The handout for my presentation for MLA Annual: eBook Instruction and Troubleshooting

1. eBook
Instruction
and
Troubleshooting
MLA
Annual
Wednesday,
October
26,
2011
Methods
of
Teaching
Patrons
how
to
use
eContent:
1. Classes:
Interactive
or
Lecture
2. Individual
Instructions
(One-­‐on-­‐ones)
3. Teaching
Aids/Handouts/Manuals
4. Non-­‐print
teaching
aids
Steps
for
Creating
Effective
Teaching
Aids/Handouts/Media
1. Start
with
whatever
has
been
given
to
you
by
your
vendor.
2. Check
out
what
other
libraries
have
done
(get
some
examples
at
kabergeron.pbworks.com).
3. Ask
yourself
some
questions:
a. By
whom
will
this
guide
be
used?
b. Do
I
want
to
create
them
for
individual
materials/vendors?
Or
do
I
want
one
all-­‐encompassing
handout?
c. How
long
do
I
want
the
guide
to
be?
How
comprehensive
do
I
want
it
to
be?
d. When
will
I
be
distributing
my
guide?
Within
a
class?
To
any
patron
who
walks
in
the
library?
e. Do
you
want
to
include
visuals?
Can
you
do
that
effectively?
f. How
specific
does
your
guide
need
to
be?
4. Re-­‐evaluate
the
examples
that
you
viewed
in
light
of
the
questions
that
you
just
answered.
5. Draft
a
document.
6. Give
your
draft
to
someone
who
has
never
used
your
eContent.
7. Get
feedback.
8. Revise.
9. Lather,
Rinse,
Repeat
(steps
5,
6,
7,
&
8).
Tips
for
creating
effective
teaching
materials:
1. Put
your
contact
information
everywhere!
2. Know
your
audience.
3. Throw-­‐away
your
handouts
once
a
year
and
re-­‐draft
them.
Troubleshooting
101:
1. Information
to
collect
before
you
begin:
a. Library
Card/Login/ID
b. Vendor,
title,
and
format
of
the
problem
media
c. Your
patron’s
OS,
browser,
and
version
d. Any
devices
that
your
patron
might
be
using
e. Any
error
messages
2. Do
everything
with
the
patron
(even
if
they’re
on
the
phone).
3. Independently
verify
everything
a
patron
tells
you.
4. Use
frequent
checks
to
make
sure
that
you
and
the
patron
are
on
the
same
page
(literally).
5. Don’t
be
afraid
to
pass
the
question
along.
eBook
Instruction
and
Troubleshooting
Kathryn
Bergeron,
MSI
www.kabergeron.com