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Alternatives to Reference Desk Signs

I’m looking for ideas for labeling, designating, or somehow bringing attention to a reference service point in an information commons environment.  Although we do have a reference desk in our new Learning Commons, a sign for the reference desk was not part of the original plan.  There is at least some feeling that signs are too formal for this type of collaborative space.  On the other hand, there is some confusion for those seeking help, especially if they don’t know that in-person reference service is offered in the Learning Commons.

 

I’m interested in any ideas as to how to draw attention to the reference service point.  This could be either effective ways to use signage without turning students off.  Or other ideas to help clarify the existence of the reference service point without signs.

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Interfaces and database-specific features

I've been concerned for a while about how many of our search interfaces handle (or do not handle) the special features of specific databases. For example, I was helping someone with ERIC the other day, and needed to limit the search by educational level. I went to look for the list of mandatory educational level descriptors, and ultimately had to go to our printed ERIC thesaurus to find them listed in a comprehensible fashion. Just to see if there was any good way of figuring this out online, I tried typing “secondary education” (one of those mandatory educational level descriptors) into the online thesaurus in the three versions we have access to see if it would note the hierarchy of these descriptors. Interestingly, “junior high schools,” “high schools,” and “high school equivalency programs,” the narrower terms for “secondary eduation” in the list of the mandatory educational level descriptors, show up only under the list of “related terms”. The scope note for the term “secondary education” does say “Also appears in the list of mandatory educational level Descriptors,” but I couldn’t find such a list in our online versions. And I’m not sure what a user without extensive knowledge of the database structure would make of such a message.

This all seems pretty arcane, and I wonder if there is any way to make this structure clear to most users; through the interface. After all, limiting by educational level is something one often wants to do in this database. Currently, I wonder if they would even suspect that there might be a systematic way to do this. How can we get vendors to build in these special, database-specific features into their interfaces, in ways that make it obvious what is going on, especially when the feature is so important, as it is in this case? Will the development of faceted interfaces help?

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Communicating the Value of Library Programs and Services

“If you build it, they will come,” is a quote from the movie Field of Dreams in which the main character builds a baseball field to achieve his dream of having some famous players of the past come to play one more ultimate game of baseball. 

 

It is a great quote.  But a library or learning organization knows just building a great program, service or product; does not necessarily mean that they will come to take advantage of it.

 

I have heard that libraries use various methods to promote what the library is doing, such as internal marketing committees and:

 

-Inviting non-marketing staff to contribute

-Encouraging projects and promotions be done proactively among branches and departments

-Creating a collection of testimonial stories from patrons

-Developing a contest or theme to promote a specific service

-Connecting heritage/history month celebrations to promotions of ancestry research reference materials, databases and programs available at the library.

 

Does your public library have any successful promotions and campaigns you would like to share? 

 

How does your academic library get the word out on campus to students and new faculty?

 

How does your library or learning organization market its value, programs and services?

 

Please share your thoughts and comments.

 

Eileen Hardy

RUSA Marketing Specialist

 

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Update on RUSA Second Life Office

RUSA second Life logoThe rooftop of the ALA Tower in Second Life was getting crowded by the time I dragged myself away to the other duties I have (two Web courses launched this week, reprint of Reference Collection Development due, getting awards pages updated and posted, and so on). We were all in the same training room, yet keyboards were clicking away as each avatar introduced itself, e.g., “Oberon Octagon = Donavan Vicha.” Some of the avatars looked alike because their owners had rushed to register and get in on this momentous occasion. We were there to lay claim on where we would build a place for our units to have a presence.

Down below, a Welcome Area is being built near the ALA Tower and will likely
bear a directory of the what, when, where, and how of ALA Second Life. It will serves as a landing pad for people teleporting in using the official landmark and may provide teleport links to various ALA destinations.

Avatars of ALA staff meet on roof

Also in attendance were the folks who will help us furnish our offices. Wow! A free shopping spree! OTOH, I wonder if we need cubicles and desks for each section, or whether what we really need is the display kiosks and gadgets that automatically provide any visitor information about events and reasons why they should join RUSA. It's a virtual space, after all, and for large meetings, the two top floors of the Tower have been reserved. Until membership shows a presence in the form of avatars spending time at the office, I will refrain from filling the large space we've been allotted with “furniture” no matter how inexpensive it is. (It's well-known that avatars can stand all day without signs of fatigue, so who really needs chairs?)

ALA staff avatarsOh, RUSA has the seventh floor. At present, you have to fly there, but I've placed tiki torches on the balcony for easy reference until I've worked out how to put a sign up. I've refrained from using a lot of free decorations (fireplaces, R2D2, widescreen TV, various stuffed animals, plants, etc.) I've come across on my brief tours of SL. I am really curious and need to see what is happening at the libraries of SL and talk to these cybrarians about what they think RUSA should do for them. Any and all feedback is appreciated; it's why I'm posting here.

Another development of great import is the beta testing of the use of voice in Second Life. Here's a podcast interview with the architects of Second Life using the voice-enabled environment. It's a 17-minute audio, but give the first few minutes a listen to find out what exactly is going on.