SJRLC Connections

Handouts from "Taking Care of Business" workshop

Handouts from today's "Taking Care of Business Workshop" are available at: www.sjrlc.org/spice/tcb

 

Vineland PL's YouTube Video

Check this out, brought to our attention by Gloria Urban, Director, Vineland Public Library

Courtesy of the State Library, we now have a Vineland Public Library-personalized version of their “Three Reasons” campaign video available on YouTube.

Here’s the direct link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usXj5pWnT_I

You can also  locate this by entering  “Vineland Public Library” in the YouTube search box, so please have your friends and family check it out. We’ll see what our ‘views count’ can reach.  It’s only 60 seconds long.

As you’ll see, insiders will realize that this video wasn’t shot here at VPL.  However, I think the State Library staff has done a terrific job of showing generic library scenes and an assortment of youthful patrons --- who certainly look a lot like ours! -- so that it may appeal to the primary users of YouTube.

The State Library needs your input

Due to an overwhelming response to the NJSL Marketing Survey, the original survey maxed out!
Please go to either of the following links to take the survey. -Thanks!
-Nancy

• http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=YkJiWHsGDIjEjKfzuwoxqA_3d_3d
• http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=qX42svGrHKywptqXpLjL3A_3d_3d

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Posted on behalf of Nancy Dowd, Director of Marketing, New Jersey State Library

The State Library needs your input

For the past two years the State Library has been working with different marketing strategies to help libraries promote statewide services. Now we need to know how we did in terms of reaching you about those campaigns.

Please take a few minutes to answer the 10-question survey so that we can improve our communication to the field.

Go to: 

• http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=YkJiWHsGDIjEjKfzuwoxqA_3d_3d
• http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=qX42svGrHKywptqXpLjL3A_3d_3d

Thanks!

Nancy Dowd, Director of Marketing
New Jersey State Library
609-278-2640 ext 122

Blog: The M Word, Marketing Libraries http://themwordblog.blogspot.com/
Web: www.njstatelib.org

2007 InfoTubey Award Winner

National Library Week is April 13-19

Posted for the NJLA PR Committee:
--------------------------------------------

National Library Week is April 13-19!

To publicize this event, the NJLA Public Relations Committee recommends using ALA's templates for press releases and letters to the editor to get some stories in your local newspaper.

It's really quick and easy, all you have to do is add your library's name, address and phone number in the blanks then fax, email, or send to your local newspaper. They even have a spot where you can add information about any programs you are hosting! Here's the direct link:

http://www.ala.org/ala/pio/natlibraryweek/nlw.htm

Good luck!
NJLA Public Relations Committee

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One Book New Jersey (OBNJ) Launch

Posted on behalf of Kate Vasilik, Chair, One Book New Jersey 2008
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Good morning and Happy Launch Week!

There are many programs scheduled on the OBNJ calendar for this week, and I hope you have much success with your kids, teen, and adult participation this week and throughout the year.  Don't forget to take advantage of Cafe Press (www.cafepress.com/onebooknj) for all of you contest and advertising needs!

There are a few announcements that OBNJ is very excited to make!

1.  All of the extra posters have been distributed throughout New Jersey.  Thank you - especially to school libraries - for all of your interest!

2.  Check on the website (www.onebooknj.org) soon and add your comments to our very own Message Board.  This will be a convenient place for book, program, and idea discussion and input.  Please continue to direct specific questions about OBNJ, posters, the calendar, or the website to me at kate_thelibrarian[at]yahoo.com or vasilik[at]bccls.org.

3.  OBNJ will be hosting online book discussions of both the teen selection, Dr. Franklin's Island, and the adult selection, The Plot against America.  The teen discussion will take place on Thursday, April 3 at 7:00 p.m. and Thursday, April 17 at 7:00 p.m.  The best part: Ann Halam, author of Dr. Franklin's Island will be joining us for these discussions!  The adult discussion will take place during the month of October, National Reading Group Month.  Mark your calendars now!  We will keep you posted in terms of instructions for logging into these discussions as the date gets closer.

4.  More details also coming soon about a chance to enter the first OBNJ Program Contest!  Start preparing now by thinking up some creative programming related to the OBNJ selections.  Take some pictures of your participants, crafts, or events if you can, and keep posting your programs on the calendar!

5.  If you posted a program scheduled during Launch Week, you might be the random winner of a set of 2008 OBNJ titles.  The winner will be announced by February 25th!  Good luck!

