IL Instruction in the Web 2.0 Library

Web 2.0 is a relatively new concept in the library world.  Popularized in 2005, it describes, “a group of emerging online technologies characterized by the opportunity for almost anyone to contribute and participate in their ongoing creation […] While the individual tools have developed further since then, and new ones have been introduced, the concept of participation has remained central,” (Bobish, 55).  Often, we think about technology as the defining characteristic of Web 2.0, but as Bobish points out the technologies are constantly changing – the one constant is active user participation.  The web allows users to create and share content in a way that has never been done before.  Information has been democratized and the way we use it has fundamentally changed, so what does this mean for libraries?

There are perhaps four fundamental ways in which Web 2.0 affects the library.  Web 2.0 technologies change what information looks like.  It is no longer acceptable to use or disregard information based upon the way it is presented – today a Twitter feed may be just as authoritative as a scholarly journal article.  Digital information changes access points.  Often, it was the library that acted as a gatekeeper for certain pieces of information.  If you wanted a rare book or an obscure article you went to the library, now you can go to Google.  Library services will have to change to accommodate the changes in technology and participation – this will affect all of our services, but for the purposes of this paper, it will greatly affect Information Literacy instruction.  Finally, Web 2.0 allows for greater collaboration than we have ever seen.  In the future, what we call a book may be vastly different than what we recognize as a book today.  Web 2.0 tools will only become more collaborative and patrons will continue to create information together, so the way we catalog and assign ownership and copyright to materials may also change – libraries will have to be ahead of the curve on these issues if we want to remain relevant in our users’ lives.

Want to read more?

Transliteracy Group Project

Here’s the link to our final project.  Check it out!

http://translitpeople.wordpress.com/

You can also browse our Delicious bookmarks which we used for our research and to keep track of blogs/articles we found especially helpful.

http://www.delicious.com/translit_people

I worked with Adam, Shannon, and Noelle on this project and it was really enjoyable.  Going into this assignment, none of us had any clue what transliteracy was so there was a lot of good discussion and research that happened before we even started to talk about how to put our presentation together.  Everyone did an equal amount of work – and I think this came from the fact that everyone was really interested in our topic.

We met twice outside of class to go over presentation specifics and we decided to do a roundtable discussion and each choose an ‘expert’ area because it seemed like the best way to keep the discussion organized although everyone was knowledgeable in all areas and could have spoken intelligently on anyone’s topic.

From the beginning of this project it was important to us that we use some of the technologies we learned about in class, so we set up a Twitter hashtag (#tlit768) to share quick bits of information with one another – I found this particularly useful because I could retweet some of the tweets from people I already happened to be following.  We also used Delicious as a way to keep track of articles that we knew we wanted to share with the class and this way a nice way to keep track of all of our different sources.  Finally, we used a Google Doc to collaborate and organize our roundtable discussion.  The Google Doc proved to be extra handy when we turned our project into a blog post because all we really had to do was copy and paste what we had already created!

My section of our project addressed user instruction in libraries and how transliteracy could be applied in library instruction.  You can take a look at my blog post here – http://translitpeople.wordpress.com/transliteracy-and-user-instruction/, but essentially I explored what it means to be a transliterate student and how the library can support students in their academic research by using the Web 2.0 tools they are already familiar with.  Specifically, transliteracy in the classroom means meeting students where they are already comfortable and redefining ideas about authority and acceptable research methods.

In addition to all the technology we used to create our presentation, our group just communicated well overall.  Our face to face meetings were always productive and fun and we kept in touch through e-mail and text messages, so that everyone was always on the same page.  The best part of this project was that we were able to work together to really figure out what transliteracy means for the library world.  I think that in the end we all interpreted this in our own way, but in general we found that it offered a theory for providing better services to our patrons in every aspect of what we do.

Brief Literature Review: IL Instruction in the Web 2.0 Library

To review – my research paper will be about multiple literacies and how libraries use Web 2.0 tools to teach information literacy.  I’ll be exploring how the Net generation uses social media and other Web 2.0 tools to access and use information and what role, if any, the library has in this.  Finally, I’ll be exploring future options for libraries looking to enhance their information literacy programs with Web 2.0 tools.  Below are some of the topics I’ll address in my paper and some of the sources I’ll use.

Who Are the Net Generation?

