Live Blogging: Librarian on Location Dec. 10

2:23 p.m. Last Librarian on Location for the semester. I am in my favorite spot next to the Soda Shoppe in the main academic building. I see lots of students and faculty. I have a special sign out today that reads "Need Research Paper Help? Ask Here". Finals start tomorrow so the students should be done with their papers but we know how that goes.

2:44 p.m. I also have candy out including chocolate. Bribes never hurt.

2:52 p.m. I am going to be teaching a course in the spring semester. I am looking for interesting ways to get my students to use the library more. Hopefully I can help them become more accustomed to the library.

2:59 p.m. The biggest benefit of these ventures away from the library has been in my interaction with faculty and staff. Though our conversations are little more than chit chat and catching up, I find them valuable public relations. When students voice their frustrations with locating resources from the library to their professor it would be great if the professor has someone they can direct the student for assistance. If I had zero relations with the faculty then the students would simply be told to ask a librarian. Many students do not know who is a librarian and who is a staff person. They would prefer to have someone who they can locate specifically.

Librarian on Location: Live Blogging 10-1-08

2:20 p.m. - First live blog of the semester. Here are the things that have changed with our Librarian on Location program.

1. I am only going out at scheduled times (usually about twice a month)instead of every week. Reason: The school calendar and my personal schedule wasn't going to allow me to be consistent on a weekly basis. Also see reasons below.

2. Our locations have been trimmed to three. Reason: We determined that our presence at campus social settings were an encroachment and largely ignored by the students. When I went to more academic settings I was more well received. So this semester I will be going to the International Department (where I am now), a Soda Shoppe in a busy classroom area, and a location in the Science building that gets heavy traffic. The limited number of locations means it would be overkill to return to them every week.

3. The presence of a Writing Center representative. Reason: I broached the idea to the Writing Center director about the WC helping me out at the end of the semester when the research paper crunch starts to hit. A student worker came with me to my first stop. I don't know where he is today.

2:37 p.m. - My university has more than 400 international students, which is a huge number for a private Christian university. Their numbers grow each semester. There is huge potential for a quality library relation with the international students but there are also some complexities that prevent a current dynamic connection.

2:43 p.m. - It may be ironic that I am over in the international office because the largest clientele in our library comes from the international students. I could just have gone to the second floor of our library and seen more international students than the numbers I have seen thus far. But that would defeat the mission behind Librarian on Location.

Librarian on Location: Live Blogging 4-23-08

2:15 p.m. Finally, back on the Librarian on Location beat after weeks being preoccupied with Are You As Smart as A Freshman? (see below). I am located at my favorite spot so far - the Soda Shoppe. Good location to talk with professors and students are still in academic mode when they walk by me as opposed to being in social life mode at places like the cafeteria and the dorms.

2:21 p.m. Spoke with a professor face to face who had requested a journal in which he was a contributor. I was able to explain the accessibility of the journal without the confines of the email medium. Face time makes a difference.

2:31 p.m. More professors. One wanted to drop off his papers for me to grade. Now there is an idea. Trading jobs with professors. The librarian grades papers while the professor handles research needs. I wonder how that would work?

2:50 p.m. Whenever I am "On Location" I work on Library 2.0 things like wikis, blogs, tagging, etc. I consider this program kind of a Library 2.0 exercise so I think it relates. I am going through The 23 Things and 5 Weeks To A Social Library.

Librarian on Location: Live Blogging 3-26-08

1:15 p.m. Set up in the campus cafe. Last time I was here the wireless connection didn't work but it seems to be working now. I am not so sure about this location. If I come to early I wouldn't be able to find a seat, if I come to late no one is here. We will see. I tell people that we are simply testing this program out and will make changes accordingly if we even decide to continue. Right now, based on the conversations I have had when I have gone on location I think this could work sooner rather than later.

1:27 p.m. I have put out a new sign. Instead of the sign that says "Librarian on Location" I have put out a sign that says "Need Research Paper Help? Ask Here". A little directness never hurt anything.