Kate Vasilik
Chair, One Book New Jersey 2008

One Book NJ is presented by the New Jersey Library Association in collaboration with
and funded by the New Jersey State Library which is responsible for the coordination, promotion and funding of the New Jersey Library Network.

Katherine Vasilik, Young Adult Librarian
Franklin Lakes (NJ) Public Library
tel: 201-891-2224 x105
fax: 201-891-5102
vasilik[at]bccls.org
kate_thelibrarian[at]yahoo.com

It is good to have an end to journey toward, but it is the journey that matters, in the end. [Ursula K. LeGuin]

Seth Godin on Curiousity

Found this via John Blyberg's great blog

One Book New Jersey is proud to be back for its sixth year!

Check out the One Book New Jersey website (www.onebooknj.org) for more information on Launch Week & Cafe Press!  Posters will be packaged and sent to NJ libraries soon, and you should receive your poster by the end of January.

Please join your fellow NJ libraries by recognizing OBNJ's official Launch Week during February 10-16, 2008 -- plan a program, prepare booktalks, provide giveaways, be creative!  Check the OBNJ website for great program ideas, related films, and read-alikes for each of the 2008 selected titles.  Remember: February is Love Your Library Month, so invite all of your library users to be a part of Launch Week!

Please remember to post all of your related programs to the OBNJ calendar.  All libraries with a program scheduled during the week of February 10-15 on the calendar will be entered into a raffle to receive a set of 2008 titles.  Winners of the Launch Week Raffle will be notified by February 25.

One Book New Jersey is on Cafe Press!! www.cafepress.com/onebooknj

Help promote and support One Book New Jersey!  Check out our site on Cafe Press for some fantastic gift ideas, contest prizes, and giveaways at programs and during Launch Week.  Grab something for yourself and something for your loyal library users!  Proceeds from Cafe Press go directly to the New Jersey Library Association in support of programs like One Book New Jersey to benefit NJ libraries and library users.

Barnes & Noble and New Jersey libraries work together to promote "Love Your Library" Month

Thanks to Sharon Rawlins, Youth Services Consultant, NJ State Library for this information.
----------------------------------------------------

The vouchers for the "Love Your Library" promotion with public libraries and Barnes and Noble have been posted on the NJLA and NJYAC websites and are available to download and copy as needed.

As part of the event, libraries that do a display in their libraries promoting February as "Love Your Library" month with Barnes and Noble will be judged for their creativity.  The judges may not be able to get to all the public libraries personally to see the displays so they hope that libraries will submit digital photos of their displays. They can be e-mailed to me at the State Library anytime during the month of February.

One change since the initial announcement - activity sheets will not be available.

Barnes & Noble and New Jersey libraries work together to promote "Love Your Library" Month 

The New Jersey State Library is partnering with Barnes & Noble and the New Jersey Library Association to promote "Love Your Library" month in February 2008 to once again help fund the Statewide Summer Reading Program at all public libraries in New Jersey. Barnes & Noble will donate a percentage of every sale from every customer who presents a book fair voucher at any Barnes and Noble store in New Jersey during the month of February. The funds raised from this month-long event will benefit the children and young adults who participate in the 2008 Summer Reading Program. The theme of the 2008 Summer Reading Program is "Catch the Reading Bug" for the children and "Metamorphosis" for the teens. 

To participate in this program, a customer must use a voucher at the time of purchase. Vouchers are available to download from the New Jersey Library Association, www.njla.org and the NJ State Library's Youth Services web page, www.njyac.org.

In order to encourage as many public libraries to participate in this statewide event, Barnes & Noble has also generously agreed to give libraries the opportunity to win some incentives by participating in this event. These incentives include:

1. A $150 Gift Card: Libraries would be invited to do a display in their libraries promoting February as "Love Your Library" month in partnership with Barnes and Noble supporting the Statewide Summer Reading Program sponsored by the New Jersey State Library and New Jersey Library Association. These displays would be judged and the winning library will get a $150 B&N gift card. 
   
2. A $150 Barnes & Noble Gift Card for Libraries: Each Barnes & Noble store will distribute vouchers to a library in the town where they have a store. The library must put the name of their library on the vouchers.  At the end of the month a voucher will be drawn from all entries collected from all the stores in NJ and the winning library will receive a $150 Barnes and Noble gift card. The more vouchers that are given out from each library, the more chances that library has to win the gift card. Libraries not in a town where a Barnes and Noble store is located can download the vouchers from the NJLA or NJSL websites.
   