The Net Generation are Digital Natives – they have grown up using the internet and they access, use, and learn from information differently than any generation before them.  For this group, learning and literacy are about the, “ability to multitask, to navigate through different streams of information in addition to processing text,” (Hendrix, 6).  Most Digital Natives are able to find information quickly when they are using Web 2.0 tools, but academic research often proves more difficult – libraries can teach students how to combine their Web 2.0 and social media skills with more traditional library skills like database and OPAC searching.

Godwin, Peter.  “Information Literacy and Web 2.0: Is It Just Hype?”  Program: Electronic Library and Information Systems, Vol. 43.3 (2009): 264-274. Emerald.  Web.  11 April 2011.

Wilkinson, Lane.  “Why Transliteracy?”  Libraries and Transliteracy.        Librariesandtransliteracy.wordpress.com, 20 December 2010.  Web.  14 March 2011.  <http://librariesandtransliteracy.wordpress.com/2010/12/20/why-transliteracy/#more-    1559>.

Web 2.0 Information Literacy Instruction

Traditionally, IL instruction in libraries has been about how to use the library, how to access databases, and how to find books and journal articles in the OPAC.  Today we have more opportunities and responsibilities to instruct our patrons in the use of Web 2.0 tools in terms of scholarly and authoritative research.

Academic libraries may have the biggest impact in this type of instruction.  Today’s higher education students learn differently than the generations before them.  These students often rely on the knowledge of their peers over authority figures, they prefer to receive information in small chunks, and they search quickly for their information (Godwin, 266).  This is the generation that has grown with Google and there is no expectation that searching for information in the library should be a different experience.  Librarians today can help students improve their Information Literacy skills by using tools the students are most comfortable with.  ”Library 2.0 librarians seek to be where their users are, whether that is Facebook or a VLE,” (271).  Rather than imposing traditional academic standards of authority when it comes to research, Web 2.0 librarians can help their patrons understand how to use Wikipedia as a starting point and how to move their search fluidly from there into a library database.  The most important responsibility of the Web 2.0 instruction librarian may not be to teach Information Literacy, but rather to build upon and refine the skills that students already have.

Allen, Maryellen.  “Promoting Critical Thinking Skills in Online Information Literacy Instruction Using a                 Constructivist Approach.”  College & Undergraduate Libraries, Vol. 15, 1-2 (2008): 21-38.  Web.    11 April 2011.

Godwin, Peter.  “Information Literacy and Web 2.0: Is It Just Hype?”  Program: Electronic Library and     Inforamtion Systems, Vol. 43.3 (2009): 264-274. Emerald.  Web.  11 April 2011.

Future Libraries and the Library Brand

The Library’s brand may change in the future.  Traditionally, books have been the central component to a library’s brand, but the way we think about books is already changing and in the future we may define a book quite differently.  Digital natives are already digitally writing and the library of the future will learn how to collect, store, and provide access to social books.  We have e-books and audiobooks now, but through the use of Web 2.0 tools we may see digital natives collaborating from all over the world to create one, common text – libraries will have to evaluate this trend and be ahead of the curve for collection and preservation of this material (6).

Hendrix, Jennifer C.  “Checking Out The Future: Perspectives from the Library Community on     Information Technology and 21^st Century Libraries.”  ALA Office for Information Technology,   Policy Brief No. 2, February 2010.  Web.  American Library Association.  9 April 2011.                 <http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oitp/publications/policybriefs/ala_checking_out    _the.pdf>.

Social Media Policy – Gibbs Public Library

For this assignment I spent a lot of time thinking about what I would like to see in a social media policy if I were an employee at my imagined library. I decided that I would appreciate a policy that trusted employees to use their best judgement when it came to discussing the Library on the web. I wanted my policy to read like a set of guidelines and tips for using social media rather than a set of strict rules and I found that the Policy Tool for Social Media website provided a lot of great language for that.

While crafting my policy I left the structure provided by the Policy Tool for Social Media because I felt that it was an easy to read and understand document although I edited and tweaked each section quite a bit.  My policy is posted below – enjoy!

Social Media Policy – Gibbs Public Library

Purpose
Social Media is defined as any online tool, website, or account that is created and maintained by Gibbs Public Library or any of its employees. This presence will facilitate expanding communication opportunities for patrons, employees, and other stakeholders in the communities served by the Library.  Gibbs Public Library recognizes employees’ right to share opinions and information about the Library and respects differences in opinion.

