Croydon Libraries
on the Web
by
Heather Kirby
Croydon Libraries
What & how & why?
A taster of
Croydon’s experience
Croydon Online

What is Croydon Online?
 The
vision
 Services & resources

How are we doing it?
 Necessities
 Approaches

Why do it & why in libraries?
What is Croydon Online?

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Web Site is the hub of the
Community Network
Providing:
 Information

Building:
 New

and Email
resources and new services
Encouraging:
 Ownership
and participation
Vision
Croydon Online will become the
first service which everyone living,
working, studying in, or visiting
Croydon, will use to:
 find
information;
 Make contacts;
 Do business;
 Engage in learning; or
 Develop hobbies.
Vision (cont.)

Croydon Online will be:
 Updated
daily
 Interactive
 Easy to use
 Community-wide
 Collaborative
Content & Services
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INCH
Job Mart
Skillsboost Online
HUG
Community Information
Feedback
Consultations/surveys
Policy documents
Content & Services
(cont.)

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Library news
Book reviews
Archives Service…database
Museum & Heritage - collections,
exhibitions, education…database
Email lists and contacts
Promotion
INCH
Information Network for
Croydon Health

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Directory and contact information
on Croydon Online
Unified, current, authoritative
Managed by a cross-sectoral
group
Job Mart

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A one stop shop on Croydon
Online for employment
opportunities in the local area
Highly Interactive, flexible and
income generating
Housebound User
Group
 14
members, aged 45 to 89
 Dial-up connection & equipment
 Training and support
 Email List; diary sheets, visits
HUG outcomes

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New, enthusiastic users of IT;
exchanging URLs;
contacting politicians;
looking up the OPAC;
sending enquiries and requests by
email
A HUG quote:

You will never know how grateful I
am for this opportunity to learn with
patient teachers….One of my
friends, a very clever lady, is still
making a dog’s dinner of her
emails, so I am optimistic….
Skillsboost Online

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Croydon’s first distance learning
package
Online assessment & guidance
Basic Skills Agency
IT’s easy
to learn Computer Skills
•
How The Courses Will Be Run...
– Quality (Hands on individual PCs)
– Professionally Qualified Tutors
– Affordable (£20.00 per course)
– Small, Manageable Modular Courses
– Small Groups (max 8 people per group)
– All levels (Introductory to Advanced)
– Suitable, Convenient Hours...
–
–
–
–
–
Every Wednesday/Thursday
at Croydon Central Library
9:30am to 11:30am
12:30pm to 2:30pm
3:30pm to 5:30pm
A New Training Opportunity
provided through a partnership of…
Croydon Libraries
Hogarth Training Group
Business Learning Network
•
Courses Will Include…
– Microsoft Office
– Microsoft Word
– Microsoft Excel
– Microsoft PowerPoint
– Microsoft Access
– Using A PC
– Microsoft Windows
– Internet
Group
Training
sessions
are also
available
for
busine sses
To Book A Place - complete an Enrolment Form and...
hand in to
Library Staff
or send to
Heather Kirby
Croydon Centra l Library
Katharine Street
CROYDON, CR9 1ET
For further information contact Library Staff or
Heather Kirby (Croydon Central Library - 0181 760 5400)
How are we doing it?

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Consulting, talking, extending
contacts….
Demonstrating the product
Promoting the vision
Contacting again
Necessities
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Vision for Croydon Online;
Croydon Libraries; and for Croydon
Commitment from staff
Budget - something to start up
Knowledge and skills - not new for
old but new and old
Approaches
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Integration, e.g. with C.I. Database
 Carers
Contact Line
 Age Concern directory
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Simultaneous publication, e.g.
consultation documents
Fill templates, e.g. voluntary
organisations
Code from electronic copy
Type and code from hardcopy
Approaches (cont.)
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Web-edit training for staff
Ftp login and shared building and
updating of the resource
Extend this practice to contacts in
other organisations, with caution
Continuously invite feedback on all
aspects of the site
Why are we doing this?
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Modernise information services
Respond efficiently to information
& communication needs
Improve our efforts towards social
inclusion
Extend provision of lifelong
learning opportunities
Why (cont.)
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Enable the sharing of information
skills across sectors
Spread good practice
Build partnerships
Conclusion
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The technology offers the
opportunity to build a network for
all interests & needs in the
community
The public library, as a trusted,
neutral organisation in the
community, is best placed to do it.