2014

Keys to Self Service Success

Presentation at CLA Conference on the keys to implementing self-service technologies. It's more than choosing a nice self-check machine. Here's what we came up with:

  1. Involve staff in redefining the patron experience and their new roles
  2. Make sure changes result in enhanced/new services
  3. Take needs of affected customers into account
  4. Keep initiative aligned with strategic goals
  5. Modify spaces, policies, and collection to support goals
  6. Support patrons with training and positive messaging
  7. Provide information throughout the library so customers have the information they need, when they need it
  8. Make it a happening! Be bold and colorful and have fun!
cover image of "Keys to SSS" presenation
2014

The Skinny on RFID and Automated Materials Handling in Libraries

This presentation was part of a three-day workshop that I delivered to Dayton Metro Library with my colleagues, Cheryl Gould and Sam McBane Mulford. Dayton is remodeling and building new libraries as well as consolidating some of the smaller branches. They have been looking at automated materials handling and RFID as possible technologies to incorporate into their new buildings.  

Rather than focusing on the requirements of the technology and letting that drive the project, we wanted to help them focus on their core library values and envision how they might change the patron experience for the better.

It was an intense three days of very hard work for the group but it went very well. They not only learned more about RFID and automated materials handling (and other self-service technologies) but they also came up with core service elements that they want to see as part of their new service model. They made informed decisions about the technologies they would like to see implemented and they even made a tentative staffing plan.  That's a LOT to accomplish in three days!

2014

Leaning Your Library's Material Handling Workflows

Presentation at ALA Conference in Las Vegas (2014). Sponsored by the Public Library Association. I really enjoyed doing this presentation because the crowd was very engaged. Got lots of good ideas from them. Thanks to all who attended!

The presentation introduces Lean and provides some ideas about how to look at library materials handling workflows with a Lean, customer-centric focus where the customer may be internal (co-worker) or external (patron).  Introduced concepts of Visual Management and 5S from Lean and identified where "waste" happens in libraries.

2014

On Creating a Public Library Consortium

Presentation at the Black Hills Area Librarians Conference addressing the types of services being provided by consortia around the country. This group was considering forming their own consortium but wanted to have a better sense of the pros and cons.

Slides 

2014

Radicalize Your Catalog with Ebooks Your Patrons Can Keep Forever

Presentation about our Pitch-an-Idea grant project in which we worked with Internet Archive to provide links in the Santa Clara County Library District catalog to freely available, out of copyright ebook files which patrons could download without leaving the catalog.

Information about the project, where to access our code repository, and how to get started is available at& https://foss4lib.org/package/openlibrary-utilities-sccld.

Slides with presenter notes are available at& https://www.slideshare.net/loriayre/radicalize-your-library-catalog-with-ebooks-your-patrons-can-keep-forever.

2014

Using Technology to Increase Community Engagement

Conference presentations are a lot about bragging rights. Libraries do something awesome, they go to conference and brag about their awesomeness. Nothing wrong with that! This is how we learn from each other. As Program Co-Chair for the California Library Association’s Annual Conference, I review all the proposed sessions, and as a result, get to see not only what California libraries are doing but also the initiatives of which they are most proud.

2014

Top Trends and Libraries - 2015 is our Year

I always enjoy those end-of-year activities that provide a synopsis of important things that happened, important people who died, and the endless lists of top ten songs, books, movies, and of course, trends. I particularly enjoyed the “10 trends shaping consumerism in 2015” put out by trendwatching.com. Although the title may be off-putting for some librarians, there are plenty of good ideas for libraries in that document. In fact, many of these new trends have been trends in libraries for decades, and it’s the rest of the world that appears to be catching up!

2013

LCF – Collaborating Internationally to Leap Forward

Collaborative Librarianship has published its first issue of 2013. It looks like a great issue with an editorial by our editor, Ivan Gaetz, entitled "Compelling and Necessary Momentum: A Recent Timeline in Open Access" and an articlbe about Orbis-Cascade Alliance's selection of Alma for their shared library system as just one piece of their merging services.

My column, Technology Matters, talks about the Library Communication Framework. It starts like this...

2013

RFID: What is it? Where is it going? Is it right for your library?

This one-day presentation and workshop was sponsored by the libraries in SE Wisconsin including Waukesha County Federated Library System and Milwaukee Public, and UW-Milwaukee. The session included a three-hour presentation that introduced RFID technology and then worked through all the issues relevant to libraries considering or using RFID in libraries.

2013

State-of-the-Art Solutions and the Future of Delivery

This is my 30-minute presentation at the ALA2013 preconference co-sponsored by the Discovery to Delivery and Rethinking Resource-Sharing Interest Groups. My topic was state of the art delivery solutions and the future of delivery.