I read this article (found via infoDOCKET) earlier this week and found it pretty interesting!

Could a local library … that’s already a community hub … that people trust … also be the place for local news?

The article definitely shows that it could be a possibility! From the article, it looks like some libraries have done some limited experiments to show that it can, in fact, work.

Heck – my library has talked about doing some form of that (in passing – no actual projects!).

But it kinda makes sense. Many libraries already focus on a community’s history. They even keep a vertical file of interesting tidbits of information and history, just in case. So – we have the past covered.

How about the present? We’re already connected (or should be, anyway) to a lot of the non profits, chambers of commerce, city and county governments, action committees, etc. in town. We know at least some of the local movers and shakers.

So … we’re already connected to many of the organizations that know what’s going on in town. Possibly the next step is meeting with some of those people and organizations, and pulling that “what’s happening” story out of them.

We wouldn’t need to cover car accidents, road closures, crime, etc. Leave that to the evening news. But how about the good news in town? The “what’s happening next week” news? The “here’s what’s coming next year” type of news?

We just might be able to pull that off – because we already have those connections. We just need writers. And some of us already know how to do that, as well. Or we can hire writers and journalists to do it for us. Or it could be in a video format. That works too!

Assuming you’re able to hire, and can shift some jobs to do something new. I know – some big “ifs” there!

Could libraries pull this off? Maybe so. Definitely something to think about!

Read more:

• The Libraries Bringing Small-Town News Back to Life
• Libraries and Local News: Expanding Journalism, Another User Service Grounded in Reference
• Public Libraries May Turn The Page For Colorado City’s News Desert
• Welcome to your local library, which also happens to be a newsroom
• Local news reborn at the humble library?

***

Photo by Roman Kraft on Unsplash

I heard about an interesting new job while at Computers in Libraries 2023 (great conference, by the way!) – an AI prompt engineer.

What’s a prompt engineer? Here’s a description (from Computer Hope):

The idea of a “prompt engineer” came in response to AI text and image generators, which people noticed would produce higher-quality content when users give specifically-phrased prompts, as opposed to just asking naturally. The title describes people who are supposedly skilled at selecting the right phrasing so that AI tools generate the most accurate and relevant responses.

As the speaker talked about prompt engineers, and then moved on, I started thinking – hey, isn’t that sorta what librarians do? Sometimes, we just help find the answer … but often, our role is to help our customers ask a better question. Heck, some of us even have whole pages on our websites devoted to how to ask better questions.

We are trained to broaden, narrow, and refine a customer’s question, so that they can hone in on the answer they were looking for. To me … that kinda sounds like a prompt engineer.

And yes, I know – it’s not a complete picture. A “real” AI prompt engineer helps the large language model refine its output, so answers are accurate, sound conversational, and sounds like a human.

But the librarian-sounding parts, to me, seem like a pretty traditional librarian job. We help people figure out what they’re really looking for through refinement of their questions, by helping them narrow down a broad topic, or by adding important details to their search. Through the reference interview.

This is one reason I’m not too worried about our soon-to-be AI future when our search engines are also a type of answer engine. They’re only giving answers to the things people input into the system. In this new AI world, librarians will still be serving a very traditional role – helping to refine the question. And with generative AI tools, we might just be able to see the answers getting formed, as well.

Go forth and generate better questions!

Image: Generated from this prompt: “Cool-looking futuristic librarian answering a patron’s question” from Stable Diffusion Online

I had a fun conversation recently with Paul Signorelli as part of Arizona State University’s ASU ShapingEDU | Are We There Yet? Capturing the Evolving New Now in Learning discussions.

We touched on a lote of topics, mostly around Covid and post-covid best practices – topics like what my library did during the pandemic, broadband in our county and the library’s response to that, what new services appeared, and my library’s digital branch.

Anyway – fun conversation with a good friend and colleague. Watch it and share!

Yes folks, the AI chatbot era has hit, big time. Some of you have been playing with ChatGPT, which has made a huge splash in recent months. It does a good enough job of writing things (i.e., student research papers, etc) that the company has also released a tool that can tell if a chunk of text was written by AI or by an actual person.

All that to say – this version of AI is a pretty big deal, and one that you need to pay attention to. I think there’s the potential for AI to change a bunch of stuff in our lives; certainly a bunch of stuff related to our jobs.

