Cottey College in Nevada, MO, is a Films On Demand subscriber. We recently talked with Courtney Trautweiler, Library Director at Cottey’s Ross Memorial Library, about how her library handles technophobes, alerts faculty about new resources, and makes the most out of its budget.

Tell us one way you’re helping users who may be hesitant to embrace technology to take advantage of your library’s online resources.
Ross Library actively promotes its online resources through email, library instruction, social media, and word of mouth. We help users who may be hesitant to embrace technology by providing a welcoming, helpful atmosphere, where users can count on getting assistance with their questions, their research, and how to use the online resources.

What have you done that has most impacted usage at your college?
We keep the communication lines open and strive to maintain a constant sense of awareness about library resources that are available.

How do you alert faculty to the new resources your library acquires?
Faculty are alerted through the use of the library’s webpage, email, digital newsletters, and in person.

Tell us how you are making the most out of your library budget in these uncertain economic times.
By being very conscientious about spending, by communicating with our faculty and students to ascertain what are the specific resources they need the most, and by planning carefully for the coming budget year.

What role does social media play in your relationship with your patrons?
It plays a positive role in sharing information about library resources, programming, and keeping the library connected with users even when they are not in the building.

What is your favorite part of being a librarian?
The knowledge that every day will be different than the previous day, with new questions to answer, new library patrons to assist, new materials to acquire, and new ways to encourage library patrons to make the most of their time in the library.

What do you think is the library’s most important responsibility at your institution?
To ensure the patrons have a positive and fruitful user experience that will further their academic or personal learning goals, guaranteeing that they will return for more assistance or access to the library’s resources in the future.