3. Gift Basket and $25 Gift Card for Customers: Each voucher would also have an entry form on it for an individual to have the opportunity to win a prize. The winning customer would get a gift basket for "family night" that would consist of a game, DVD, popcorn, a book by David Carter called "Love Bugs" and a $25 B&N gift card.

Possible Outreach opportunity

Some stores will be looking to have their local library host a program during the month. We encourage you to accept the invitation if you receive a call from a community relations manager. This is a wonderful way to promote the program. Not only will you be able to showcase your library, you'll also be able to remind your audience to use their voucher when they purchase materials. Of course, it would be great to remind them that every purchase with a voucher benefits all public libraries of New Jersey.  You won't be able to hand out vouchers in the stores during this month, but you can remind the people in your audience to ask for a voucher when they make a purchase, if they haven't brought one with them. 

For more information, contact Sharon Rawlins, Youth Services Consultant, NJSL, srawlins [at] njstatelib.org or 609-278-2640 ext. 116.

 

Membership Meeting: Last minute reminders

Hi Everyone,

We're looking forward to a great membership meeting this year, and registration is almost complete.  A few final reminders:

1. LUNCH IS OPTIONAL, and is served as a buffet in the Seaview dining room ($19.95) or in their Golf Grill (salads/sandwiches $10-15).  If you're planning on lunch in the dining room please remember to make a reservation by calling 609-652-1800 x-4317 by December 11  (Mention SJRLC).  Other lunch options are mentioned in the flyer here .
   
   
2. GREAT GIFT FOR ALL ATTENDEES!   Everyone who attends our membership meeting will receive a free copy of Tom Asacker's wonderful book, A Clear Eye For Branding.   See: http://tinyurl.com/ysbhcg for more info, and check out PMP Books other great marketing titles at: http://www.paramountbooks.com/.
   
   
3. THERE'S STILL TIME TO REGISTER: Just give us a call at 856-346-1222.  Then fax over the registration form: http://www.sjrlc.org/meeting/FALLMEETING_2007.pdf
   
   
4. REVIEW OUR REGISTRATION LIST TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE REGISTERED (or just take a peek and see who else is coming): Our current registration list is available here: http://www.sjrlc.org/meeting/sjrlc_membership_registration.pdf.  If you registered, but don't see your name give us a ring and we'll make sure you're added.
   
   
5. See the membership meeting flyer here See you there!!

One Book New Jersey Selections

From Kate Vasilik, Chair, One Book New Jersey 2008
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Start brainstorming for ways to use this year's One Book New Jersey titles in your library!

The Readers Advisory Roundtable and the 2008 One Book New Jersey committee are proud to announce the selections of each category:

• Read to Me: Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock by Eric A. Kimmel
• Middle Grade: The Sisters Grimm: Fairy-Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley
• Teen: Dr. Franklin's Island by Ann Halam
• Adult: The Plot Against America by Philip Roth

More news from OBNJ will be announced over the next couple of months, including raffle information and details of a statewide launch in February 2008.  In the meantime, start thinking of great ways to program and promote these titles at your libraries this year!

Kate Vasilik
Chair, One Book New Jersey 2008

One Book NJ is presented by the New Jersey Library Association in collaboration with and funded by the New Jersey State Library which is responsible for the coordination, promotion and funding of the New Jersey Library Network.

SJRLC Membership Meeting, 12/12/07

Hold this Date: Dec 12th, 2007, 1:30-4:00 PM For SJRLC’s Fall Membership Meeting  At the Seaview Marriott, Absecon

Scheduled Speaker: Tom Asacker, Author of A Clear Eye for Branding

Tom Asacker is a prominent marketing, business, and branding consultant. His writings have been noted by the likes of marketing gurus Seth Godin ("best thing I've read") and Tom Peters. His presentations have been described as humorous, hard-hitting, inspiring, and soul-searching.

To see some background on Tom please visit  his web site at: http://www.acleareye.com.

You can see him in action in a short video at: http://www.acleareye.com/about.

Joining the Audiobooks Consortium

Would you like to join the Audiobooks Consortium?
(www.sjrlc.org/audiobooks)

The South Jersey Regional Library Cooperative Digital Audiobooks Download Center went live on January 30, 2006. In 2007 the project expanded, delivering service to eighteen libraries. 