Including how we search the web. Pretty soon, we won’t be looking for search results. We’ll be looking for answers. And AI chatbots will provide those answers for us.

Lazy? The most amazing thing since sliced bread? You’ll have to be the judge of that.

For now, here are three pretty new AI technologies to start learning about:

1. ChatGPT (the “granddaddy” of the new AI chatbots).

What is ChatGPT? Here’s how they describe themselves, from their website: “ChatGPT is an advanced AI chatbot trained by OpenAI which interacts in a conversational way. The dialogue format makes it possible for ChatGPT to answer followup questions, admit its mistakes, challenge incorrect premises, and reject inappropriate requests.”

ChatGPT basically looks like a search box that you type something into. Or copy/paste a bunch of text into. You can ask it questions of all sorts, or ask it to do something (i.e., write a new bio for me), and then it provides a response.

2. Microsoft’s new AI-powered Bing search.

Microsoft has their own version of an AI chatbot that works through the Bing search engine. To use it, you have to visit Bing, put yourself on a waitlist … and then use Microsoft’s Edge web browser to check it out (I’m on the waitlist).

This one uses the newest version of OpenAI’s large language model. It’s the successor or next-generation version of the AI model that ChatGPT isn’t yet using. It’s apparently been customized for search.

The Bing model provides search insights (not just search results). They’re pitching this as bringing together search, browsing, and chat into one unified experience.

Through that unified experience, the goal is this: when you do a search, you’ll get search results, just like normal. But you’ll also get an answer. For example, if you search for how to make a chocolate cake, you’ll get the usual cake recipe results. But you’ll also get detailed instructions for making a chocolate cake.

And of course, it’s a Microsoft product. So they really, really want you to download the MicroSoft Edge web browser to try out the new chatbot.

3. Bard by Google.

Google also has an AI chatbot that will be released soon. Their product is named Bard, and should be released in the next couple of weeks. Bard is a conversational AI service, powered on Google’s LaMDA (Language Model for Dialogue Applications).

Bard sounds similar to ChatGPT and the new Bing product. One of Google’s examples is to “explain new discoveries from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to a 9-year-old.” That sounds very ChatGPT-like to me!

Google is also planning to add Bard into Google Search. So again, instead of just asking for search results, you can ask for search insights (i.e., answers).

Bonus #4! Quora’s Poe app.

Quieter, but also interesting – Quora has launched a new AI chatbot app called Poe. The Poe app lets you ask questions (sorta like you do with Quora). The difference is that you’ll get answers from a range of AI chatbots, including OpenAI and Anthropic. They’re hoping this app helps evolve their Quora service. It’s only an iOS app at the moment, so iPhone users, test it out!

There are definitely other AI services starting to appear (photo and video AI generators come to mind). But these, for the most part, have all appeared in the last couple of weeks.

And I think these all have the potential to change the web as we know it!

Read more about AI Chatbots:

• An important next step on our AI journey. Google’s CEO introducing Bard.
• Reinventing search with a new AI-powered Microsoft Bing and Edge, your copilot for the web. Microsoft’s announcement for the new version of Bing with AI capabilities.
• OpenAI’s ‘next-generation’ AI model is behind Microsoft’s new search.
• Quora opens its new AI chatbot app Poe to the general public.
• Why AI Is Never Going to Replace Subject Matter Experts and How to Choose the Right SMEs

Have you played with ChatGPT yet? I’ve been doing that the last couple of weeks. It’s fun! First – if you’re not familiar with ChatGPT – it’s basically an AI chatbot that is very conversational, and seems … well … pretty smart. Ask it questions, and it will provide a (usually) pretty good response!

Here are some examples of questions I’ve recently asked ChatGPT. The first thing I asked it to do was to write a blog post about my library (Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library). It created an accurate, nicely-written blog post, describing my library.

Last week at a conference, I was talking to someone about it. He told me that he asked it to write a Python script for him … and it did an acceptable job.

So, more experiments. I just asked ChatGPT to “create a bio for David Lee King” …. here’s what it created:

“David Lee King is a library professional and author who has dedicated his career to exploring the intersection of technology and user experience in libraries. He is currently the Digital Services Director at Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library, where he leads the library’s efforts to innovate and improve the digital experience for patrons.

King is a recognized expert in the field of digital libraries and has written several books on the topic, including “Designing the Digital Experience” and “Digital Libraries, Technology, and User Experience.” He is also a frequent speaker at library conferences and events, where he shares his insights and expertise on how libraries can best serve their communities in the digital age.

