Outreach and collection development at the public library
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This document discusses strategies for outreach and collection development at public libraries. It introduces Nicolette Warisse Sosulski and her background working as a business librarian. It then outlines various approaches she takes to promote library resources and services, including presenting at local organizations and classes, taking programming like "Business for Breakfast" to local businesses, and ensuring library patrons are aware of available business tools and databases through strategic instruction and relationship building.
Outreach and collection development at the public library
- 1. Outreach and Collection Development at the Public Library Nicolette Warisse Sosulski, MLIS Business Librarian, Portage District Library Staff Backup Librarian, QuestionPoint, OCLC
- 2. About Me BA, Honors English and Government, Georgetown University (no, I did not start with business in the cradle, but with Aristotle, Aquinas, Chaucer and Shakespeare!) MLIS, iSchool at the University of Washington Business Librarian (since 2005) Portage District Library, Portage MI. In 2011, I won the Gale Cengage Award for Excellence in Business Librarianship (mentioned here because the award largely resulted from outreach on business resources and services to libraries, business organizations, etc) Order the collections as well for Reference, Databases, 100s, 200s, 300s, 400s, 600s and 700s Staff backup chat librarian, QuestionPoint, OCLC, since 2003, where in the course of answering questions for other library patrons, I promote their collections and services (especially the use of subject specialist liaisons!)
- 3. About Me I believe That if people knew more about libraries they would use them more That people will not remember what they are taught only once about libraries That point-of-need PR often trumps anything else that you do as far as getting the word out about collections and services That more people blow off the introduction to the library orientation than actually go to it (this is anecdotal and cynical The library collection includes everything between the librarian’s ears
- 4. When They Have No Clue that the Library is not Storytime and Evanovich Presentation at “Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities” Conference, Marshall, MI http://www.slideshare.net/librista/librarian- services-to-entrepreneurs
- 5. When They Have No Clue that the Library is not Storytime and Evanovich Presenting at classes in town: SCORE SBTDC (who also refers to us) Business Information Days (one coming up for 5/3 Bank) Michigan Association of Townships
- 6. When They Have No Clue that the Library is not Storytime and Evanovich Presenting at classes in town: SCORE SBTDC (who also refers to us) Business Information Days (one coming up for 5/3 Bank) Michigan Association of Townships
- 7. When They Have No Clue that the Library is not Storytime and Evanovich Presenting at classes in the library: Business Research Essentials Muffins and the Market Resume Hacks Job Search for Teens Strengthsquest for High School Students
- 8. When They Have No Clue that the Library is not Storytime and Evanovich: Get them into the library with food or programming Let us know if we can be of service in the future Remember you can call, email, fax or come in person to ask a question Your internet is on the fritz? We have free wi-fi! Thank You for Coming! Enjoy The Rest of Your Day! Business for Breakfast: Fueling Your Business Hosted by the Kalamazoo Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Business Information Center Portage District Library Tuesday November 11th , 2008 7:30 AM – 9 AM Helping you access the world of information in a friendly atmosphere
- 9. When They Have No Clue that the Library is not Storytime and Evanovich Take advantage of the fact that EVERYBODY needs content Have You Used the Business Tools You Already Have? by Nicolette Warisse Sosulski, MLIS Business Librarian, Portage District Library Market research improves your knowledge of your customer, your suppliers, your competition, your industry. It should play a part in the decisions you make in opening a business, in expanding a business, or in diversifying a product line. How many of you look at that term and think “expensive subscriptions, reports, and mailing lists—I can’t afford it” or “I need more than I can afford”? What you may not have realized lately is that the libraries around you have powerful resources to which your library taxes and millages have already provided you access. If you are a cardholder at Portage District Library, for example (or Kalamazoo, or Battle Creek), you have online access to Reference USA, a powerful database including the residential and business listings from every telephone book in the country. This data can be searched and sorted by yellow page company listing, by NAICS, or SIC number; geographically sliced and diced by city, county, or state; limited by employee size, number of computers onsite, or sales volume; and screened for executive name (very useful when a company undergoes a number of changes of ownership but some of the principals remain on board) or gender (women-owned companies). You can then download and export these records into an Excel spreadsheet to manipulate as you will. You might also find information through Associations Unlimited, which affords you the opportunity to find the trade and consumer associations providing you access to member lists, web pages, industry publications and newsletters and statistics. This can be crucial when searching for a marketing specialist versed in a sub-sub industry niche of manufacturing, or for looking for new suppliers of specialized equipment. There may be information at these locations only available to association members, but in addition there is a wealth of information for which you pay not one additional penny. Should you be looking for industry trends, you may wish to search in the two excellent business periodical databases provided by the Michigan Electronic Library. Business and Company Resource Center and General BusinessFile ASAP index hundreds of industry and scholarly publications and news sources, so that you can find industry- or company-specific information or phenomena such as the boom in Christian publishing or make-and-take meals. Business and Company also gives you a look at some company financials. These resources are available to every business person in Michigan, through their library cards or through their Michigan drivers licenses at www.mel.org. “That’s great, “ you say, “but I just do not have time to take a trip to the library.” You don’t need to, if you have a library card. Every single one of these resources is available to you from your home or office through your library web page (though more Reference USA files at a time can be downloaded from a library computer, so for big projects a trip might save time). Your last search tool, one whom you might not have used for a while, is your librarian. We can help you brainstorm keyword and subject terms, negotiate downloads, and increase the power and accuracy of your search techniques. We are here to help, so please use us—you have already paid for it!
- 10. Go Where They are Captive… The Portage Public Schools Schoolbus Project
- 11. Go Where They are Captive… The Portage Public Schools Schoolbus Project
- 12. Seize the moment! If the schools have a last minute information need or space need—get in there and push your resources http://www.slideshare.net/librista/research-presentation-for- teens-1 http://portagelibrary.info/school-connect/Johnson/
- 13. Guerilla Instruction: Fries- with- that Librarianship Establish yourself as the goddess of golden information nuggets— with every transaction give them one more thing (no more than two). “Did you know that you can click on ‘cited by’ and all kinds of related articles will show up?” Food photography by Edward Sargent http://www.flickriver.com/photos/sargent_works/
- 14. “Fries with That” Librarianship: Marketing and Outreach at the Point of Need When they ask for a GED book, teach them Learning Express Library database. When they ask for a resume book, show them the interview videos. When they ask the order of a series by Nora Roberts, show them www.fantasticfiction.com . When they look for a medical book because “they have the thyroid”, show them www.medlineplus.com .
- 15. Relationship Building via Strategic De-Acquisition When you are discarding resume, cover letter, or job search books because of a new edition or some page yellowing, but they are in good shape, ask whether an area homeless organization can use them When you are replacing your encyclopedias or other reference materials, see if the local schools are on a less-frequent replacement schedule than you are When you are discarding biographies or large print for lack of space, would a senior community or jail be interested? When you are updating your business reference materials, would the SCORE office like the discards?
- 16. Questions? librista@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/datababe Feel free to message or friend me!