I did a free webinar last week called Recession Relief that covered ways libraries can help patrons during these tough economic times, and you can watch the archived session and access my PowerPoint slides and notes (which include all the links I mention in the presentation). 

BCR does these hour long Free Friday Forums fairly regularly, and if you miss one you wanted to see, you can always view them later by going to the archive.

9/24 Just saw a newspaper article on the eTrain Mobile Training Lab – a partnership between my local workforce center and library.  Cool!

Just listened to this IMLS podcast series (also available for download or you can read the transcripts).  Four state librarians from North Carolina, New York, Washington and Connecticut as well as state library staff from Michigan and Washington discuss what libraries in their states are doing to help residents during these difficult economic times.

In NC, the state library gave a series of job search workshops to teach library staff how to help job seekers.  They brought in government employment agency personnel to help, which in turn has led to a number of partnerships between libraries and these agencies.  Community colleges were included as so many people are now attending them to train for new careers.  A wiki was set up to exchange ideas, and their electronic resources collaborative, NC Live, updated their job resources so every Tar Heel now has access to the latest e-books on resumes, interviews and the job search process.  Mary Boone also mentioned how many job seekers are in need of computer skills training.

NY brought another perspective as Bernie Margolis felt that creating jobs was of prime importance, so he spoke about how libraries help entrepreneurs and cited Lojack and Duck Boat tours as two companies that were started solely by using resources from public libraries.  He also mentioned the free entertainment options we offer.  NY is trying to increase broadband internet access, but they haven’t forgotten about the unemployed and are trying to get Department of Labor personnel stationed in public libraries.

Sheryl Mase spoke about the resources available on the Michigan eLibrary which can be accessed with your driver’s license number – a great idea!  MI wants broadband access everywhere too and they are partnering with their department of education to realize this goal.  A number of their libraries have career centers and/or small business support centers.  But MI has been hit harder by the economy than most places and has long been suffering from budget cuts so they are supplementing funding by partnering with private enterprise – see their museum pass and parks pass.

I’ve blogged about WA’s efforts previously, but I’m still impressed by their Hard Times site as besides providing employment and financial help, it links to local resources for basic needs.  They are advocating for libraries by keeping the media informed about exploding library use.

Ken Wiggin from CT had similar comments, but mentioned how many small businesses use the library as their office – which we’d noticed savvy entrepreneurs starting to do several years ago.

IMLS has posted a link to various states’ resource pages for helping patrons during tough economic times.

What programs have you added to deal with the onslaught of unemployed patrons?  Do you feel like more of a career counselor than a librarian these days?  Are you helping a lot of people who really need to brush up on their computer skills?

Well ALA Summer 2009 is over, and once again I didn’t get to all the sessions I wanted to go to, but a few of the sessions are available for online viewing if you registered. 

It’s always frustrating to have sessions  and meetings in multiple locations, so I’m looking forward to PLA 2010, since everything will be in one place.  I tried using the shuttle busses and public transportation, but seemed to end up walking (usually in the wrong direction – I seem to be navigationally challenged when I don’t have the CO mountains for reference) between many meetings – not much fun when lugging a laptop, though Chicago is beautiful with fabulous architecture and loads of green spaces.  But having spent a good 45 minutes wandering through huge empty areas of other sections of the convention center after being severely misdirected by Google Maps’ walking/public transport directions, I have to wonder why so many events needed to be offsite.

There were still loads of exhibits (not sure which one this man was at, but he caught my eye), and attendance was healthy, despite the economy.  I was disappointed that there weren’t more vendors with helpful products for job seekers and small businesses, but I suppose it takes time to develop products, and glassdoor.com, Vault, Brainfuse and Career Cruising were all there.

I heard about OCLC’s new community-based public awareness campaign, Geek the Library, which will hopefully increase support and funding.  It’s great to see two of my favorites, Lou Reed and Brian Dennehy, on posters for libraries, but I keep thinking of the original meaning of the word geek – gross!  Is this where Ozzy Osbourne got the idea (see Drug, Alcohol and Animal Abuse if you’re not familiar with this reference)?

I did get to the session on Libraries in Hard Times, which was pretty depressing as the stimulus package has hardly anything designated for funds for libraries to create infrastructure (broadband etc.).  We can apply via internet service providers for connectivity help as they’ll earn needed service points that way.  Or we can apply to become computer centers via the Rural Community Facilities Program (which may cover much of the cost and possibly some staffing).  Also there are opportunities via the Department of Energy for green building grants that we may be able to tap into. 

