New Lake Villa Stuff

RE: Shameless Self-Promotion and News

2009-10-27T17:04:43Z

Hmm.

I've got a weekly column. I don't know if you want notification of (or links to) all of those ... plus some WJ staff are Facebook friends and I'm now posting the TribLocal links there.

What ever works best for WJ, the community, and the profession. I'll be happy to help.

RE: Shameless Self-Promotion and News

2009-10-27T16:58:10Z

Bob,
I've reposted the article here: http://www.webjunction.org/demonstrating-impact/-/articles/content/84700922.

Thanks again and keep us posted on future pieces!

RE: Shameless Self-Promotion and News

2009-10-15T20:24:48Z

Yes, usually folks are fine with it. I'll contact them and see if we can post with attribution and copyright info. Thanks, Bob!

RE: Shameless Self-Promotion and News

2009-10-15T19:46:03Z

I dunno. It's their copyright (though of course anyone can link to it until link-rot sets in).

If you ask, they may well be pleased that one of their columns had value. I can pipe up, of course, but you're the ones who see the value at WJ.

It doesn't hurt that OCLC is a non-profit!

RE: Shameless Self-Promotion and News

2009-10-15T19:38:57Z

A great piece, Bob!

Do you think the Trib would let you republish on WJ, maybe here in Demonstrating Impact?

RE: Shameless Self-Promotion and News

2009-10-15T18:13:29Z

Here's my latest TribLocal column.

It's on library ROI. I hope this column also makes the print edition.About the ROI

RE: Shameless Self-Promotion and News

2009-08-10T18:34:47Z

sounds like fun. and, i hope to see the video posted here! maybe we need a group for library drill team footage.

by the way, this thread subscription showed up in my inbox this morning. looks like it's working again. i just might head over to st. jerry's and ask for some champagne in order to celebrate!

RE: Shameless Self-Promotion and News

2009-08-10T16:56:42Z

Another activity that won't work with a Kindle: using them as percussive instruments in a parade! (well, maybe it would work once, but probably not covered by the warranty!)

Welcome back, Pam. It is nice to meet you.

Sharon

RE: Shameless Self-Promotion and News

2009-08-08T20:21:14Z

I am shamelessly joining in this discussion, although I have been absent from WJ for a few years (and that is shameful, I admit!). Our Library Drill Team participated in our local Sweet Pea Festival parade this morning, after a 2-year absence - something our patrons noticed and commented on frequently. So they were rewarded this year with the new version, no bookcarts but slapping books together to make a cadence (donated books that didn't make it to the booksale, for anyone concerned we were harming valuable items!). We had 12 of us (up from our usual 8) so could make a pretty impressive "wave" and pinwheel maneuver. I'm waiting to see if any usuable video is available from my friend's Flip camera.

RE: Shameless Self-Promotion and News

2009-08-05T22:19:14Z

That's great news! I'm a big fan of local newspapers and I'm glad they are surviving, even thriving.

Do you have enough words in you to fill up facebook, WJ discussions AND your column? Super!

Shameless Self-Promotion and News

2009-08-05T20:59:10Z

Back, I hope, to the original title.

Just learned that I now have a newspaper column to write for the new TribLocal covering northwest Lake County (IL). It's a subsidiary of the Chicago Tribune. WooHoo!

I lost my column in the Chicago Sun-Times run Waukegan News-Sun when it changed formats a couple years ago.

They haven't decided between a weekly or a monthly column, but if they need to fill space ... I'm there.

RE: New Lake Villa Stuff

2009-08-05T18:27:28Z

I agreed with her reminder about the broadcast. There's a lot of that going around, though I suppose it's better to have *lots* of broadcasters than to have only a few, it still sort of bugs me when people use the tools more like a soapbox than a conversation enabler. And sometimes I suppose I do that myself, but I try not to.

RE: New Lake Villa Stuff

2009-08-05T17:08:23Z

Hi Sharon, Chrystie ...

