Exploring Tech Tools and Productivity Apps

Technology is continuously changing, and there are always new tools and mobile apps to test out. There are tools for everything from productivity, audio, communication, content creation and design, coding, automation, VR, video, etc. As many libraries have shifted to remote operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, daily workflows have changed. The NMRT Online Discussion Committee asked members what tools they have found useful in their work at the library or home over the past year. Members shared tools they were interested in trying and which apps help their daily workflow

Defining Your Online Presence For The Arts Professional: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

A discussion of the costs and benefits of using social media and online tools to boost your professional profile, and tips on how to tailor your experience. This presentation focuses on how artists, art educators, museum professionals and other art world are using Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to manage their online image and business

Presenting At Conferences

This article discusses the process of creating and delivering presentations from developing a topic to technical considerations for librarians who are interested in presenting at conferences, webinars, or other professional venues

Social Media and Libraries

This article discusses how libraries are using social media platforms (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, etc.) as well as content creation, user engagement levels, and tips and tricks

Patrons and the Pandemic: How we are serving, connecting, and communicating with library patrons during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many libraries in the United States to focus on providing remote services and reimagine in-person services. At the same time, many library users are not or cannot visit physical buildings and may not be easy to reach. Libraries are communicating new service methods, protocols for health and safety, new and changing hours, policies, and more. This article discusses how libraries are communicating with patrons during the COVID-19 pandemic

Online Check-in Service: Creating a consistent user experience for virtual research appointments

The covid-19 pandemic forced libraries to pivot quickly to virtual services, often developing and refining services in real-time. However, even as libraries reopen, many new virtual services are here to stay. This poster will show how the UAlbany Libraries identified and addressed user experience pain points after rapidly pivoting from an established in-person research consultation service to a virtual-only service. Inspired by major airlines\u27 sleek online flight check-in services, we created a similarly-styled web page for research appointments. By incorporating the library chat system’s widgets, we streamlined the process of scheduling and managing online appointments with students, creating a simple and consistent user experience. This poster will demonstrate the process of developing/designing the check-in service and its benefits to student users, including ease of use, statistics tracking, and minimal staff training

Pins, Smores and Doodles: 15 Creative Ways to Use 5 Social Sharing Tools

This presentation demonstrates ways Pinterest (interest boards), Smore (flyer design), Doodle (online scheduling), Piktochart (infographics) and Bunkr (online presentations) can be utilized by librarians to take the lead on campus with the latest technology and connect the library with the campus community

A Bitmoji Marketing Campaign to Connect Students with Subject Librarians

The University at Albany Libraries launched a campaign using Bitmojis, cartoon avatars, to connect students with their subject librarians and to increase awareness of the role of subject librarians and the services they provide. The Bitmoji mobile app was the fastest growing app in the United States among adults in 2017; therefore, Bitmojis offered a potentially popular and recognizable way to represent subject librarians. Bitmojis are also highly versatile: they can be personalized, they offer librarians a digital likeness, and they lend themselves to a variety of other formats both physical and digital. This article will introduce the use of Bitmojis to promote subject librarians, identify hurdles to such promotion, present tips to get started, and outline the campaign’s growth

Collect Them All: Helping students find their subject librarian with Bitmojis

The University Libraries Marketing Committee launched a campaign in Spring 2017 to connect students with their subject librarians and to increase awareness of the role of subject librarians and the services they provide. Trading cards were implemented to do this; they serve as an alternative to business cards and feature Bitmoji, cartoon keyboard avatars. The Bitmoji mobile app has grown 3986% in the past year among adults aged 18 and older, therefore Bitmoji offered a potentially popular and recognizable way to represent subject librarians. Bitmojis are also very versatile: they can be personalized, they offer librarians a digital identity, and they lend themselves to a variety of other formats both physical and digital. The libraries held a soft launch of the trading cards at a Welcome Back event. Three trading card designs were displayed under the heading “Can you find your subject librarian?” This invited students to engage with staff, to ask questions and to sort through the cards to find their librarian. Many students did not realize their major had a specific librarian they could work with. To add to the fun, librarian Bitmoji buttons were offered. Over 200 students attended the event and most were able to find their subject librarian trading card. The library also distributed more than 50 buttons. After the success of the Welcome Back Event, a larger launch of all subject librarian Bitmojis is forthcoming this spring

System Statuses in Academic Libraries: Increasing Transparency and Improving the User Experience

is facebook down trended on Google on October 4, 2021, when Facebook became temporarily globally unavailable. Web users proactively seek information when they encounter issues online. System status dashboards are one way libraries can leverage this behavior to share changes to resources or services and improve transparency, reference services, and the user experience. The University at Albany Libraries Discovery Services Librarian and User Experience Librarian implemented Springshare’s System Status Management tool to share system statuses with library staff and the campus community. The institutional context, implementation, and impact are described in this article. The authors reviewed Association of Research Libraries members’ library websites to investigate if and how system statuses are being used to communicate with patrons. Results indicate that the majority of libraries reviewed do not employ a dedicated system status dashboard to share information with their constituents, but may use other types of alerts instead