Since inception, we have circulated over 12,500 audiobooks from a collection of more than 1300 general interest titles (1447 copies) that we have purchased, and our annual subscription to 75 “always available” titles. We continue to add new titles and copies the collection on a monthly basis.

We’d love to have you join us! We are approaching our annual opportunity for current participating libraries to re-up and for new libraries to join the Digital Audiobooks Consortium.

Important dates

• October 1, 2007: Deadline for Letter of Agreement
• November 15, 2007: Deadline for receipt of Annual Fees at SJRLC office

Getting the specifics

• Letter of agreement: www.sjrlc.org/audiobooks/agreement
• Details on participation: See Audiobooks FAQ at www.sjrlc.org/audiobooks/projectfaq
• To see the collection from the end-user’s perspective : Go to http://sjrlc.lib.overdrive.com

Questions?

Call or email Peter Bromberg at 856 346-1222 or bromberg@sjrlc.org 

Cherry Hill Library and NextReads

How does Cherry Hill Public Library have more than twice as many NextReads subscribers than the next closest library? Katie Hardesty, Public Relations Director at the Cherry Hill Library loves NextReads and promotes the heck out of it. At CHPL, they:

• Distribute flyers and bookmarks within the building.
• Display NextReads description and logo prominently on their Web site.
• Print the latest copies (available without having to sigh-up for the service!) and use them for readers’ advisory at adult, youth services and circulation desks.
• Put a description of the service in the “Readers & Writers” section of their newsletter.
• Send “blast e-mails” to more than 6,500 library users. 

Katie’s advice for your library:

• The service is terrific. Get staff to embrace it and use it whenever someone is looking for a good read. Offer to sign them up on the spot!
• NextReads gives you all the stuff you need to promote the service: templates for flyers, bookmarks and sample press releases.  Visit www.nextreads.com and click on the “Marketing” tab for downloadable templates.
• Get Press! Cherry Hill Library mentions NextReads in an upcoming story in the Courier-Post that will feature online book clubs.
• Customize the NextReads newsletter template: Cherry Hill added information about their May Home Design Series in the May Do-It-Yourself Newsletter. If you are having an author come in who writes mysteries, include that event info in the next Mystery Newsletter - your target audience is right there!

Fiction and Mystery are the most popular among the newsletters with Cherry Hill customers.  Summer is prime time to promote a good read.  Tell your users about this great FREE service!

If you're library is interested in offering NextReads, check out the SJRLC project page at: www.sjrlc.org/nextreads.  Commitment letter is due by August 1st. 

NJKI Marketing Materials

Thanks to Paul Schroeder, Chair of the NJLA Reference Section for bringing this to our attention:

Did you know...

You have online access to marketing and resource tools to promote the four major statewide databases funded by the New Jersey Knowledge Initiative?

The tool kit features materials to reach out to area businesses as well as advocacy tools to use when talking to your local and state officials about using and keeping this valuable collection of online resources. Special thanks to Roxbury Library Director Mary Romance for the latest addition -- a sample resolution for use by your local council and freeholders...

Advocacy can begin with outreach to show your local officials and legislators specifically how using the NJKI and your library can benefit them. Then, ask if they will support economic development throughout New Jersey by supporting the New Jersey Knowledge Initiative.

To access the tool kit, go to http://www.njstatelib.org/LDB/NJKI. Only one advocacy event per NJ library can make a HUGE impact!

2007 Spring Membership Program & Meeting

2007 Spring Membership Program & Meeting: WHAT PEOPLE WANT With Guest Speaker, Dave Genesy
Director of the Redwood City Public Library and Consultant to the "Trading Spaces" project at Mount Laurel Library

Pine Hill Golf Club
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Noon - 4:00(lunch at Noon-1)

Dave Genesy, consultant to the "Trading Spaces" project at Mount Laurel Library, returns to New Jersey to share his great ideas about creating a positive customer experience in the library. By focusing on what people want, and giving it to them in a warm, welcoming environment, we can make our libraries and library services more customer-centered and community-centered.

For complete details and registration form, click here.

The YouTube Challenge

By way of the New Jersey State Library...

A new challenge has been posted for everyone who loves libraries….

Create a stir... a movement... an advocacy campaign as easy as 1,2,3.

Tell the world three reasons why you love your library and you might change way the world looks at libraries.

The New Jersey State Library has put together a video with some clips from people who love libraries to get us started.

Go to: http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZeQI25n8qPQ

Take a look, but most importantly leave a comment with YOUR three reasons. Then tag five people who you know also love libraries and ask them to visit the video and leave their three reasons.