King is passionate about helping libraries understand and make use of technology to improve the patron experience and help patrons discover, use and create knowledge. He is a creative problem solver, and always looking for new ways to improve the patron experience.

David Lee King is a respected figure in the library world, and his work continues to shape the future of libraries and the way they serve their communities.”

Um … dang. That’s pretty good. The bio is a bit long … and I have never written a book titled “Digital Libraries, Technology, and User Experience.” Though it does sound like something I’d write Otherwise … I’d use that as a bio – it’s actually a bit better than my normal one!

For my last question for ChatGPT, I asked this: Should ChatGPT replace news stories? Here’s what it said:

“ChatGPT is a powerful language model that is capable of generating human-like text, but it is not intended to replace news stories written by professional journalists. Language models like ChatGPT can be used as a tool to assist journalists by generating summaries or helping with fact-checking, but it cannot replace the human element of research, analysis, and interpretation that goes into a well-written news story. Additionally, it is important to be aware that language models like ChatGPT have been trained on vast amounts of text from the internet, which includes biased and unreliable information. Therefore, it is important to always verify any information generated by a language model with credible sources.”

Use it as a tool, just like you would many other tools at your disposal!

Good advice, from an AI chatbot.

It’s really weird to see [what was] a pretty stable social media channel like Twitter falter. Especially since it’s 16 years old! It was founded just before I moved to Topeka, and at this point I’ve used it for a large chunk of my professional library life.

What the heck, Elon!

Since Twitter’s currently going through some major road bumps (and might not survive those) … should your library still use it? I have some thoughts on that.

First Thought: don’t delete it yet.

Why not?

• It might survive. Twitter might make it through the major changes and craziness going on at the moment. If so … it’s still a pretty useful tool. My guess is it will continue to be so (if it survives the craziness).
• Do you actively use it? If so … it’s still working, so continue doing what you do (for now).
• Do you have customers there? My library has over 7000 followers on Twitter. We still get questions and comments there. Why would we stop responding and posting? […I mean, other than if it crashes and burns…]

Second Thought: It’s just an outpost.

Remember that Twitter, and all the social media tools you use, are just outposts. Your website is your home base. You should continue having multiple outposts. Think of these as ways to reach outside the walls of your building (both your physical and digital walls).

Those outposts should point back to your home base. Keep most of your focus on your website, your building, and on all the cool stuff your library does. Use your outposts to share all that stuff … and invite people back to your home base.

Third Thought: Time to Reassess.

It’s probably a great time to examine what you’re doing with social media, and perhaps tweak your focus a bit. Try out a new social media tool. For example, Mastodon, Hive Social, Post, etc. are all possible Twitter replacements (you can find me on Mastodon!).

Make more video. Social media is more focused on video formats these days, and especially short-form video. I’ve been enjoying what Milwaukee Public Library’s been doing on Tiktok – fun stuff! Check them out at https://www.tiktok.com/@milwaukeepubliclibrary .

Maybe don’t leave Twitter just yet, especially if you’re still getting some good use out of it. At the same time, figure out some improvements that you can make in your approach to social media, and start making some positive changes!

Last week, I was on the T is for Training Podcast (Maurice Coleman’s way-cool podcast).

It was fun! We talked about my library’s experience during Covid, broadband initiatives, digital multimedia spaces in libraries, and training and learning around each of those topics.

To say the least, we covered a LOT of ground.

So – have a listen, subscribe, etc! Also, make sure to go to the podcast episode page – the page has a bunch of links to things we discussed during the show.

Recently, I read this article that talked about TikTok and Instagram Reels. The article discusses the rise of TikTok and how Instagram Reels (and Instagram in general) is floundering.

As an aside, not so sure about the Instagram thing. I just posted an Instagram Reel on my personal Instagram account that has quickly become my second most popular Reel. So it’s working for me… 

But – the larger thing that struck me from this article is that social media tools come and go. And that’s ok! The one constant with social media is that it’s still changing every few years.

Libraries and organizations don’t really need to be concerned with the hot new tool, or the most viral-worthy types of content to post on each social media platform.

Your job on your social media channels is to share snippets of what you do, and snippets of who you are. And I suppose snippets of why people should care/be interested. That last one will mostly come from the first two. But it’s still good to include.

