Hello to you! My name is Aaron Schmidt. You've found my website where I write about libraries, often with a slant toward technology and usability. Questions? Read more about me or contact me below.
Marlo Young, Undergraduate Services Librarian at the UCSD, coordinated the production of this advert for her library.
I love the fact that it was filmed by a student and the music was made by a student. What a great way to make it authentic!
Hey, before you watch the video, check out Marlo’s faculty page because it contains a link to her facebook profile, the UCSD flickr site and more!
[thanks Marlo!]
It has been a fast and great first day (plus preconference days!) at Internet Libraian 2007. You’ll have to go elsewhere for good coverage of today’s sessions because I was running around like a madman giving talks. Here are my presentations converted to PDF format. As always, if you have questions about any of it, give me an email at librarian [at] gmail.
→ Socialize Your Library
→ Games, Gaming & Learning with Jenny Levine. Jenny’s slides will be available at the Shifted Librarian Wiki
→ Online Outreach 2.0 with Sarah Houghton-Jan
→ WhoseSpace?
Wise words from 37 signals. Please read the following paragraph but replace “enterprise software” with “integrated library systems” or “databases”
The people who buy enterprise software aren’t the people who use enterprise software. That’s where the disconnect begins. And it pulls and pulls and pulls until the user experience is split from the buying experience so severely that the software vendors are building for the buyers, not the users.
What would it be like to invite community members into the ILS or database buying/renting process? This idea might scare most decision makers and for good reason. I bet citizens/students would ask some great questions like “What’s with all of those boxes?”
Of course the situation with library software is complicated by the fact that it is meant for use by librarians *and* normal people. Too bad that one interface for both groups leads more often to the worst of both worlds rather than the best. I’d like to see two separate interfaces on many of these products. Which would we librarians end up using more often?
A few years back I wrote about the nice looking website and cute icons found on the openbare bibliotheek delft (now callled the DOK?) website. Now seems to be a nice time to link back to that since the Dutch are traipsing around the USA visiting libraries.
Also I’ve been exchanging emails with a librarian in Bologna (easy anagram = on a blog) and recently saw her library’s site.
I have no idea if it is usable, but it is sure easy on the eyes, which is a good start. Any nominations for the best looking library website in the USA?
→ Improve Photoshop performance on the cheap
→ an unbelievable customer service experience from the online shoe retailer zappos.
People notice when institutions take it to the next level. Hint.
Here’s a slide from the presentation I’m giving with Sarah Houghton-Jan next week! We’re kicking off Monday, October 29th’s Public Libraries track at Internet Librarian which was assembled by Jenny and Michael. It is going to be fun, hope to see you there!
Because sometimes we’re equally as unusable!
When I see our OPACs, database interfaces, crummy signs, intimidating reference desks, long URLS, library fines, and locked down computers, I see cheese grater slides. Let’s smooth them out! Make it your goal to make your library even a bit more usable by the end of the week. We’re rearranging the YS collection.
Found in their flickr stream. Nice work TFML!
I especially like “I’d steal them were I a thief.”
Originally uploaded by thomas ford memorial library
Here’s a fantastic idea mentioned to me this morning by a library volunteer: book recommendations on date due receipts. As in, If you liked [item checked out], check out [related item].
If vendors made this happen I wonder if they’d use subject headings to drive the recommendation engine. I don’t like this idea. It would be much more interesting to capture and use data about patterns in how the collection circulates. This would be a more user centered approach. Ideally there would also be a URL and code next to the recommendation so patrons could rate the pairing of items, providing human feedback into the process. It would improve with use, but I’m sure it would give some hilariously interesting recommendations too.
Does anything like this exist? John, Casey, Glenn, Dave? Could you build this for me soon please? KTHXBYE.
What about promoting upcoming library events on our receipts? Surely some library is doing this?
IMming Reference Librarians, listen up! Meebo has released a meebo firefox add-on. Installing it will put a buddy list in the sidebar of your browser. The sidebar can be hidden if you don’t like it taking up the screen real estate.
One of the biggest complaints about using meebo at the Reference Desk is notifications and alerts. We probably weren’t the only one with this concern, because the add-on has all sorts of options about alerts.
Note: You’ll still need meebo.com open in a window or tab for the sidebar to work.
