Gaming Tournament @ the library

I'm still in Knoxville, visiting my in-laws, but I just got the low-down on yesterday's Winter Gaming Tournament...it was a great success, and we received great press (an evening feature on KMBC Channel 9 and an article with a photo in The KC Star).

Thanks to all the cool folks like Sarah & Tim who made this happen at our library, to folks like Jenny who encourage libraries to jump in the gaming waters, and to cool libraries like Ann Arbor that show us how gaming can bring together libraries, teens, family, and community.

Tim has a great story linked on his blog about one of the kids who participated in the tournament. Here's my favorite quote from The Star article: “My son plays video games so much our family calls him ‘Basement,’” Burnett, of Olathe, said of his son Kendall. “Every once in a while he comes up for air, but he sure does play a lot...Not many social skills can be gained from sitting in front of a box,” Kenny Burnett said. “But an event like this is great because now he (Kendall) has met other kids who love video games as well.” love it!

OCLC Perceptions Report, pt. 1

I'm reading the OCLC Perceptions Report (online, at my in-laws, from a desktop computer...and wondering if I shouldn't have just shredded the tree it would have taken to print this out...but enough of my whining....at least my brother-in-law has a nice monitor...)...Anyway...I'm working on Part 1, and I thought this was a particularly interesting finding....

When asked the following question, "Please indicate if you have used the following electronic information sources, even if you have used them only once," guess which where the top three resources used? (all ages)

Here are your choices...
Ask an expert
Audiobooks (downloadable/digital)
Blogs
Electronic books (digital)
Electronic magazines/journals
E-mail
E-mail information subscriptions
Instant messaging/online chat
Library Web site
Online bookstore
Online database
Online librarian question service
Online news
RSS feeds
Search engine
Topic-specific Web sites

Ready for the answer? Ok, the first two are easy...
1. E-mail (74%)
2. Search enginge (71%)

But, what was the third? Online news? nope (but close).... Online bookstore? (nope)...Topic-specific Web sites (nope again)

Drum roll.....
3. I.M./online chat (53%)

I thought this was particularly interesting. Now, I wonder about some of the labels (would most people know what a topic-specific Web page was), but I'm going to use this stat as a quick intro as we start our staff SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, Threat) analysis of the Web page...My guess is that most library staff will be surprised by the use of IM/online chat vs other electronic resources....

Quick look back, long look forward

Where have I been and where am I going...I'm still in the midst of family Christmas celebrations, but as I steal away from the festivities, I'm going to think about what's happened in 2005 and what I'm looking forward to in 2006. More posts to follow.

It's been an amazing year. Much has been really challenging as we've worked to build the Web Content Team, select a new content management solution to manage our 9-site, 2,000+ page JoCoWeb World, to not just think about answers, inspiration, interaction, and engagement, but to actually make all that happen, and oh, to not just do all this in a void, but to build excitement and interest and engagement among library staff and community members as well. Oh, yeah...and I'm supposed to find some balance, too...

I am incredibly lucky to work with truly amazing people who love all this stuff too. As I'm in here in Knoxville, they are getting ready to host the first ever JoCoLibrary Winter Gaming Tournament tomorrow...how cool is that?

2005 and 2006

What's happened in 2005...
Increased the size of the Web Content Team from 5 to 7
Hired 2 new team members: a new Web Content Developer and a (new position!) Web Interface Designer
Made a decision on our content management solution: We're going with Episerver (we'll be the first library and the first U.S. organization to implement it, but it's very big in Sweden...ok, yeah, that kinda seems like a punch line, but I have great expectations, and I'm really excited about it).
Won the national award for library service

What's on our plate for 2006...
New staff join the team
Complete a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis of our JoCoWeb World with library staff...
Complete Web World plan for 2007-2009
Do lots, lots more with OPAL
Rebuild the entire 2,000+ page, 9-site JoCoWeb World

Best of all, I get to work with really cool, energetic, amazing people. I'm a lucky girl.