BJORN THE LIBRARIAN

Prototyping New Library Services

I came across this quote from an older blog post by Helen Blowers. I love reading and applying quotes. Like pictures, quotes are truly powerful adds to your blog.

Helen writes, "In order for customers to be engaged in your development process, you need to provide them with something to react to. Focus groups are good, but prototyping feedback sessions are better!"

I support the idea of prototyping new library services. Let's face it, it's difficult to know what we want! It becomes easier once we have something solid to work with. Guy Kawasaki has a book called The Art of the Start. The premise: get your idea moving. Adapt as you go!

I've located some great quotes about getting things started. The following quotes are taken from The Cheap Revolution Blog by Skip Shuda:

1. I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work - Thomas Edison, inventor and scientist


2. The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary - Vidal Sassoon, entrepreneur


3. The best reason to start an organization is to make meaning - to create a product or service to make the world a better place - Guy Kawasaki, entrepreneur, investor, author


4. Failure defeats losers, failure inspires winners - Robert T. Kiyosaki, author, entrepreneur, investor


5. Entrepreneurs average 3.8 failures before final success. What sets the successful ones apart is their amazing persistence - Lisa M. Amos


6. Once you say you're going to settle for second, that's what happens to you in life - John F. Kennedy, U.S. President


7. The entrepreneur in us sees opportunities everywhere we look, but many people see only problems everywhere they look. The entrepreneur in us is more concerned with discriminating between opportunities than he or she is with failing to see the opportunities - Michael Gerber, author, entrepreneur


8. An entrepreneur tends to bite off a little more than he can chew hoping he'll quickly learn how to chew it - Roy Ash, co-founder of Litton Industries


9. The critical ingredient is getting off your butt and doing something. It's as simple as that. A lot of people have ideas, but there are few who decide to do something about them now. Not tomorrow. Not next week. But today. The true entrepreneur is a doer, not a dreamer - Nolan Bushnell, founder of Atari and Chuck E. Cheese's


10. Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover - Mark Twain, author
    
    

 

Book Vending Machines

Libraries Will Soon Move Into Bay Area BART Stations By Connie Kim

This is an interesting article. The Bay Area is following the lead of the Scandinavians. Now commuters can check-out library books while they wait for their ride to work. This is a fantastic example of how libraries are going to meet the needs of their customers. The Contra Costa County Library is truly providing value and convenience. It will be very interesting to follow the roll-out of this idea!

I thought it was interesting that the article begins by saying, "It’s another sign of the future where computers and machines are taking the place of people. This time, we may be saying goodbye to our neighborhood librarian."

This quote reflects the ignorance that today's librarians must fight to overcome. Librarians are the ones taking the point on new ways to meet the needs of their community. We are responsible for implementing fantastic ideas like book vending machines!