The best part about this? You can create these snippets for pretty much any platform. TikTok, Facebook, Twitter. Your website. A paper brochure. A presentation. A 1-minute elevator pitch. Etc.

You don’t really need to focus too much on hot trends in the next new social media app (i.e., Reels vs TikTok vs YouTube Shorts). So please, no middle aged librarians dancing in TikTok (well – unless you’re really good or really funny. Then it’s ok)!

But sharing snippets about books, events, and creating stuff? Yes please. Sharing what just happened that was really cool? Yes please. Sharing how you help better your community? More please!

Posting like this is easy, because it’s what you have always done (or should have been doing, anyway). And it’s stuff you already know how to do.

Let’s do more of that!

image from Unsplash

I’m really looking forward to this – my library opens our new Level 2 Tech Center on Monday!

What can you find there? A mix of really cool technology, including:

• Two small recording studios – one focused on audio, and one on video (audio can be done there too). Each room has a Presonus audio interface, great microphones, and a beefed up iMac. The video room has a Pearl Mini for livestreaming.
• Digital Art Studio – this space has 8 computers with the Adobe Suite (a mix of Macs and PCs), two 3D printers, a Cricut digital cutter, a 3D digital scanner, and a laminator.
• 30 public computers
• 5 small meeting rooms (we’re calling these the CoLab Rooms)
• Chairs and couches for a more informal gathering experience

Who do we think will use the space? Our focus in this space is on entrepreneurs, non-profits, teachers, hobbyists, and other people wanting to make things. Kids, teens and the curious are certainly welcome as well!

I also know some musicians who are pretty excited about the space, and we have already invited an area podcast team to try out the space (and to mention us on their podcast, as well). At the moment, Topeka doesn’t really have a recording studio; certainly not one that is free for everyone to use!

How did we “find” this space? Like most libraries, we had some storage space in the basement that was mostly full of old chairs, tables, and other random stuff. We emptied that space, renovated it, and moved our Technical Services department to that space. Then we started remodeling their old space, which has morphed into this cool new public space.

It will be a bunch of fun to see how the space gets used and who uses it! Find out more about our new Tech Center on this page.

Have you ever received one of those pesky automatic copyright takedown notices? They are so irritating. Especially when they are … well … not accurate.

Here’s an example. A long time ago (around 2010), I made a short time lapse video of clouds going by, and posted it to Instagram. I wanted some music to go with it, so quickly opened up GarageBand, found a couple of synth loops (fully licensed for anyone’s use), and created some mood music for the video.

Fast forward to last month. Instagram flagged my video for using copyrighted music. I didn’t think much about it at the time because I was on vacation. But when I got back home, I poked around a bit more, and found they were incorrectly flagging my original song as a copyright infringement!

So I reposted the video – and immediately received another takedown notice.

Oddly enough, Instagram isn’t really sure what the song is that is being played. The two takedown notices I received reference different songs by different composers:

• #1: Neve su Cimabanche by Alberto Grollo – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwfnRFWqr9A 
• #2: Falling Star by Binaural Beats Home – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucyjRGNW9Ec 

Well … I can tell you what song I used, because I still have it on my laptop. It is… My Song 3 (yeah, I know … original title!) by David Lee King. Feel free to take a listen – the song and video are included in this post (from my Instagram account).

So what happened? Most likely, Instagram’s automatic copyright music sniffer heard the free synth loop that comes with GarageBand, and matched it – because all three songs most likely used the exact same synth loop (sounds the same to my ears, anyway).

I appealed both of the takedown notices and claimed that I created the song and had permission to use it. The links to both takedown notices have disappeared, so I’m guessing both of my appeals were successful.

I have had similar things happen with YouTube. For example, I’ve used jingle music snippets that come fully licensed with Final Cut Pro and iMovie that have been incorrectly claimed as music from someone else. I have also created original music, and received takedown notices. Thankfully, both platforms offer a way to appeal those copyright flags.

My point? To get you to listen to my bad music! No – really, it’s just to say don’t be worried when you see one of those copyright claims, because it might be wrong. Go ahead and go through the process of making an appeal/challenge. Automated music copyright software is pretty handy, but it’s also not 100% accurate.

