Abstract silhouette of a hand disintegrating into pieces

Social media: is it gone yet?

Very recently, I made the reluctant decision to stop doing webinars focused on tracking social media metrics. The topic was one that has made me uneasy for a while, but there seemed to be at least some demand for it.…

No, your logo shouldn’t be bigger

People are naturally drawn to what’s attractive and easy to understand. Oversized logos, on the other hand, are aggressive and tacky; think of it as visually shouting at your consumers. Grace Cole, Stryvve Marketing Your library is (probably) proud of its logo.…
Stylized alphabet

Does your library have a font problem?

While discussing the aesthetics of a library program promotion, my supervisor made this comment: “Their graphic designer never met a font they didn’t like.” In other words, there were too many fonts being used in one campaign.  There wasn’t a…
A funny muffin with eyes, mouth and blue sprinkles

The Googly-Eyed Technology test

Years ago, I worked in a library where the administration was intrigued by every new available technological advancement. There were a good number of positive things that came out of this interest, and the IT department had a significant amount…
Firecracker exploding

I’ve written something new.

I’ve taken much of what I’ve thought and learned about website work for libraries, and put it down on paper. You can get a (digital) copy of my Library Technology Report for the American Library Association here, with your ALA…
Apple and orange

You are not a patron. So act like it.

As a staff person, your view (mental model) of the library's website is incredibly different from that of a patron. It's so very different, that you can't even pretend to be a patron user.  It's vital that this is acknowledged.
a magic unicorn made of foil on a purple background with a place under the text

Why do web myths live on in libraries?

Why do these myths continue to be perpetuated in libraries? Perhaps because so many of us grew up alongside the web. We were initiated in the very early days, when it was truly a Wild West-type environment. Not everyone realizes…
The word "TOP 10" written in vintage dirty metal letterpress type on a whitewashed wooden background with ink and paint stains.

Top posts of 2018

What was popular this past year, here on the blog? Here’s the list: Because You’re Not Getting Much Done Anyway (2017 edition) Social media isn’t what it used to be…and it never will be again (Part I) Free Online Tools…
Screenshot of LunaPic homepage

No Photoshop? Try free LunaPic instead

I work with a good number of smaller libraries that don’t have professional graphic artists on staff and also rarely have the money or expertise to use high-level design software, such as Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro.  Oftentimes, our clients…
Podcasting studio

I got to talk TRS-80s with the Library Pros

If you’re not familiar with the Library Pros, they’re a librarian and a library IT professional, podcasting interviews with folks doing interesting things in the library field.  Bob and Chris approached me earlier this year, after seeing my crazy stream…

Cliphy: Add fun to words

I spend a fair amount of time testing out new online tools, usually of the free variety. Some don’t work as advertised. Some are cool, and I sing their praises to the virtual rooftops. Others are just useful in very…
Woman with voice sound waves

Is Alexa killing off websites? Not quite.

I ran across this Medium post by tech futurist Michael Spencer the other day. In it, Spencer claims that websites are about to disappear because of AI-powered voice assistants, like Alexa.  (It’s pretty short, I suggest you take a moment to…
Podcast on tablet

Should your library be podcasting?

Confession time: I haven’t listened to podcasts in quite a while. I was only sort of marginally aware that they had even made any kind of comeback; it was only after a coworker raved about her podcast habit that I…
CTA (Call To Action) marketing concept on colorful sticky notes

Make your links and buttons more effective

Before we can talk about links or buttons, we’ve got to cover an important concept in online marketing. It’s called the CTA (“Call To Action”). Douglas Karr, writing for MarTech, defines as CTA as: A call to action is typically…
Teens with cell phones

New social media rules for us #olds

A common question from librarians is “Where are the kids online?”  Of course, the answer to this question changes regularly. Teens shift their allegiances to social media channels periodically (remember when all the teens were on Facebook?).  The short answer though,…