training a new breed of rural librarians
DESCRIPTION
Presentation to the Maryland Library Association/Delaware Library Association, May 2012TRANSCRIPT
MARILYN PONTIUSBRANCH MANAGER
H A N C O C K WA R M E M O R I A L L I B R A R Y
A B R A N C H O F WA S H I N G T O N C O U N T Y
F R E E L I B R A R Y
Training a New Breed of Rural Librarians
http://www.crunchyroll.com/group/Mythical_Creatures__Club
Agenda
•Overview of the ITRL Grant Program•Curriculum and Outcomes•Development of Fast Facts for your Library•Questions and Answers
Rural Libraries – Rural Librarians
Information Technology for Rural Librarians (ITRL) Scholarship Program
UTK SIS : 16 full scholarships to paraprofessionals working in rural libraries
Part-time DE program June 2010-August 2012
MS in Information Science
Information Technology for Rural Librarians (ITRL)
Rural Library Professionals as Change Agents in the 21st Century: Integrating Information Technology Competencies in the Southern and Central Appalachian
Region
IMLS Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program
To address lagging IT literacy in rural libraries
ITRL Grant Phases
Phase 1: RecruitmentPhase 2: Needs AssessmentPhase 3: Educational and Training
ActivitiesPhase 4: MentoringPhase 5: Evaluation of Program
Outcomes and Dissemination of Results
Phase 1: Recruitment of Students
Quantitative web-based survey Available during Nov 12-19, 2008 Research questions
What are the key information needs of rural communities in the region? What are the library services provided by rural information professionals in the region?
ALISE 2010: Mehra, Black, Singh, & Lee
Phase 2: Needs Assessment of Rural Library Services
Most important resources or services in region
% of Responses
Technology access (internet access; computer access)
87%
Recreational material (books, magazines, films, etc.)
62%
Youth services/programming (homework help, story hour, etc.)
49%
ALISE 2010: Mehra, Black, Singh, & Lee
Phase 2: Needs Assessment of Rural Library Services
Phase 3: Educational and Training Activities
Distance Education Program – 42 credit hours
Library Science ClassesIT ClassesLibrary Management
Classes
Phase 4: Mentoring
Phase 5: Evaluation of Program Outcomes and Dissemination of Results
What is the Value of LIS Education? A Qualitative Analysis of the Perspectives of Rural Librarians in the Southern and Central Appalachia
Bharat Mehra, Kimberly Black, Vandana Singh, Jenna NoltSchool of Information Sciences, University of Tennessee
Lake City Public Library, TN
Johnson City Public Library, TN
Sevier County Public Library, Sevierville, TN
Hancock County Public Library, Sneedville, TN
ITRL Curriculum
Core Information Science Classes Information Environment
Information Access and Retrieval
Information Representation and Organization
ITRL Curriculum
InformationTechnology
•Hardware and Software Configurations
•Technology planning, assessment, and analysis
•Library 2.0
Information Technology
Information Technology
Information Network Applications Screencasts, podcasts, website development tools
ITRL Curriculum
Rural Library Management
Service evaluation/assessment Youth and adult services
Grant writing and partnership development
Rural Library Management
User-centered library services
Grant Development
Rural Library Management
Developing Fast Facts for Your Library
1. Understand your library’s Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) Analysis
2. Understand your community and your competition
3. Define your image and place in the community
4. Map your services to community needs
5. Create your Fast Facts
SWOT Analysis
Face to Face Interviews Internal and External Perspective
Organize in a Spreadsheet
Update regularly
Strengths Weaknesses
Opportunities in the future
Threats
Define Your Library Image
Think of three words to describe how you want your library to make people feel.
Traditional vs. Social Learning Space
Challenging vs. Engaging
Communicating the Unique Value of Your Library
What does your library do better than your competition?
How does your library add value to the lives of your customers?
Communicating the Unique Value of Your Library
1. List the broad values of your library community
2. List your market segments
3. How do the values tie to all your market segments?
4. Where do the values cross over to your library “products”?
5. Connect them to a statistic or timeframe people can easily understand.
Communicating the Unique Value of Your Library
Develop six key talking points for your library
Choose talking points that addressmeeting your User’s Needs/Values
Include one point about funding sources
Hancock War Memorial LibraryFast Facts
The library provides current materials to
entertain, inform, and educate. The library is primarily funded through the
State of Maryland and Washington County, augmented by city, town, foundations, grants and our community partnerships.
Visiting the library helps prepare your
children for success.
Hancock War Memorial LibraryFast Facts
The library provides individual service. The library provides internet access to
everyone. The library provides users a full service
website- with access to the catalog, book recommendations, informational databases, encyclopedias, and more.
Becoming one of the New Breed
Information Technology in Rural Libraries
Understand what you have, its limitations, and how it can be improved
Use technology to help you reach your community Facebook, Blogs, Library’s website, YouTube
Make every attempt to stay current Speak up if something isn’t working for your library
ITRL Looking Forward
ITRL 2
Voices of Rural Librarians in Appalachia:
Current Realities and Future Possibilities of Information Technology in the 21st Century
Hancock War Memorial Library
MARILYN PONTIUSBRANCH MANAGER
H A N C O C K WA R M E M O R I A L L I B R A R Y
A B R A N C H O F WA S H I N G T O N C O U N T Y
F R E E L I B R A R Y
Training a New Breed of Rural Librarians
http://www.crunchyroll.com/group/Mythical_Creatures__Club