1:35 p.m. One idea that I have heard related to this practice of "on the road" librarians is to set up in specific departments instead of more social environments. I have heard of some librarians who have done this with some success. This may be a better strategy because you can work with the departments to promote your visits. Also, you can build relationships with individual students who see you on a regular basis. Right now, I am in mostly social areas like food locations and dorms.

2:00 p.m. A student told me that she does need research paper help but she is working right now. Her initial question was more of a writing center question but she took our brochure and my card and I told her the hours in which the reference desk is staffed. Our writing center has talked about doing something similar to Librarian on Location. Maybe this would be a great way for the library and the writing center to team up.

Librarian on Location: Live Blogging 3-19-08

2:15 p.m. We have come full circle. Instead of going to the ends of the campus we decided to choose four or five prime locations and just rotate through them during the semester. This is the second time that I have been to the Soda Shoppe on the top floor of our building. Instead of the other places that I have been which were more student life locations, this location is an academic setting with classrooms all around and faculty offices down every hall. The last time I was here I had some great conversations with both students and faculty. Hopefully, today will be more of the same.

2:30 p.m. One of our student workers had a great idea for Librarian on Location publicity. She suggested that we put out a sign that says "Research Paper Help". Simple and obvious right? This is officially term paper season and if you have students who have these assignments on their mind when they walk by you what better way to make it obvious what you are able to do for them.

2:37 p.m. My eavesdropping skills are in full force today. A female student just walked by and I over heard her ask another student. "Is the library open on the weekends? I was just wondering because I have only been to the library like twice." The funny part is our library isn't in its own building but a part of a three story complex that includes classrooms in the basement and on the top floor. This student probably has walked through the library on the way to class several times. Is the library just a hall or walk way to her?

2:42 I am doing this with a heavy heart today because our Director of Library Services, Peggy Martin, passed away over night from a combination of pneumonia and pulmonary fibrosis. This is stunning to us because her sickness wasn't prolonged. She was a great servant librarian, a creative idea person, and a encouragement to all of us.

Librarian on Location: Live Blogging 3-5-08

1:20 p.m. Today we are in one of the dormitories on campus. I am stationed in the foyer. Wednesdays are the days we do Librarian on Location. This day was chosen at random I guess but it may need to be revisited because Tuesdays and Thursdays seem to be busier days on campus. To the right, you will see me with a student. You can see the signage we use and the golf shirt with logo that I wear each week. I also have business cards and library brochures. This shot was when I was outside of our Soda Shoppe.

1:38 p.m. OK...I consider myself a world class evesdropper. I am trying to turn off my evesdropping tendencies while I am in the girl's dorm, but it is hard. The present crisis is a prank involving peanut butter on door handles.

1:42 p.m. Two questions so far today. This is more than the past two weeks. One student asked which books are on the first floor of the library and which books are on the second floor. She didn't understand where the call number break was. Another student asked what I was doing and why I was here. She said she doesn't have much trouble researching. I told her to leave me her email address and I would send some things to her that she might not have seen.

2:02 p.m. I sent some articles to a student on national service requirements. She is working on a debate presentation.

- A professor walked by and cracked a sarcastic joke about us reaching out to the students "because the library is just SO far away." He obviously hasn't been reading articles on millennials and their addiction to the instantaneous and the convenient. Sure, the library is just down the sidewalk but it could be in Turkey for all some of these students know. How many academic librarians can tell stories of students showing up during their last semester before graduation and telling the librarian that this was the first time that they used the library. Every academic librarian has a story like this these days. Why do we assume that a building equals "people will come."

2:50 p.m. It is so nice outside that I almost decided to position myself on the building colonade but it has been so windy lately that I didn't think that was such a good idea. As I get more adventurous maybe I can head to more exotic locations. Next week it is back to the Soda Shoppe.

Librarian on Location : Live Blogging Feb. 27

11:27 a.m. I am all setup in the main cafeteria. I don't really know what to expect over here. I am definitely in the students domain by being here. The first student I told said, "That is something different." I feel a little like a professor trying to do a lecture in the cafeteria. That would not be received very well. We will see. The idea is not to bludgeon people with our services but to provide convenient access to our services. Stay tuned...

11: 38 a.m. The best part about being at the cafeteria is the hamburgers. I wouldn't normally recommend school cafeteria food but these burgers are top notch. Yes..I am eating. I thought that might help show solidarity with the students rather then just a guy in a golf shirt pushing his services.

