[Publib] Changing traditional library services

[Karen Thomas]

The PLA service response “Connect to the Online World” was  recently 
chosen to be the focus for the library long range plan for the next 
three years at the Muskogee Public Library in Muskogee Oklahoma .  
Muskogee is a midsize town of about 38,000 and the largest branch in 
the Eastern Oklahoma District Library System.  Muskogee has received 
computers from the Gates Foundation and already has 22 computers in the 
adult services area which includes a computer lab for classes and 
computers in the childrens’ and genealogy areas. We are also adding 5 
more computers in the adult services area.

The Long Range Planning Committee have indicated a desire that we 
provide more classes and individualized help for people needing to fill 
out forms like FAFSA, Social Security, job applications, and more.  
They want us to get involved in blogging, social networking, rss, 
podcasting, to check out laptops, and increase the power of our WIFI.

Right now we are in the planning stages of how we are going to handle 
these changes.  The Muskogee Library is on two floors and has been 
separated by departments in both locations and duties.  Now we are 
looking at having people work in all areas depending on their skills 
and ability to be trained to do new things.

This is going to be a big change in how we do things and how we look at 
what a library does.  Some of the traditional library duties will have 
to be dropped or minimized or changed in someway as we replace them 
with those services that the public is most needing in today’s climate.

If any of you have gone through a similar change or have any advice on 
how to handle this both for the staff and for the public we would 
appreciate hearing from you.  If you have chosen the “Connect to the 
Online World” service response, we would like to hear from you and what 
you did.

You can send email to me and I can summarize for the list if you want.  
You can also fax or mail your responses to me. 

Thank you for your time and help.

Karen Thomas
Outreach Librarian
Muskogee Public Library
801 W. Okmulgee
Muskogee, Oklahoma 74401
918-682-6657
918-682-9466 fax
karenthomas at eok.lib.ok.us