The Story of TechSoup for Libraries
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This document tells stories about four innovative librarians - Madeleine, Steve, Faye, and Bess - who found creative solutions to problems at their libraries. Madeleine hacked a solution to create a inexpensive self-checkout system. Steve started a regional workshop for libraries to collaborate. Faye was not afraid to learn new technologies. Bess had an epiphany to start an "Adopt-a-Computer" program to get funding for new computers. The document promotes thanking librarians and provides the TechSoup for Libraries website for more information.
The Story of TechSoup for Libraries
- 1. Once upon a time…The TechSoup for Libraries story.TSG staff meetingApril 2011
- 3. How libraries fit at TechSoup GlobalUsual suspects: Donation program
- 4. Content (articles, blog posts, webinars, newsletter)What you might not know:Libraries share informationLibraries collaborateLibraries are innovators
- 5. Putting faces to the names
- 6. How we do it: we listenBy phoneBy listservsAt conferencesBy surveys, pollsDrive bookmobiles to rural communitiesBy blogs, Twitter, Flickr
- 7. Survey: which tools do you use?
- 9. A few good stories…
- 10. Once upon a time…There was a librarian named Madeleine. She wasn’t afraid to hack.
- 11. $$$Madeleine had a problem
- 12. Like a good librarian, she researched
- 13. “We now have a freeware self-checker that only cost us the price of the touch screen monitor, the scanner, an Internet connection and some retired hardware ($1200).”Madeleine MundtTeton Cty Library, WY
- 14. Once upon a time…There was an “IT Guy” named Steve.He hated reinventing the wheel.
- 15. Regional workshop, inviting all library folk from Kansas who deal with technology, not just “IT Guys” like himself.Emporia Public LibraryEmporia, KSSteve had a problem "Why don’t we talk to other libraries in Kansas to see what they use?"
- 16. Once upon a time…There was librarian named Faye.She was fearless.
- 17. “You can't fear that you're going to screw up; you just have to get in there and say, 'Okay, I'm going to learn how to do this.'”SmithWelch Public LibraryHearne, TX
- 18. Once upon a time…There was librarian named Bess.She had an epiphany.
- 19. Bess needed $$$“When it comes to the library's computer network, we've been very much like Blanche Dubois, depending on the kindness of strangers. (insert breathy voice here.)”Essex Public LibraryTappahannock, VA
- 20. Adopt-a-Computer “Local organizations, businesses, or even individuals or families can adopt a computer by committing to donating $365 a year for three years.”
- 21. It’s National Library Week…Thank your local librarian!
Editor's Notes
- #12: Within a day
- #15: Bought software for the library that didn’t work. They spent time and money trying to solving, only deciding in the end to ditch it. The idea was that we bring people together to share stories, and build a network of people who are experts, or who have experience in certain areas, so that we can continue to learn from each other and contact the right person for the right issue.
- #17: "I'm pretty old and my life has proven to me generally that there are very few things that you can't reverse. If you're very careful when you're setting up something you can go slowly and see, 'Okay, well this works' and 'Okay, that's not a problem.'"
- #19: Public should invest in the resources the library provides.