Horizon Report 2012: libraries a challenge, how will tech advances help?

One of the 5 “significant challenges” that serves as the framework for the Horizon Report 2012 is the effect that social networks, new publishing paradigms, and out of date business models have on the library’s traditional “role as curator”. However I didn’t see any discussion of how the 6 technologies discussed would impact that issue in significant ways. People want to have access to everything in digital format and tablets and mobile apps certainly make viewing those things available that way more convenient, they mentioned some museum projects with RFID to control inventory, but the only other mention I saw of the library specifically was the cite of the Chronicle blog post about having libraries responsible for collecting, arranging, preserving and making available a wide selection of games. Which seems to be going the wrong direction?

New Year, new focus

Twofold interest in Academic Technology in 2011-- how to ensure that we eliminate many tasks redundant between Library Systems and Central IT (equipment maintenance, server upkeep, etc.) while ensuring high standards, and how can technology in general, and Library technology in particular, enhance higher education experience for instructors and learners.
I'll be reading, I'll be in training, I'll be in discussions with IT, AT, Library Systems-- and I'll try to post about it here.

Donor relations talk at ALA

Donor relations: how to build and strengthen relationships with library donors (ALA Development Office program)
To be successful at attracting donors for a project, need case statement: where have we been?, where do we want to go?, where are we right now?, what is our current problem or need? Formal one took her 9 months to get right.
While several should be able to articulate the “gift talk”, everyone in the library should be able to at least give the “elevator speech” about becoming a donor. They test this by using “personal shoppers” to see if people are remembering to mention needs and opportunities for giving. You could also have a “cultivation task force.”
Every time you talk with someone about donating, you should at least be able to have them lead you to other potential donors, even if they are not interested themselves: “who else should I be talking to about this?” They can sometimes introduce you or at least mention you ahead of time.

Snippets from OCLC symposium

• What if instead of “hiring” people, you thought of it as “selecting” them? What if you listened to them in the interview and made it a point to remember what they like so that on their first day you can make them feel welcome; have senior administrators take part in their orientation; celebrate their anniversaries?
• Can, and do, your staff articulate your message, make emotional connections for your patrons? What if you said “Hi, I’m Elizabeth, how can I help you?” when someone came up to the Reference Desk?
• Charlotte/Mecklenburg PL has “Director of Library Experiences”
• Train your reference and circulation students to create a good public service brand for your library: for example, could they think about how to make sure patron has a "fond farewell?" if that is what you think is important?; do they know and act on your core values?
• Cross train, and use your professionals only for specialized services. Create a one stop shopping approach, “JAM” desk: “Just ask me!”
• Interesting: consider the strengths of your staff when deploying them. A “triage” desk may require people who love to problem solve, not those who are emotional connectors, who may burn out working at such a busy service point

Delicious

I've been using Delicious for awhile now-- I can get to things fast from home or from work. You can see that I have bookmarked several CSU sites I use frequently, my own blogs so I can post quickly, interesting tools I want to try, papers I want to read or have read, some sites I use for volunteer work, etc. I also have "my delicious" on my IE toolbar so that I can get right to my site quickly. Many of the sites are very popular, others are things that only I seem to be interested in. My site is here: http://delicious.com/ehousewright.

I think that instead of links to web resources (like we have now on our web site) we could have subject librarians post focused delicious pages, with tags. I think it could be even better if students, faculty, could add to them so that they grow. Could building delicious sites be a useful library instruction session (tag "good" or "bad" to rate?)