More reading:

• Reporting Copyright Infringements – from Instagram
• Content I posted on Instagram was removed because it was reported for intellectual property infringement. What are my next steps? – from Instagram
• This Instagram Copyright Infringement Notice is a Phishing Scam – from Petapixel
• What Happens if You Get an Instagram Music Copyright Strike? – from Ian Corzine
• YouTube restores Lofi Girl account after false copyright claims – from Engadget

I just read this report from Edison Research about smart audio.Here are some interesting stats from the report:

• 35% of Americans 18+ own a smart speaker
• 62% use a voice assistant on a variety of devices, including things like smart speakers, smartphones, tv remotes, in-car systems, a computer or laptop, tablet, etc.
• 57% of voice command users use them daily
• People request an average of 12.4 tasks on their device each week from smart speakers, and 10.7 tasks from smartphone voice assistants.

Why? Well … 86% of smart speaker owners say the devices “allow for a more convenient living.”

Check out the report for anything I left out!

Do you use a smart speaker or voice assistant? I do, just a bit:

• I own an Amazon Echo Dot and have played with a Google Nest Mini (the photo included with this post show both of them off!). I bought the Amazon smart speaker, and one of my kiddos was given the Google speaker, I think with her Spotify subscription. I mostly use it to stream music.
• I use Siri a bit – mostly for texting when I’m driving (so I can keep my hands on the wheel!).
• I hooked my tv remote up to Google Assistant, but haven’t used it other than to verify that it works.

That’s pretty much it. But I know that some of you use smart speakers and voice assistants a LOT more than I do!

I think it’s important for libraries to be familiar with smart speakers and voice assistant technology. Here are some reasons why:

1. Your customers use both, and they might need help with them!
2. You can teach classes about voice technology (and help those people from #1).
3. Your website really needs to use conversational language, because that’s what voice technology works best with. So make sure you type like you talk.
4. It’s an easy way to keep up with technology changes. Most everyone reading this post owns a smart phone. So start purposefully using a voice assistant to see what it does (I’m talking to myself here, too).
5. I know of a couple libraries that are creating (or purchasing) Amazon Skills (voice apps for Amazon Alexa devices), and have also read about a library or two experimenting with language translation at the reference desk, using smart speaker technology.

Give it a try – you might like what you hear!

I’m planning to go to ALA2022 in Washington DC at the end of June (well, like 90% sure). I’m starting to get vendor emails about the conference – mostly invites to breakfasts, private events, and product launches. Normal vendor stuff.

That’s all good! But I just received an email that wasn’t so hot. Why not? Here’s a short list of things they did wrong:

1. Bad email subject heading. It just mentioned the annual conference … nothing else. Seriously – the whole subject line says this: “The American Library Association’s Annual Conference.”
2. Bad email content. It was all about this vendor’s brand-spankin’ new … conference booth! This is me, not caring about that fancy new booth.
3. Bad video message. Finally, at the end of the email, there’s an embedded video – a message from someone in sales, I think (they don’t actually say who he is – they just mention his name). In the short video, the sales dude reminds me that: 1. there’s a conference coming up soon (yep, I know that), 2. there will be lots of vendors there (yep, I know that too), and 3. they have a new booth!

Ok – good for them for trying to do some good email marketing and for inviting me to find them at the conference. However, I think this vendor could have done a better job of it! Really easily!

Some things they could do differently next time include:

• Don’t remind me there’s a conference. I know. I’m pretty sure they got their email list from ALA (my library’s not a customer of theirs).
• Change that email subject line to something a bit more catchy and/or useful. Something like “3 Reasons to Visit us at ALA!” Or “we’re excited to see you in DC! Here’s why!”
• Don’t mention the new booth. Um, guys. I am glad you are excited about that fun new booth. But guess what? Your customers are not. They’re actually interested in your new products, updates, innovations, etc. And how that new product might help meet their goals. You know … stuff like that. The booth is something that your sales team is probably pretty excited about, but not something your customers will notice. Instead, give me some solid reasons to visit your booth: things like … New products! A discount! A free t-shirt (hey, I’d wear it on lawn-mowing day). Then when I’m there… don’t mention the booth.
• Short video message – great idea! Do a little editing (it could have been snappier pretty easily). And tell me about your new stuff (not about the booth). Or even your old stuff that still works.

Most importantly, this company should re-think their reasons why I should visit their booth. If the most exciting customer-centric reason to visit your booth is that you have a new booth … you are probably wasting time in the exhibit hall. I’m positive you can come up with a bunch of better reasons to visit your booth with a good 10 minutes of brainstorming time. So next time, do that brainstorming and focus on those things instead.

