Author Archives: cbecker53

The Power of Blogging

Posted on May 31, 2012 by cbecker53

The post 6 Reasons Why You Should Quit Blogging is really targeted toward businesses. And yes, it is from an Internet marketing agency, that is trying to sell you its services.     But, its message is valid, and applies … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogging, Promotion, Social Media, Websites | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Empowering Employees

Posted on May 29, 2012 by cbecker53

Came across this thoughtful post this week:  Leaders Need to Understand the Risk and Trust Relationship.  I agree, it is so true:  “How can we get staff to make more decisions on their own, they always come to us for … Continue reading →

Posted in Decision-making, Employees, Management | Tagged , | Leave a comment

ALA Looks at Equitable Access to Digital Content

Posted on May 25, 2012 by cbecker53

From the PLA Blog:  New ALA Report Explores Challenges of Equitable Access to Digital Content: The American Library Association (ALA) has released a new report examining critical issues underlying equitable access to digital content through our nation’s libraries. In the … Continue reading →

Posted in eBooks, Equal Access | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Does Your Policy Pass the Smell Test?

Posted on May 23, 2012 by cbecker53

I noticed mention of a complaint about body odor the minutes of a Wisconsin library last week.  Unfortunately, this is a topic that comes up periodically, and is a somewhat sticky situation to deal with.   How does a public library … Continue reading →

Posted in Acceptable Behavior, Homeless, Policies | Tagged , | Leave a comment

So Good that People Remark on It

Posted on May 21, 2012 by cbecker53

One of my very favorite articles about customer service is “Seven Steps to Remarkable Customer Service” from Joel Spolsky.  I love everything about it, starting with the title, deliberately chosen because it is about “customer service so good people remark … Continue reading →

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Storytelling with a Twist

Posted on May 18, 2012 by cbecker53

I just read the most uplifting story on NPR’s Health blog.  It is about a program called TimeSlips.  “The idea is to show photos to people with memory loss, and get them to imagine what’s going on — not to … Continue reading →

Posted in Library Programs | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Hiring? Don’t forget about Recruitment

Posted on May 17, 2012 by cbecker53

It seems I’m seeing more announcements for job openings lately so I thought I’d share some thoughts on hiring.  I’ll focus on just one aspect of hiring, that of recruitment; in fact I’ll focus on just one aspect of recruitment.  … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiring, Recruitment | Leave a comment

Making Customers Work Too Hard

Posted on May 14, 2012 by cbecker53

Today’s post in The M Word blog struck a chord with me.  Here’s the start: May I Vent? If I go to one more library’s website that doesn’t include the director’s name, I am going to SCREAM. I get it.  … Continue reading →

Posted in Customer Service, Privacy, Websites | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Mothers, Libraries, and Reading

Posted on May 13, 2012 by cbecker53

I am thinking of my mother today on Mother’s Day.  At nearly 91 years old, she is still going strong, for which I am grateful.  When I think about Mom, there are a lot of different directions my thoughts go—but … Continue reading →

Posted in Children's Literature, eBooks | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Fifty Shades of Libraries

Posted on May 11, 2012 by cbecker53

So, have you heard or read about the controversy over the “Fifty Shades” trilogy?  As I write this, the books hold spots 1, 2, and 3 in the New York Times Best Seller Fiction list, spots they have held for … Continue reading →

Posted in Censorship, Policies, Selection | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment