Empathy in Libraries

How can libraries help meet the physical, emotional, and analytical needs of their users?

Steve at Designing Better Libraries has a great post about the three different aspects of Empathy: physical, emotional, and analytical and their relationship to libraries:

So how might a library experience meet the user’s needs on the analytical, physical and emotional levels? Meeting analytical needs is perfect for the library because it is all about the mind. Everything from a good book, a featured speaker, getting help with research and even getting involved in games can help to meet analytical needs and desires. The physical and emotional needs are a bit more challenging.

Read the whole post here.

So how about the physical and emotional needs of our library users?

As far as physical goes, libraries are exploring more and more into food in the library. So there is a sustanance need fulfilled. Cushy chairs and ergonomic-friendly computer stations can work out here also (is that a real need though?). Libraries can also offer services for acquiring physical needs like employment, housing, clothing, etc.

Emotional. Well, this has definite potential to get too philosophical very fast but libraries can be a social place as well as a place for solitude. Each of these aspects of the library fulfill a psychological need. Likewise, certainly the content in many of the resources libraries provide access to can bring emotional healing.

Libraries have the power to promote each of these (and many others) aspects of their value to their users through a variety of means. Who knows, this may just be what brings them back next time.

Image originally uploaded by [auro]

Using a Library’s Blog

The University of Texas at Tyler Robert R. Muntz Library has a great example of how to use a library blog. Sort of a researcher’s advisory post (instead of a reader’s).

So, what might you use this book for?

You are discussing a poem in class, and the professor says it has
internal rhyme? You want to know what that is? The dictionary will tell
you that it is “a rhyme that occurs within a metrical line in
order to create a musical or rhythmical effect. . . ” (145).

You need an overview of Romanticism (pages 268-269).

You need to tell the difference between a Petrarchan sonnet and a
Shakesperean sonnet (see the entry for sonnet on pages 281-282).

This is one of those cool books that you can use to look up a term quickly and get an answer. The Longman Dictionary and Handbook of Poetry is available in the library’s reference collection. Its call number is PN 1021 .M94 1985.

Two things:

1. I love that Angel Rivera, the Outreach/Reference Librarian, even gives the call number in the post so the user can find it readily.
2. Angel also writes about why the text is useful, not just about the book itself. Reference books are used less and less now-a-days but it is mostly because many users don’t know why they can be more useful than just a Google search.
   

Earth Day and Flock

Sarah on ReadWriteWeb reports that Flock has come up with a really cool idea: an edition style browser. Flock is cool for its social browser abilities alone; however, just in time for Earth Day, they have released an Eco-Edition browser which default searches and RSS feeds from all kinds of environmental content on the web. Download Eco-Edition here.

Who will build a Library/Information literacy Edition?

Conceivably this could be a new subject page model; instead of going to the subject page, the user signs up for a browser fine-tailored to their interests, studies, and hobbies, all naturally connected to their library account for renewals, ILL requests, RSS feeds on search watches, etc.

Education 2.0: iPhone Integration

This is an interesting video about ACU’s project and the possibilities of using emerging technologies like the iPhone in education. I particularly liked the idea that the phone could be used as a map and a polling tool for in-class quizes or surveys. Not sure about the professor giving out his address for a lecture in his home–just a little too transparent for me, but I tend to be pretty conservative when it comes to my family’s privacy and security.

Julie Andrews About Libraries

Julie Andrews just got even cooler. She talks about her experience in a libraries as a child and promotes libraries in general here.