Libraries & RSS

In striving to maintain any and all relevance to user groups libraries have tried to impress upon them the idea that the library is a "one stop shop". As an RSS feed is the epitome of a "one stop shop" I think it makes sense for libraries to become more familiar and interactive with the tool especially since RSS feeds help users filter through the onslaught of information on the Web and librarians pride themselves in doing the same.

Working at the Circulation desk it is clear that patrons often have difficulty finding the information they need on the library's website. The information is there, they are just unable (and, oftentimes, unwilling) to follow the necessary steps to get to said information. Making the various facets of the online library RSS-able would clear much of these issues up especially in terms of upcoming events and workshops, new acquisitions, etc.

However, I feel somewhat of a hypocrite as I have yet to fully appreciate all that RSS offers me as a user. I'm kind of peculiar when it comes to visiting my favorite sites; I have all of my most visited sites bookmarked on both my work and personal computers yet I, more often than not, do not even make use of the bookmarks. I type out the actual URL(!). Peculiar, right?

Blogging's contribution to my education

Having to actually create & maintain a blog is far more beneficial than merely reading articles about blogs & reading others' blogs. Although these resources are undoubtedly instrumental to a well-rounded Web 2.0 education as Aristotle said, "What we have to learn, we learn by doing." (At least, the various websites I checked attribute this quote to Aristotle including the fine folks at Quotes.net.) It's definitely an eye-opening experience to apply the various lessons learned in library school to the "real" library world. Maintaining this blog as I learn helps make the transition a bit smoother.

I hope that I will become more comfortable with & excited about my blog as the semester progresses. I currently post only in order to fulfill the course requirements. However, I would eventually like to start posting for myself. Unfortunately, I have yet to come across a topic about which I feel truly enthusiastic & frenzied; or, at least, I have not yet made this realization. Stay tuned...

Exercise #2

1.
In the Library With the Lead Pipe
This blog is maintained by a "team of librarians" who post at both a personal & professional level. Some posts include images & are styled in a journal-like format while others take the form of scholarly written articles with bold subheadings as well as bibliographical references & recommended further readings. When reading the blog outside of Google Reader, I glanced at the "about" section where it is noted that every "article" (I'm not sure if this means every post or only those posts that take the form of a traditionally published article) is peer-reviewed by both an internal & external reader/participant. Updates to the blog are somewhat infrequent as there are only a couple of posts per month.

Librarian's Commute
This blog is maintained by an individual & the majority of the posts consist of personal experiences & lessons learned from the reference desk. The structure of the entries are more like those that are found in more casual & recreational-type blogs. Out of the five blogs discussed here I found this blog to be the most interesting & readable. That might be because it seems more simplistic in style & content (which says a lot about me).

The Distant Librarian
This blog is clearly the work of a Public Services Systems Librarian (as noted in the author's "about me" section). The posts are primarily "techy" & short; no verbose prose here. Posts mainly consist of book reviews & how-to's. Unfortunately, I found the Google ads very distracting in my perusing as they take up just as much space as the posts themselves.

Librarian by Day
I originally tried accessing this blog through ANGEL from my workplace & was unable to do so for some reason. Instead, I googled the blog's title &, interestingly enough, came up with several results. One result was the older version & URL of this blog (librarianbyday.wordpress.com); one was the correct & current blog (librarianbyday.net); finally, the third blog with this title (librarianbyday.blogspot.com) belongs to a completely different author & is made up of teen lit reviews. But, I digress...
This blog also seemed more "techy" to me but also seemed a little more coherent to the layman. The blogger makes heavy use of current social networking tools including Twitter & YouTube & at the conclusion of each post readers are encouraged to share the post via their favorite social network(s). Many of the posts also include links to posts with similar subjects & discussions.

David Lee King
Each post includes an image, text in the form of paragraphs, & text in the form of bullet points. The blogger posts on new resources & tools & also gives tips on a variety of subjects, including giving presentations. King keeps the posts brief & to the point.

2.
Personally, the blogs & posts that interest me the most are those that narrate & recount a story, specifically through the blogger's own life-experiences. I think such blogs can also touch on current issues in the field & inform readers at the same time, as evidenced by Librarian's Commute.

3.
The Librarian in Black
Along with the more "typical" posts this blog also includes videos, of presentations by the blogger as well as a television appearance on Tech News Today. The "librarian in black" discusses new & newish technological tools from both the perspective of the customer/user & the librarian. As evidenced by the blog's title & the author's streaks of blue hair (as shown during her television appearance), the title librarian is not your grandmother's librarian.

