F09 - Imagine IT! Planning Technology with your Community
Session Description
Generously Sponsored By: OverDrive
When West Vancouver Memorial Library decided to consult the community about their technology needs, many at the library thought all we'd hear was "faster WiFi." Three surveys, four graffiti walls, five focus groups, twenty-two interviews, and one technology fair later, we have a robust, evidence-based road map for technology infrastructure, service, and program development. Learn how our consultation process moved people past predicting their technology use (rarely accurate!) to articulating their aspirations for themselves, their families, and their community; how we successfully engaged youth and newcomers in the consultation; and how we involved key stakeholders throughout the consultation process. We'll also share what we learned, the tools we used, and what worked (as well as what didn't).
Speakers
Shannon Ozirny, West Vancouver Memorial LIbrary
Biography
Shannon Ozirny is the Head of Youth Services at the West Vancouver Memorial Library. In her five years at WVML, she has implemented a youth technology petting zoo, technology lending kits (including Raspberry Pis and MaKeyMaKeys), a district-wide school library card program, a World War local history research partnership with secondary schools, and a Raspberry Pi program that involves over 140 children each year. She has a monthly young adult book column in the Globe and Mail and also reviews regularly for Quill & Quire. She's on twitter @shannonozirny
Jenny Benedict, West Vancouver Memorial Library
Biography
Jenny Benedict is Director of Library Services at West Vancouver Memorial Library. She has served as a senior public library administrator for ten years, seven of them at West Vancouver, and is currently Chair of the Association of British Columbia Public Library Directors. She is keenly interested in the intersection of community, digital literacy, and public libraries, as well as the opportunities and impacts of technological evolution.
Sarah Felkar, West Vancouver Memorial Library
Biography
Sarah Felkar is the Digital Access Librarian at the West Vancouver Memorial Library. She specializes in making technology happen to library initiatives, as well as digital literacy training for staff and patrons. Active on Twitter, she is also interested in knitting, fantasy novels, and shiny gadgets.