Share Your Library Hacks via the Library Success Wiki

After reading the last post, Andrew kindly sent me a suggestion to have a library hacks wiki. I like the idea of sharing information via a wiki that anyone can edit, but am not so keen on idea of creating a brand new wiki that people will most likely ignore. I instantly thought of the Library Success Wiki as a better way to do this.

So I added a section on Library Hacks to the promotions page and it is now ready and waiting for your hacks. This may or may not be the best place on the wiki to place this, if it's not I figure someone will move it, but to me this is classic promotion.

If you have a tip or hack that helps get end users excited and shows the value of library resources please head over to the Library Success Wiki and add it!

Where Are All the Library Hacks?

(just when you thought this blog was officially dead, I’m baaaaaack. Can’t say for how long, I just happen to have a bee in my bonnet again).

After being inspired by meeting conversation, I was on the hunt again today for fun, quick and easy, tips and tricks to share with our end users about OhioLINK resources. Preferably something that tells users how to find cool things in our databases that they don't know about. Things like this Trouble picking the perfect present? blog post which shows how to find consumer reports in EBSCOhost. This should be easy to find at library and vendor Web sites everywhere right? Wrong. Well, maybe I’m not looking in the right place, but they’re not, and not being a librarian, I don’t always know the resources well enough to come up with them. In fact, I’m feeling stumped right now.

I did however find one inspirational blog, Library Hacks, by Duke University Libraries. Inspired by LifeHacker, Library Hacks:

“Library Hacks is a place to find out about tools, resources, services, and ideas that can help make the library more efficient for you. It’s written mostly by librarians, but we’ll also have occasional student and faculty guest bloggers.”

The Cell Phones for Citation post has already given me some ideas. Maybe if I take pictures of my mileage I won't forget it!

It’s good stuff, but shouldn’t there be more tips floating around out there. Help me out, what are your favorite library and library database hacks?

One to Watch: Mark Lives in IKEA

As a major IKEA fan (try the Daim chocolate. Go on. It's impossible not to love it.), I have to say that Mark Malkoff is living my dream. This is just brilliant publicity for IKEA, but how many other stores would have said yes to this? (though I can't help wondering if it was really completely Malkoff's idea in the first place. It's just such great publicity!)

I'm not sure spending the night in the library would have the same appeal, but would you say yes if someone wanted to pull a similar stunt in your library? Before you say no to a wild idea, spend some time thinking about why you should say yes. As Seth Godin reminds us, you can't be remarkable without taking risks and trying something new.

New Use for the Trusty Lemonade Stand

I love this idea. Denison University Library hosts a lemonade stand at their welcome back reception for students and staff. Peggy Rector, from the Denison University Library, was kind enough to share all the details.

This past fall, the event was held on the third day of classes and “went over much better than when it was held on the first day of classes.” Thirty-seven gallons of lemonade and almost 20 dozen cookies were served during the three hour event. Librarians and staff from throughout the library were invited to volunteer to staff the event for 30 minute shifts.

Giveaways included magnets with library hours, ID wallets, water bottles, library newsletters, and the Library 101 information booklet. They also had 300 glow ice cubes which were a BIG hit and there was a drawing at the end of the day for an iPod Shuffle.

To get the word out, a flyer (PDF) was posted around the academic quad and on the campus calendar. They also use a big sidewalk sign out in front of the building to invite students inside.

*photo courtesy of Denison University Library

Any Luck with GoodSearch?

Have any libraries or library organizations been successful in raising funds via GoodSearch?

GoodSearch, which is powered by Yahoo!, is a search engine which donates approximately $0.01 per search to the charity of the searcher’s choice. Get more info here. Charities and non-profits will receive an annual check from GoodSearch providing they earn more than $20/year.

There are quite a few libraries on the list of participants, but so far I’ve only seen a few that have generated the minimum $20/year. The Friends of the New Orleans Public Library has raised $34.44 so far this year. I wonder if most organizations signed up, but aren’t promoting it much. Other total donations raised so far in 2007: ALA - $1.55; Ohioana Library Association - $21.61; and Rawson Memorial Library - $15.10.

Getting the Word Out By Bus

If you missed The Bay Area's Best Value By Ronnie Davis in the September 14, 2004 issue of Library Journal, be sure to check it out. The article details how nine library systems in the San Francisco Bay area publicized themselves in a joint campaign, using ads on busses and other tactics.

I love the idea of using bus ads, and other innovative means (innovative for libraries anyway) to promote libraries and their services. In a similar vein, Kent State University Libraries, an OhioLINK member, promoted the consortium's online chat service by posting banners on campus busses. We definitely need to spend more time promoting the library outside of our buildings and Web sites. Unfortunately, current practice seems to be just the opposite.