Creating Library Community
- 1. What is a Blackboard Community? Similar to a Blackboard Course Designed for non-academic use Access based on membership Listed on Community Tab
- 2. Creating and Populating a Community IT created community shell for Library Library added content Batch enrolled everyone at MSU Batch enrollment occurs twice a year
- 3. Mission of Library Community Marketing tool for Library Primarily geared to students One of the few channels for communicating with students
- 4. Announcements First section displayed upon entering community Highlights new resources, services, events, changes in library hours, etc. New announcements appear on main Blackboard page and in community
- 5. Library Info Provides quick information that students need Typical items include library hours and popular services like laptop loan Updated every semester in response to changing library hours and services
- 6. Featured E-Resource Publicizes an electronic resource Focuses on underutilized or little known resource
- 7. Librarian Spotlight Personalizes Library Community Familiarizes students with individual librarians (includes interests, subject strengths, and professional pursuits) Includes photo
- 8. Newsroom Venue for posting information on key internet resources Highlights education-related websites, online reference tools/databases, digital collections, etc.
- 9. Library Trivia Adds fun and entertaining side to Library Community Little known facts about Sprague Library and the Library world Examples include size of our collection, oldest existing library, meaning of “loremipsum”, etc.
- 10. Discussion Board Provides forum for asynchronous discussion Ideal for discussion related to using eResources in a particular subject area
- 11. Mobile Blackboard and Rave/Cell Phone Mobile Blackboard users can receive community announcements Announcements can be sent as text messages or emails Users register for Mobile Blackboard on the MSU Phone Apps website Added 3,052 users since Nov 2010 (27.7% increase)
- 12. Mobile Blackboard and Rave/Cell Phone
- 13. Usage Statistics Assessment is critical to any marketing strategy Usage statistics indicate if you’re achieving goals Difficult to generate statistics in Blackboard (size of membership) Ran multiple reports by alphabetical grouping Initial statistics were encouraging (3,208 hits)
- 14. Benefit of Technology to Library Users Easy to find information on library resources, services, policies, programs, etc. View announcements from Blackboard main page Announcements can be received as text messages or emails using Mobile Blackboard Become more familiarized with Library Staff Creates comfortable environment for interfacing with the Library
- 15. Benefit of Technology to Information Community Venue for marketing services/resources and informing the campus about professional activities Provides effective reach into student body and faculty Modest commitment of time to manage
- 16. Impact of Technology on Librarians and Library Operations Library more integrated into students’ electronic classroom experience Library has greater visibility New channel of communications for library which has assumed a major role Personalized the library’s presence online
- 17. Impact of Technology on Perception of Librarians and Library Librarians seen as full participants in electronic classroom environment Librarians seen as technologically informed Librarians’ skills more valued and seen as colleagues