This policy governs the publication of and commentary on social media by employees of Gibbs Public Library and its related companies (“the Library”).  This policy is in addition to and complements any existing or future policies regarding the use of technology, computers, e-mail and the internet.

Library employees are free to publish or comment via social media in accordance with this policy. Library employees are subject to this policy to the extent they identify themselves as a Library employee (other than as an incidental mention of place of employment in a personal blog on topics unrelated to the Library). Publication and commentary on social media carries similar obligations to any other kind of publication or commentary. All uses of social media must follow the same ethical standards that the Library employees must otherwise follow.

Don’t Tell Secrets
It is perfectly acceptable to talk about your work and have a dialog with the community, but it’s not okay to publish confidential information. Confidential information includes things such as unpublished details about our software and details of current projects.  It is also not acceptable to publish confidential information about our patrons, partners or suppliers.  Never identify a patron, partner or supplier by name without permission and never discuss confidential details of a patron engagement. It is acceptable to discuss general details about kinds of projects and to use non-identifying pseudonyms for a patron.

In addition to protecting the privacy of both the Library and its patrons, you should also protect your own privacy. Privacy settings should be set to allow the public to see information similar to what would be found on the Library website.  Keep in mind that you may want to set additional privacy limits on your personal information.

Respect your audience, the Library, and your coworkers
The public in general, and the Library’s employees and patrons, reflect a diverse set of customs, values and points of view.  Don’t be afraid to be yourself, but do so respectfully. Use common sense and remember that once something is on the web it is there forever. Use your best judgment and be sure to make it clear that the views and opinions expressed are yours alone and do not represent the official views of the Library.

Be Honest
Do not blog anonymously, using pseudonyms or false screen names. We believe in transparency and honesty. Use your real name, be clear who you are, and identify that you work for the Library. Nothing gains you notice in social media more than honesty – or dishonesty. Do not say anything that is dishonest, untrue, or misleading. If you have a vested interest in something you are discussing, point it out. But also be smart about protecting yourself and your privacy. What you publish will be around for a long time, so consider the content carefully and also be cautious about disclosing personal details.

Respect copyright laws
It is critical that you show proper respect for the laws governing copyright and fair use or fair dealing of copyrighted material owned by others. You should never quote more than short excerpts of someone else’s work, and always attribute such work to the original author/source. It is good general practice to link to others’ work rather than reproduce it.

Controversial Issues
If you see misrepresentations made about the Library in the media, you may point that out. Always do so with respect and with the facts. If you speak about others, make sure what you say is factual and that it does not disparage that party.

Be the first to respond to your own mistakes
If you make an error, be up front about your mistake and correct it quickly. If you choose to modify an earlier post, make it clear that you have done so. If someone accuses you of posting something improper (such as their copyrighted material or a defamatory comment about them), deal with it quickly – better to remove it immediately to lessen the possibility of a legal action.

Enforcement
Make sure that blogging does not interfere with your job or commitments to patrons. Policy violations will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination for cause.

Adapted from: Ottawa Public Library – Social Media Policy; Policy Tool for Social Media; Candid CIO – Social Media Policy and Employee Guidance

Brand Monitoring: Elmhurst Public Library

A Short History

For this assignment I decided to monitor the Elmhurst Public Library.  Located in Elmhurst, IL the Library was founded in 1912 by the Elmhurst City Council and officially opened its doors on March 22, 1916.

In 1919, the Library moved into what is today known as the Wilder Mansion and grew its collection there until 2003 when the Library moved into its current location just north of its original home in Wilder Park.

Why EPL?

I chose to monitor the Elmhurst Public Library  because of its long history in the community.  I also knew that the EPL put a lot of effort into engaging with their teen patron base and I was curious to see how this translated into their online presence.  Finally, I was curious about what Elmhurst residents and other library users had to say about the Library and whether or not the EPL responded to any of the comments or criticisms. You will find my analysis and conclusions below.

What I Found Out

After some initial research, I discovered that the Elmhurst Public Library has a Facebook page as well as a Teen page, a Twitter account, a Yelp account, a Flickr account, a Google place page, and a Teen blog.

