Librarian in Black Blog – Sarah Houghton-Jan

About Me
About This Site
Speaking and Consulting
Referrals

About Me

Hi! I’m Sarah Houghton-Jan. I am the Digital Futures Manager for the San José Public Library in the heart of the Silicon Valley. I was named a 2009 Library Journal Mover & Shaker as a Trendspotter.  I also work as a consultant for the Infopeople Project and have been involved with a number of ALA groups over the years, including a three-year stint as a member of  LITA’s Top Technology Trends Committee.  I speak internationally at live and online events for libraries and other institutions.

I live in San Rafael, about two hours north of San José (meaning a commute of death), with my husband, who is also a librarian, and our cat, Torin.

I received my MLIS from the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign and an MA in Irish Literature from Washington State University. For more details on my work & education histories, see my resumé.

About This Site

Years ago, this site was born out of my displeasure at having to wade through dozens of websites, blogs, & RSS feeds related to librarianship, technology, web services, and current trends to find those few posts that applied to my work.  I hope this site can continue to help others find information on library web & digital services.

Speaking and Consulting

I am always happy to speak to libraries and other organizations about a variety of library and technology topics. I also am available to consult as an instructor on a wide variety of topics, teaching everything from one-hour to multi-day classes as required, both in-person and virtually. I also consult regularly with libraries in an informal advisory capacity on numerous technology topics. Here are some of the topics I can teach, train, and speak about (if your topic isn’t on the list, just ask though–I may have simply forgotten to list it :>):

• blogging
• cloud computing
• databases in libraries (marketing, training)
• eBooks, eMusic, and eVideo
• eResource use statistical analysis
• filtering (internet filtering, studies, tests)
• Flickr and digital imaging
• gaming
• information architecture
• information overload prevention
• “keeping up” strategies
• Library 2.0 / Web 2.0 (& Web 3.0!)
• marketing and outreach online
• mobile library services
• mobile websites
• OPACs, WebPacs, and online catalog overlays and improvement strategies
• online reference resources and websites
• podcasting
• project management
• search techniques and tools, including federated search
• social networking
• technology competencies
• technology training
• technology for small libraries or libraries with few resources
• text messaging
• usability
• user experience design
• vidcasting (aka videocasting)
• virtual reference, including instant messaging, text messaging, and VOIP/video reference
• virtual worlds, including Second Life
• web design
• web redesign (including project planning)
• wikis

Please contact me for more information about my availability.

Referrals

I have contacts in just about every area of library and information science.  If you are looking for a speaker or trainer about something I don’t cover, you can still drop me a line to get a recommendation.