Rethinking reference

If You Can’t Change The Patron, Change The Library

Brian Herzog, Chelmsford (MA) Public Library

What I’m Not…

……A Good Public SpeakerA Good Public Speaker

What I’m Not…

……A A CheerleaderCheerleader

Ways to Rethink ReferenceVirtual Chat Reference

Roving Reference (inside and outside the library)

Technology Help Desk

Other ideas?

What We’re Doing1. Revamp Collection &

Repurpose Use of Floor Space

2. Mobilize the Library Website

3. Improve Remote Access to Traditional Tools

Revamp Collection & Repurpose Use of Floor Space

Rethinking Reference – Part 1

Before Photos

Before Photos

Before Photos

Problem #1:

Underutilization of Reference Collection

Have to check both Ref and Non-Fiction collections for a single topic (and Oversize!)

No one wants to use books they can’t take home

Revamp & Repurpose

Problem #2:

Drawbacks of Dewey for Non-Fiction Collection

Linear Shelving = Crowded Stacks

Dewey is great for organization, not great for access – examples: “Career” books could be in 331.702 or

650.1 “Home Improvement” could be in 620's,

640's, 680-690's, 720’s or 740's

Revamp & Repurpose

Problem #3:

Not Enough Study Rooms

Never enough quiet study spaces or places for groups to work

We had tutors fighting over who reserved our one study room

Revamp & Repurpose

Our Goals:

1.Interfile & Circulate Reference and Non-Fiction Collections

2.Highlight Popular Non-Fiction Subjects

3.Build More Study Rooms

Revamp & Repurpose

1. Process for Interfiling & Circulating Reference Collection

Weed ~50% of the Ref Collection (and some non-fiction too)

Identify those items that need to stay in the building, make them Ready Ref

Circ for 3 weeks anything possible Circ for 1 week everything else (they

are also non-requestable and non-renewable)

Revamp & Repurpose

2. Highlight Popular Non-Fiction Subjects

To make room in the Non-Fiction stacks, pull out popular subjects that can be stand-alone collections

Use subject stickers and signs on tables to identify collection

Revamp & Repurpose

2. Highlight Popular Non-Fiction Subjects

Purchase three “index tables” to make popular collections more accessible These went where Ref Stacks used to

be Each table has shelves, table space,

and one chair Provides extra seating even if those books

aren’t being used

Revamp & Repurpose

3. Build More Study Rooms

Town employees and hired contractor build three new small study rooms Big enough for two people (8’x8’) Work counter instead of table saved space All have AC plugs, ethernet jack, and clock All have floor-to-ceiling window

Get rid of entire magazine archive Underused, most available in databases Kept archive of Consumer Reports and

Nat. Geo.

Revamp & Repurpose

After Photos

After Photos

After Photos

After Photos

Before & After Photos

Before

After

Revamp & Repurpose

New Study Rooms Built

What We Learned Later

Staff was reluctant to weed Reference, but no one missed what we deleted

Not one person has asked about magazines

Patrons understand the 7-Day Loan stickers

You will have construction delays But be there when the building happens

Revamp & Repurpose

What We Learned Later

Study rooms needed more sound insulation

Clocks tick too loudly Subject tables need better signage

Compromise between aesthetics and function

Dividing the collection isn’t always intuitive Struggle with Education and Career books Atlases don’t fit on shelves, but did in OS

Revamp & Repurpose

Project Costs: $23,515

Construction (walls/windows): $16,580

Study tables (3): $4,295 Chairs (10): $2,061 ($200/chair!) Data computer lines: $309 Signage: $270 Town employees did

electrical/lighting

Revamp & Repurpose

Mobile the Library Website


Mobilize the Library WebsiteWho needs a mobile website?It’s not up to us

(I don’t even have a cell phone)Ask your patronsReview your website logs

Mobilize the Library WebsiteMobile Options: App vs. Mobile Web

Mobile App: a self-contained application downloaded and installed on a mobile phone

Mobile Web: a website specifically designed for the small screen of a mobile phone’s web browser

Mobilize the Library WebsiteMobile AppPros? Cons?

