When I first heard about The Hyperconnected study, I was fairly sure I would classify as a hyperconnected type.  I use far too many social networks, blog on several blogs, use IM, Skype, and play online multiplayer games.  What I wasn't expecting was exactly how closely I would follow the others who rated that way in the study.

First there is the point that hyperconnected people lose the boundary between work and personal time.  Yup, my online life is one and the same at home or at work.  Except of course the game playing.  But otherwise, it can be nearly impossible to distinguish between what I read at work and what I enjoy reading at home.  This could be seen as a bad thing or a good thing.  Since I didn't purposefully set out to erase that boundary, I see it as a positive. 

Another point that resonated with me is that I must have my laptop along to feel right.  Without my laptop, it's like a connection is missing.  I feel isolated and strange.  Luckily at most library conferences, I join the troupe of the connected gathered around the power outlets at the back or side of the room.  It's very acceptable to lug a laptop.  Sadly, when I head to more local library meetings, that is not the case.  Laptops haven't yet broken into those meetings.  Perhaps I have to just decide to make that happen.  After all, I take it with me to work the service desks even if I never have a chance to turn it on.

And I don't even want to talk about how important blogging and other ways to connect online are to me.  It's a very powerful connection to like minds, which on some days is vital to me and my psyche.  Thanks for being there!

Any other library hyperconnecteds out there?  What rings true with you?  Are you a laptop lugger?  IM chatter?  FriendFeeder?  Wild Tweeter? 

Just got invited to participate in my first GroupCard and I am hooked!  I used it on Facebook to sign a card for a colleague's birthday, and it is not only a friendly interface, but a lot of fun as well. 

Just select the card you want, sign it, using the sweet image interface to add pictures, give the email address of the person you want to send it to and the date it should be sent, and invite others to sign it as well. 

Seriously, this is the way to do cards for colleagues who work in other facilities.  It just rocks!

So far, I've been using Twitter actively for a week and am impressed by it.  I knew that I had a dormant account on it that I had never really used much, and realized that I had to find a way to get myself actually Twittering.  For me, I found the key was using tools.  So here are the ones I use.

Twitbuzz is a website that lets you know what content is most popular on Twitter.  If you want to see what's happening on Twitter without an account, this is the place to go.  I have it loaded on my MorningCoffee plugin to remind me about Twitter and to post on it.

Twhirl is by far my favorite Twitter service interface.  I tried several others, but this one really works for me.  Best of all, it doesn't solely work with Twitter, but also with FriendFeed which I am continuing to adore as a service. 

Alert Thingy is another interface that works with FriendFeed.  I like it, but for some reason I enjoy using Twhirl more.  YMMV of course, which is why I am mentioning it here.

As a blogger, TwitterFeed is what finally got me posting to Twitter.  It takes the entries from your blogs and posts them automatically to your Twitter account, complete with link back to your blog.  Sweet!  This way, as long as I manage to blog that day, my Twitter account is not dormant.

If you'd like you can follow me on Twitter and/or FriendFeed.  I am tashrow on Twitter where I continue to fight with my background image.  And on Friendfeed, I have the same tashrow username.  You can use that same username to find me on delicious too!  I try to be consistent. 

Disgracefully, we have allowed services like OverDrive to take our money but provide service that is clunky at best and maniacally frustrating at worst.  Anyone who has walked a bewildered patron through the dark labyrinth of using OverDrive on a personal computer knows this is true.  The refrain of Why?  Why?  Why?  will ring in your ears for months.

Luckily, libraries may begin to have an unlikely ally in avoiding DRM.  Publishers! 

Random House recently announced they would drop DRM, much to everyone's surprise and delight.  Perhaps they realize just as libraries do that if we make it all about the rights we are putting obstacles in front of our best customers.  And all of this in a time when barriers are being removed. 