I have another new(ish) article in the April 2022 Computers in Libraries magazine. It’s focused on easy ways to make your customer’s mobile experience a better one.

Here are my five points in the article:

1. Make sure your website works on mobile
2. Have a mobile apps page on your website
3. Create a comfortable in-building mobile experience
4. FInd fun ways to connect
5. Train staff on mobile devices and apps

As usual, click over to the article to read it! Also, if you want a more in-depth look at mobile technology, find a copy of my ALA Library Technology Report, not-so-surprisingly titled Mobile Technology in Libraries.

Enjoy!

I have a new article in Computers in Libraries magazine that has been posted at Information Today, all about different types of Library Engagement Platforms.

Here’s the beginning of the article:

“Library software has come a long way from the early days of online union catalogs and databases. Today’s library utilizes one or more library engagement platforms with the goal of informing customers about upcoming events and new resources, wishing them a happy birthday, or inviting them to use their library card to check out something. These software-based platforms help the library and customer connect using a variety of communication channels—including email, text messages, and mobile phone notifications. Let’s explore these up-and-coming software platforms in more detail.

Definitions

Defining a library engagement platform can be difficult because each platform is unique. A library engagement platform is an online, software-based solution that allows library patrons to connect and engage with the library through a series of interactions. These platforms serve to make connections between customers and our collections and library services. In the process, they help keep our customers engaged and coming back for more.

Interactions in Library Engagement Platforms

There are many types of interactions customers have using library engagement platforms. I have organized these interactions into the following five types, based on the platform they use:

• Email systems
• CRM platforms
• Registration and reservation systems
• Mobile apps  
• Advertising platforms”

Want to read the article? Click the link to get the rest of it!

In January, I made a short time lapse video of me shoveling snow off my driveway (see the video embedded in this blog post if you’re interested!). Because I think doing that type of thing is sorta fun (the video – not the shoveling!).

Then I decided to do an experiment with it. So I posted it to multiple social media platforms to see how many views I’d get from each one. Here are my results to date:

• Tiktok: 191 views
• Instagram Reels: 8825 views
• Facebook Reels: 1.2K views (can’t see the exact numbers)
• YouTube: 24 views
• Twitter: 91 views

So … that was fun! What was the point? Well, a couple of things:

• Experimentation – I’m starting to experiment more with short-form vertical video, so it was fun just making a time lapse video using my iPhone and the vertical format. Pretty simple too – just open up the camera app and click the time lapse button!
• Curiosity – seeing how many views I’d get on different platforms. This was interesting, since they varies quite a bit! Some thoughts on the amount of views on each platform:
  • Instagram and Facebook: that makes sense. I’m pretty active on both platforms, and both platforms currently favor Reels content – pretty sure Instagram and Facebook give Reels content more weight in the algorithm over traditional content.
  • YouTube: I’m not very active on YouTube as a content creator, so no one is waiting in anticipation for a new video from me (especially a short-form video). My more popular videos focus on traveling, tech reviews, and/or music. Not shoveling snow off my driveway.
  • Twitter: I have a bunch of followers there (over 12,000), but I don’t post a lot, especially video. So 91 views is pretty good!
  • TikTok: That’s my average video view in TikTok. I’m pretty inconsistent with posting, and there are much more interesting videos than mine on that platform.

Here are a couple things to point out about this exercise for libraries:

• Make sure to experiment with those different platforms! You have a phone in your pocket, so post something and see what happens. 
• Post to multiple platforms. 24 views on YouTube is not much. But over 10,000 views (when everything added up across all platforms) is a pretty successful video!

Posting to multiple platforms can also show where your strengths and weaknesses are with those platforms (so you can figure out what needs to happen next). 

For example:

• Do I want more views on YouTube or Twitter? Then I need to be more consistent with making content on those platforms, and interacting there.
• Reels on Instagram and Facebook were successful. I have an active audience on both platforms, so my next steps should be to figure out what types of content to post, and to be consistent in posting Reels.
• New platforms are active and have growth potential. TikTok and both Reels platforms are all relatively new, and have active audiences. Growing engagement and viewership on those platforms will come naturally (assuming I consistently post interesting content).

Something to think about – hope you find this useful!

