Rudaí23 thing#18: the visual world of libraries

An screenshot of the
 National Geographic's Instagram account

Although there are many photo sharing social media platforms, Flickr and Instagram tend to be the ones we think of when we upload our photos. Although previously they served very different functions, those differences are becoming less pronounced as they adopt popular social media practices. While in the past, Flickr may have been associated with a more 'professional' type of photograph, with the all-important metadata, Instagram's appeal was inherent in its name: uploading your photos could be done 'instantly'. Now, however, Flickr has become far, far easier (and quicker) to upload photos since they have launched their mobile app, while with Instagram it is becoming increasingly more likely to see professional photos from sources such as the National Geographic.

My interaction with Flickr and Instagram

 

I have had accounts with Flickr and Instagram since the early days of both, although I use them in very different ways. While the recent innovations that Flickr has introduced are most definitely welcome, I still associate it with a photo storage site, rather than something I actively engage with. Despite this, there are still many positives: the quality of the photos that you upload tend to be better than on Instagram and the detail that people use to describe these photographs tends to be of a higher quality (my appreciation of this may be due to all those countless hours spent cataloguing over the years). With the new mobile app, it is becoming easier to share and interact with others. Also, doing research for this blog post has brought up a wealth of fascinating photographs that I had never come across before, so it's definitely something I need to devote more time to. Buildings under construction aren't everybody's thing, but I love both of these images. The photo on the left is Marina City, Chicago, taken in 1963 by C. William Brubaker. It's taken from the Digital Collections, UIC Library. The one on the right is the Liberty Hall building, taken a little later, in early 1964 (from the NLI's Flickr Commons page).


There are still some issues with Flickr (particularly with the rather cumbersome feel and look of the new beta additions) but hopefully they will be ironed out in time.

Instagram is something that I've been getting more and more comfortable with over the last year or so. It's incredibly easy to use, and everything about it is geared towards sharing and interacting with others on the app. This is especially so with the introduction of hashtags to make finding photos more intuitive. I find that the tendency on Instagram is towards being more relaxed about the quality of the photographs that you're uploading: they don't have to be perfect and often the goal is more about what the picture is trying to say rather than its quality as a piece of art or a historical document.  Having said that, more and more cultural institutions and businesses are embracing Instagram which makes using it an even more rewarding experience.

Libraries sharing their collections

Given the popularity of both of these apps, it is not surprising that many libraries have realised that they are a great way of advertising their services as well as interacting with users that may have either forgotten they were there or are unable to get to their library for whatever reason. A great example of this is the National Library of Ireland's Flickr account.

An example of the selection of photographs available on the NLI's Flickr Commons page

The first thing we notice is a range of high-quality photographs that advertise an essential quality of the NLI: it's a cultural institution of Ireland, and has photos not simply advertising their services but sharing their collection directly online. There's a wealth of information about the photographs, and a lot of interaction with users online. It's interesting to compare this resource and the amount of time that must be put into selecting photographs, cataloguing, and so on, with the NLI's presence on Instagram which is ... nonexistent. There are lots of people posting images about the NLI, but they are not connected officially with the institution. I think with the growing popularity of Instagram, and the fact that other institutions like the New York Public Library and the National Gallery of Ireland embracing the format, there is a opportunity for the NLI to engage with its users through Instagram. Below we can see the National Gallery of Ireland's Instagram account: it's a nice mix of showcasing its considerable quality of world class art, as well as advertising its services and some interesting photographs of staff members.

Using photo sharing apps in your own library

 

Is photo sharing suitable for all types of libraries? I have thought about this question while doing research for this topic, and was initially very skeptical, especially when thinking about the library that I work in. However, seeing how different types of libraries adopt different platforms for photo sharing, and also the different ways that they interact with these apps, has made me reappraise the situation.

As with most things in a library, planning is essential. The first thing that needs to be ascertained is whether there is enough people available to manage the project and whether the library can set up another social media platform within the marketing parameters that may exist in the college. An important thing to keep in mind is that any social media platform should be considered a long-term marketing tool, and may not see any achievable results in the short-term. This means that it may be difficult to argue for its implementation with the relevant college authorities as well as being aware that the library will have to update its account on a regular basis. A general rule of thumb might be to update at least a couple of times a week.

Where I work, the only social media presence that we are engaged in is Facebook. We highlight any news that might be of interest to the students, and have recently started highlighted the services that we provide. As I mentioned previously, I was initially unsure as to whether Instagram or Flickr would really suit a small academic library like ourselves and this was only highlighted when I investigated accounts like the NLI's Flickr Commons and the National Gallery of Ireland's Instagram account. These accounts are showcasing a collection, and the photos themselves are works of art or interesting historical documents. Does somebody really want to look at a photo of the latest statistics must-have textbook?

I thought this article was interesting, however, and shows how an imaginative approach to something like an Instagram account can pay real dividends. There are some great ideas, including a 'Flashback Friday' focusing on old yearbook photos, as well as the occasional picture of a historical document. What seems to be the key to a good Instagram account (for a non-traditional cultural institution) is to mix up the informative with the silly and the esoteric. The article does mention, however, that there are very few students following the account they are using as an example, which might lead to some serious questions as to its purpose and viability.

A good example of how it might work is the Oregon Libraries Instagram account, which you can see on the left. We can see some historical photographs mixed with some quirky ones, as well as library notices advertising opening hours over a holiday period. There is a very brief bio at the top, and appropriate notice of suitable hashtags where you can interact with the different libraries that make up the service. There is considerable interaction with regards to liking the photographs, although interaction in the comments section is somewhat minimal.

Overall, I think an Instagram account might work in the context of the library where I work if we follow some of the good examples mentioned above. I think we might have to wait until we've tried some of the more obvious social media platforms, like Twitter, but it's an exciting prospect.

