Today we are joined by the Mountain West Digital Library staff to discuss their ongoing mission, upcoming workshops, and Fall Webinar Series. Always a great group of people to work with and a great library to get involved in. Also, this is our fiftieth episode of the podcast without the government somehow intervening, so congratulate us!
Resources we discuss:
I know you are all overflowing with that sweet librarian money, so I wanted to make sure you are aware of a great group that can use your help. EveryLibrary is a Political Action Committee (PAC) that is ready to support you!
EveryLibrary helps secure funding for libraries at the ballot box. We train, coach, and consult with library communities on Information Only and Vote YES campaigns. EveryLibrary is donor supported in our pro-bono work. We believe that any library campaign anywhere should matter to every library everywhere.
ANY LIBRARY CAMPAIGN ANYWHERE!
We have witnessed the awesome rise of PACs over the last decade and it is important to understand that there is one working exclusively for libraries. Libraries are vulnerable as taxpayer-supported entities and our fate is often left in the hands of an electorate who does not understand because of misinformation from other political interests. EveryLibrary politically supports initiatives that support libraries through training and outreach.
Libraries need to talk to voters directly about the bonds, levys, milliages, and referendum that build, renovate, or expand library services for the next generation.
EveryLibrary needs substantial ongoing support. They are here to help and just because your library does not need them today, does not mean it won’t in the future. Make this a sustainable resource through your support and advocacy.
By: Dustin Fife, San Juan County Library Director and ULA President-Elect
On April 3, 2013 the YouCreate Lab was opened to the community and content creation began!
Part Three: Vision to Action to Engagement
Real, sustainable community change requires the initiative and engagement of community members – Helene D. Gayle
Staff Training: It’s Okay If You’re Not An Expert
The Park City Library is dedicated to providing excellent customer service and supporting the informational needs of our community. Therefore, to ensure that staff are able to help patrons with digital media lab inquires, staff training on the YouCreate Lab is essential. Staff engagement is also necessary in keeping the technology safe and secure for all to enjoy as there is an inherent security risk in providing the community with access to the newest technology.
Staff’s reception of the YouCreate Lab was a mix of excitement and apprehension regarding the new technology. They were enthusiast about the lab’s possibilities as a community asset, but concerns were expressed in relation to: knowledge, ability and skill sets associated with the new technology and being able to assist with patrons’ queries. First and foremost, we addressed expectations by acknowledging that proficiency with the YouCreate Lab’s equipment, software, and hardware was going to time and we assured staff that we did not expect them to be or become experts. Additionally, we affirmed that varying comfort levels and skills sets were anticipated and it’s okay for staff to develop their knowledge and ability in conjunction with the community.
The Park City Library invested a substantial amount of time in training staff. We focused staff training on the policies and procedures; the type of equipment, software, hardware and resources available; as well as conducting regular walkthroughs to ensure the safety, security and functionality of all equipment. After the lab was open, staff’s confidence multiplied! Staff challenged themselves to learn how to use selected software (e.g. iMovie) and how to operate the equipment (e.g. Powerslide 5000 Slides Scanner). They were able to create instructional handouts and videos for the community regarding how to use assorted equipment and software provided in the digital media lab. They also created their own content by digitizing personal history items and producing movies. Additionally, to provide further development and training, we encourage staff to participate in instructional workshops on how to use the equipment and software.
Community Engagement: From What (?) to Wow (!)
Digital media labs are not a traditional component of libraries, so when I first submitted the press release on YouCreate Lab to the local media agencies, I heard nothing back. After a couple of attempts, I was finally able to get a response for our local newspaper, The Park Record. The first question asked was, “what exactly is a digital media lab?”
Prior to the YouCreate Lab opening, we went through the library’s marketing checklist and we knew immediately that our marketing message couldn’t just be about the lab opening; we had to explain what a digital media lab was and how the community could utilize it. Subsequently, we provided tours demonstrating the lab’s various uses to the library board; city council, the mayor and the city manager; the friends of the library board; digital media teachers at the local high school; and anyone who was curious. These tours, along with lab users spreading the word, helped the library transition from questions like “what is a digital media lab?” to “wow, can I use it?”.
