The Elements of Digital Outreach: Making Your Web Presence More Human

June 9, 2010

The Web is a big place, and library users can be found almost anywhere.  During this program, guest speaker Toby Greenwalt, Virtual Services Coordinator for Skokie (IL) Public Library talked about ways to develop an active model of online service, using a variety of Web tools to identify patron needs and create new relationships.  Some examples that were given included:

• Using Twitter (www.twitter.com) to connect with your community for reference questions and reader’s advisory.
• Using Facebook (www.facebook.com) as “your home away from home” to distribute content about your library and as an opportunity to introduce library staff through reference games.
  
• Using Flickr (www.flickr.com) as a content repository; organizing and documenting the activities and achievements of your library for your community to view.

Toby also discussed ways for staff at all levels to participate and get involved in the process.  He stressed the importance of taking baby steps, making your content work for you, and how to get others involved.  Participants were encouraged to keep the conversation going and this could be done with via Twitter, where he tweets as @theanalogdivide.

Presentation Slides:

Special thanks to attendees, Toby, and the Brentwood Public Library for hosting this event.

Feed Me: Many Morsels of RSS

March 6, 2009–attendees were treated to a magnificently animated presentation by Derik Badman, Digital Services Librarian at Temple University (Philadelphia, PA), entitled Feed Me: Many Morsels of RSS.

RSS-Really Simple Syndication-was the topic of discussion, and Derik provided an informative introduction to this web application and illustrated a number of ways it can be utilized; both personally and in the library. Feed readers including Google Reader, Bloglines and FeedDemon, displaying RSS on a webpage, and how to create your own feed were among the many application of RSS discussed in the program.

Please visit Derik Badman’s homepage for additional resources including:

• Presentation Slides (PDF format)
• Handout