Have you seen the library comic strip unshelved? If not, you are really missing out. I had the chance this past week to hear the authors speak at the Utah Library Association Conference and it was something else. I have to say that they win the award for the most entertaining library related presentation I have ever heard. In fact, I was one of the lucky ones who got to pretend to be a drunken patron asking for the bathroom. For my trouble I got to take home a baseball camp that says “library” on the front and “unshelved” on the back.

These highly entertaining presenters- Gene Ambaum and Bill Barnes shared with us how they got started creating unshelved and how they write new comics among other interesting facts. The presentation was complete with audience participation and a slideshow with comic strips.

It was just plain awesome. I subscribe to unshelved via my email and while I’ve read them for a few years now, I had no idea how they started writing them and where they get their ideas. The most hilarious one–the patron who put bacon inside a book and then had to pay for the ruined book. Lol! And yes in case you are wondering most of their comic strips are written based on real experiences that either Gene and Bill have encountered inside a library or that readers have submitted to them.

While I’m at it, would you like to create your own library cartoons or comic strips?

Here are some cool resources to do just that.

1. Stickman Cartoon Software
2. toondoon
3. Komixo

1. In library literacy sessions in classes. You could use one for each group of 4-5 students and ask students to complete a project on it. This would be particularly useful when presenting in a non-computer lab classroom.

2. You could go into the student commons or anywhere else where students or your library patrons hang out and ask if you can give them a brief demonstration on something such as how to locate ebooks, how to find articles in a certain database or how to search the library catalog.

3. You could have a limited number available for in library use only for a limited time period.

4. You could use them to teach a library mini-course in a group study room or other library room that does not have computers.

5. You could have one of the members of your library staff stand in a high traffic area away from your reference desk carrying an ipad and offer to help patrons as they wonder through the stacks.

6. You could load some ebooks on them and check them out since unlike the kindle this is probably allowed. Although you would need to have the patron sign their life away, in order to be able to use one.

7. You could consider having your staff use ipads instead of your regular computers. This may or may not work but if you could make it work, you may be able to say a lot of money.

8. Find some library related websites, ebooks or other content and upload them onto a few ipads and leave these out on your library displays for patrons to use inside the library.

9. Get rid of all or some of your library computers and replace them with ipads for your patrons to use instead.

10. Give away an ipad as a prize for a library contest. Make your patrons complete some kind of a survey to be entered to win.

In my last post I talked about the top 10 social networking in libraries trends for 2009, so now let me share what I believe are the top 10 trends for 2010.

1. An increase in the use of mobile applications for library services. This includes things such as text messaging but also the development of library web pages on .mobi domains for use on mobile devices and maybe even libraries creating iphone applications for their libraries.

2. Even more ebook readers and the popularity of the ones that already exist. New and existing ebook publishers and device manufacturers will find ways for patrons to download and read a higher number of ebooks from popular collections such as ebrary and netlibrary on ebook readers. This is still a challenge and it will be easier by the end of 2010.

3. The usage of more niche social networking sites for the public at large and this will spill over into libraries.

4. An increase in the amount and usage of Google Applications such as Google Wave and other similar applications.

5. The Google Books controversy will more or less be resolved and patrons will begin to use it more.

6. Library websites will become more socialized and customized. Patrons will be able to interact more directly with the library’s website.

7. College libraries will use more open source software and more social networking sites to educate their patrons and for library literacy in order to save money.

8. More libraries will use podcasting and itunes U to communicate with patrons and to offer value.

9. More libraries will offer social networking classes to their patrons.

10. Social networking in libraries will be viewed more as a must and as a way to save money than as a fun thing to play with or to use to market the library.

How was 2009 as a year for social networking tools for libraries? Well here are what I consider to be the top 10 tools, trends or sites that libraries began using successfully during 2009? Stay tuned in a few days for my list of predictions for 2010.

1. Facebook fan pages. This was the year that in my opinion many libraries started not only using them but making them work as a marketing tool for their library.

2. Twitter- before 2009, twitter was popular enough for many people but this year it really started being used by libraries and other library related vendors.

3. Library related widgets such as libguides widgets and gale widgets as well as those from other vendors. Although they existed before 2009, many vendors of library databases and other programs really began coming out with the social networking widgets for searching and using their products during this year.

4. Text a librarian and other texting services. Although some libraries may have used texting to hand held devices before 2009, it really increased in popularity this year.

5. Ebook readers- whether it is the kindle, the nook, or the sony reader, many more libraries and librarians as well as people either bought their first reader during 2009 or began really considering it.

6. Flickr- this site became even more popular in 2009 than it was in 2008. In 2008 the Library of Congress put their collection on flickr and many more libraries followed suite this year.

7. Online reference and citation software programs such as refworks and bibme. This increased in popularity and there are even more of them being made available for free than in the past.

8. Online book reading and sharing communities such as good reads, and shelfari.

9. Open source web design programs for creating a website such as Drupal, Joomla and WordPress. Although reasonably popular before because of budgeting concerns, even more libraries are now using them to create their websites.

10. Social Networking classes- although not a completely new idea, it seems that the increase in these being offered at libraries was significant this year and why not? Social networking is popular and it is a great way to market the library and get patrons in the door.

So what did I miss that you thing was an important tool, resource or trend for social networking in libraries this year?

Have you thought about using social networking to teach your library patrons about a topic that is important or even crucial to them?
There are lots of examples but one that I came across recently involved Squidoo. On this site you create lenses that cover a given topic. This lens entitled, Is it Plagiarism? is designed to teach its readers all about this all important topic. What topics are important to your library patrons and could you use Squidoo or another social networking site to teach them about these topics?

Do you need some help with your library 2.0? If so, there is plenty of it available online. I came across this list of 100 free library 2.0 webinars. What is interesting about this list is that is includes not only webinars but also podcasts, articles, blog posts, wikis and other tutorials and covers all kinds of social networking in libraries and library 2.0 topics. A very useful tool for any library needing help with their social networking and technology projects.

What are the top 10 social networking tools for libraries?

Many people and libraries may have variations of this list but here are my top 10 according to my experience and opinions.

1. Facebook fan pages.
2. Blogger-blogs
3. Wikis- via wetpaint, media wiki or pbwiki. Which one you choose really depends on your preferences and resources.
4. MySpace- although this site is pretty much dead for business, it still works pretty well for organizations such as libraries.
5. Library Thing- How could I not include this one. duh?
6. YouTube- When done correctly, this can be a great way to promote your library via videos.
7. Lib Guides- I just love this program and had to include it.
8. Flickr- many larger libraries are posting amazing photos of their collections and historical items here.
9. Delicious- a great way to share your bookmarks with the world as well as your patrons.
10. Database widgets such as those by Gale.

What am I missing? Is there a favorite social networking tool of yours, that I left off?