Stretching Is Important, Especially When It Comes To Your Imagination.
The word brainstorm vividly represents what takes place when you gather your team to come up with ideas and problem solve. Storms are taken seriously because they can be unpredictable, relentless, even dangerous. They're exciting. But too often in today's brainstorming sessions, there's a lot of hesitance, self editing, fear, and ultimately silence.
Shake your teams up and tell them to go for it ! Stretch their imaginations. Only when people truly support the no judgement in brainstorming rule will you get the good stuff. Give props for the outlandish ideas and your staff will know that this is a safe space. Your Springshare tools are designed to be easy to use. So why not think of as many ways to use them as you can.
LibAnswers - A New Take On The Systems Status Management Tool
LibAnswers - A New Take On The Systems Status Management ToolThe LibAnswers Platform is a complete solution that is home to many useful components including the System Status Management Tool. This tool is designed to help your library share important information with its patrons. Is a database scheduling some planned maintenance? What if you experience a sudden outage? Perhaps there is a known issue that has been reported that you want to broadcast. You can communicate those scenarios with the System Status Management Tool.
However, don't feel boxed into just that usage. Stretch the idea of status communication! Instead of relaying details about your systems, you might use it to convey the status of different projects going on at the library. This extension of the tool can help make your patrons feel heard and included.
LibCal - Know At First Sight.
LibCal - Know At First Sight.A calendaring tool that handles your events with registrations and wait lists, easy to schedule appointments, space and equipment booking -- this all spells LibCal. The system has your bases covered. You can manage these critical services from the LibCal centralized hub.
It's amazing when a tiny feature can be re-imagined in a way that is both simple and perfectly useful at once. Jackson County Library Services did just that by using the featured image in a new way. Most people use it to add an image of a ball of yarn to the knitting club event, a photo of the auditorium for a lecture series, or an author's headshot to readings and book signings. All great uses of this feature!
Jackson County Library is stretching the idea of a featured image by using it to denote specific audiences in their children's programming, thereby allowing parents and caregivers to know immediately if the event is suitable for their children.
There are no small ideas, folks!
