http://www.walkingpaper.org/1498 A library design consultancy, shop and blog by Aaron Schmidt Thu, 09 Feb 2012 23:25:59 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://www.walkingpaper.org/1498/comment-page-1#comment-24886 Rob Banks Wed, 11 Mar 2009 01:11:10 +0000 http://www.walkingpaper.org/?p=1498#comment-24886 We have a lot to figure out in the next few years. I think the "doing" and "being" aspects are pivotal in our thought processes. While we www.tscpl.org are a heavily used library in the traditional sense(checking out a lot of stuff,) we had over 8,000 meetings at our library in 2008. We have to think like a convention center with a library attached rather than like a library with meeting rooms. Our most popular public program offered by the library is "Trivia night!" It is filled weeks in advance with a waiting list of teams in case someone doesn't show up. This has nothing to do with anything people got from the library, although our librarians who create the questions use them to promote our collections as a part of the question. I can understand the thinking that people would not want to rent a movie from a movie rental place and then talk about it at the library, but we have found that, in fact, they do. The rental place doesn't offer an opportunity to "talk" about their experience. We do! The whole "social" phenomenon is something to be reckoned with in the future scenarios and we use current technology (twitter, facebook, emails, etc. to communicate about the opportunities.) It won't fit everyone, but we find that there is a large group that it does fit. Niche marketing. Look for how it impacts the different groups in your community. We have a lot to figure out in the next few years. I think the “doing” and “being” aspects are pivotal in our thought processes. While we http://www.tscpl.org are a heavily used library in the traditional sense(checking out a lot of stuff,) we had over 8,000 meetings at our library in 2008. We have to think like a convention center with a library attached rather than like a library with meeting rooms. Our most popular public program offered by the library is “Trivia night!” It is filled weeks in advance with a waiting list of teams in case someone doesn’t show up. This has nothing to do with anything people got from the library, although our librarians who create the questions use them to promote our collections as a part of the question. I can understand the thinking that people would not want to rent a movie from a movie rental place and then talk about it at the library, but we have found that, in fact, they do. The rental place doesn’t offer an opportunity to “talk” about their experience. We do! The whole “social” phenomenon is something to be reckoned with in the future scenarios and we use current technology (twitter, facebook, emails, etc. to communicate about the opportunities.) It won’t fit everyone, but we find that there is a large group that it does fit. Niche marketing. Look for how it impacts the different groups in your community.

]]> http://www.walkingpaper.org/1498/comment-page-1#comment-24878 Aaron Tue, 10 Mar 2009 15:26:40 +0000 http://www.walkingpaper.org/?p=1498#comment-24878 Great point, Greg. Your comment made me realize that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Protestant_Ethic_and_the_Spirit_of_Capitalism" rel="nofollow">Max Weber</a> would have a field day with that phrase. Great point, Greg. Your comment made me realize that Max Weber would have a field day with that phrase.

]]> http://www.walkingpaper.org/1498/comment-page-1#comment-24876 Greg Schwartz Tue, 10 Mar 2009 13:40:03 +0000 http://www.walkingpaper.org/?p=1498#comment-24876 While I can certainly get behind the notion of libraries as "places of doing," let's not forget that, for some people, libraries are simply places of being. I wouldn't want to construct a position that suggests there's anything wrong with that. While I can certainly get behind the notion of libraries as “places of doing,” let’s not forget that, for some people, libraries are simply places of being. I wouldn’t want to construct a position that suggests there’s anything wrong with that.

]]> http://www.walkingpaper.org/1498/comment-page-1#comment-24872 Erik Rath Tue, 10 Mar 2009 05:57:57 +0000 http://www.walkingpaper.org/?p=1498#comment-24872 I have to agree with much of what you said here. I have been agrevated by the direction of many of the more popular electronic offerings because they fail to take their public-place mission into account. I am all for having a presence online and creating virtual services, but I think technologies that can actually create community among out users would be far preferable and truer to what a library does best. Why don't we use our catalogs as a meeting point for users who share tastes in books. It will take a fundamental change to how we view privacy, but I think patrons would gladly sign on to online book discussion groups with others reading the same book. While we're at it, why don't we facilitate meeting spaces for these virtually organized groups so they can meet in person. Collaboration should be as easy as possible in our libraries and will be a large reason for maintaining our buildings. I have to agree with much of what you said here. I have been agrevated by the direction of many of the more popular electronic offerings because they fail to take their public-place mission into account. I am all for having a presence online and creating virtual services, but I think technologies that can actually create community among out users would be far preferable and truer to what a library does best.
Why don’t we use our catalogs as a meeting point for users who share tastes in books. It will take a fundamental change to how we view privacy, but I think patrons would gladly sign on to online book discussion groups with others reading the same book. While we’re at it, why don’t we facilitate meeting spaces for these virtually organized groups so they can meet in person. Collaboration should be as easy as possible in our libraries and will be a large reason for maintaining our buildings.

]]> http://www.walkingpaper.org/1498/comment-page-1#comment-24871 more convenient content news, response | eBook Business Tue, 10 Mar 2009 04:54:00 +0000 http://www.walkingpaper.org/?p=1498#comment-24871 [...] Read the original post:  more convenient content news, response [...] [...] Read the original post:  more convenient content news, response [...]

]]>