Skip to main content

Prioritizing patron training

By
Instead of waiting until we could create a whole new digital media lab to provide our patrons with training on software applications, we went ahead and designated a computer with a static IP address and subscribed to Lynda.com!

Patrons AND staff will now be able to access great training videos on a variety of software in the Reference Department. This is a great first step in turning our library into a truly functional Makerspace for our adult patrons.




We're prioritizing an expanded in-house video instruction library so our patrons are given lots of opportunity to become comfortable and even savvy at downloading books, using state-of-the-art apps, and all the ways they can use their new devices to access material at the library.

Comments

  1. UnknownApril 13, 2013 at 6:23 AM

    Update: Our Lynda.com computer is up and running. The depth and breadth of course offerings is amazing! You can spend 10 minutes or hours on a subject and get something out of it.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks for commenting!

Popular posts from this blog

Makey Makey Floor Piano

By Anonymous
If you are looking for a short, low cost project to do with your Makey Makeys, this one is sure to be a big hit. It's a great small group project as well as an eye catching interactive display in some noisy area of the library (as long as you can keep library staff sane). This was made as part of our Tinkering Tuesdays lab. We had low tech cardboard construction, 3D printing, and the Makey floor piano going on simultaneously. It took us about 1.5 hours with 3 teens helping. Materials List: Aluminum Tape $12 Duct Tape (any color) $2 Makey Makey $50 CAT cable (there's one lying around your library trust me) or just use regular wire Wire strippers 12 x 12 x 1.5 in puzzle piece exercise mat $12 white 6 x 8 tarp (but could be smaller) $12 Computer with internet running Scratch This video shows a demonstration with step by step picture instructions and a more detailed video explanation. I got the idea from two sites that I used for consult: Ed Tech Junkies & Mak
4 comments
Read more

Our most popular makerspace/STEM/Library of Things

By Anonymous
As of April 2018, we did a kit circulation report.  We had 106 kits which have circulated 1,047 times since it's inception in 2015.  Here is the top 10 list of most circulated. These include hobby kits, puzzles, cake pans, instruments, science robots/STEM, and American Girl dolls. The ukulele kits (we have one soprano and one concert kit) have been around the longest and have circulated 106 times total.  Just remember someone should change the strings yearly and definitely include a tuner (we like the snark) as new strings on a uke take a while to break in. Surprisingly our meditation toolbox comes in second with 51 checkouts.  It is just some CDs and a DVD.  This one has also been around since the inception of our kits. Next up is our virtual reality headset toolbox.  It is a Homido Virtual Reality headset. If that is too pricey, I recommend Google Cardboard.  Our sewing machine comes in 5th.  Knitting is a great idea for a toolbox and very popular but li
4 comments
Read more

3D Printing Signs for the Library Collection

By Anonymous
Last weekend, I went to the annual Tee-Off mini golf event at the Brookline Public Library.  As a first time visitor, I was mini-golfing with my phone at the ready. Special thanks to the AMAZING librarian rockstar Robin Brenner for so many great ideas. It truly is worth a visit just to see her teen room. Here are a few 3D printing/marketing ideas to takeaway: Having a  3D printer filtration cart would be wonderful in our library.  Look at the price if you dare.  Right now I have to go downstairs to retrieve prints because we are concerned about the fumes and little hands touching anything while the printer is on.  I have a video camera set up downstairs using an iPad 2 and the free app called Presence  for monitoring but sometimes I do forget to keep checking the presence website while I'm on the desk especially since it makes this annoying beeping sound to say, "Are you still watching?!"..As the sign reveals on the cart, the propensity to want to lean or jostle the car
29 comments
Read more