
Photo by The Shanachies
About
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.

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