Brick and Click Report

I attended the 10th Annual Brick and Click Conference last week. It was at NW Missouri State University. One of my colleagues was not that impressed with the location for some reason. There was a dearth of Starbucks for her, I guess. We also "enjoyed" driving all the way through Nebraska.

The best session I went to was by Eric Jennings and Kathryn Tvaruzka of UW-Eau Claire on "Quick and Dirty Library Promotions"

In today's economy, money for promotion of library services is at a premium. Find out how the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire's McIntyre Library has inexpensively changed the atmosphere and has broken stereotypes typically associated with the library and librarians through library promotions and activities.

Some of the best ideas included:

• The "How I met my Valentine" Contest.
• Secret Post community art project.
• "Last Call" event before classes begin. Here are some videos of "Last Call".
• Give away fortune cookies to students and faculty. They recommend this place as a supplier. They are not just boring pens or bookmarks. Some of the fortunes go something like: Ask a librarian for help, get an A on your paper. Or -- You will find the love of your life on the 2nd foor, it is a history book.
• Youth and family programs. Have a summer reading program like public libraries. Invite children in for story time. The college kids will also enjoy it when the tots walk into the library.
  

I also went to some other sessions such as:

• Getting Ready to Go Mobile: A Primer for the Uninitiated
• The Library Through Students' Eyes: Exploring Student Research Needs in the Brick and Click Space
• Making Significant Cuts to an Approval Plan without Drawing Any Blood
• Embedded Librarianship: A Briefing from the Trenches
• Carrie also grabbed the handout for Mobile Patrons: Better Services on the Go

Carrie and Sandra also had presentations, and I think they went pretty well.

• Getting Started with Assessment: Using the Minute Paper to Find Trends in Student Learning
• Access to Video Material in Academic Libraries

The best part was being able to meet and chat with online and real-life friends at the pizza place when the conference was done.