On the Library’s homepage you will find prominently displayed links to their Facebook and Twitter accounts and if you click on the “Teen” tab at the top of the page you are directed to the Library’s Teen blog.  Although the library has a number of other social networking tools that it employs these are not easily found on the library’s website.

Facebook

The EPL has two Facebook pages.  The main Facebook page is intended for its entire patron base and features status updates about events happening at the library, as well as links to information about current events.  One recent example of this is the tsunami and earthquake that recently hit Japan.  EPL posted a link about how to choose the right charity to donate to when disasters happen.

The EPL Teen Facebook page has a good balance of school-related items – for example, information about ACT test prep classes – and entertainment items.

Status updates to both Facebook pages are made on a regular basis – every few days or so and the majority of the information is useful to the community.  The library has done a good job of updating patrons about library programs and services, as well as keeping them informed about important news happening outside of the library.  The separate teen page is a nice addition as it sends the message that teens are an important part of their patron base.

Overall, there is not a lot of conversation happening on these pages.  Although when the Library posts a status update that asks for comments and feedback they tend to get it.  Doing this more often may increase online interactions with their patrons.

Teen Blog

The EPL teen blog is similar in content to the Library’s teen Facebook page, but it is prominently displayed on their website and it provides a lot of rich content about college preperation and different teen-centric events at the library.  The best thing about this blog is the link to the Teen newsletter.  The newsletter is an always changing list of teen reads and patrons can subscribe to an RSS feed of this list making it easily accessible.

Flickr Account

Elmhurst Public Library does have a Flickr account, but the Library has only uploaded 9 photos to the site and they are all from March 2008 when demolition was done on the old library.  It does not appear that the Library has ever used Flickr as a marketing or outreach tool, but this could be an area for improvement.  For example, it is clear from their website and Facebook page that the Library hosts teen events and is invested in their teenage patron base, so any photos from these events could go on Flickr.  Additionally, patrons who attended these events could add their own photos and comments.  By both using this tool and promoting it to patrons, the Library can further increase awareness of their teen events and bring more people into the library.

Yelp Account & Google Place Page

EPL’s Yelp account is interesting.  Their basic information like location and operating hours exists and there’s an announcement for a Civil War event that took place on February 16th, but not much more.  What’s interesting is that this seems to be the forum where patrons express their opinions about the library.  There are only 6 reviews, but they span a few years.  I’ve inlcuded some examples below.

The great thing about this review is that the patron mentioned specifics about why he loves the library and he even pointed out some of the Library’s more unique offerings, such as the impaired vision center.  This would have been a great opportunity for EPL staff to respond to a clearly happy patron.  For instance, the Library could have asked this patron about what else he enjoyed or what he would like to see at the Library.  Responding to a happy patron only helps to boost the library’s reputation with both that patron and the community at large.

Unfortunately, not every review on Yelp has been a great one.

This is a great example of a time when the Library should have responded to a review.  If the EPL had been monitoring Yelp closely they probably would have seen this review shortly after it was posted and been able to offer some kind of fix to the problem.  In this case, the reviewer was unhappy with the customer service she received at the Library and by reaching out to this patron the Library might have turned her negative experience into something more positive.

Like EPL’s Yelp account their Google place page also contains a number of reviews.  The nice thing about this page is that it collects reviews from a number of different sites, so users can navigate to those other pages if they are interested.  Like the Yelp account, the Library has not responded to these reviews either – although they are overwhelmingly positive, so EPL staff may feel that no response is needed.

Twitter Account

EPL has an active Twitter account.  The Library posts at least once a day – often more – and they post on a huge variety of topics.  For example, some of their recent posts inlcude information on a newly organized reference area in the Library, a language learning program, and an author visit.  In terms of how they are using social media, the EPL seems to understand how great tools like Twitter and Facebook can be for reaching a large, dedicated audience.

While the Library is doing a good job of posting relevant information they are not engaging with their followers on Twitter.  This could be because there are not many people engaging with them – for instance, most EPL mentions are from foursquare check-ins, but EPL could engage a little more with the Twitter community by asking people to comment on tweets or by responding to one of their followers tweets if it is somehow relevant to the Library.  Doing this might help the Library to slowly build a more approachable online presence.

Some Suggestions

The Elmhurst Public Library is doing a good job with their brand.  They have active and up-to-date Facebook and Twitter accounts and the reviews people leave on sites like Yelp and Google Place Pages have been overwhelmingly positive.  However, there is always room for improvement and the EPL could strengthen its online presence by engaging more with the people who choose to follow them.