The goal is to make a "library video" not only the most viewed, but to break the record for the most comments ever posted to one video on YouTube. Why? Because we have all heard the argument that with Internet there is no need for libraries, so where better to dispel that myth than online on the ever-popular YouTube?

Free Comic Book Day

Is your library signed up for Free Comic Book Day yet? Deadline is February 23!

The New Jersey State Library and INFOLINK are inviting public and school libraries to join us in an awesome public awareness campaign this spring as we partner with Diamond Comics to launch our Super Librarian Comic Book as part of Free Comic Book Day on May 5.

• Be part of the excitement as NJ launches its first ever- Super Librarian Comic Book.
• Invite your teens to plan an event around free comic book day
• Sign up to be partner with Diamond Comics- see link to form below
• You get free Super Librarian comic books from the State Library and can arrange to get supplies from your local comic book store
• We’ll be joining with Diamond Comics to promote the event statewide and will be directing the media to local libraries to highlight how our libraries are meeting the needs of local teens
• We’ll also be running a YouTube/Comic drawing contest for teen – details coming soon!

The comic book community wants to make your library a prominent part of its biggest day with a special, NO COST cross promotional opportunity. Sign up today!

Print out the form at the link below and Fax to Nancy Dowd by February 23.
FORM: http://www.njyac.org/docs/NJ_Library_Flier_color.pdf 

 Nancy Dowd, New Jersey State Library
Director of Marketing
Blog: The M Word

Infotubey Awards!

Check out this message from Kathy Dempsey, editor in chief, Computers in Libraries magazine editor, Marketing Library Services newsletter

You Can Enter Information Today's 2007 InfoTubey Awards!

Hi Everyone,

My company is starting a new contest this year to award interesting library promotional work. We're calling it the InfoTubey Awards!  ;-)

We’re looking for videos that librarians have created and posted to YouTube.
Each production must demonstrate creativity, humor, and sincerity in marketing a library, promoting library services, or enhancing a library's value. Videos cannot be more than 5 minutes long.

The deadline is Feb. 14. All submissions will be judged by a panel of distinguished information professionals, who will contact winners in March.

Five InfoTubey Award winners will each receive one free 3-day conference pass to the Computers in Libraries 2007 conference (a $449 value). Awards will be presented at a gala event during the CIL conference on April 17 near Washington, D.C.

The entry form is at https://secure.infotoday.com/InfoTubies/Submit.asp.

You can direct your questions to InfoTubies@infotoday.com.

C'mon, show us what you've done! And feel free to pass this on to your colleagues (unless you're afraid they'll beat you!).

~Kathy

Just to get you in the mood... Here's a little something to whet your youtubey appetite...

Customizable Mousepads

They are back! 

 
The customizable mousepads which promote recruiting and were so popular in your libraries are available again, with funding from the NJ State Library, an affiliate of Thomas Edison State College.

 
If you would like to order some for your library, please contact Carol at (732) 409-6484 or carol@cjrlc.org  Be sure to specify how many you want and we will be happy to send them to you via CD&L or U.S. Mail.

Free NLM Promotional Materials

Thanks to Gregg Headrick, Technology Coordinator,  National Network of Libraries of Medicine for a heads up on these goodies...

Yes, you all know about the wide range of products  and services available from the National Library of Medicine, but how do you make your patrons more aware? Well, now you can order brochures and promotional materials online from your regional medical library!  There are brochures available for almost anything!  Clinical trials, PubMed, Consumer health, AIDSinfo and much much more.

These materials may be ordered by any NN/LM MAR network member.  Just go to http://nnlm.gov/mar/outreach/materials.html and browse through. Enter the quantity of each item you would like to receive and fill out your information at the bottom of the page. It’s that easy! This page can also be accessed from the “Provide Outreach” tab at the top of all the MAR web pages and then clicking on the “Order Promotional Materials” on the left-hand side.

What's that?  You want the materials but you're library is not an NN/LM MAR Network member.  Don't worry, it's easy to become a member and... wait for it... membership is FREE.

Thanks National Network of Libraries of Medicine!

See Also:

• NN/LM Middle Atlantic Region Blog
• NLM Web-Based Tutorials
• NLM selected Health Information on the Web

Mr. Inspiration Indeed!

