Library orientation is always difficult: How do you get your patrons to learn about the library, while keeping them engaged? How do you introduce research to students who are more worried about getting their parking pass and financial aid figured out? How do you connect with new associates in a meaningful way so that they feel comfortable approaching you in the future? Arming your librarians with different strategies for engagement is key to a successful orientation and a valued library. From Battledecks-style presentations to balloon towers in the reading room, this presentation will provide in-class and in-library activities you can use to get to know your students and get them to know your library. It will also explore how to reach students through virtual tours, creating videos to personalize the library, and other ways to include orientation activities in your library's online presence. Law firms present their own challenges when it comes to associate, paralegal, and staff orientations. This presentation will also draw from experiences conducting orientations in a large law firm setting and demonstrate how early engagement leads to more valued firm librarians and firm libraries.

1. “NO MORE LIBRARY
TOURS ” !*CHANTING PATRONS*
capture library patrons by amping up
your library orientation
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2. KATE IRWIN-SMILER
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3. ASHLEY MOYE #AALL12

4. SHARI B.
BERKOWITZ #AALL12

5. LIZ MCCURRY JOHNSON
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6. BORING LIBRARY TOURS
WHAT WE DID TO SPICE IT UP
BRING IT ON
HOW IT CHALLENGED US
MOVING ON UP
ADVICE FROM THE TRENCHES
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7. BORING
LIBRARY TOURS
?
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8. developing a common
vocabulary
learning backgrounds
defining “research”
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9. BATTLEDECKS
=
KNOWLEDGE
ASSESSMENT
discussing research experience
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10. #AALL12

11. Familiarity in the Unknown
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12. Scary?
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13. TAKING THE
LIBRARY TO THE
STUDENTS …
VIRTUALLY
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14. WHY ?
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16. …MEMORIES

17. …MEMORIES

18. MOVING FORWARD
• current student faq
• exposure to all staff & service areas
• temper orientation boredom
• policies and procedures
• staff introductions
• virtual tour of the library

19. U S I N G M U LT I M E D I A

20. Q&A
Preexisting Student footage
Staff recorded answers

21. Q&A
Preexisting Student footage
Staff recorded answers

22. WELCOME TO
Featuring the song “Addy Will Know” by SNMNMNM
snmnmnm.bandcamp.com

23. WELCOME TO
Featuring the song “Addy Will Know” by SNMNMNM
snmnmnm.bandcamp.com

24. PREORIENTATION
ORIENTATION

25. Main Content

27. Online Tour

28. Online Tour

30. MEET OUR STAFF

32. Discussion Board

33. Music Video
Adobe Audition, Illustrator, & Photoshop, Sony Vegas
www.charlottelaw.edu/downloads/lp/orientation/LibraryFunIntro/LibraryFunIntro.html
Q&A
Adobe Audition, Illustrator, & Photoshop, Techsmith Camtasia & Snagit, Sony Vegas
http://www.charlottelaw.edu/downloads/lp/orientation/QAX2012/QAX2012.html
Library Tour
Adobe Audition, Illustrator, Photoshop, & Presenter, Sony Vegas
www.charlottelaw.edu/librarytour/index.htm
Meet the Staff
Adobe Illustrator & Photoshop, Techsmith Camtasia, MS Powerpoint
www.charlottelaw.edu/downloads/lp/orientation/MeetTheStaff/MeetTheStaff.html

