Hide Notes 

Slide 1: The 10 LOL Cat Laws of Web Services for Smaller and Underfunded Libraries Sarah Houghton-Jan Digital Futures Manager, San Jose Public Library Author, LibrarianInBlack.net
Slide 2: LOL...whatsie? #1: LOLcats are photos, of cats usually, with funny, gramatically incorrect captions #2: The captions often play on memes and “injokes” previously generated by other LOLcat photos #3: They spout all sorts of wisdom.
Slide 3: LOLcat
Slide 4: The 10 LOL Cat Laws of Web Services for Smaller & Underfunded Libraries
Slide 6: #1: Talk with customers Email Instant messaging (AIM, Meebo, Plugoo) Chat Widgets (IM or web-based chat window on webpages) Voice Over IP (VOIP like Skype and other services) Video Chat (some IM clients, Skype too!) Text messaging (SMS)
Slide 7: UNLV's IM Service
Slide 8: Put chat windows and “assistance” links where customers are UPSET Screenshot courtesy of David Lee King, Topeka Shawnee County Public Library
Slide 10: Text Messaging (SMS) Cell phones and SMS are now more popular than ever Offer both circulation and reference services via SMS ($) “For pay” (rather cheap) and hack options (which have security and feature issues)
Slide 11: Reference Service via SMS
Slide 13: #2: Interact with Customers Welcome comments on everything Respond like a human being Example: offer Online Book Clubs with a mix of staff and customers
Slide 14: San Jose Public Library's Teen Book Club on LibraryThing
Slide 15: Blogs for Recommendations Blogs (each entry is its own review) -or- Wikis (subject/age based pages w/ reviews) Encourage full staff participation Offer a template w/ tags and categories Welcome customer comments and entries
Slide 19: #5: Be Engaged Use EngagedPatrons.org (free and lowcost Web 2.0 services for libraries run by Glenn Peterson of Hennepin County Lib.) Events Calendar with online registration Blogs Google Maps mashup for library locations Library contact form RSS feeds + other stuff too!
Slide 23: #3: Be Social Be present where your users are Be real Be reliable and continuously new
Slide 26: Facebook Flyer image by Steve Lawson: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tuttlibrary/1546577200 $10 = 5000 Facebook Flyers to targeted audiences CHEAP ADVERTISING!!!
Slide 28: #4: Use Multimedia Photographs / Images Podcasts Videocasts Games
Slide 29: Westmont Public Library http://www.flickr.com/photos/we stmontlibrary/549380055/
Slide 31: Exploit Image Generators GeneratorBlog.blogspot.com ImageGenerator.org ImageChef.com
Slide 32: Podcasting & Videocasting people who can talk/sing digital microphone (free) Audacity (free) a Blogger blog (free) people who aren't camera-shy + digital video camera ($100+) + Avidemux editing software (free) + a Blogger blog (free)
Slide 34: #6: Offer Treatsies People like shiny objects, Ask them what they want. Then find them some.
Slide 35: There are many of a treat in HCPL's catalog
Slide 36: Staff Avatars! a la Nashville Public Library
Slide 37: “My Account” Text Messages
Slide 39: #7: Exploit the Free Free web hosting, statistics, and web gadgets
Slide 41: Tap the Google Wonderland
Slide 44: #8: Respect Customers You never know when you're lunch. Expect the best, not the worst. Treat customers with respect, regardless of age of which services they use.
Slide 46: #9: Offer Users Choices How to contact you How you communicate with them How they find things online What they find online (content & format)
Slide 47: Mashups = Choices People are mashing up your library's content. Why not advertise that? Library ELF: account tracking and alerts through e-mail, RSS, and text messaging Library LookUp: click on this bookmarklet when on a webpage with an ISBN to look up item in the catalog LibX Toolbar: Direct access in web browser to catalog and more (other toolbars too)
Slide 48: Library Elf
Slide 49: Good Catalog = Choices Can’t change ILS? Consider an overlay! AquaBrowser ($) Endeca ($) LibraryThing for Libraries (fewer $) VuFind (open source) WorldCat Local ($)
Slide 50: LibraryThing for Libraries
Slide 52: #10: Keep going! Try new things! Push administrators (they like 24/7 nature of web services, minimal staffing and cheap costs, highest ROI in the library) Rejoice in failures (it means you're pushing boundaries!)
Slide 53: And why do we do all of this?
Slide 54: Because we're proud of our services, and there's nothing worse than blending in...
Slide 57: Questions? Ask her anything. Really! Sarah Houghton-Jan web: www.LibrarianInBlack.net email: LibrarianInBlack@gmail.com IM: LibrarianInBlack Skype: LibrairanInBlack Facebook: facebook.com/librarianinblack