Report Writing at the WA State Library

I prepared two reports during my fortnight as a practicum student at the State Library of WA (November-December 2011).

Report for the client services team
The client services team was considering ways to provide online tutorials and reach more patrons. I was able to make use of a document I'd written for one of my classes (INN333, Information Programs) to jump-start an evaluation of screencasting tools. My studies at QUT have noted the following applications for screencasting in libraries:

• Distance learning
• Information Literacy
• Concrete instructional tutorials
• Self-directed learning
• Introduction to library tools
• Marketing

I chose two popular screencast programs, Jing and Screenr, and evaluated them based on cost, accessibility and ease of use, features, and tech requirements. The evaluation included a table that compared the free and paid versions of Screenr and Jing. Though the resulting report was not exhaustive, it gave the client services team a starting point, should they decide to invest time and effort in creating screencasts.

Report for the participation and learning team

On 20 September 2011 the State Library of Western Australia presented Keeping Up: engaging clients and developing readers.  Panelists discussed cultural institutions as learning spaces and places, social media as a learning space and place, and how the two converged. SLWA conducted a survey through SurveyMonkey to learn what the attendees thought of the library seminar.

I was tasked with collating the survey responses and writing a report to show whether it would be worthwhile to plan similar events in 2012. In addition to providing graphs with quantitative data, I pulled quotes from the attendees as qualitative data. Overall, the seminar was a success. The majority of negative responses concerned the venue, while comments concerning the speakers were positive.

I analysed the responses and comments to determine common themes and suggestions, which would enable SLWA to tailor future seminars to suit their expected audience. Marketing and financial matters were also included in the analysis. To round out the report, I made recommendations for the format, venue, and technical issues encountered on the day.

The manager of the participation and learning team was very pleased with the report I prepared, and e-mailed the following:
Thanks so much for this – it’s a far more comprehensive piece of work than I ever expected, particularly considering the scant information I was able to provide you with in the first place. I recall it went something along the lines of “Here’s the link to the Surveymonkey results, now please could you get on with it”. You’ve written a great report which will really benefit the organisation and provide us with an evidence base as to why we should continue with a third Library Seminar in 2012.

Print vs Pixel at SLWA

I was invited to share my Kindle experience at a "lunch box" session for staff at the State Library of WA. As a practicum student and guest of the SLWA, I was honoured to be asked. Print vs Pixel: How will you read tomorrow? was a panel session, designed to introduce a variety of e-readers. Following our presentations, there was a technology petting zoo.

Approximately 30 staff members gathered for the lunch hour information session. I was seated at the front of the room, with five others on the panel. We each represented a device - Kobo, Sony Reader, Kindle, iPad, Android and...gasp! a real book. We were treated to a reading of It's A Book by Lane Smith. If you don't know it, enjoy this YouTube version!


I love the flexibility of reading on my Kindle. It's lightweight, it fits in my purse, and I can bring more than one book with me at all times. Mine has wifi, which has been a godsend; once I was on vacation and finished the first book in a series, and I was able to download the next book in no time! Browsing the Amazon website allows me to discover new authors based on my purchasing habits. I find the e-ink screen easy to read, and the device itself is a breeze to use. It was nice to contribute to the session, and share my love of the Kindle.

On the Floor at the WA State Library

At the close of my first library conference, the New Librarians' Symposium (NLS5), I plucked up the courage to ask Steve McQuade if I could come back to WA and work with him at the State Library. Happily, he said yes, and in November/December 2011, I spent two weeks doing fieldwork in Perth.

Working with clients

When the children's section has a book totem and costumes, you know you're in for a seriously fun morning. I helped out at story time, where we read Hattie and the Fox - my first Mem Fox book. We sang songs as well, but some of the kids were more interested in playing dress-up or running around the play area. At the end of story time, we handed out stickers.

I really liked that The Place, as the children's area is called, is its own space. The parents don't have to worry that their child is being too noisy or disruptive, and everything is set up for kids to enjoy themselves - books, toys, child-sized chairs and bright colours.

Working with the team
Even though I was only at SLWA for two weeks, I joined up to its fledgling Yammer community. I liked the options for attaching files, links or people to posts. It baffled one of the older part-time librarians, who wanted to know what all this “activity” in her inbox meant.

When I explained that it was a daily digest and she could safely delete it and just read it on Yammer instead, she got even more confused. (Many Yammer postings were copied from emails in the first place, so there was a lot of overlap.) How was she supposed to keep up? How would she know what was important? Would it be compulsory? These are all valid questions, but I didn’t have any answers for her, aside from skimming the posts to see what was of interest. It will be interesting to see whether Yammer is used in my first position, and how another team might use it to communicate. Aside from email and Yammer, team meetings brought everyone up to speed.

The staff were fantastic: very welcoming, eager to help, and willing to answer my questions about working in the library. I didn't feel like a fifth wheel at all, and I was sorry to leave. There are so many great programs and events at SLWA, including exhibitions, the book cafe, story time and Better Beginnings.