Rudaí23, thing #4: Befriending Google

The Case For Google

There's nothing like a twee image to excite the hearts and minds of librarians. Even more so when it attempts to counteract some 'obvious' falsehoods regarding our jobs and technological innovation. I'm sure most of us have faced that inevitable moment with a relative at a family Sunday dinner or an acquaintance on a night out when you are asked about the viability of being a librarian now that Google has made the role redundant.

There's a false 'either/or' understanding of this situation. I have been using Gmail on a daily basis for nearly ten years now, and I also utilise certain other integral parts of Google on a near-daily basis (the Search function, their mapping service, and YouTube, which I still don't see as a Google function) and other functions less frequently (Google Drive which can be hugely helpful, but at times incredibly frustrating).  As is the case with a lot of the Rudaí23 tasks, I find that I am looking at things online that I assumed I had a deep knowledge of, only to find new and exciting elements that can really help my presence online and my job.

Google as a social tool

I tend to associate Google as an individual resource: I contact people through email, I use Google Maps to find where I'm going, and I watch YouTube if I see an interesting link online or am reminded of some early 90s song from Seattle that I haven't heard since I was 15. But there is a social element to Google as well. I signed up to Google+ when it first came out, and was initially taken with its sleek design as well as with the 'invite only' setup they had at the beginning. It felt like you could really be yourself without worrying whether that person you 'friended' on Facebook that you don't really know would be reading all about the intricacies of your life. However, as time went by, I realised that even after they did away with the invites, nobody else seemed to be using it on a regular basis. I wasn't aware that Google have been threatening to close it down so, to be honest, this would put me off trying to connect with it again.

Google Hangouts

Rudaí23 mentions Hangouts, and it is a nice little touch. I was unaware that I had been using Hangouts sporadically since I had started using Gmail, but I didn't know about the videophone options and the potential to hold conferences online. I used Hangouts to talk to a friend who was online, and it did not seem to be any better or worse than similar services that are freely available. So, while I can see its potential, I would be hesitant to use it over other services such as Skype or Whatsapp as you are essentially limited to friends or contacts that have a Google account. Having said that, if Hangouts doesn't capture the world's imagination soon, I can see Google simply buying a successful company that does something similar. We'll all have Google accounts soon (whether you like it or not).

Google's lesser known functions

The Rudaí23 post alerted me to some functions of Google that I never knew about before. There is a Code link that I'm intending to check out in more detail when I have some spare time, and there is also a Survey one that may come in handy in the library where I work and, of course, Google Scholar. In an academic context, Google Scholar already holds a well-respected place in the mind of most dedicated students, and it's easy to see why. The referencing and citation links are incredibly useful, and if a student is already used to the Google interface, searching Scholar is incredibly intuitive. 

Google in your workplace

I have been involved in some user-testing where I work and it is very interesting to see (and hear) how students interact with their library website (and the internet in general). If a student is looking for something through Google and can't find what he or she is looking for, there is a worryingly high chance that they may assume that what they are looking for simply doesn't exist. For some students, Google represents all that is available, and that is a cause for concern when libraries have so many paid-for articles, ebooks, and other essential resources for the 21st century student that are not available on Google. And that's why I believe it's wrong to see Google as a threat to libraries and librarians. Knowing how to use Google, and all the little functions that most people don't know about, will help you to be a better librarian and help your users to get what they want.

Rudaí23, thing #2: On becoming a librarian*

The non-direct route to becoming a librarian

Why did I become a librarian? I would love to be able to say that I had a lifelong interest in books, that I visited libraries whenever I could, and that there was a librarian in my local library that was a huge influence in my formative years, but none of that would be true. I spent most of my teens and early twenties with no clear idea of what I wanted to do with my life. By the time I thought that becoming a librarian was something that I wanted to do, I had already done a Masters (not a good idea if you are still unsure of your career path), was working in a bookshop and couldn't afford to do the second Masters that I would need to gain the qualifications to become a librarian.

Fortune (in the form of misfortune) allowed me to complete the MLIS in UCD. But why libraries? I know people say that if books is your only interest, then it's not a good reason to become a librarian, and while they're probably right, it was a start for me. Libraries represented an opportunity to focus on the elements of bookselling that I loved (the power of information, interacting with the public, and helping people to find whatever it was that they were looking for) within an industry that I saw as vibrant and one that was preparing to meet the challenges of the future. 

That all-important qualification

A qualification was absolutely necessary, and there were two options open to me. I could study for the MLIS in UCD, a pretty intensive course or do a long distance option in one of the universities in the UK. I chose the UCD course because it had the courses that I believed would be of use to me in my future possible career, and within an environment that would suit the way I studied (I don't think long distance learning would be my thing). The MLIS in UCD offered courses on social media, teaching librarianship, web design, digital libraries as well as more traditional choices like cataloguing and information services.

And what is it exactly that you do?

I am currently working as a library assistant in a relatively small college library in Dublin (not the one pictured above, which would require a time machine). The day-to-day activities include everything you would think a librarian does: checking in books, helping students find whatever they're looking for, but I've also managed to get some experience doing more specific tasks including looking after different aspects of journal management as well as dipping my toe into user testing.

Am I happy with my choice? Absolutely! It has been a tough few years, and there were times when I wondered whether I had made the right choice, but I genuinely love working in a library. There is a fantastic network of librarians in Ireland and there are so many opportunities to get involved in interesting areas of the library world. There are also some fascinating developments happening in the industry, whether your 'thing' is tech, information literacy, cataloguing, or non-traditional roles. And what's even better is that there are so many people working in the industry willing to help or get involved in discussions. 

*Librarian/library assistant. It's all a work-in-progress.