34. PERSONAL TOUCH
LINKS ATTORNEYS TO
FUTURE LIBRARY USE
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35. REEDSMITH LLP…
AT A GLANCE
INTERNATIONAL LAW FIRM
13 U.S. CITIES; 9 INTERNATIONAL CITIES
3400+ TOTAL EMPLOYEES
1600+ ATTORNEYS
40+ PRACTICE AREAS & INDUSTRIES
DELAWARE VALLEY OFFICES:
PHILADELPHIA, PRINCETON, WILMINGTON
ALMOST 400 EMPLOYEES including 223
ATTORNEYS (12.5% OF THE FIRM)
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36. READY RECEIVE THE BASICS
… NAME, POSITION, PRACTICE GROUP
START DATE AND LOCATION
SET
… PREPARE TO TRAIN
GATHER ORIENTATION MATERIALS
LEARN THE…
PREP! WHO
HOW
WHAT
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37. That‟s your cue…go get „em!
YOU are their personal tour
guide
MEET AND GREET with their
library team
SHOW OFF your library
COVER THE BASICS
Orientation Materials
General Library Procedures
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38. SO MANY RESOURCES!
AROUND EVERY CORNER
print materials
the intranet
VARIETY OF VENDORS/PUBLISHERS
AND CLIENT COSTS LEVELS
billable
non-billable
free websites
YOUR LIBRARY TEAM
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39. MAKE IT PERSONAL
Practice-oriented examples
Make it interactive
LET YOUR PERSONALITY SHINE
Humor
Personal stories
CHANNEL YOUR INNER PSYCHIC!
TIPS AND
TRICKS
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40. IS ORIENTATION
OVER NOW?
OPPORTUNITIES ALWAYS
PRESENT THEMSELVES
research requests
practice group meetings
firm-wide trainings
LIBRARIANS CAN NEVER STOP
TEACHING

41. ORIENTATION = USAGE & VALUE
# of requests
5000
4500
4000
3500 Philadelphia
3000 Wilmington
2500 Princeton
2000
1500 PHL/WIL/PRC
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42. EXPLORING …
THE LIBRARY &
WORKING IN TEAMS
Balloon Tower of Terror Handout available on AALL2Go #AALL12

43. OBJECTIVES…
FUN.
INTRODUCTION.
RELATIONSHIP BUILDING.
Balloon Tower of Terror Handout available on AALL2Go #AALL12

44. #AALL12

45. LEARNING… #AALL12

46. #AALL12

47. bring it on…
THERE WERE
?
RIGHT
CHALLENGES
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48. THE YAWN FACTOR
some staff members are a lot more
interesting in person than on camera
WE WANT EVERYONE TO PLAY!
getting extensive participation in the D2L
course was difficult
KEEPING IT CURRENT
with staff turnover, we have to update some
of our multimedia every semester
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49. THE CHALLENGES BEFORE
US ARE MANY…
I‟M JUST A BILL (ABLE HOUR…)
OR TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE
lots of information, little time
emphasis on hitting the ground running
remember…you are busy too
COST EFFECTIVE RESEARCH SKILLS
experienced or newly-minted attorney
previous training and knowledge of costs
knowledge of available resources
TRAINING REMOTELY
difficult to “read”
post-orientation follow-up
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50. …AND WE ARE UP TO
THE TASK (WAS THERE
EVER A DOUBT?!)
CHANGES ARE THE ONLY CONSTANT
resource availability
OFFICE CULTURES AND INDIVIDUAL
PERSONALITIES
adapting is key
IMPROVEMENT IS ALWAYS POSSIBLE
refining materials, examples, and presentation
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51. LOGISTICAL CHALLENGES
needed assistance of colleague to compile decks
required volunteers (including me)
should have had a camera operator!
PERFORMANCE CHALLENGES
had to explain what battledecks was – a video
demo would have been really helpful
worked best when students had no idea of the
context for the slides
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52. LOGISTICAL CHALLENGES
prep work & size does count.
noise.
PERFORMANCE CHALLENGES
just saying no.
giving up too soon.
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53. OVERWHELMED?
how about this:
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54. YOU ONLY GET ONE
FIRST IMPRESSION.
MAKE.
IT.
COUNT.
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55. WHEN YOU‟RE FACED WITH
CHALLENGES OF SCALE, DON‟T
BE AFRAID TO COMPLETELY
RE-IMAGINE
ORIENTATION.
all the way down to changing its basic structure…
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56. RELYING ON THE KINDNESS OF
STRANGERS?
BE FLEXIBLE.
HAVE A BACK UP PLAN!
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57. YOU GOT
THIS!!
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58. BORING LIBRARY TOURS
NO MORE!
BRING IT ON - CHALLENGES
DON‟T LET THEM BRING YOU DOWN!
MOVING ON UP
AWESOME LIBRARY ORIENTATION =
RESEARCH NINJA.
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59. ?!?
QUESTIONS
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