Techno Tuesday: Pathway to Potty Training

Google makes it is easy for library patrons to search for a topic and then get lost in the 1,000+ hits returned to them.  Information overload is real. Google searches can be problematic because information on the internet is not always vetted for accuracy.

Librarians are trained to seek out, vet, and curate information.  In many ways, we are better than Google because we look for information that is customized to the needs of a specific patron or population.  Unlike Google, libraries are not open 24/7, but patrons can still access good information that a librarian has taken the time to curate.​

Planning & Curating a Pathway

In my Technology course this week, I constructed a “Pathfinder.”  A pathfinder is a list of materials on a specific topic that have been vetted and curated by a librarian.  The pathfinder uses the best tools that the library has to offer and allows the library patron to sort through the information they need in a constructive way.

Since I work in the children’s department at a public library, I receive reference questions from adults and children.  I’m an adult (though I do play with puppets and dress up in costumes, so the jury might be out on this one) I find that time is very valuable to me.  When I have reference interviews with adult patrons I am able to recognize that they need good information delivered to them in a expedient manner.

The number one reference question that I receive from adult patrons is “what potty training resources do you have?”  I’ve compiled a pathfinder to enable caregivers to quickly locate parent guide books, picture books, DVDs, and web resources at our library and to find an approach to potty training that works for their family.

Kapsul

I curated my Potty Training Resources on Kapsul.  Visually, Kapsul is very clean and uncluttered. Images are presented at the top of the page and links to websites are at the bottom right corner of the page.  This particular pathfinder focuses on library materials, and I liked that I could place the parent guides, picture books, and DVDs in our collection front and center.  I was able to provide bibliographic information for each item in my Kapsul as well as a direct link to its entry in our online catalog. This is a particularly useful tool because patrons can access the Pathfinder and put the books that interest them on hold from the comfort of their home.  I also included two electronic parent guides that can be downloaded at anytime on any electronic device.

Potty Training Resources on Kapsul

I look forward to sharing this curated list with our patrons because they can access this information 24/7 and there are a variety of materials that introduce different approaches to potty training.