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Best Practices. March 17, 2011. Agenda. AskAway and Teens Wisconsin Update Spanish Language chat AskAway basics AskAway.info AskAway@Your Library Day Coverage reminder PR committee AskAway wiki LSTA survey results and impact of funding challenges. AskAway and Teens.
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Best Practices March 17, 2011
Agenda • AskAway and Teens • Wisconsin Update • Spanish Language chat • AskAway basics • AskAway.info • AskAway@Your Library Day • Coverage reminder • PR committee • AskAway wiki • LSTA survey results and impact of funding challenges
AskAway and Teens Providing the Best Service to a Problematic Group
Content • Common Problems • Statistics • What Teens Need and Like • What We Can Do • Conclusion
Common Problems • Will you do this for me? • NOW NOWNOWNOW! • Ridiculous questions
Common Problems • I need this worksheet about the ocean that my science teacher gave me • Inappropriate messages • FMTYEWTK • Translation: far more than you ever wanted to know
Problems are a result of… • Being bored • Being disinterested in required work • Not understanding what this service is for • Not caring what the service is for • Being silly
Remember • Not all teens are problem teens • To ignore teens is a disservice to our community and to the AskAway service
Teen Statistics Perceptions of Libraries, 2010 (14-17 year olds) • 75% have a library card • 82% believe the librarian adds value to the search process • 76% are satisfied with overall experience with librarian • 62% use ask-an-expert site • Average 3,339 texts per month
Teen Statistics Perceptions of Libraries, 2010 (18-24 year olds) • 76% believe the librarian adds value to search process • 89% are satisfied with overall experience with librarian • 54% have used the library website • 350% growth in using ask-an-expert site
Teen Statistics Perceptions of Libraries, 2010 Top Requests from Teens (14-24 year olds) • Increase customer service • Extend hours • Add or update services • Make services available online
What Do Statistics Tell Us? • Teens use libraries • Teens are tech savvy • Teens have questions that need to be addressed • We can help
What Teens Need • Assistance with ideas they don’t understand • Helpful suggestions about where to search for information • Instructions on how to perform searches • Follow up with more detailed information • Someone to speak their language • Sometimes a strong hand • Don’t be afraid to kick off an inappropriate user
What Teens Like • Fast • Fun • Accurate • Cool • No deviation from the normal routine • Newest and most up to date version
What Teens Like and Need • Teens aren’t really different from our regular patrons
What We Can Do • Be patient • Think smart not hard • Use one of the cool Qwidgets on multiple library pages that teens access • Homework Help • Reading Lists • Teen Advisory Pages
What We Can Do • Brush up on your texting abbreviations • Follow up if email provided • Have fun and avoid “Annoyed Librarian” tone • Ask patron to refer service to his/her friends
What We Can Do • Advertise on Social Media • Facebook • Twitter • Youtube • Make videos • Animoto
Facebook • Create a teen page • Book reviews • Events at the library • Qwidget • Answers to FAQ • Direct teens to AskAway Page
Twitter • Faster and more streamlined • Messages sent directly to cell phones • Connect to Facebook for easy updates
Animoto • Free 6 month trial to education organizations • Add music to your presentation • Directly uploaded to Youtube, post on Facebook, or share on twitter.
Conclusion • Teens are under a lot of stress • We aren’t seeing the best side of those we are serving • Questions from teens can be fun • Try reading a YA novel from time to time • Change the radio from NPR to a pop station from time to time
Conclusion • Teens are patrons too • You don’t have to like it, but it’s illegal (discrimination) to ignore • Teens are the future of the library
¡Pregúntanos! Spanish Queue • LIVE NOW • Thanks to Milwaukee and Menasha public libraries and to Edgewood college library for their help and support! • Statistics will be shared next month • Outreach to community groups will begin next month
AskAway Basics Webinar • Reviews components of AskAway chat and email • 1st Thursday of the month at 10am • Presented by RL3 (though others are welcome to present!) • Check out wiki for links to the Live Meeting sessions.
AskAway.info • Beginning the process of updated the page • New logo ideas • What would you like to see in the website • Contact kara.ripley@dpi.wi.gov
AskAway @ Your Library Day • April 11th, 2011 • If one of your patrons uses AskAway • A press release will be sent to your local library • You will receive a certificate indicating the library’s importance to the community • Video, press release, and flyer on Wiki
Coverage • Reminder to cover the times you volunteered to cover • If you need to change the time you are scheduled, please do so on the Wiki
Public Relations Committee • Get on board with events and planning! • Once a month, one hour meetings on the 1st Wednesday of the month • Contact Martha Berninger if you want to participate
Wiki • Has been recently updated (by Kara) • http://askaway.pbworks.com • Check it out and report if links are broken or if the information is incomplete • It is a great source of information • PR plans • Upcoming events • Best Practice information
Funding challenges and ramifications on AskAway • Public library participation is funded entirely by LSTA grant • Staffing by RL3 is funded by LSTA and state funds • Academic library participation is funded by the schools themselves • LSTA grants will almost certainly be reduced • State funding is also being reduced by a total of 10%
What does this mean? • LSTA committee meeting mid-April will review the survey and recommend changes to grants • QuestionPoint administrators will be consulted before any decisions are made (dates and times to be determined) • Administrators, librarians and patrons who want to provide input should contact Martha Berninger • Supporters may wish to consider addressing LSTA when it meets mid-April • AskAway is funded through the end of 2011
What happens next? • Changes will very likely be made to AskAway • QuestionPoint has been asked for options to reduce service cost • Magnitude of changes isn’t known • This doesn’t have to mean the end of AskAway or virtual reference in Wisconsin