Community Lab users have included:
What’s Next: Phase II and III
The Park City Library is currently undergoing a renovation/expansion and funding has been allocated to expand the YouCreate Lab by incorporating the technology for phase II and III. Hence, there’s still a lot of work to be done to complete the phases as well as continuing staff development and training; providing further programming and engaging community experts to contribution in additional learning opportunities. We’re so excited and we’ve already begun!
Contact Information: Got Questions?
Please feel free to contact: Jasmina Jusic at or Tegan Davis at and we’ll be happy to assist you!
Coming Soon in August: A recorded slide presentation of “How to Bring a YouCreate Lab to Your Library”, first presented at the 2014 ULA Conference by Jasmina Jusic and Tegan Davis.
By: Tegan Davis, Park City Library Youth and Spanish Services Manager
Today we are talking to Anne Morrow about Geo-Spatial Information Systems. Anne and several of her colleagues at the university are working hard to create rich information and opportunities for research and discovery. GIS is an important field that librarians should be contributing to. Listen and geek-out with Anne and Dustin!
Resources we discuss:
Dustin Fife, Tegan Davis, and Kristen Stehel discuss and celebrate the first 18 months of the website and year of the podcast. This episode explores the history of the website and the hoped for future trajectory. We also have a good discussion about why ILEAD is such a great program and some good information on why you should all apply for ILEAD USA Utah for 2015.
Funding for the YouCreate Lab was provided by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the Utah State Library, Park City Municipality and by the Friends of the Park City Library.
Part Two: Vision to Action
Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world — Joel Arthur Baker
Research and Funding: Know Your Ask
In January 2012, Heather Reynolds, the pervious Youth Services Librarian attended a webinar presented by Skokie Public Library on creating a digital media lab. This was the spark, which lead to a budget request by former Library Director, Linda Tillson. Digital media labs are fairly new and not a traditional component of libraries; however, Park City Municipality recognized the need to support the community’s development of 21st Century skills and granted a $5,000 budget increase specifically for the digital media lab!
Seven months later, Jasmina Jusic, Adult Services Librarian, Chris Roh, IT Coordinator, and I began extensively researching digital media labs and discussing how we could create a lab at the Park City Library. It became evident that our vision had developed beyond the previously conceived project scope and additional funding would be necessary. With encouragement from the Library Director, Jasmina and I co-wrote a Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Grant proposal for the first phase of the YouCreate Lab. In September 2012, the Park City Library was awarded the requested LSTA Grant funds of $15,492! Additionally, the Friends of the Library offered their support of the project by providing funding for books and materials.
Equipment and Setup: Phase I – Digital Multi-Media
The digital media lab includes three Apple desktop computers with software that enable users to creatively express themselves through digital videos, photography, websites, graphic design, podcasts, animation, presentations, and other forms of digital media. Also available for patrons to use are digital cameras, video camcorders and tripods; Wacom touch tablets and portable hard drives; a digital scanner, a slide scanner, and a green screen with lighting. The selection of these items were based upon a criterion that considers the 21st Century skill needs of the community, community interests, ease of usability, product reviews, durability, cost and longevity. Acquisition of the digital media lab equipment, software, and hardware transpired over a few months through direct purchasing with vendors (Apple and Adobe), utilizing Amazon.com and purchasing assistance provided by Park City’s IT Department. (Although, the IT Department doesn’t currently support Macintosh computers, they were receptive and excited about the YouCreate Lab.)
The Park City Library invested a substantial amount of time organizing and preparing a digital media lab for community use. A large study room, which was originally an office, was selected and reposed for the YouCreate Lab due to the counter top and cabinetry already in place. The windows into the study room were blacked via construction paper until the lab’s ‘big reveal’. Jasmina, Chris, and I were responsible for setting up the hardware and installing the software; however, multiple staff members assisted with the project. For instance, Circulation and Cataloging staff ordered reference materials for the digital media lab, cataloged, designed, and programed equipment kits for ‘in house’ use as well as for ‘check out’. Team effort is what made the YouCreate Lab possible!