Marin County Free Library Blog
I selected this blog mainly because of the library behind it. This library is a somewhat local library & as I had once considered applying for a position there this blog, by the title alone, stood out to me more than the others. Almost daily posts inform readers of upcoming events & workshops, new acquisitions & resources, & the featured weekly download from the "always available" digital audio-book collection.

Virginia Commonwealth University Library Suggestion Blog
This blog interested me because my library made a similar but, unfortunately, ill-fated attempt. Patrons' suggestions are posted & a librarian's/blogger's answer is posted publicly so that all of the library patrons can be informed & kept in the loop regardless of whether they did the asking. My library was planning on setting up a "virtual bulletin board" where suggestions & answers would be publicly posted but due to the lack of suggestions submitted the plan was scrapped. Hmm, perhaps this is one of those "if you build it, they will come" instances...

4.
I think a unique title & concept, such as that of The Librarian in Black will grab the attention of readers more than a "boring", more run-of-the-mill title. However, that alone will not keep the readers interested. As evidenced through the Marin County Free Library Blog & as noted in many of the assigned readings to date, posting to a blog infrequently does not a successful blog make. Rather, blogs that are constantly updated with a wide array of subjects will have readers constantly checking to see what's new. If readers check the blog & see that the latest post was made weeks or months ago, the blog & the body behind it (be it an institution or an individual) will have lost a part of their user base or at least lost some points in terms of user relevance & interest. Successful blogs also need to provide a platform, not only for the blogger(s) but also for the readers. Readers should be able to comment & expect a response from the blogger(s). There should be opportunity for dialogue & discourse.

Personal Branding

Before this week I had always thought that the fact that a search with my name does not cull many results was a pro rather than a con. However, now I feel that my lack of online presence could make me seem apathetic and idle, inside and outside of the professional realm.

When searching by my first and last names the only search result on the first page that actually pertains to me is my LinkedIn profile which currently happens to be quite insubstantial. :/ Interestingly enough, nothing even comes up when I do a search with my name and my place of employment though I am clearly listed in the online staff directory accessible through the institution's homepage.

When searching by my name and "facebook" several Elizabeth Stuckis pop up but I am not one of them. As mentioned before, I was pleased with this lack of online presence especially since there has been a great deal of talk surrounding the frequent changes made to Facebook and the need to adjust one's privacy settings accordingly so that one's life is not splayed out for one and all to see. However, this week's readings have impressed upon me the need for me to build up my online presence. While potential employers and colleagues do not need to read about ALL of my professional and recreational activities they should be able to at least find a picture of me as well as get some sort of glimpse into me--as a library student, library assistant, and as a person, in general.

Exercise #1, Part 2: Geek Squad

As Part 1 of this exercise was the first time I have actually aired my grievances with the Geek Squad (aside from my recounting the latest developments to my coworkers, family, & friends), I wanted to see how others were faring with their services.

From what I have found online through the resources provided for Week 2, it seems that the overall consensus is split. Some praise the Geek Squad while others share my disdain. Most of the resources discuss the Geek Squad in general while Yelp was the only site where I found specific mention of the Emeryville branch. I found How Sociable? to be the most helpful & informative in my search as it provides the statistics regarding any mentions (the good, the bad, & the ugly) of the Geek Squad as well as links to the specific sites.

On the Geek Squad homepage the company encourages customers to "follow us" via Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Twelpforce. In checking out these various resources I noticed that any two-sided communication between the agents & the customers mostly takes place through the Facebook page and Twelpforce. However, Twelpforce appears to be a more general Best Buy service rather than that of the Geek Squad specifically. The Geek Squad does have a Twitter account but it appears to mainly consist of advertisements & brief tidbits of information that is deemed newsworthy. Geek Squad posts a mix of videos on the YouTube account. Some of the videos are meant to amuse viewers while others consist of an agent(s) giving do-it-yourself advice on issues customers might face. The latest video has an agent named William advising customers on how to react/respond to any Gawker passwords they might have that have been compromised by hackers.

When customers posted recent questions to the Facebook page more often than not an agent with the initials of AP would respond with a word of advice in a very timely manner. Many times the advice would mainly take the form of encouraging the customer to contact or visit their local Geek Squad location. When customers would express their dissatisfaction with the level of service they had received and/or are receiving AP's timely response would include an apology as well as an e-mail request for the customer's name, phone number, purchase plan, and a service order number. AP would also say that he/she would look into it ASAP. While the "conversations" I saw on Facebook are somewhat encouraging I was disappointed but, unfortunately, not all that surprised that the communications through the other social media tools seem to be far less reciprocal & rather superficial.

