23 ThingsHelene Blowers is architect and developer of Learning 2.0: 23 Things. She is currently the Director of Digital Strategy for the Columbus Metropolitan Library. Her blog Library Bytes is located here.
Over 500 libraries have adopted the 23 Things program
What Is It?
- Guided tour to technology that our patrons use
- This is self-directed learning as opposed to being "taught"
- These 23 things are tools our patrons are using to communicate and/or to get information on the internet
- Examples of some of the "things": verbal sites like Blogger, visual sites like Flickr, social networking sites like Facebook, and hybrid sites like Delicious and Twitter.
- Our patrons are asking us questions about these technologies so staff needs to be well-acquainted with how to use them
- To develop teamwork and identify staff strengths that go beyond the library’s online catalog
- Fairness—it’s not fair that some staff are always the “go-to” people for technology related questions—all staff should be expected to know these 21st century library skills
- It reduces the amount of times you say “I can’t help you with this”
- Increases your library’s presence in the cyberworld
- Enables you to develop alternative ways to communicate with your patrons
- Eric --paraphrase--'We've invested money in these services, i.e. NetLibrary--staff should know how to help our patrons learn how to use them'
- All staff should do the 23 Things, from shelvers to directors.
- Give time for staff to collaborate—digital divide—staff can work in pairs, perhaps a young staff member with an older staff member—they work together
- Libraries can copy the program under a Creative Commons license agreement. Just be sure to credit Helene Bowers when you use it
- It's easy to Google other libraries to see how they did it
- Create an incentive for staff to do it--i.e. iPod giveaways for anyone who completes it
- Have a deadline for staff--if you let it go on too long, people will put it off
- NOT at a public services desk
- In a place where other staff are around so individual can ask other staff questions as they work/play
- CTLS has started a 23 Things Program. If member libraries want to challenge their staffs to participate in 23 Things, CTLS will give an MP3 player or an equivalent valued gift card to Best Buy to staff members who complete the 23 Things!!
- The CTLS 23 Things starts Monday, November 17th!
- What are you waiting for ?
Ten Tips
- Encourage networking and the learning will follow. This is a way to encourage teamwork
- Allow participants to blog anonymously—(these are internal blogs). For example, Annoyed Librarian doesn’t use real name
- Use 1.0 methods to communicate (send out emails, memos, anything it takes to communicate with staff)
- Encourage group discovery--"Did you read that?” Gets everybody talking about the same thing--it’s not forced.
- Design the program for the late bloomers. Baby steps.
- Focus on discovery, not skill building. No one is expecting staff to be experts in HTML coding, etc.
- Reward staff for learning
- Online means hands-on not hands-off
- Enable transparency and practice Radical Trust
- Continually encourage staff to play. Give everyone off-desk time to “play”/learn