I also got to the Urban Libraries Council’s Membership Breakfast Meeting & Awards Ceremony and was excited to see that Susan Benton, their new president and CEO, comes from ICMA, as that connection may strengthen the relationship between libraries and those who make funding decisions for local government. 

So all in all this year’s gathering did offer some hope.  It was energizing and tiring at the same time, and each night I was thrilled to finally return to my hotel…

…even if I did need to work far into the night organizing my notes, catching up on work and digesting the day.

Ways to help business start and grow as well as help people find jobs and prepare themselves for new careers (to say nothing of free and cheap entertainment options), are now hot topics for the media and so libraries are getting free publicity all over the place.

In today’s Denver Post, Thinking outside the book, touts our digital offerings, business reference help and databases, job search and career help and prep, bookstore models, continuing education opportunities, book club resources and gaming events.  It’s a great article and will make our busy libraries even busier.

And that wasn’t the only library article today.  They also picked up on Douglas County Libraries‘ number one Hennen ranking (for libraries serving populations of 250,000-499,999). 

With the rampant frugality of this recession, it seems everyone is finally discovering what a great deal we are!

Many of us have had the opportunity to do (or have at least heard about) the 23 Things training originally developed by Helene Blowers of the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County.  It’s a training program developed to give library staff experience with Web 2.0 technologies.  It’s great that we are getting the chance to understand newer technologies used and offered in our libraries and by tech savvy patrons.

But, in this economy, so many of our customers are having to reinvent themselves and learn new technologies to be employable.  For some of these patrons, Web 2.0 concepts and terms, the internet, and even computers are a whole new world that they just don’t understand.  Sure, we offer computer classes and assist them with Flickr and YouTube and help them download audio books, but I haven’t heard of a public library that has done a 23 Things program for patrons.  For so many of us, continuing education is part of our missions and what better way to educate your residents in what they need to know to avoid becoming obsolete.

The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s Technology Playground event is certainly a great start.  And the Aarhus Public Libraries in Denmark’s amazing Transformation Lab gives us an extreme version of how to introduce new technologies to the public (but could any US libraries afford to create this?) and really involve them in the library.

In the March issue of American Libraries, Chrystie Hill tells us in Inside, Outside & ONLINE (see p. 38 and especially p. 39 Where is the library?) that between 2005 and 2007, using a library website was the only online activity that declined among regular internet users!  While ideally a 23 Things for Patrons event would be done in the physical library space so confused users would have a staff member close by to help them, perhaps creating an online version of the program (and linking to some of the Web 2.0 technologies used on our websites) would be a way to improve our online usage.  It would also give patrons who can’t make an in-house program convenient 24 hour access to an opportunity to learn about Web 2.0.

So are you contemplating doing a 23 Things for your users?  Or have you already done one?  If so, please share it so we can learn from your experience.

I just came across a marketing blog from Library Journal, Alison Circle’s Bubble Room.  As someone new to the profession, but not to marketing, she has some really helpful tips about how to get your message out and how to show the value of the public library. 

One of my favorites is turning your Homework Help Center into a Job Help Center during the school day.  Advertise (and perhaps partner) with your local private employment agencies, workforce centers and unemployment offices to get the word out and maximize resources (including staffing), then keep statistics on how many people have successfully landed a job with your assistance.  If you can garner salary information too you can even show the increased tax money that you’ve helped to bring in.  That ought to impress those who hold your purse strings, since they’re probably just as worried as you about declining revenue and decreased spending in the local economy.

She also discusses the Library Value (or ROI) Calculator, which many libraries have already implemented.  It lets patrons plug in the number of items they borrow and see how much they’re saving.  I’d love to see someone take a more proactive approach on this one by hooking it up to their self check systems so your due dates receipt shows how much you saved that day by using your library card, just like they do at Safeway.  Anyone out there willing to write a program for this? 

She also highlights the fabulous marketing efforts of the Wyoming Libraries.  They are truly inspired, turning iconic slogans and images on their head.  I love the reading mud flap girl, and have the “You can have my book when you pry it from my cold dead fingers.” bumper sticker on my car.

And if you’re interested in marketing – which we all need to be right now – we have our very own marketing whizzes at BCR, Meg Blum and Gillian Harrison, who give you great tips on their blog Get Used.

Check these two blogs out, but I think we’d all love to see some comments about some of your successful and inspired marketing efforts too – so let me know, what’s worked for you?