ReadBurner is a service that focuses on what is currently being shared online.  Unlike Digg, items are not voted on but instead are rated by how many times they have been shared online.  You can browse by most popular, upcoming and most recent.  Look through what was most popular this week, or browse by categories such as web, desktop, and mobile.  Both Netvibes and Google Reader are integrated into the site, so you can easily move between services. 

This is a slick way to stay on top of what is creating buzz online.

Aphlog is a site that aggregates the best of the photography sites into one handy place.  Keep up with the top photography blogs and view some of the top photos on Flickr.  This is a quick way to stay informed on what's happening in digital photography online.

PicURLs also aggregates photography content, but in their case it is more about the photographs that are getting the most attention currently than about the blogs focused upon digital photography discussion and information.  Pop by here to find out the hot photos on Digg, Reddit, Del.icio.us, StumbleUpon and many more.

Two great sites for two completely separate audiences.  Sweet!

Well, others will report what was finally agreed upon, what large issues we grappled with, and where we are headed.  I, on the other hand, just want to say how invigorating it was to discuss libraries with people who were equally passionate, equally positive, and who were all willing to put aside small differences and move forward together.  It may not have culminated in the next big idea, but for me, it was a time of professional renewal.  A cleansing for my librarian spirit and a knowledge that I am not alone in my wish to move libraries forward, outward, and onward. 

Thank you to everyone for the warmth of welcome, the inclusiveness of large table conversation, the smiles, hugs of recognition, building of new connections, and for the passion.  Thank you all for being willing to debate, discuss, frown, laugh, fight and work. 

This was just what my librarian soul needed and at just the right time.  Do we have to wait 10 years for the next one?  I'm not sure I can make it that long!

As I did my add-on presentation yesterday, there was a discussion about how some people's Delicious add-ons seem to open different side menus, buttons do different things and such.  Unable to answer any of the questions while doing the presentation (though searching for answers would have lengthened the presentation!) I came back and found a new delicious add-on waiting for me on my RSS feeds! 

The new add-on works on both Firefox 3 and previous versions and has new functionality.  You can jump to specific tags, the add-tag window is a little more friendly and modern, click the new Bookmarks button and you have instant access to your bookmarks on a sidebar. 

So the final answer is that I have no idea why people's other delicious add-ons were acting differently, but I do know that this new add-on is worth downloading.

The morning started with Have You Heard, where I got to do a panel with the amazing Stef, Beth and Joy.  This is one I look forward to all year, and was thrilled to be a part of.  We presented a list of some great new websites that you can see on our del.icio.us list.  I know that I always find great new websites myself from this group!

Then I got to do a presentation called Be the Boss of Your Browser.  I'm afraid that I was still doing the pacing of rushing through our collection of links and finished much too early.  In retrospect, I should have demonstrated StumbleUpon and Del.icio.us much more thoroughly, though I didn't realize how early it was until I finished.  Sigh.  Live and learn.

Anyway, I listed a variety of add-ons for librarians to use.  Here's the list:

LibX

Vertigo

Add to Search Bar

Drag de Go

Windows Live Writer

Del.icio.us (where we all wondered why it works differently on other people's computers than on mine!)

Morning Coffee

Screengrab

StumbleUpon

Please, if you attended either session, let me know what you thought!  I don't mind  criticism to help improve my presentations either!

Welcome sign with multiple languages.  Very inviting to diverse people entering library.

ALA sees this as a crucial priority for libraries.  We must do this! 

Problems with terms: culture, diversity, immigrant.  There is no such thing as a single Hispanic culture.

Involve underserved communities in planning new services.

Form partnerships!!!

Barriers:

Illiteracy - could be unable to read in any language

Reading level of library information - keep it simple but not condescending

Dependence on flyers and print ads - create partnerships to promote programs through other agencies, businesses, etc.  Use word of mouth.

Signage issues - clearly display language collection

Language

What languages are spoken - know the ethnic background beyond Hispanic.  Ask the public schools.

Policies, programming, etc. in other languages - make sure you are getting qualified translators.

