Transcript Sarah Houghton-Jan “Librarian in Black”

Introduction
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Both public and academic libraries across
the United States are facing lean budgets
in tough economic times while public
demand for library services is rising.
Librarians are struggling to meet increased
public demand with reduced budgets.
(OBVIOUS)
Does Mobile Technology $ave
Money?
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Can libraries reduce costs using
technology (including mobile reference)
wisely while providing improved services?
Survey results
This presentation examines and identifies
a number of low-cost, high-quality
resources to help libraries with their
technology (especially mobile) needs
Questions
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Poll: How many libraries here are new to
mobile reference?
Does your library have statistics whether
mobile technology (especially mobile
reference) has saved money? How has
mobile reference revamped traditional
services? (if any)
Survey Answers
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Only 6 responses
Many respondents reported that they did not have
statistics on budget savings or that mobile reference had
not saved any money
One library: “We do not have specific statistics or $$
amounts but we definitely would not be able to provide
mobile reference on our own if it were not for the My
InfoQuest cooperative. It would take more staff to
monitor and answer text reference questions if we were
doing it on our own. We have saved the amount of
money it would cost to purchase text-a-librarian or
Altarama.”
Survey Answers
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Overall, mobile reference has revamped traditional
library services.
Response 1: “It’s just another channel of communication
that we offer in addition to our other types of reference.”
Response 2: “As far as revamping, I think mobile
technology has changed service for patrons more than it
changed what we do. It is freeing up some staff from
the telephones. We don’t have to make as many calls to
patrons about materials because they get the info by
email or text message.”
Survey Answers
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Response 3: “We have been able to extend our reference
services through this technology.”
“Because of our participation in My Info Quest, we are able to
offer extended hours for text reference and have not had to
pursue an alternative service (saving us money). Our Virtual
Library Staff provides a chat reference service Monday Fridays from 8:30-5:00. We also use Library Answers for our
FAQ and also answer email questions that come in through
that service. The Library Answers knowledge base is
populated by our Virtual Library Staff. In addition, we provide
email responses to people coming into us through our
‘Contact Us’ form.”
Examples and Sources for $aving
Money
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ALA TechSource
Sarah Houghton-Jan, aka “Librarian in
Black”
Contra Costa County Library
Sarah Houghton-Jan
“Librarian in Black”
http://librarianinblack.net/librarianinblack/
Librarian in Black (continued)
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Digital futures manager of the San Jose
Public Library (CA)
Named a 2009 Library Journal Mover &
Shaker as a Trendspotter
She has given many presentations about
technology and saving money in libraries
Librarian in Black (continued)
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Recently at the Handheld Librarian 3 (July
2010) she presented “Mobile Services on a
Shoestring (aka for Broke @$$ Libraries).”
You can access it here:
(http://librarianinblack.net/librarianinblack
/2010/08/mobile-3.html)
10 ways to save money: website, catalog,
databases, etc.
Librarian in Black (continued)
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Mobile reference services are not the ONLY way
to save money. Examples:
Open source software (OpenAccess)
Online book club tools
See posts “New Technologies that Save Money,
Time, and Service” (2009) and “13 Ways (and
147 Tools) to Help Your Library Save Money on
Technology” (January 24, 2010)
Librarian in Black (continued)
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Contact her:
E-mail: [email protected]
Facebook: LibrarianInBlack
Twitter: TheLib
ALA TechSource
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www.alatechsource.org
“We're always looking to explore how
libraries around the world are using new
technologies to their improve access and
services.”
Mary Ann Hodel (Orange County
Library, FL)
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Since 2003, the Library has used Vocera, a
voice communication platform that
provides instant voice communication
between library staff. The small badge-like
device, worn around the neck on a
lanyard, is a voice transmitter and receiver
that connects to the wi-fi system for
immediate voice communication with key
personnel.
Mary Ann Hodel (continued)
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OC has saved money by reducing the
number of telephone outlets in the public
part of the building, and maximized its
staff by allowing them to rove the building
to provide assistance to the customers.
The Library also used iPods for reference
service and a cell-phone service for selfguided library tours.
Contra Costa County Library (CA)
Snap & Go Project
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A mobile platform using Quick Response (QR) codes
pushing “new and existing library content and services
into the hands of cell phone users.”
Designed to improve services and reduce costs
Goal: “Bring a number of new services to Contra Costa
County Library customers through their mobile devices
to support self-directed use of the library and change the
way libraries do business.”
Objective: “Create mobile-friendly web pages and utilize
content from other online resources, such as Syndetics,
to develop pages.”
Snap & Go (continued)
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Check out library mobile website:
http://snapngo.ccclib.org
Objective: Develop a Mobile Patron
Support System (MPSS) linking customers
with cell phones to library services. The
MPSS including a 2D Barcode Generator, a
server that handles requests from mobile
devices.
Snap & Go Project (continued)
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Objective: “Create QR codes to link patrons to information relating
specifically to the item and location of the originating barcode and
pointing people to the library’s Facebook page, accessing the library’s
SMS reference service, or checking out a book.”
Example: QR codes are attached to library materials for readers
advisory services. Codes on the Teens’ Top Ten nominations links
readers to http://guides.ccclib.org/top10, where they can access
reviews, view other nominees, place holds, and directly participate in
choosing the winners by casting their vote for their favorites. They
can simply snap the QR code on the front of the book they just read,
without having to ask a question, visit the library, get on a computer,
or type a URL.
Conclusions
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Unclear whether mobile reference and
technologies have saved libraries money
There are resources and examples out there for
saving money
Overall, mobile reference has revamped
traditional library services, allowing some
libraries more space for mobile reference