-12 classroom environment and beyond. And sure, there are plenty of mobile apps that aim to assist the teacher/learner in practically any given subject. The infographic below demonstrates what you can do with the iPad in the classroom and also suggests related applications that support seven typical classroom activities (show, manage, assess, interact, access, make, and learn).

You can download a PDF version of the above infographic which includes hyperlinks to referenced websites/apps here and a 6-page version + large 24-page version for printing.

Despite the abundance of education apps and, arguably, large numbers of tech-savvy students out there, what's the level of acceptance (i.e. the positive adoption decision to employ a technological innovation by users) for classroom based TPCs amongst teachers? That's an important, but so far little researched, question to ask since the success of introducing any innovation (technological or otherwise) in a formal education setting is dependent upon it being adopted by the relevant decision makers (teachers).

Dirk Ifenthaler and Volker Schweinbenz took it upon themselves to find out about teachers' behavioural intentions concerning the adoption of TPCs as an integral part of their classroom routine. They utilised the Unified-Theory-of-Acceptance-and-Use-of-Technology model (UTAUT) and interviewed 18 German school teachers from the school district of Mannheim in Germany. For a diagrammatic overview of the UTAUT model see here.

All respondents utilise TCPs in the classroom to different levels of intensity and purpose (some were for specific project use only; some were for the support of physically disabled students). 37 questions were asked in semi-structured interviews including "do you use the iPad to prepare lessons?"; "what benefits do you see in the iPad compared to Notebooks?"; "do you expect that learning to operate the iPad for teaching purposes will be easy for you?"; "does your school have the necessary resources to use the iPad in the classroom?"; "what is your attitude towards the use of the iPads?".

The interview results show that the teachers had varying degrees of personal-usage expertise of TPCs; none had any substantial usage experience within the teaching context of the classroom. However, the majority of interviewees were open-minded towards the use of TPC for learning despite the fact that some degree of scepticism was voiced. For example, one respondent noted that "in the context of learning and instruction I am quite critical about the use of TPC...My concern is that the iPads, in most cases, just replace the computer room...and iPads are very expensive....Another respondent felt that TPCs are useful for project specific application rather than generic classroom use.

Lack of experience and knowledge about the availability of educational applications were seen as the main reasons of uncertainty toward TCPs. Reliable facilitating conditions (technical infrastructure/support) and guidance for appropriate TCP applications were seen as very important: a designed concept, which integrates TPC applications into subject content and the school curriculum, is most desirable.

With regard to the potential for improving students’ learning outcomes through the introduction of TPCs, respondents’ perceptions were mixed. The majority of teachers perceive the iPad as a means to increase learning motivation and even reintegrate students who otherwise tend to switch off during normal classes. Others feel that only limited positive change can be affected as students’ intellectual ability is seen to be independent from TCP introduction. In addition, a minority think that the use of TCP will improve learning and instruction (Ifenthaler and Schweinbenz, 2013: 529-532).

All the same, the teachers’ opinions above should be considered with caution as they are based on “assumptions rather than on secure knowledge and experience” (Ifenthaler and Schweinbenz, 2013: 532). Despite its statistical limitations, this case study indicates that the successful adoption of TCPs in teaching and learning is closely intertwined with the level of enthusiasm and classroom integration (actual use) displayed by teachers. Perhaps, such enthusiasm may be produced if an adequate support infrastructure is in place, which in turn facilitates a constructivist approach through high-level technology use.

Further reading & resources:
Venkatesh, V., Morris, M. G., Davis, G. B., & Davis, F. D. (2003). User acceptance of
information technology: Toward a unified view. MIS Quarterly, 27(3), 425–478.

El-Gayar, O., Moran, M., & Hawkes, M. (2011). Students’ acceptance of Tablet PCs
and implications for educational institutions. Educational Technology and Society, 14(2), 58–70.

Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge. 2013. TPACK. [ONLINE] Available at: http://tpack.org/. [Accessed 24 April 13]. TPACK is a framework that identifies the knowledge teachers need to teach effectively with technology. The TPACK framework extends Shulman’s idea of Pedagogical Content Knowledge.

Rogers, Kipp D, 2011. Mobile Learning Devices. 1st ed. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree.

Read More

How Libraries Make Tough Choices in Difficult Times: Purposeful abandonment by David Stern (Review)

Most libraries are probably all too familiar with having to make tough choices. Budget cut-backs and staff reductions typically force service reviews and decisions that we may otherwise never have made. However, David Stern asks if we are in fact making the most of these “difficult times” we so frequently find ourselves in. Many organisations will re-engineer processes and try to streamline services to increase efficiencies and cut costs. However the core suite of services and functions of the organisation often remain largely the same.