Lack of bilingual staff and programs

Poverty

Change of address - train staff to work with people in poverty

No proof of address - be more flexible - accept photo IDs from other countries

Fines - may not have a vehicle; free bus tokens for children to return home

Unattended children - programs to accommodate working parents; do dual programming or family programming

Transportation

Is library on a major street? - more programs outside of library; Summer Reading programs taken to outlying/underserved locations

Does bus run regularly during library hours?

Is your library in a safe location? - Fear that library information is shared with immigration.  Let other organizations help promote that the library will welcome all.

Cultural Issues - Train staff!  Talk to the populations you are trying to reach.

Diversity of cultures

Education level

English abilities

Legal status

Religious issues

Cultural norms

Libraries in Latin America

Have academic focus

Many not lending libraries

Limited access to tech

Little children's programs or services

Few entertainment materials

High school language classes - do the programs for you.

ELL teachers can distribute information.

Have front-line staff reflect your community's makeup.

Offer pay differential for additional languages.

Something is not always better than nothing.

BE BRAVE!

Loved that she introduced herself as not a technical guru.  Made the entire project more approachable for all of us.

13 months of prepping policy and discovery, starting in fall of 2006.  Addressed safety concerns in formal proposal.

Lots of input from local teens.  Contacted YA authors to be friends.  Contacted other libraries with MySpace pages to see how they handled everything.

Whoa!  Lots and lots of prep!  Glad to be at a library where such convoluted approval paths are not necessary.  I love to say YES to such great ideas.  We might worry about safety and such, but it wouldn't slow the process down to that extent.

Very simple page.  Blue links are links to the library's site.  Links to lots and lots of authors of books for teens.

Phase 2 of the project:  trying to get more teen-generated content on the page.  Teen book reviews, poetry contest, etc. 

Have a clear purpose in mind.  Don't do it because everyone else is doing it.  Make sure it serves the teens themselves.  They are your audience.

MySpace Editor.  Copy and paste the settings you want onto your page.  Let teens help you design the page!  Great idea!

Image is everything.  Who wants to be friends with a 100 year old building?  Denver Public Library created own avatar. 

List local high schools on the page.

Get comfortable with any social networking program you use.  Create a personal page before you do one for your library. 

Would-be writers:  children's book idea who refuses to even start writing.  But worse, the person who thinks they will get rich writing.

81% of people say there is a book inside them!  Yikes!

Challenges of Every Author (asked by writing classes)

1.  How can I be sure the editor won't steal my idea?

2.  Should it be typed?

3.  Where do you get your ideas?

Read from his Open Letter to Johnny Depp

On staff of The Onion

Author of three books on unexplained phenomena

David Ward & Alan Hart

A continuation of the very affirming keynote session.  Look forward to more good news, hopefully!

Libraries can use Northstar's slides - just ask!

Western IQ Corridor

Movement toward regional planning for economic strategies

Interestingly, our region of the state has quite a large geographic area working together.

When making the argument:

Make sure you point out that it is a changing economy - a new economy

Stress the pace of change and the global economy

Earning power tied to education - a very convincing argument for public libraries in an attempt to level the playing field; Note that people without high school diplomas or with only a high school education have actually LOST income since the 1970s.

Wisconsin is below average for per capita income and below average for growth.  Libraries can be part of changing that.

It's not only the jobs at the library but also the jobs created by the economic stimulus of libraries in the state.

When making economic arguments simpler is better.

Use the annual return per dollar invested for clarity.

How do you use this locally?

Be careful not to overstate the case.  Libraries are not an economic engine.  Our first mission is to provide service, not contribute to the local economy.  Though we are an important part of the New Economy.

Argue in this order:  ROI, economic impact & Knowledge/Information resource base.  Hard to capture the value of the cumulative knowledge from libraries.  Talk about it, but in general terms.

Public libraries are a good and necessary investment in a rapidly changing economy.

PL are a consistent source of info and technology.  We are a constant in the community.

