Bókasafnið - 01.06.2014, Page 91

Bókasafnið 38. árg. 2014
91
Keen librarians also wanted a more challenging
course which would stretch their experience and enable
them to apply the reader­centred approach more stra­
tegically, taking them into new areas with larger­scale
project development, outreach into the community and
library advocacy. We took more than a year to develop
and test interActive and it is now being used by librari­
ans in Scotland, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
You can get a taste of the approach by trying out a few
pages of the course at http://www.openingthe­
book.com/interactive
The name is clearly because it’s an interactive on­
line course but it’s also because the course facilitates
new interactions. Learners interact with their customers
and find new ways to engage people in reading; they
interact with their collections and test fresh approaches
to promotion and display; they interact with their
colleagues, especially fellow librarians in other
countries. What would such an experience offer you,
and why might you want to undertake it?
The fundamental value in taking interActive is that it
starts with readers. If we want to make a library service
more relevant to more people, and make the most of the
unique range of the library collection, then answers can
be found by turning right around and looking at the li­
brary, and at books, from the reader’s point of view. If
we start with readers as our focus, rather than books,
authors or classification systems then it opens up some
practical possibilities for fundamental change that can
make a measurable difference. A reader­centred app­
roach to library display, promotion and layout can
increase loans and widen membership.
The first module of interActive introduces the key
theories that underpin a reader­focused approach to li­
brary practice and looks at the place of the library in the
wider culture of books and reading. You will consider
the fundamental role that libraries take in influencing
readers’ choices. Concrete examples of projects and
promotions show how starting with the reader offers you
a different approach to library work. You’ll make a
practical start by undertaking two projects that will pro­
vide you with some flexible and sustainable resources
for the future.
The second module looks at the potential that libr­
aries have to actively bring readers together in different
ways. It shows how their reading experiences can be
used as a resource in libraries. You’ll create
opportunities for readers to share their reading passions
and exploit the dynamism of the library collection. You
will consider how to capture readers’ enthusiasm for a
book in a written review and link readers online with
those in the library. Methods of effective targeting are
introduced as a tool for you to widen access to your li­
brary collection. The project you undertake will leave
you with a legacy of relevant experience and
opportunities for future development with readers and
colleagues.
The third module works across the range of the li­
brary collection. It helps you build on the key strengths
and unique purpose of the library. It looks at practical
ways of exploiting the full range of the collection in order
to help readers choose more widely. You’ll get
experience of how focusing on the reader makes a
fundamental difference to the way you select and
display books. You’ll try out a new approach to themed
promotions. This module introduces an important range
of evaluation tools so that you can measure the impact
of your reader­centred work and how it influences
readers.
Module four examines how the organisation of a li­
brary space affects the way people use it. You’ll make
an objective analysis of your library space with the help
of customers and find quick ways of using existing
resources to improve its appeal. You will compare and
adapt retail solutions to the library situation to increase
its attraction. You will be creating or adapting and
managing a showcase for your library and monitoring its
success.
Picture 2: Getting started