Looks and sounds cool! Are you cool enough to support it?

Easy-access icon on main screen

Patrons must find and install it – and it must work with their (meaning every!) phone

You can build it yourself Takes “advanced programming skills”(C, C#, C++, Objective-C, Java, etc.)

You can buy one/hire someone to create it

Takes money

Mobilize the Library Website• Boopsie• Complete catalog plus static info (hours, contact info…)• Works on any phone• Expensive(ish)• Customers: Seattle, San Jose, Notre Dame, WorldCat

• LibraryAnywhere (from LibraryThing)• Complete catalog plus static info (hours, contact info…)• Works on some phones, more on the way• Less expensive than Boopsie• Customers: LoC, Concord (NH), Boston University

Mobilize the Library WebsiteMobile Web

Pros? Cons?

Gets library into the mobile world quickly

Can’t say, “we have an app!”

Works on any phone with a browser

Patrons must remember to look for you

Easy to update content Your catalog still might suck

You can build it yourself Might look like you built it yourself

You can buy one/hire someone to create it

Takes money

Mobilize the Library Website• Design to Accommodate• Canton (MI) Public Library (http://www.cantonpl.org)

• One-Pager (influx.us/onepager/)• Developed by Aaron Schmidt and Amanda Etches-

Johnson• Specifically developed to be easy for mobile patrons• Totally free to libraries - they’ll even help get it

working

• Find a Mobile Theme• For you WordPress/Drupal/Joomla/etc. people

• Build Your Own• Here’s what I did…

Mobilize the Library Website• ChelmsfordLibrary.org/mobile

• What you can’t see• Catalog search box• Link to full website

Mobilize the Library Website• It’s just a little website!

Mobilize the Library Website• Remember: Design for Use

Big buttons

Big fonts

Clear text

Mobilize the Library WebsiteDesign for Use Scenarios…getting out of work, need to know how late the library is open

…coming to a program and wants to know when it starts and how to get there

…in a bookstore and sees a book they want to read

Mobilize the Library Website

• Include for all branches

• Link to Google Maps

• Click-to-call phone numbers• <a href="tel:9782565521">+1 978-256-5521</a>• <a href="wtai://wp/mc;9782565521">+1 978-256-5521</a>• +1 978-256-5521

• Click to email• <a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a>

• Hours – as clearly as possible


• Events are pulled from our main calendar via RSS feed• Using Feed2JS.org to format and provide embeddable code• Showing only events for next seven days


Form to ask questionOr suggest new feature for mobile site

Sends message as email to Reference Desk, just like web forms on full website


• Form to suggest a purchase• Subtle reminder to search catalog first• Ask them to provide Library Card Number, Title/Author/ISBN, and where they found it


It might work, it might not

Biggest drawback of mobile website/biggest benefit of an app

When you’re shopping for a new ILS, ask about this

Mobilize the Library Website• Auto-Detect & Redirect

• CSS (like Canton Public Library)• Best method, but most takes the most work to

implement

• Javascript• Runs in patron’s browser, so not totally reliable

• PHP• Runs on the server, so better than javascript• http://detectmobilebrowsers.mobi/

Mobilize the Library Website• But just in case…

Failsafe Link

Mobilize the Library Website• Try your new mobile site on as many

different devices as you can find

• Online phone emulators• http://www.testiphone.com• http://mobiready.com• http://validator.w3.org/mobile/

• Firefox User Agent Switcher• https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/

addon/59/

Mobilize the Library Website• http://www.statcounter.com

• http://www.google.com/analytics/

• What to look for• Overall usage• Visitor location• Devices used• …all the usual stats




Improve Remote Access to Traditional Tools

Rethinking Reference – Part 3Create a microfilm obituary indexOnline and searchable – save patron & staff time

Lots of volunteer hours, Microsoft Excel, and Yahoo Pipes

Two weekly papersChelmsford Newsweekly 1940-93Chelmsford Independent 1986-

Microfilm Obituary Index









THANK YOU

SwissArmyLibrarian.net/talks/nhla11

[email protected]

Brian Herzog, Chelmsford (MA) Public Library