With an increasing income gap public libraries level the playing field.

Growing wave of retiring baby boomers will use libraries as a key part of their work and non-work lives.  Tremendous pool of advocates for PLs.

Whatever your per capita figure, you multiply by four.  If your budget is cut, the return on investment makes it a very hefty cut indeed.

In 1990 the Gross State Products of MN and WI were identical.  They have half a million fewer people but produce much more in state product than we do.

MN is accumulating brains while WI is losing them.  We keep a fair share of our own brains, but do not attract ones from outside the state.

Part of the reason is the culture.  MN had own penny stock exchange.  Type of businesses there are different.  WI is a manufacturing state complete with the secretive culture.  MN has businesses like 3M which encouraged growth and experimentation.  There is a change, but it is slow except for in Madison.

The Economic Impact of Wisconsin Public Libraries

Find details of the study at: http://dpi.wi.gov/pld/econimpact.html

The Economic Context:

Decrease in agriculture and manufacturing

People left farm for factory in mid-century

1950s heyday of WI economy

Now 3% of workforce on farms

Expansion of private services

Tremendous expansion of Other (IT, healthcare, retail)

Manual labor is now less important

Analytic skills increasing in importance

We are simply a part of the global economy

Pace of change is accelerating

Education = Larger income in today's economy - gap between different educational levels is becoming more significant

Compared MN with WI educational attainment ranks - because they have much better educational ranks, MN tends to make $4000 more per person each year.  Think about what this means for tax revenue in a state!

Study Overview

October 2007 - April 2008

2 Elements to Study: Economic impact of spending & finding Total Spending Impact

$326 million dollars - spending that largely affects mainstream businesses

3,222 jobs in libraries - small number for the value that is there

6,280 jobs connected to libraries (FTE equiv.)

2nd Element:  Market Value of Services

$427,914,334 - Total Economic Value

Spending + Service Impact = Three Quarters of a Billion $

Additional services were not able to be included:  meeting rooms, job info, magazines, electronic databases, wi-fi access, etc.

Annual return on investment per dollar of public tax support:  $4.06

Great numbers, especially tangible to library boards and city councils!

SWOT Analysis

Strengths:  no cost, equal access, encouraging reading, Internet, community gathering place, etc.

Weaknesses:  funding, lack of physical space, Internet

Observations

Value of libs in rural and low income areas 

Library use up among baby boomers and other demographics

Central community gathering place very important to people

Despite concerns, libraries are increasingly relevant in Internet age 

Need for more specialized knowl.

Electronic access is critical 

Important to inform the public about the library's mission

Operating money and space remain top concerns

Even in Internet age, important to maintain physical  facilities and knowledgeable staff

How wonderful to hear that we are doing the right thing as modern public libraries.  This is exactly what I have been telling my staff.  We are still vital, but we have to embrace the new as well as the old.  That means remaining important to the people who need us most, but also offering high end services to those who need them.  When we do this well, it is an elegant dance of balance.  But it is oh so easy to head one direction and neglect the other.  Keep on dancing folks!

There are ideas that staff have that suddenly take off and are caught up by everyone.  Here at our library, our most recent one of these is "Going Green."  After talking about it for several days, we have more volunteers on staff willing to work on it than any other program before, longer lists of great ideas, and a real sense of ownership and value. 

We are looking at doing programs for the public, but we also want to change some of our own wasteful ways.  So we may just eliminate bottled water from the staff lounge along with plastic cutlery.  We are looking at asking people to tell us whether they need a printed receipt or not BEFORE it's printed.  We are selling reusable library bags at a really low rate that say Go Green!  They are selling faster than any other bags we have ever offered.  20 in 3 days! 

There is much more in the works, and I can claim little credit for it.  My role is this is simply applause and appreciation for the creativity and effort.  It's a beautiful thing when projects work like this.  Look for a special green section of the website coming up soon!  (Again, not my idea, but isn't it a great one?)