Congrats to Woodsiegirl on her need job

Laura Woods has a new job according to her blog. I meet her a few times and hope the job is everything she's looking for. Best of luck.

Marketing Libraries Outside the Echo Chamber‏ event part.4 (conclusion)

So. How was the evening? Well, pretty damn good. I came away from the event feeling totally revitalised and feeling pretty glad what I do. Meeting people like Gary Green, Phil Bradley, Laura, Jo bo Anderson and Bethan Ruddock actually did make feel embarrassed at how little I have done in comparison. It might just push me to do more.
BUT. In response to Ned and Laura, I do say this. Both seemed to be critical of the echo chamber. The echo chamber has its problems. Agreed. But without that echo chamber how would those two groups from the evening of come together. Also echo chambers can act as a meme to users (which I think is a good thing?)
Finally, I should point out Laura has put up a post on the event here.

Marketing Libraries Outside the Echo Chamber‏ event part.2 (Laura Woods)

Following on from my earlier post (and most likely regurgating Fiona and Ned's post).
Anyhow Laura started the talk by explaining what the echo chamber. It is :-

any situation in which information, ideas or beliefs are amplified or reinforced by transmission inside an "enclosed" space. Observers of journalism in the mass media describe an echo chamber effect in media discourse.

Anyhow, Laura inderlines how librarians on both sides of the atlantic are suffering from fear of closure and how when we discuss this, we seem to discuss it within a 'library bubble' [my quote]. Laura mentioned how we as a profession are an easy target, and that we have many sceptics that see little relevance as now 'everything is online'. Laura felt we should reach beyond our users and make the none users as are (future) advocats. Laura pointed out if we (libraries) were invented today, we'd be seen as something fantastic.

She then said how her an Ned had put out the idea on twitter on getting beyond the echo chamber. Library by day started a post on the subject called Thinking Outloud About The Echo Chamber. In the article she says:-

Are we, the twittering, blogging, technology inclined shouting into the echo chamber? Are we only puffing each other up? Do we care that this defeats our purpose and goals? I guess it depends on your goals. (Some I’m sure, are just happy to have choir to preach to.) But for most of us, its not. If we’re too busy telling each other “right on man” who’s engaging in discussion with those who don’t agree with us? Because let’s face it, they aren’t reading your blog or following you on twitter.

Laura then went on to say we need to hear more about criticism, so we can see how we improve the service and jobs we do. Then Ned appeared from his journey from Leeds (les said the better).

How to arrange going to an event

I will going to the Marketing Libraries Outside the Echo Chamber‏ tonight.
I thought I'd point out a few things you should do before going to an event.

1. Make sure you have a place booked for the event.
2. Make sure you know where the event is. Check maps and transportationon how to get there.
3. Make sure you get the day right. Which I didn't when I walked to City Business Library last night.

Oh well. At least I know where it is now.

Football or career? the choice of life

The Liverpool manager Bill Shankly said:-

“Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I assure you, it's much more serious than that.”

Well, on 30.11.10 I can either see my football team play play Wigan for £10 (if there are any tickets left that is?) Or do I pay £10 to go to Marketing Libraries Outside the Echo Chamber?

The evening:-

will bring together a great panel of speakers. In the first session, Laura Woods and Ned Potter will explore how the information profession is full of forward thinking professionals sharing great ideas.......
In the second part, we will hear from Jo Anderson and Bethan Ruddock talk about the Voices for the Library campaign and how they are reaching out to users and stakeholders outside the echo chamber to promote the value of public libraries.

I'm very much siding with the library event. Better be good, an arsenal better win.

LISNPN London meetup 01.10.10

As I can't make the New Professionals Information Day, i'm going to the meet up after at the College arms. I tried to get a friend I worked with previously at a public library, and she was worried that the event is all about talking about libraries. My email response?

yup. we just talk about our collections and shushing policies.

I think I put her off. Anyway, many others going tomorrow?

Cilip article on tweeting controversy

Ok, controversy is a bit strong. Anyhow, as I wrote recently I went to a Cilip event discussing The Google Generation: implications for libraries and librarians and was told to stop tweeting. Not only was I asked but others, including Woodsie Girl, who wrote on it to. She has now written an article in Cilip article here.

Library advocacy in a digital age

Woodsie girl and wikiman have been discussing how to create library advocacy and the dangers of the echo chamber.
Woodsie girl says on her blog:-

Following a conversation on Twitter this morning, me and thewikiman (@theREALwikiman) are trying to find out if anyone has any good ideas for overcoming the “echo chamber” effect in library advocacy. It’s easy to spend time preaching to the converted, but how do you reach people who don’t use the library, aren’t interested in what you have to say and don’t think you have anything to offer? Any thoughts, please tweet using the hashtag #echolib, or leave a comment here. We’ll be blogging anything interesting we find out.

Well, I had an idea, which maybe good or most like not. I am presently reading Charlene Li's Book Groundswell. In it she discusses how Mini was sold in the USA, whilst Honda and Volkswagen were entering the market in the mid 2000s. This would have eaten into there market share as there product was older. Trudy Hardy, who was in charge of mini marketing wanted to increase or retain market share. So was she did was she listened to mini users, sent out items only they were allowed to recieve along with other idea's (read the book). Anyhow, what she did was she listened to her present users and made them feel unique. Uniqueness and listening are both highly important in any organisation business, but if we make our present users seem unique then there word of mouth will gain us patrons. Its not an original idea, but it's my thoughts on it.