I was not involved with the "on site" discussion, but rather a Facebook discussion where Jon Lebkowski was pondering a Wikipedia change. My contribution was merely the phrase "human need for social interaction" but that put the focus on the "why" of "social media" as opposed to the tools.

I agree that it's impossible to keep up with the social tools, especially if you're doing other things like running libraries. But you need an awareness ... kids will adopt something and the next thing you know, you're an old fogey.

Not that I'm not anyway. :-)

RE: New Lake Villa Stuff

2009-08-05T17:00:50Z

Here's the social media entry on Wikipedia. Reading this definition reminds me of a great blog post I read last night on the Social Signal blog. Alexandra reminds us to stop trying to keep up with social tools, and to stay focused on why we use them.

RE: New Lake Villa Stuff

2009-08-05T15:34:01Z

Hi Bob,
Interesting note about the updates to the Wikipedia entry. Did you participate in the discussion when the page and definitions were challenged? Were you advocating it to describe it as content rather than technology, or...?
Sharon

RE: New Lake Villa Stuff

2009-08-03T15:58:20Z

On another note (and always hoping that others might post their successes), two very nice things happened within a few minutes of each other this morning. Wikipedia was updated to reflect *my* definition of "social media" (not done by me, btw, but rather by net elder John Lebkowsky) and a local company e-mailed me about inclusion in our new local web directory.

But of course!

RE: New Lake Villa Stuff

2009-07-22T16:48:21Z

Thank you. We do what we can.

I wish we had better software for the local web directory, but we're basically stuck with what we can find available for dotnetnuke. Also, as I wanted to avoid *any* copyright issues with the Yellow Pages people I put together a home-grown taxonomy. I'm not sure it works for users since my goal (of not creating one enormous list and hence one *really* long scroll) may not be shared.

It helped, I think, that I spent some time in the corporate/R&D library world. They're more tuned to creating value-add products for their users.

These are things I think public libraries should do. There's not enough money in it to attract a commercial vendor and it adds value. I hope our current 40,000 a month of website hits will double in a couple years.

RE: New Lake Villa Stuff

2009-07-20T19:27:09Z

Outstanding, Bob!!

I was so impressed, I created a document showing your fine example: http://www.webjunction.org/technology/website-development/-/articles/content/71851190.

I especially love the virtual bulletin board.

Well done!
JP

RE: Shameless Self-promotion and News

2009-07-13T22:17:13Z

Any shameless self-promotion or news coming out of ALA? Some of us are stuck and home and wouldn't mind a little vicarious living .

New Lake Villa Stuff

2009-06-30T19:51:22Z

If you have a chance, please check out a new part of our webpage (at http://www.lvdl.org) ... the Community Hub. It's at the top right.

It's composed of four sections. First, there's the Virtual Bulletin Board where we'll display posters and fliers that people send to us. Hopefully, we'll become *the* place for people to learn of local events, programs, plays, etc. We hope people will send fliers to us via e-mail, but we'll be happy to scan them. This is "interactive with the community."

Second, there's the Community Calendar. This is intended to let people know what is going on locally ... and an additional place to advertise our own programs, etc. You rollover each entry for detail. It is also "interactive with the community" since people can send us info about events.

Third, there's the Local Web Directory. Here's a single place to go to find the local web ... built with the cooperation of the Chamber of Commerce. It includes more than Chamber members (members get the Chamber logo next to their entries) and has two purposes. One is to make access easier for everyone. Two is to make sure that the library is firmly supported by the business community.

Fourth, there's the "Volunteer Center" where people can go to find local volunteer opportunities. We've partnered with a couple local organizations and will be expanding this.

Please let me know what you think.

On another point, we now (as of a half-hour or so ago) have a Facebook page. We'll be using it, of course, to advertise programming, etc., but we'll also be using it for teenage volunteers to write reviews of programs they've attended, hopefully from their own FB accounts. This may bring in their friends, thus expanding our fanbase.