During the time I spent monitoring EPL’s online presence I read very few negative reviews, but the ones that were there almost always mentioned customer service.  Face to face interactions are extremely important in libraries, but positive online interactions are just as important and this is where EPL can improve.  Additionally, asking for comments and feedback on any and every social media tool that the EPL uses will be a great way to learn more about what patrons want.

Research Paper Proposal: Multiple Literacies

For my research paper, I’ll be looking at the concept of multiple literacies.  I’ve been interested for a while in the ways that libraries support or enhance literacy and this class has made me interested in how we use social networking tools as a way to teach information literacy.

Here are some of my thoughts on the topic:

1. Is the way that we define information literacy changing because of social networking tools?

2. Are libraries keeping up?  When we teach information literacy are we incorporating these tools? Why, why not?

3. Is there an added benefit to accessing information/resources through a social networking site, or is it just another way to get information?

I’ve already found a few great resources, so feel free to take a look!

Checking Out the Future: Perspectives from the Library Community on Information Technology and 21st Century Libraries, ALA.

Unquiet Library Has High-Schoolers Geeked (this was one of our class readings).

How Libraries Can Survive in the New Media EcoSystem, Pew Internet.

Who's Your Friend on Facebook?

“Library advocates do a great job of reaching the people who already use libraries.” I was reading my Library Journal the other day and this statement stuck out to me. The article, Libraries for People Who Don’t Need Libraries was about the fact that most of the people who support public libraries don’t in fact use their public libraries – not only do they not use them – they also don’t really need them.  At least that’s the argument made in the article.  I’m not sure I totally agree, but I did start thinking about how this related to the way libraries do or sometimes don’t use social networking tools to connect with patrons.

We already know that for the most part the patrons who “Like” us on Facebook and interact with us through our website are not users of traditional library services.  These are patrons who want to share through social networking sites and they can do some of  this by connecting with the library.  Instead of trying to reach everybody libraries should be connecting with the people who are already there.  In other words, who’s your core audience on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, etc?  Your patrons may not think to “Like” you on Facebook or “Follow” you on Twitter, but they’re out there – so reach out to those people.  That’s how social networks work – reach out to the people who know you and connect with their friends and followers.

Below are screenshots of the Facebook pages of a few libraries who I think are doing a pretty good job of identifying their audience.  Notice that most of their status updates and posts are directed at one specific group of people – they’ve figured out who connects with them through Facebook and they’ve created some pretty great content for those people. You can click on the images to visit the libraries Facebook pages.

Elmhurst Public Library

The EPL has decided that their Facebook audience is teens and pre-teens and their page features a ton of information and media related to this group.

Chicago Public Library

CPL’s Facebook page has a lot of author information on it.  The best thing about this page is that it has generated a fair amount of patron interaction and the CPL librarians respond to their patrons’ requests and questions – this is a great example of how to make your social networks a little more personal.

At the end of the day, libraries may not be bringing in a ton of new patrons through their Facebook pages, but we are engaging the patrons who live their lives online and I think that’s just as important as the relationships that we have with the people who walk through our doors.

An LIS768 Context Book Report

Tribes: We Need You To Lead Us.

I thought that this book represented a unique point of view – especially in terms of libraries.  In a nutshell, anyone can be a leader.  Godin writes – or in this case speaks – I listened to the audio version of this book – about how the face of leadership has changed in today’s world.  Anyone can be a leader and you can lead any tribe that you want – all it takes is some faith, innovation, and fearlessness.

Tribes are simple.  They are “a group of people connected to one another, connected to a leader, and connected to an idea.” (chap. 1, 1:08).  Tribes can be made up of anybody, from anywhere, with any common interest.

The idea of leadership has changed.  Now, everyone is expected to lead.  “The marketplace is rewarding organizations and individuals who change things and create remarkable products and services,” (chap. 1, 18:50).  Libraries have had dedicated tribes for years, but today it is more important than ever that we meet their needs.  There are more tribes than leaders and without good leadership we could lose our tribes.