Yay! It’s 2022! Boo! We’re still in pandemic mode!

The last two years have been pretty weird, to say the least. And so far, it looks like 2022 might be yet another, let’s say, “interesting,” year.

But it’s also a year where libraries need to work on reconnecting with our communities, and figuring out what our new normal looks like. Here are some things I’m personally thinking about and/or working on in 2022:

1. Buying tech. My library has projects that we planned for last year, and are going to implement this year. But because of the pandemic, we need to plan way, way out. For example, we’re doing a technology update to our 2nd floor meeting rooms. The technology for that space (primarily the LCD projectors) I’m told might take us a good 6 months to get here!

We’re also working on opening a tech center that will be part recording studio, meeting space, and makerspace. We’re still planning for the tech needs in that space, and that technology might also take much longer to order than we think.

So – add some extra time in your planning process!

2. Reintroduce people to the library. We still need to remind people that we are here and have a multitude of services. Especially after many of our customers have moved to streaming services, ebooks, and online ways to do things. This is something my library will be working hard on this year.

3. Getting out into the community is more important than ever. Sorta connected to #2 – we need to leave our buildings and go where our customers are (as it is safe to do so, of course). That was talked about years ago (remember that whole “be where your customers are” thing?), but I think it’s something we still need to work on.

So … what’s your plan to get out of the building? That might mean virtual. It might mean going to places you haven’t gone before. It might mean different types of partnerships. And … it will take a lot of planning and action to do.

4. Formalizing remote work. My library now has our first telecommuting agreement, complete with a board policy about it. The last couple of years has shown us that at least some library employees can do their jobs from anywhere. So why not allow some staff to work from home if it makes sense?

But if you do that, there are a few details to figure out. For example, can you take library equipment home? Do you have enough broadband at home to do your job? How will your supervisor know what you are working on? How will virtual/hybrid meetings work?

Hopefully by now some of that has been figured out at your organizations. But my guess is that some of you still need to formalize it!

5. Digital First – not building first. I’ve been talking and writing some about digital first in the last couple of years (for obvious reasons). Make sure to prioritize the library … but not necessarily the building. For example, when my library was recently closed for New Years … it was mostly just the library building that was closed. I could still access my library account to put things on hold, I could do research via our databases, I could check out a bunch of econtent. I could interact with the library community on Facebook. I could turn things back in at any number of drop boxes around town. I could read about interesting-sounding books on our website.

Was the library really closed? Well … not so much. Only the building and the people-focused things were closed. We really need to make that switch from physical first to digital first (it can be a hard switch for a library to make).

6. Hiring is harder. I have an open position in my department right now (anyone want to come work for me?). The library actually has a number of jobs we need to fill. And our HR dept says this might not be an easy thing to do – because of the Great Resignation. Did you see that 4.5 million people quit their jobs in November (more on that here)? I’m not planning to do that any time soon (I like to eat and have health insurance). But be prepared – it might take longer than normal to hire.

7. Video! You need to be making video. Make some short YouTube videos showing how to do stuff at the library. Make some even shorter TikTok or Instagram videos that do similar things. Use Zoom for classes and events. Then see what sticks, and do more of that.

Saying this because it’s a low-hanging fruit (everyone reading this owns a great smartphone camera), but we really haven’t embraced video yet.

8. Time to set goals (and crush them). Finally, it’s time to set some goals and start implementing them. I know that some libraries are still in a holding pattern (because Covid).

But it’s time to start planning for the future again, if you haven’t started yet. My library has a new CEO, and we are starting to work on goals. First we’ll come up with a work plan for 2022. But we are also planning to create a true strategic plan, as well. If you don’t have goals … you can’t achieve them (ok, that was pretty cheesy).

So – that’s what is in my head for this year! What’s in yours? What is your library planning to do this year?

Interested in Library Engagement Platforms? Then this new Library Technology Report (written by me) is just for you!

Here’s a blurb about it:

This issue of Library Technology Reports introduces library engagement platforms, explains what types of interactions take place while using them, and illustrates why libraries need to utilize them to connect with their customers. These interactions take place using a variety of communication channels, including e-mail, text messages, and mobile phone notifications. The end goal of a library engagement platform isn’t the messaging; it’s engaging with that customer and moving them to respond and interact, or engage, with the library.

ALA Store

Basically I cover a lot of that newish library-related software that does everything BUT ILS, database or website stuff. Think events calendars, room reservations, curbside pickup, mobile apps, data dashboards, and a whole lot more.

