Library 2.0 Usage Results

We have several library 2.0 uses at the library. This is a result of our efforts. We began developing these new services in September 2006, but the full roll-out of services didn't begin until January 2007. This is a report on usage from January to April and a comparison on usage between traditional methods and using library 2.0 methods.

AUDIO
Podcasting versus Phone Tree
Our progams are placed on our phone tree and they are also podcasted on our website.

Number of patrons who listened to the telephone program list:
5 Adult
5 Youth
5 Technology

So in the past four months, 15 different people listened to the automated phone message about programs.

Number of patrons who listed to the program podcast:
4 may technology (I posted May on April 30th)
3 mayyouth
5 may adult
23 april tech
12 APRIL YOUTH
14 ADULT APRIL
6 MARCH ADULT PROGRAMS
6 MARCH YOUTH
36 MARCH TECHNOLOGY
7 FEBRUARY ADULT
22 FEBRUARY YOUTH
7 FEBRUARY TECHNOLOGY
So in the same time period, we had 145 downloads of all podcasts.

PHOTOS
Patrons who viewed the library photo album on the library webpage:
12 photos, viewed 125 times

Flickr views
Your photos 169 photos / 638 views

Engaging Teens with Technology
Recently received a grant from the Arizona State Library to provide opportunities for teens to create, blogs, podcasts, and vodcasts about stuff that interests them in our community. We also allow myspace, chatting, game playing, etc. on our public access computers. As long as you don't want to download anything onto the computer (because it will get wiped) you can do pretty much whatever you want. We do engage a filter, but it is fairly light and literal so we don't have any issues with it blocking ok sites. One out of every three computer users is a teen, right in line with our strategic plan.

Here is a description of the grant:

Grant person would help guide the SPARC group under the direction of Youth Librarian. This person would develop news information for teens in the area using blogs, podcasting, and other formats working with our teen group, SPARC (Students Participating in an Advisory Reading Committee). The grant person would meet with the group once a week for 4 hours to help develop the project. This will take a year to develop. Cost would be $5,500, ($4500 for three laptops for the group, $1000 for recording equipment).

Staff WIKI
wiki busted never took off with staff, trying the library technology handbook in google docs. Right now, its use is mostly in the paper format.

Blog versus email versus web versus paper
Number of bookletters email subscribers: 442
Number of patrons on email distribution list: 598
Number of blog subscribers: 10
Number of people who look at content via the web: 48,989 from January to April
Number of people who read our events via the Community Services Brochure: 30,000 (mailed to each home during the summer and sent in each newspaper in the Fall and Spring, effectively canvassing every home in my community.)

From this I can gather that more people would prefer to receive information via email after they check the website. I think paper and people trump everyone.

In a recent survey, the library wanted to find out how people heard about the library.

Here are some of the results:
Newspaper, 66%
Community Services Brochure, 47%
Word of Mouth 45%
Visited/Call the library, 28%
Flier/program at schools 23%
website 13%

For communication via mobile phone, twitter and library elf, I only have two library elf subscribers. Twitter is more popular, but the problem is a local one. I don't think we have any local subscribers yet. We plan to advertise the service through our library news on the website and in the local paper. I will report on the effectiveness of the campaign. I would say the most successful techniques we have used to advertise our services have been getting a library news section in the newspaper and word of mouth. I know word of mouth since people are talking about the new computers and it spread like wildfire. Also, when we had a new library card campaign, people were talking about how great the new cards were. A board member pratically created her own psa. When pulling out her keys a co-worker noticed the keychain library card. She mentioned how neat it was, and the board member said that you can pick one up for free at the local library all this month for library card sign-up month. Sold American!