Who should attend: Any individual who is interested in learning how their library could use the Internet to increase reading and comprehension.

What will you learn: Attendees will be introduced to Internet based tools and concepts that could be integrated with little cost and effort into existing membership programs

Summary: Your library could be using the Internet today to communicate more frequently at less cost to your library cardholders while at the same time increasing reading and comprehension.

Attendees will learn how a Library Online Directory and Community will provide their library cardholders a powerful tool to find others who share an interest in the same books. With it’s robust search engine a reader would be able to search for all readers who read a particular book and engage them in a chat or bulletin board discussion. Don will suggest that that an online strategy includes two main components:

Online Directory
There are two ways a library can set up a online directory. Either populate the names of everyone who has a library card in the online directory or make it an open registration directory. The first time a reader registers, they will be asked to provide optional information like physical and email address, phone number, hobbies, interests and the types of books they have read in the past.

eNewsletter
Now you have a way of inexpensively communicating with your readers on a more frequent basis. Not only will you be able to send a broadcast email to all readers but you would be able to target emails only to readers who like fiction, love or horror books. Now you can cost effectively communicate to readers based on their interest to inform them about events at the library.

Attendees will have an opportunity to ask questions and share with the audience Internet based ideas and concepts that have worked for them.