Policy and Procedures: House Rules for Your Community
Prior to co-writing the YouCreate Lab’s policies and procedures, Jasmina and I researched how other libraries were establishing a foundation for digital media labs use. For example, we studied Skokie Public Library’s rules and Chicago Public Library’s YOUmedia guidelines and adapted concepts that were appropriate for our community. The policies, procedures and user agreement form we composed, reflected our community and provided equitable access while adhering to library policies and procedures already in place. In 2013, these documents were proposed to the Library Board for discussion and revisions. After a few revisions, the documents were submitted to Park City’s Legal Department. Subsequently, more legal revisions followed and the final documents were presented to the Library Board for a unanimous approval.
Stay tuned next week for Part Three: Vision to Action to Engagement
By: Tegan Davis, Park City Library Youth and Spanish Services Manager
TechSoup offers some great information to think about when considering 3D printer policies.
http://www.techsoupforlibraries.org/blog/3d-printers-and-library-policy
Posted by: Kristen Stehel
Utah State Library
Tegan and Dustin discuss great leadership opportunities available to all librarians. ALA’s Emerging Leaders, ILEAD USA Utah, and MPLA’s Leadership Institute are all amazing oppotunities for professional development and personal growth. Tegan and Dustin also wrap-up their 2014 ALA Annual Conference experience (spoiler alert: neither of them miss Las Vegas.)
Resources we discuss:
How do you envision your community utilizing the library? Do you imagine content creation, collaboration, engagement and entertainment? Are you interested in having a Digital Media Lab, Makerspace, or Recording Studio in your library? Why not have all three? These were the questions we were asking ourselves in 2012 at the Park City Library and in the spring of 2013, our YouCreate Lab opened as Utah’s first digital media lab in a public library.
Park City Library’s YouCreate Lab is collaborative community space with state of the art software and equipment that enables people to creatively express themselves through digital videos, photography, websites, graphic design, podcasts, presentations, and other forms of digital media. This new space encourages the development of 21st Century Skills, such as information, media, communications, and technology literacies, which are essential for today’s global economy. The lab provides everyone in the community with opportunities to pursue their creative aspirations whether that is digitizing family slides, creating art, movies, apps, or animation. The lab includes equipment that can be used in the library as well as borrowed.
This post will be the beginning of a brief series on how we built the YouCreate Lab, so you can too!
Part One: Vision
“The mission of librarians is to improve society through facilitating knowledge creation in their communities.” — R. David Lankes in The Atlas for New Librarianship
Know Your Community: From personal jet planes to food banks
The Park City Library is a small library located on the eastern side of the Wasatch Range of the Rocky Mountains in Summit County in the State of Utah. According the to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population estimate base for Park City was 7,558 with an estimated growth of 3.5% for 2011. Historically a mining town, Park City is now a world-class resort town that attracts over 3 million annual visitors. A few of the attractions include three nationally ranked ski resorts, the Sundance Film Festival, the Utah Olympic Park (a winter sports park built for the 2002 Winter Olympics), nationally ranked mountain biking trails; fly fishing, hiking, dining, and shopping.
Park City demographics mirror the state’s trend in which the majority of residents are Caucasian with a growing Latino population; in Park City, the Latino population accounts for about 24% of residents, which is significantly higher than Utah’s average of 13% (2010 U.S. Census). Residents of Park City average a median household income of $61,383; however, 9.1% of Park City’s population lives below the poverty line. The 2010 U.S. Census data illustrates the while Park City’s ‘persons below poverty level’ is 2.3% lower than the state’s average; it’s almost 3% higher than Summit County’s average. The data exposes the disparity between the perceived affluence of Park City and the reality of residents who have a hard time affording safe housing, food, health care, and education.
Assess the Need: 21st Century Skills
In today’s society, success is achieved by efficiently navigating a plethora of information using critical thinking and problem solving skills while effectively collaborating and communicating within a global context. Park City’s community embraced the development of 21st Century Skills within the school district by implementing the “high access” initiative, which provides every student (grades 6 through 12) a laptop and access to digital media labs in schools. This initiative impacts less than a quarter of Park City’s population. Therefore, the Park City Library has an opportunity and commitment to bridging the digital divide and supporting the whole community’s development of 21st Century Skills.
Vision: By building the YouCreate Lab
The library will provide:
The library will facilitate:
The YouCreate Lab aligns the library with our community’s values.
Three Phased Approached:
Three Foundational Outcomes:
Stay tuned next week for Part Two: Vision to Action
By: Tegan Davis, Park City Library Youth and Spanish Services Manager