Instead, Stern suggests that a more “transformational evaluation and redesign” for our services may be called for – “abandoning” less important operations even if they are traditionally associated with the library, and enhancing those that are the key sources of value to our users. This may sound radical to some, but Stern certainly has a point when he argues “justifying budgets to simply maintain the status quo will not be as successful as offering better services with the same budget”. Perhaps this is the entrepreneurial spirit that we as librarians must now try to embrace? In the same way that Brian Matthews asked us to "think like a start-up", Stern's idea forces us to re-evaluate some of our  most fundamental philosophies.

Indeed, this kind of transformation requires a full-scale organisational review, which is the primary focus of the book. Around a third of the book is taken up with various analysis techniques that can be used in the review process, including Project Management, Interest based Problem Solving for identifying hidden causal factors, and Service Quality Improvement. Stern also advises managers to decide on and be clear about their endpoints and desired outcomes from the very start, and to communicate these intentions to all staff, emphasising the ongoing nature of the review and quality process. His primary decision framework for assigning resources is both simple and memorable: Do (at the highest level), Delegate, Delay and Drop (“purposeful abandonment”). Drop sounds unfortunate, but may be necessary if we are serious about reshaping our services in a sustainable way over the longer term. The chapter on utilising data is particularly helpful for those who may not be particularly willing statisticians. The pragmatic and practical advice highlights simple yet effective techniques such as, tailoring your message to your audience's motives (obvious but often ignored), using powerful and simple graphics to convey your message, and demonstrating your data in a broader context to give relative value and meaning to your story.

It’s primarily a book about transforming what we do rather than re-engineering our existing services, an idea that may feel uncomfortable to some at first. It’s not a decision-making handbook, but instead one that makes us question how we make strategic decisions and manage our services (in fact, Stern frontloads this lack of detail regarding management tools and techniques). Do we treat the symptoms rather than the problems? Are we willing to really reassess our culture and core historical and traditional services? These are the bigger questions that perhaps we should be asking ourselves.

How Libraries Make Tough Choices in Difficult Times: Purposeful abandonment is published by Chandos, February 2013, 226 p., £47.50.

Read More

User-oriented Service Design: Really?

Libraries have user-oriented services. But do we really?

Delivering user-oriented services is an objective for all libraries, but sometimes I wonder if this gets interpreted as trying to fit our users in around our services, by picking out the parts of their behaviour and needs that suits us, rather than what they are in actuality. If we really want a customer-focused approach, we need to first look at our users, not our services. Forget about what we do now, or what we may have always done in the past. What do our users want? What do our non-users want? Are we even delivering the kind of services that people want, nevermind the quality?

A user-oriented approach does not mean, facebook, twitter, a comment box and an annual survey; it means designing our services and processes around our users in a holistic and integrated way, that produces a unique and high quality user experience. Why? Because a positive user experience is where we can create real and unique value. A powerful sign of service quality is user support and advocacy. This means delivering relevant services that are efficient, useful and engaging, and also being proactive and innovative in predicting our users' future needs.

So how do we find out what are users want? We can ask them, but by this I don't mean emailing around a surveymonkey link. It requires a whole-staff approach that views each and every transaction as a potential opportunity to learn about your users. You may think this is impossible in a busy library, but it doesn't have to mean a time-consuming reference interview when somebody asks for directions to the bathroom. Instead, it's a mindset that involves being open to picking up subtle signals and signs from your users, or asking the extra question that gives you more context about their needs and behaviours. This is one of the ideas behind Andy Priestner and Libby Tilley's Boutique Library culture. We can also glean a lot of useful information from observing and analysing their behaviour and looking at our data. When do circulation stats and downloads peak? Where are the bottlenecks? How can we reconfigure our service delivery to improve workflows? Use your website analytics to identify the typical routes that your users are taking when they access your online services. Where are the critical points and hotspots? Where are the exit points? How can we design our online services better to support our users' workflows and help them to find what they want more efficiently?

The Customer Journey Canvas from This Is Service Design Thinking is a nice visualisation of this idea. The Canvas is a CC resource that helps identify successful and unsuccessful touchpoints (where users interact with your services because of a particular need). The rest of the book is also excellent, and is a thought-provoking read about how and why we design services.

Read More

#irelibchat Summary: Competencies and Skills in LIS, 23rd April 2013

Thanks to everyone who joined in with another very busy #irelibchat, and it was particularly encouraging to see so many first-timers (hopefully they will be back for more :)).

The depth of discussion surrounding the competencies, skills and attributes of the modern LIS professional clearly shows the interest we all have in our professional development. It's a complex and divided area in some case however, and as one participant tweeted at the end: "I feel like we only scraped the surface!"

Gillian Kerins suggested the topic was also very timely as the LAI Professional Standards Taskforce is currently looking at library competencies. When the work is complete, it is planned to put the competencies on the website for members to access.

