Tuesday, April 08, 2014

#CILDC : Stop Being Generic: On Demand & On Target - Chad Boeninger & Julian Aiken

DescriptionAs our users become increasingly accustomed to rapid response services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime, they’ll expect similar service speed and flexibility from us. Yale Law Library’s response is the suite of on-demand services to improve user experiences and improve collections and access processes. Some on-demand services have built on work underway at other academic libraries, while others are entirely original in concept and practice. Boeninger recognized that students have trouble using the general or generic guides so common in academic libraries to address their specific research questions. So he creates topic-specific blog posts and videos that students use in the context of their specific assignment or study needs. Because these posts and videos are topic-specific, they are easily found using Google, and Boeninger distributes them to Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and iTunes. Learn the tools Boeninger and Aiken are using as they rethink traditional services.

Session Notes

Julian Aiken
Library suite of on-demand services
Become more like Amazon Prime / Netflix...but for free

Three services:
1) Scan on demand - People have had to visit the library in order to read print collections. Felt that this was an opportunity. Used existing ILL staff and software to create a rapid turn around service.  Delivery in 24 hours, save for holidays. Most scans are done in 4-6 hours.

The need for remote service was glaring.  The service (2011) wasn't really new, because of the work they were already doing in an ad hoc way.   This is also not an original concept, since other libraries were already doing this, including Harvard (a competitor of Yale).

Using the ILLIAD software to facilitate this.  Integrated into the ILS.

2) Deliver on demand - Accessing other libraries isn't always straightforward, so how do you ensure that students have access to the materials that they need, when they are not near campus?  How do you deliver books to these remote users?

Did place some geographic limitations on where they would mail books - only the U.S. and Canada, and only five books per year per student.  Again used ILLIAD to create a form and connect with the catalogue record.  Work is done by ILL staff.  Cost averages $9.00 per shipment.  Loan period is a bit longer than normal.

3) Collect on demand - ILL requests trigger a review and a decision is made about whether the book should be purchased.  There is no precise formally for how decisions are made for student requests.  Faculty requests are treated differently.

This program uses existing budgets.  Creates a more relevant collection.

Important to note that the best things in life aren't really free.  They have done this work without new funding or staffing.  They have made sacrifices in order to do this and done some restructuring.

Chad Boeninger
Offering genuine search help on the web

Seth Godin, "The librarian isn't a clerk who happens to work at a library. A librarian is a data hound, a guide, a sherpa and a teacher. The librarian is the interface between reams of data and the untrained but motivated user."
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2011/05/the-future-of-the-library.html

"Trust Agents"
When you answer an email, also put the answer on the open web.

He creates guides for specific student projects, as well as videos.  The videos are about how to uses databases for specific projects.  The videos rank well in Google. His blog is in Wordpress.  He pushes content automatically to various social media.

Uses screencast-o-matic.com for his videos. Free or $15/year.  Uses a headset and camera.  Also uses Windows Live Movie Maker.

Just because your video editor can do cute things, don't do it!

Libraryvoice.com/videos - this is a video on how to make videos

Hosts on his personal YouTube channel and tag like crazy.

Check out your YouTube statistics. What can you from them?

Have fun and be human!








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