Yearly Archives: 2010

Marketing eBooks To Print-Disabled Patrons

As librarians, we know how important the written word is; now, imagine not being able to read because you are visually-impaired or have a print-disability.  Fortunately, technology has made it possible for the visually-impaired and print-disabled to have access to books in a variety of formats including ebooks.

SALS has signed up for LEAP, the Library eBook Accessibility Program, from OverDrive and Bookshare.  This service offers free ebooks to print-disabled patrons.  Patrons who qualify for LEAP may include those who receive services from the National Library Service and/or are members of Recordings for the Blind & Dyslexic.Continue reading→

Everyone Loves a Story

Everybody enjoys hearing a good story.  So, why are library story times almost exclusively held for children?  Holding adult story times is a relatively simple and inexpensive programming idea.Continue reading→

Make Your Library Mobile

“In 2009, one-third of all Americans accessed the web through a cell phone or smartphone”, according to Meredith Farkas’ article in the June/July 2010 issue of American Libraries.  With mobile devices becoming such an important means of communication, libraries need to think about how to market services to mobile users.  One way to do this is to create a mobile version of your library’s website that will enable smartphone users to view the site.  Some libraries have even created mobile applications for searching the library catalog and databases, placing holds, and contacting the library.   In today’s society, everyone wants to have information at their fingertips, and there are so many ways for libraries to tap into the world of mobile users.  Farkas asserts that “by mobilizing our library resources and services, we make ourselves accessible to patrons wherever they are, from a device that fits in their pocket.”