Enough of Video

I think I've seen enough videos for now! To be honest, the videos I've seen about libraries are quite boring. Many of them lack a "professional" quality or the topics are a bit silly. I think libraries really need to examine their subject matter to see if they lend themselves to a video medium. The Brisbane City Council Library video of the booksorter is unusual in that it follows the path of a returned library item which makes an ideal video format. Oral histories are another good example of delivering information in a video format. The storytelling and the historical footage make a good combination.

Another good example, which I've posted on my blog, is from the the Toronto Public Library on the "Ready for Reading" program. This gives young families a taste of what the program is about. This might help them decide whether the program is suitable for them.

Following Wikis

Wikis are great if you want to know what other libraries are doing.

Book Lovers Wiki by the Princeton Public Library had a great idea for a Summer Reading Club for adults. And why not? The members of the club entered their book reviews in the library's wiki.

An even better wiki which collects info from libraries is Library Success: A Best Practices Wiki. This is where libraries can contribute their knowledge/experience in different categories. Here at Brisbane Square Library we are currently looking for ideas around youth programming and book clubs. In this wiki I discovered some interesting stuff on Services for Teens using Library 2.0 technology. This included a teen website, "My Own Cafe".

So now how do I find the time to check all this stuff out? Hmmmm.....

RSS Stuff

I've posted a couple of feeds to my Bloglines. The one I really like and keep reading is Alternative Teen Services so I decided to put it in my Favourite Links. I like this one because it is bright and colourful and would appeal to younger customers. It also has a great layout full of interesting bits such as "Categories", "Favourite Blogs",and a Teen Librarian "YouTube". I'm always on the lookout for different programming ideas and I found something here called "Altered Books". I'd like to try it at Brisbane Square. This is inspiring stuff!

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Originally uploaded by uppercaseyyc

This is a special room located in the Children's Department in Saskatoon Public Library, Canada. In this space children remove their boots and coats before entering "Pooh Corner" for storytime.
This is where my children listened and watched as the talented library staff performed their magic. We have many fond memories of this library!

First Thoughts on 23 Things

I've done it! I've created a blog! It's the beginning of another chapter in my "Lifelong learning" journey. It's all new and a bit bewildering but, hopefully, this will enable me to better understand the changing world of our customers. And, like the the title of my blog, More Than Books, this journey is about stepping out of the world of books and discovering new technologies.

It's hard to believe that I started working in libraries with the "card catalogue" and then "microfiche" and then OPACs. So libraries have changed and this online learning about 23 Things will give me the chance to keep up with the changes.