Exercise #1, Part 1: Geek Squad

For our first exercise, I've selected Geek Squad particularly because they have been the bane of my existence for the last month or so. Part 1 will mainly be the back story while Part 2 will be the actual exercise.

My story begins on January 12 when I dropped my laptop off at the Emeryville Best Buy (where I purchased the product). A few days earlier my laptop had started crashing & it had actually reached the point where I was unable to even start it in safe mode. Normally, I'd have my computer expert brother take care of it but he was out of town so I figured I'd leave it in the capable hands of the Geek Squad instead. After the agent was also unable to start it in safe mode we decided that I would pay them $130 to try and save everything on my computer but get rid of the problem & if they were unable to do so as a last resort they would erase and re-install the operating system, etc. The agent told me that it would be 5-7 days until the repairs would be completed and my laptop would be in working condition, in some form or another.

When January 19 (a week later) rolled around & I had yet to hear from them I called to check on the status. I was told that it was taking longer than expected & that it would be a few more days. Upon hearing that I had been told that the repairs would take 5-7 days I was told by the second agent that it is usually 7+ days.

On January 23, when I had still yet to hear back from them I called again. I was told that the laptop was still pulling up a black screen rather than the desktop & that within the next few hours they'd make the decision as to whether or not they would need to erase and re-install everything rather than continue attempting to save everything. However, I seriously think that they did not really even look at it let alone tinker with it until that day. A few hours later, the agent I had spoken with called me back (the one & only time I received a call from them throughout this whole ordeal). He said that it was actually an issue with the motherboard & that, with my permission, they would send it to an off-site facility & that it would be 2-4 weeks before it would be ready for pick-up. As it had already been almost 2 weeks since I had dropped it off I was not very pleased with this news but also wanted them to do whatever they needed to do to get it back in working shape.

On February 4, I was checking the status of the service order online & noticed that my laptop had supposedly arrived back at the store on the 2nd & that it had been ready for pick-up since that date. However, I had never received any notification from the Geek Squad. I immediately called the store & was informed that there were still a few finishing touches that needed to be made & that it should be ready the following day, the 5th. He also told me several times that I would receive a call from an agent letting me know that it was ready. Well, the 5th came & went & I never heard from them. On the 6th, I called AGAIN & was told that the laptop was finally ready for pick-up.

Yesterday, the 7th, I got a ride from a friend & went to pick it up. The agent brought out the laptop & had me sign some final paperwork. As I was doing this he casually mentioned that the operating system was corrupted & that I would need to re-install it. I, unfortunately, no longer have the disc that would allow me to do this so I asked if it could be done in the store. Mind you, I was pretty much stupefied that they would be giving the laptop back to me though there was still a pretty big issue with it. The agent told me that for the price of $130 they could do it for me but that it would take 5 or so more days. I explained that I had already paid $130 when I dropped it off & that there was no way that I would be doing it again. He checked their records & saw that this was so & said he'd also see if they could perhaps rush things along since I had been without the computer for so long. After talking to his cronies in the back I was told that I did not have to pay any additional costs (as I had already paid them) & that it would be done in 4 hours. He then told me that he would personally call me to let me know when it was ready. Well, this morning when I had not heard anything from him or any other agent I yet again called for an update. Today's agent told me that it is indeed ready for pick-up. I will be going tomorrow with my friend to attempt to pick it up again & will be turning it on in the presence of the Geek Squad agent to make sure that this is the end of this saga.

Library 2.0: Making the most out of the most minimal

I find the idea of Library 2.0 encouraging in that it seems to be less a matter of technology-based services and more of a mindset and way of library living. A higher-level and relevant level of service to the library's user community is very attainable, no matter the library's fiscal resources. Some may use their institution's financial state as an excuse as to why this and that service is not available to users. However, there is nothing stopping staff from using freely available tools to improve upon the quality of service rendered particularly by communicating with and involving users in library brainstorming and decision-making.

A library blog with announcements and questions for users is a seemingly simple service to set up and maintain and would most likely be appreciated by the community. Based on my own day-to-day experiences I think that libraries without any form of two-sided communication with their user constituents, aside from transactions at the reference and circulation desks, should really re-evaluate their missions and strategic plans. Even if the only additional interaction is through a print survey put out by staff and filled out by users, this is still a way in which libraries can involve their users in making the library and its services more relevant to them and their information needs. Such an effort would be Library 2.0 at it's simplest but it would still be a step towards making the library environment more collaborative, transparent, and responsive. However, the survey in itself would not be enough as library administration would need to seriously consider the users' input if they are genuine about creating a truly collaborative and participatory environment.