CiL2008: Hi Tech & Hi Touch

This session was about getting the human touch into technological interactions. You need to look at the library's perception of high touch vs. the patron perception - an example was a list of new books emailed out. The library's perception was that it was high touch, as they were sending this out to the community. From the patron's point of view it's not - it's a simple list of titles and author, divided into fiction and nonfiction, with no hint as to what the books are or are about. If the patron is interested in mysteries, nothing on the list says which ones are mysteries.

Contrasted to a library that has a page of new books with the covers posted, which gives more information about a book. That makes it a higher touch.

Patrons don't care whether they're beign reached by high or low technology; they jsut want high touch.

book recommendation: C. Shirky Here Comes Everybody "Tools don't get socially interesting until they[re technologically boring."

Othere ways to add high touch:

--use human language. And example is "We don't own this, but we'll get it for you" with a link to ILL

-- an example shown was a Database of the Week feature which used an online tutorial-type slideshow to market a new database each week.

-- a MeeboMe widget on the null-search page in the catalog (woo! we have it!), but also with an email link and library hours added to it (which we don't have)

-- one library with a Facebook page started to have users ask questions on their Wall.

-- Put a picture on your blog so that people can recognize you on campus.

--If you don't want photos up, use avatars, The Burlington County Library uses avatars to represent their librarians. It's a way to personalize the library and its staff.

--Blogs with comments. One example had kids commenting and interacting with each other, not necessarily about the topic at hand, but still building a community.

High touch is about creating spaces for people to come together, online and offline.

We got to see screenshots of an application in beta testing called Biblio Commons. It's a social OPAC, where patrons can leave comments, tags, and reviews on items, make lists and recommendations, and send message to each other.

Also social networking sites are bringing librarians together to interact and form communities. Librarian 2.0 is a social networking site for librarians, as int he librarysociety chat room.

This presentation will be up here soon.