OCLC

WebJunction is partnering with the San Francisco Public Library to develop a plan for the creation of online patron instruction in public libraries. Libraries are now a part of the critical infrastructure required to fuel individual, community, and national economic development. Patrons depend on their libraries for life-altering, transformational services. Library organizations must therefore identify, understand, and prioritize patron needs and create and deliver services cost-effectively. This project will conduct preliminary research on the state of the library industry for patron instruction; assess needs of both patrons and library staff; pilot a small set of patron-facing online programming in San Francisco Public Libraries; and produce a final evaluation of the effectiveness and efficiencies of the online programs and of the resulting behavioral changes in both patrons and library staff. In addition, it will explore libraries’ potential to leverage more efficient Web-based patron instruction in content areas of high need, in terms of both cost savings for the library and transformational impact on its intended patrons.