Perhaps the standout point from the discussion was the broad range of competencies and skills that people mentioned. These included: presentation and public-speaking skills; financial management skills; being comfortable with IT (particularly HTML); being community-oriented and user-oriented; being able to build and develop strong relationships; marketing, promotion and advocacy skills; and project management skills among others. Several participants also suggested you should not be afraid of making mistakes, and be able to persevere and try again. Personally I think this is crucial; once you learn from them, making mistakes is a sign that you are not afraid of innovating or trying to improve things. Failure usually gives you a lot more insight than success does.

One point raised was the difference between a solo-librarian role, where you need to have a basic level of a multiplicity of skills, compared to a more specialist role like a systems librarian or cataloguer, where you require a substantial depth of knowledge and expertise, but may not necessarily need marketing, financial, or teaching skills so much, or even at all. @usernameerror suggested personality type can play a role in determining people's preferences for either extreme, which is something i would also agree with. I definitely like the variety and challenge of a more general role and having to learn new skills outside your comfort zone, but having said that, I still like being able to build up a deeper knowledge in a couple of areas that I am personally interested in (for me: service evaluation, research and bibliometrics). Others are far more comfortable working in a more niche role - and it is great to have these experts to call on when you need an answer! Indeed, not being afraid to ask your colleagues fr help was another competency suggested by @mbreen2.

An interesting debate emerged over whether we should be focusing more on our unique LIS competencies, and collaborating with other professionals when needed e.g. for financial, or marketing expertise. Specialisation is obviously more efficient (if you'll forgive the economics reference, see Adam Smith and the Division of Labour!), but may not be practical, particularly for solo librarians, or those working in very small organisations. Some day to day level of these competencies is needed, but perhaps not a real expertise. This was an idea beautifully illustrated by @Joeyanne as "I can edit existing web page but can’t build [a] site". Also some familiarity with these areas also helps us to collaborate better with professionals outside our own field (@trimroy).

So can anyone 'learn' how to be a librarian or an information professional? "It's about a mindset. You have to have an innate sense of curiosity and you can't teach that" (@MariaMernagh). "Everyday should be a school day - especially after you leave library school" (@usernameerror). Clearly, no matter what specific skills a particular position may require, a key attribute is a commitment to CPD and lifelong learning. This will give you the flexibility and capacity to take on new and emerging roles and skills, which is particularly important is such a changing profession as LIS.

We are looking forward to the next #irelibchat which will probably be the last before the summer break, so all suggestions for the topic for discussion are welcome - tweet us @libfocus.

Read More

Item-level linking between Wikipedia entries and IR content

We previously wrote about the popularity of Wikipedia and how libraries are beginning to embrace the idea of capitalising over this fact. Well, here is another clever digital-collections outreach exercise, which very effectively helps spread the news about, and encourages the usage of, carefully chosen open access institutional repository assets and related IR collections.

Ball State University Digital Media Repository decided to utilise Wikipedia as a gateway to increase the visibility of their collection on a global scale, and they did so with great effect. Rather than linking on a collection level, Ball State decided to drill down and connect selected Wikipedia entries to 40 individual repository items from their Hague Sheet Music Collection between July and September 2011. The consequence of item-level linking in this instance enables Wikipedia users to investigate further as they are now able to directly access a specific resource that is likely to be of relevance to them.

Linking to records from Wikipedia had a considerable effect on user traffic to the Ball State’s repository service. In the year before the link-up, those 40 assets had 1,824 pageviews. One year on and they had attracted a total of 12.956 views – a 610.31% increase. 9,824 of those pageviews originated from Wikipedia. 

Source: Wikipedia

A specific example that highlights the effectiveness of utilising Wikipedia as an entry point and digital outreach tool is a link to the digitised version of the sheet music for “It’s a Long Way To Tipperary” (see the first external link from the Wikipedia entry here).

Before linking from Wikipedia, the item received 4 pageviews, whereas 12 months afterwards it received 640 representing an increase of 15.900% in traffic. 582 of those views were sourced from Wikipedia.

As a side effect of linking from Wikipedia, overall traffic to the Hague Sheet Music Collection tripled between January 2011 and September 2012.

Such figures certainly provide food for thought as to how one’s own IR could potentially benefit from item-level linking from popular digital information services, such as Wikipedia.

Many thanks to Padraig Stack for pointing out this case study in the first place.

Ref.
Szajewski, M, 2013. Using Wikipedia to Enhance the Visibility of Digitized Archival Assets. D-Lib Magazine, [Online]. Volume 19, Number 3/4, 6. Available at: http://www.dlib.org/dlib/march13/szajewski/03szajewski.html [Accessed 01 April 2013].

Read More