Godin writes, “The only thing holding you back from becoming the kind of person who changes things is lack of faith.  Faith that you can do it.  Faith that it’s worth doing.  Faith that failure won’t destroy you,” (chap. 3, 1:49:00).   This is where libraries come in.  We don’t have to build our tribes.  People already want to follow us, or as Godin would put it, we already have “true fans” the kind who “care deeply about you and your work,” (chap. 1, 50:05).  What we can do is challenge our status quo.  Creating products and services that our “true fans” want and need is what will make us great tribe leaders and the individuals who spearhead these initiatives will be leaders within their own libraries.  According to Godin, the biggest components to this are having enough faith to try something new and having enough fearlessness to fail.

Godin, Seth. “Tribes: We Need You To Lead Us.” Do You Zoom Inc., 2008; (P)Audible Inc., 2008. MP3 file.

The Hyperlinked Library.

A few weeks ago we read about Participatory Service and Redesign in libraries and we watched a video about how the Arhus Library in Denmark created Mindspot – a self-described library universe for youth.  You can watch the video here.

To recap – the library employs Mindspotters, a team of young employees responsible for connecting with library youth and spotting trends among them.  There’s also a team of Mindkeepers – librarians who implement what they have learned in their conversations with the library’s young people.  I think this is a great example of how our libraries will look in 5, 10, or 15 years, and in terms of hyperlinked libraries I think we can use Mindspot as a blueprint.  At its core, the hyperlinked library is user-centric so we can look at what the Arhus library has done and implement some of those same strategies in our own libraries.

The hyperlinked library is all about the users.  To quote from this video - "the library is fluid and flexible - constantly growing and changing.  It's one of trust."  It's nothing new to say that one of our primary goals at the library is to serve our patrons, but the hyperlinked library takes it a step further.  We're no longer telling our patrons how to search for and use information; rather, our patrons can tell us what they want and how they want to use it.  It will be our responsiblity to listen and learn.

On a practical note, the Mindspotter/Mindkeeper concept at Arhus Library is widely applicable to other evolving libraries.  More specifically, working librarians know their patrons well, and a good portion of recent library school grads are adept at spotting and understanding social media/information trends and how they might be applied to libraries.  Bringing these two groups together could be an innovative way for a library to get to a more hyperlinked place.

This video on transliteracy, Libraries and Transliteracy, gets to the heart of why libraries need to grow and change with their patrons.  It also gives easy to follow steps on how libraries can go about making these changes.  Sorry for all the links - I haven't figured out yet how to embed the video into my post.

Why We Need Transparency.

Last week I briefly mentioned that transparency makes libraries more relevant to their patrons.  This week I want to expand on that idea a little bit more because I think that if we’ve ever really needed to be transparent now is the time.

The Casey and Stephen’s article, The Transparent Library: A Roadmap to Transparency talks about saying ‘yes.’  Yes to new ideas and ways of doing things in your library, and this got me thinking about the job I had in 2009 when the economy started to go downhill.  I was working in the marketing department of a software company, and to be honest, the job was pretty cushy.  There were two of us working full-time with a manager who was off-site and we did the same thing day in and day out.  We never questioned our marketing strategies because no one held us accountable for anything.

When the economy turned my coworker was laid off and I got a new boss…one who was three doors down from where I worked.  Overnight, my job description changed and suddenly I was very accountable for every decision I made.  The upside was that I had a boss who was willing to try anything…we literally tried every idea that we thought up.  More importantly, we made ourselves more transparent.  We asked our clientele to tell us what they really thought about us.  They did this through surveys and blog comments.  Sometimes they did it in person and they had no qualms about telling us what we did well and what we were doing wrong.  The result was that we were better able to serve our customers and I think they trusted us a little bit more.

I was held more accountable by my boss and the transparency we created in our department let our customers hold us more accountable.  It was surprising to me then that anybody cared enough about what we were doing to voice a concern or give some praise, but our customers were interested in us and our relevancy to them shot up.  Without becoming more transparent we might not have made it through that slump.

The same thing goes for libraries.  Letting our patrons see our day to day activities might have a surprising effect on the way they think about us.  In his post, Transparency As it Relates to Government, Privacy, and Just Getting Things Done, Tom Murphy made a great point, “This sort of transparency is not about accountability or revealing confidentialities – it is about sharing what we take for granted, the everyday how-tos, that we simply don’t consider that others would find fascinating.”  Why not let our patrons in on our day-to-day activities?  We’re all about sharing information anyways, right?