For those of you who attended our 20th anniversary membership meeting at the Seaview Marriott yesterday you know that Patrick Jones more than lived up to his moniker, "Mr. Inspiration" (bestowed upon him by School Library Journal.)   While his presentation was ostensibly about serving teens I thought much of his material was perfectly applicable to serving, well, anyone (with the possible exception of genealogists--- no offense, you had to be there...)

Patrick was good enough to share his powerpoint presentations which are available here:

|Morning Presentation:  Reaching Reluctant Readers  |Afternoon Presentation: Moments of Truth|

Here, in no particular order, are my takeaways from yesterday; the ideas that really resonated with me:

• Patrick's realization that he couldn't change all of the teens in Savannah, Georgia, "But what could I change? "  A great awareness, whether we're serving teens, adults, genealogists or just trying to make our way through this crazy world.  It reminded me of Stephen Covey's point that we frequently expend energy on things that are in our sphere of concern but not in our sphere of influence.  this makes for a long day.  We are happier and more effective when we focus on things that are both within our sphere of concern and our sphere of influence. 

• Our job is not to build YA Collections.  Our job is to build collections for young adults.   Our job is to help create stronger, better, healthier youths.  Later in the day Patrick made a similar point:  Our job is not to build collections or answer reference questions.  Our job is to make our communities better places to live (or work, or study.) 

• Regarding our assumption that boys don't read: "When we talk about boys not reading, we assume that reading means fiction.  Boys read a lot.  Just not Pride and Prejudice."  I recall hearing Stephen Abram making a similar point.

• It's good to remember that teens act the way they do because their brains are not yet fully developed.   "Our brains our big hunks of Colby...theirs are swiss cheese!"
  

• After helping a teen, give them a business card and tell them, "If you need help, let me know."  Wow!   Great idea.  I know many librarians don't have business cards, but it's easy to run them off, either for individuals or for the department.  How about putting an IM address on that card too?    As Patrick said, "Every transaction is a relationship.  Let them know you want it to continue."  That's so...respectful!

• Find a way to say Yes.  (i.e., In response to teen who wants to check email on an OPAC only machine: "Yes you can check your email.  Let me show you which computer is available for you to do that."

• Say Thank You.  Simple, positive reinforcement goes a long way.  Teens made a choice to come to the library.  Thank them for that choice.   Tell them it's good to see them, by name if possible.  ("Thanks for being here Bill. Tomorrow we're not going to throw chairs, right?  OK, have a good night.") 

Well, those are my big takeaways, what are yours???

For more info on Patrick check out his blog, his website, his myspace page, publications, and links to his other presentations.

Library commercial on YouTube

I found this linked by Steve Backs who blogs over at the simply named Blog About Libraries.  It's a commercial created by the Fulton County (Indiana) Library.  I'd be curious to find out if they are running this on TV or just posting to YouTube and linking from their website.   Even if it's only on YouTube, I think it's a great marketing idea, because there's a coolness factor to it and it's easy for people to forward the link, or embed the video on their own blog and talk about it.
 

Library Elf Presentation

Thanks to Ralph Bingham, Gloucester County Library System, for presenting a wonderful tech talk on Library Elf, a free web-based service that allows library users manage their accounts. 

What does Elf offer?

• Email and/or RSS alerts before items are due
• Email and/or RSS alerts on overdues and holds
• Consolidated list of yours or your family's library loans and holds
• Cellphone text message alerts for holds (and now for overdues too!)
• Real-time account checking by browser

If you want to see if any of your customers are already using Elf, take a look at the list of libraries on their roster.  If you want to add your library just send the name of your library and its URL to request @ libraryelf.com.   Originally, Library Elf was designed to work with Polaris and Dynix systems, but they've recently they've started supporting others systems such as III, and they quickly added Camden County Library at my request.  As a customer, I love the email reminders!

Ralph has graciously agreed to share his powerpoint presentation on this blog.   Thanks Ralph!  For more information, see also Liz Burns wonderful article in LJ.

Waiting for your cat to bark...

The often brilliant, always stimulating Stephen Abram (Sirsi/Dynix VP for Innovation) recently posted a great article, to the Sirsi/Dynix OneSource newsletter, "Waiting For Your Cat to Bark".

Stephen presents an insightful listing of what libraries do well, what we don't, and where the jury's still out. 

What do we do well?  "Libraries are all about community – workplaces, neighborhoods, research, and learning communities."

What do we do poorly? "We are poor at marketing and promoting the library and librarians..."

Where is the Jury Still Out?   full-text book searching; service to PDAs;

Read the whole post here