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Enhancing Library Services for Teens: Best Practices and Insights (March 17, 2011)

This session outlines best practices for engaging teens through library services like AskAway. Key topics include understanding common challenges teens face when using library resources, analyzing recent statistical insights into their needs, and exploring effective communication techniques. We will highlight strategies to provide accurate and timely assistance, utilize social media for outreach, and create a supportive environment. The discussion also covers improvements based on user feedback, ensuring that libraries can effectively serve this vital community group while addressing current funding challenges.

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Enhancing Library Services for Teens: Best Practices and Insights (March 17, 2011)

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Presentation Transcript

  1. Best Practices March 17, 2011

  2. Agenda • AskAway and Teens • Wisconsin Update • Spanish Language chat • AskAway basics • AskAway.info • AskAway@Your Library Day • Coverage reminder • PR committee • AskAway wiki • LSTA survey results and impact of funding challenges

  3. AskAway and Teens Providing the Best Service to a Problematic Group

  4. Content • Common Problems • Statistics • What Teens Need and Like • What We Can Do • Conclusion

  5. Common Problems

  6. Common Problems • Will you do this for me? • NOW NOWNOWNOW! • Ridiculous questions

  7. Common Problems • I need this worksheet about the ocean that my science teacher gave me • Inappropriate messages • FMTYEWTK • Translation: far more than you ever wanted to know

  8. Problems are a result of… • Being bored • Being disinterested in required work • Not understanding what this service is for • Not caring what the service is for • Being silly

  9. Remember • Not all teens are problem teens • To ignore teens is a disservice to our community and to the AskAway service

  10. Statistics

  11. Teen Statistics Perceptions of Libraries, 2010 (14-17 year olds) • 75% have a library card • 82% believe the librarian adds value to the search process • 76% are satisfied with overall experience with librarian • 62% use ask-an-expert site • Average 3,339 texts per month

  12. Teen Statistics Perceptions of Libraries, 2010 (18-24 year olds) • 76% believe the librarian adds value to search process • 89% are satisfied with overall experience with librarian • 54% have used the library website • 350% growth in using ask-an-expert site

  13. Teen Statistics Perceptions of Libraries, 2010 Top Requests from Teens (14-24 year olds) • Increase customer service • Extend hours • Add or update services • Make services available online

  14. What Do Statistics Tell Us? • Teens use libraries • Teens are tech savvy • Teens have questions that need to be addressed • We can help

  15. What Teens Like and Need

  16. What Teens Need • Assistance with ideas they don’t understand • Helpful suggestions about where to search for information • Instructions on how to perform searches • Follow up with more detailed information • Someone to speak their language • Sometimes a strong hand • Don’t be afraid to kick off an inappropriate user

  17. What Teens Like • Fast • Fun • Accurate • Cool • No deviation from the normal routine • Newest and most up to date version

  18. What Teens Like and Need • Teens aren’t really different from our regular patrons

  19. What We Can Do

  20. What We Can Do • Be patient • Think smart not hard • Use one of the cool Qwidgets on multiple library pages that teens access • Homework Help • Reading Lists • Teen Advisory Pages

  21. What We Can Do • Brush up on your texting abbreviations • Follow up if email provided • Have fun and avoid “Annoyed Librarian” tone • Ask patron to refer service to his/her friends

  22. What We Can Do • Advertise on Social Media • Facebook • Twitter • Youtube • Make videos • Animoto

  23. Facebook • Create a teen page • Book reviews • Events at the library • Qwidget • Answers to FAQ • Direct teens to AskAway Page

  24. Twitter • Faster and more streamlined • Messages sent directly to cell phones • Connect to Facebook for easy updates

  25. Animoto • Free 6 month trial to education organizations • Add music to your presentation • Directly uploaded to Youtube, post on Facebook, or share on twitter.

  26. Conclusion

  27. Conclusion • Teens are under a lot of stress • We aren’t seeing the best side of those we are serving • Questions from teens can be fun • Try reading a YA novel from time to time • Change the radio from NPR to a pop station from time to time

  28. Conclusion • Teens are patrons too • You don’t have to like it, but it’s illegal (discrimination) to ignore • Teens are the future of the library

  29. Wisconsin updates

  30. ¡Pregúntanos! Spanish Queue • LIVE NOW • Thanks to Milwaukee and Menasha public libraries and to Edgewood college library for their help and support! • Statistics will be shared next month • Outreach to community groups will begin next month

  31. AskAway Basics Webinar • Reviews components of AskAway chat and email • 1st Thursday of the month at 10am • Presented by RL3 (though others are welcome to present!) • Check out wiki for links to the Live Meeting sessions.

  32. AskAway.info • Beginning the process of updated the page • New logo ideas • What would you like to see in the website • Contact kara.ripley@dpi.wi.gov

  33. AskAway @ Your Library Day • April 11th, 2011 • If one of your patrons uses AskAway • A press release will be sent to your local library • You will receive a certificate indicating the library’s importance to the community • Video, press release, and flyer on Wiki

  34. Coverage • Reminder to cover the times you volunteered to cover • If you need to change the time you are scheduled, please do so on the Wiki

  35. Public Relations Committee • Get on board with events and planning! • Once a month, one hour meetings on the 1st Wednesday of the month • Contact Martha Berninger if you want to participate

  36. Wiki • Has been recently updated (by Kara) • http://askaway.pbworks.com • Check it out and report if links are broken or if the information is incomplete • It is a great source of information • PR plans • Upcoming events • Best Practice information

  37. Funding challenges and ramifications on AskAway • Public library participation is funded entirely by LSTA grant • Staffing by RL3 is funded by LSTA and state funds • Academic library participation is funded by the schools themselves • LSTA grants will almost certainly be reduced • State funding is also being reduced by a total of 10%

  38. LSTA 5 year survey results

  39. What does this mean? • LSTA committee meeting mid-April will review the survey and recommend changes to grants • QuestionPoint administrators will be consulted before any decisions are made (dates and times to be determined) • Administrators, librarians and patrons who want to provide input should contact Martha Berninger • Supporters may wish to consider addressing LSTA when it meets mid-April • AskAway is funded through the end of 2011

  40. What happens next? • Changes will very likely be made to AskAway • QuestionPoint has been asked for options to reduce service cost • Magnitude of changes isn’t known • This doesn’t have to mean the end of AskAway or virtual reference in Wisconsin

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