If anyone would like to IM me while I am doing this, my name is dbulibrarian.

12:06 p.m. The rush is on. The room is filling up. I am amazed at the number of students who are getting take out boxes and leaving with their food. Maybe they have a class to prepare for, maybe they are working on campus, or maybe they are practicing the constant motion lifestyle that seems to be evident in this generation. How do librarians account for groups that rarely just do one thing at a time? In a way, that is what this Librarian on Location idea is about. If students are constantly in motion, then the more ubiquitous the library can be the better. I would love to hear other people's thoughts on this issue.

Librarian on Location: Live Blogging

I take the LOL show to the international building today at 2 p.m. Our university has a large international student population and their building is hopping with activity on most days. Their developing English keeps them from asking too many questions from the "Big Bad Librarians" in our main location so I am hoping that my presence in their environment will be a positive.

Hopefully the wireless connection will work better than our last attempt at the campus cafe.

2:15 p.m. All set up here in the international building. There is not another place on campus that has as much activity as this building. From 8a.m. to 10 p.m., this place is busy. The international students are not always in the position for heavy research but that is where the simplest instruction on the online catalog or a database can make a big difference.

2:43 p.m. Here are some good links to other libraries and their information designed for international students:

Library terminology glossary at Rutgers University.

Library tutorial for international students at U of North Carolina

3:00 p.m. This exercise continues to be useful more for the faculty rather than the students. I just set up library instruction with an instructor of the intensive English program. The face to face contact helped clear up some confusion on both of our parts.

3:32 p.m. Looking around the public area where I am stationed I notice Japanese, Chinese, and Nepalese. I had some Netlibrary complimentary highlighters and I passed them out to some students. I also have candy and pens. No one seems to want my business card though.

Live Blogging: Librarian on Location

Our library is starting a new program of "on the road" reference today. I will be close to the snack bar on the third floor of our building. This is a major hub of students and classes. We will do this each Wednesday this semester at other locations. I thought it might be good to live blog the experience. Hey, it isn't Super Bowl media day but it is interesting nonetheless. This is my first attempt at live blogging. So bear with me. I would welcome any comments or discussion.


2:31 All set up: I have signage, some library brochures, two highlighters, and a post-it note pad. I am working off a brand new laptop with Windows Vista (I have never used Vista before). Two people have already asked me what I am doing. No one at the reference desk downstairs ever asks me what I am doing. Is this a positive? One student said "cool" when I told her she didn't need to go downstairs to get library help.

The one problem I had was I had to kick a student off the prime spot for my setup. He was really understanding and positive about what I was doing.

2:40 I do have a uniform of sorts. I have a black polo shirt with a green logo with the words "Librarian on Location".

I just told another student about what I am doing. He just said, "Its an idea." What does that mean? One thing is obvious so far. People are much more likely to say hi and talk with you up here. This is good. It shows that a simple change of location effects the way the patron views you. I am approachable and a curiosity up here.

2:51 Just talked with a professor, I told him that many students are intimidated by the library. He said, "That is the truth. I try to send students to look at reserve items in the library and instead of sitting in the library and reading it they make copies so they can get out of the library as fast as they can." This shows that students aren't always comfortable in the library itself. Hmmm....Where are they comfortable? Dorm, student center, fitness center?

3:06 A student came up after being downstairs in the library and asked for the reason why Section C of the Wall Street Journal wasn't with the rest of the paper. I got to explain to him that because this section is so highly used we had to set it aside so no one would steal it. Again, no one would have asked me this in my normal location.

3:27 Here is the Feb. schedule for the Librarian on Location: Feb. 6 Patriot Cafe/Feb. 13 SACS Week, no LOL/Feb. 20 International Building/ Feb. 27 Crowley Dining Hall

3:45 Student asked me which countries do not accept the US dollar. I could not find a definitive list. She approached me like a teenager trying to stump a public librarian by asking ridiculous question. This was trivia for her. Interesting that I would be the source for sport and informational entertainment. I felt bad that I could not find an authoritative list. If anyone knows, let me know.