Sound interesting? Please check it out (or buy it!). Also, if you are attending Computers in Libraries this spring, I’m giving a presentation based on Library Engagement Platforms – so you’ll get a good overview there, as well.

Has your library ever partnered with a bar to make drinks that match up with a library event? Well … we have!

Watch our first Mixology video (embedded in this post) – showing a bartender at a local restaurant making a themed cocktail.

Here’s what we’re doing: we have an art gallery as part of the library. Our current art exhibit is called “Blue” – more info here. Basically, the exhibit shows a bunch of … blue stuff. We also partnered with some local restaurants to create a signature blue cocktail, to go with our art exhibit’s theme. You can visit the restaurant and order the drink.

Why? Well, the exhibit’s goal is to help you “experience” the color blue. You can see blue-themed artwork, listen to “blue-sounding” music as part of the exhibit, attend a talk related to the theme … and “taste” the color blue via these cocktails. Just another way to experience the color blue.

We’ll eventually have 4-6 of these videos, all of local restaurants making their signature blue cocktails. It’s a fun way to reach outside the walls of our library building and into the community. Also into the part of the community that likes to visit restaurants and order blue cocktails.

Also, a good example of a nicely done video from our Marketing department! They actually took cameras and lights to each restaurant to make these videos.

So – fun idea, thought I’d share it! Hope everyone has a happy holiday season!

I missed this when it came out in April, but there are some good takeaways from Pew Research Center’s Social Media Use in 2021 report.

Social Media Use in 2021 from Pew Research Center

Here’s what stood out to me:

• 72% of American adults use some type of social media. Wow!
• YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram are the most popular (you should be on all three)
• They added two social media channels for the first time: TikTok (21% of US adults use it) and Nextdoor (13% of US adults use it).
• Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok tend to have a younger audience, while more established sites like YouTube and Facebook are more well-rounded, age-wise.
• There’s a lot more in the report about age and other demographics.

What’s this mean for libraries?

• If you are already using social media … keep it up! Figure out ways to engage your customers using your social media channels.
• If you aren’t doing much on the social media channels that attract younger adults (Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok), you should explore your options in those spaces.
• Reminder that “younger adults” means 18-30 year olds. Not just kids, not just teens (though they’re definitely there! Pew tracks adult use only). I’d suggest focusing on content that a 25-35 year old would be interested in. That way, you’ll be “trendy” enough to catch some younger audiences, and have enough real-life application that might interest an older audience as well.
• If your library isn’t doing much of anything on social media, you are potentially missing an easy way to connect with 72% of your customers. For free. Something to think about!

Here’s a link to the full report – enjoy!

A couple days ago, Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp (all Facebook apps) went down for about six hours. Globally.

That’s a pretty big deal these days! I was affected just a teeny, tiny bit – I had a meeting about Instagram goal-setting for 2022, and couldn’t pull up current Instagram stats to share with the team.

Other people and small businesses who depend on one or more of these apps as their main communications platform were basically silenced for a good six hours. Not good!

They were down for approximately 6 hours, and are all back up again. So yay for that. But next time something major like Facebook goes down for a day … what can you do so your library isn’t completely silenced?

Thankfully, this is pretty simple. The answer is … Make sure you have multiple ways to communicate. And make sure those communication platforms aren’t all owned by the same company (i.e., Facebook, Microsoft, Apple, Google, Amazon, etc.).

For example, my library can currently communicate these ways:

1. Our website. This is your main communication channel, and one of the few that you probably own.
2. Our email list (all card holders give us their email address, which we use for our enewsletter). Also one we own.
3. Social media. My library is active in Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn. If one goes down, we can still talk to our customers using other social media channels.
4. Media contacts. Our marketing department has a list of local and national media outlets that we can send press releases to, and that we all on if needed.
5. In-building communications – physical and digital signs, and library staff actually sharing info with customers.

There are probably others! My point is a simple one – don’t put all your eggs in one basket (as the saying goes). Make sure you have and use multiple communication channels, owned by different companies. Make sure you own some of them yourself, too (like your website and your email list).

And make sure you use more than one way to share your amazing library content with customers. Normally, that simply assures that more people hear about your cool new thing. But in times when something major goes down for a day (or more), you will still have multiple ways to communicate with your customers.