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Kelly Lux: "The iSchool wants to know how you define the future of librarianship. What are you doing to define librarianship of the future? What do you envision the future of libraries to be? What are the ideas that have inspired you? If you are a librarian, a student of librarianship, or if you have a passion for the future of libraries, we want to hear from you! Create a Future of Librarianship Pinterest Board and collect your ideas. Then, send your Board url to the iSchool for a chance to win The Atlas of New Librarianship (just awarded Best Book in Library Literature by ALA!) by David Lankes. Entries will be accepted through Monday, March 19. The top 10 boards will be posted on the iSchool’s website and the three winners will be chosen by public vote. For all you good librarians who already own a copy of Dave’s awesome book – no worries – there’s a prize to be had for you too!"
BY BLAIR KAMIN: "What should a 21st Century library look like? To ask that question is to conjure futuristic visions--of libraries that resemble sleek Apple stores; of librarians who stroll around their branches with computer tablets, and of robots ..."
By Kathleen Pierce: "Town libraries are finding that adding a bookstore is a way to add revenue, and customers couldn’t be happier." "It might seem incongruous that people would purchase books in a place where they’re accustomed to borrowing them for free. But in the past few years, a dozen or so libraries across the state have opened bookstores with dedicated staffs. In doing so, libraries have found a new source of income to finance programs. Storage closets, refurbished basements, and forgotten areas of library buildings are now home to little shops with hundreds of used books, many of them in tiptop condition, available for sale. For less than the price of a shipping charge from Amazon, readers are helping their libraries buy museum passes, screen films, put on lectures, and offer other programs."
Calvin Reid: "O’Reilly Media’s Tools of Change conference returned to New York with a typical high profile slate focused on publishing innovation driven by technology and a new vision of just what publishing can mean. This year’s TOC kicked off with an inspirational keynote by actor, director and now digital entrepreneur, LeVar Burton, before turning quickly to the big issues surrounding libraries and e-book lending and a new and breathtaking vision of independent bookselling."
Francine Fialkoff: Lessons from Small Libraries: They’re Not Intimidated by the Present, or the Future | http://t.co/YdLrlLmW #Libraries #AB_libraries...
St Petersburg College: "E-books have gone from a niche service to a high demand format in an incredibly short time. And their pace of growth is likely to increase. Libraries have several key roles to play in the development of E-publishing: assisting users with their E-reading devices; developing practical ways to purchase, store and loan E-materials; educating their governing bodies, staff and public on the potential of E-reading; helping vendors understand the value of libraries in the distribution of E-materials; and planning future library facilities that perform well in an E-book environment. Chad Mairn and Al Carlson will help you get your feet on the ground in this virtual new world and provide you with resources that will help you and your library perform each of those roles more confidently."
The digital age has changed more than how we learn. It’s changed what we need to learn. By LAWRENCE H. SUMMERS: "Suppose the educational system is drastically altered to reflect the structure of society and what we now understand about how people learn. How will what universities teach be different? Here are some guesses and hopes." "1. Education will be more about how to process and use information and less about imparting it. This is a consequence of both the proliferation of knowledge — and how much of it any student can truly absorb — and changes in technology..."
Via Naomi Mellendorf
Melissa P. Johnston (2011) School Librarians as Technology Integration Leaders: Enablers and Barriers To Leadership Enactment, Florida State University, A dissertation submitted to the School of Library & Information ... "The highly technological environment of 21st century schools has significantly redefined the role of school librarians by presenting the opportunity to assume leadership through technology integration. School librarians are continually directed to evolve as leaders in order to address the needs of today’s learners and ensure that they are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in the 21st century. The purpose of this study is to identify the enablers and barriers that accomplished practicing school librarians, or those who are National Board Certified, experience in relation to crafting a leadership role in technology integration." Full text here: http://etd.lib.fsu.edu/theses/available/etd-05312011-083825/unrestricted/Johnston_M_Dissertation_2011.pdf
Mandy Callow and Kaye England (2011) Preparing your library for mobile devices m-libraries Conference, 11 – 13 May, 2011
This paper had its beginnings in a discussion at the USQ Library... Get full paper here: http://eprints.usq.edu.au/19095/1/Callow_England_m-libraries_2011_AV.pdf Quote from the last paragraph: "Even though the idea of a mobile device has been around for a considerable period of time and was forecast as early as 1978 by Becker (p.412) who said "in time individuals may have a small information terminal. Much like a pocket electronic calculator, which will bring individual information messages on command"…, when it comes to mobile delivery, the Library world in many ways isn‟t ready for it. This includes our vendors, our institutions, our staff, and our students. It is up to us to try to rectify this. We need to investigate technologies, we need to expose staff to technologies, we need to educate students on using technologies, we need to be advocates for mobile platforms and delivery to our vendors and institutions. We are our own worst enemy. We spend so much time doing the daily grind, that we don‟t give time and resources to developing, researching and educating. How many libraries have staff who are dedicated, at least partly, to investigating new and developing technologies and how they can be applied to the Library? Whilst staff may be overwhelmed by the rapid pace of technological change – as one staff put it "Stop the electronic advance, it‟s snowballing me!" we cannot afford to ignore new technologies. From this project we have learnt that in order to provide a usable Library, it is vital to educate both staff and students, particularly in new and emerging technologies and resources. With eBooks and mobile devices we have only touched on one small aspect of technology. We need to investigate other technologies (such as QR codes) and resources which staff and students are unfamiliar with and unsure about, and develop appropriate training and promotional plans. We cannot assume (like our system staff have) that users and staff will become familiar with new technologies as their use in society becomes commonplace."
Insightful points by AnnaLaura Brown: "1. We will see a sharp increase in the number of libraries that have mobile friendly websites or library related applications for mobile phones. 2. More libraries will use youtube videos and other videos as a marketing channel and as an education medium. 3. We will see an increase in libraries using social media to educate rather than just to market resources and services. 4. Google Plus will increase in popularity and more libraries will develop pages on the site although Google Plus will still not be as popular as facebook. 5. More libraries will seek ways to create mobile apps for various uses and not just for the library website. 6. As more database vendors create mobile apps, libraries will be able to offer more services to patrons via mobile. 7. Book review sites such as Goodreads and Library Thing will be used by more libraries as tools for offering book reviews and for locating new books to read. 8. Libraries will adapt more open source programs for all aspects of running the library. 9. More libraries will find ways to use online gaming as a marketing and educational tool. 10. More libraries will use Google apps for a variety of functions including email."
"Let’s explore what could be ahead for public libraries and how we could collectively transform them into “factories” — not factories that make things, but factories that help make people who want to learn and make things. Will libraries go away? Will they become hackerspaces, TechShops, tool-lending libraries, and Fab Labs, or have these new, almost-public spaces displaced a new role for libraries? For many of us, books themselves are tools. In the sense that books are tools of knowledge, the library is a repository for tools, so will we add “real tools” for the 21st century? Before we dive into the future, let’s take a look at the current public library scene now. Feel free to skip this part. I think it’s pretty interesting though." [...] "But why does it matter? Some of you will likely say that hackerspaces and TechShops are filling the void where a public library could have evolved to — that’s probably true. I think public libraries are one of those “use it or lose” it things we have in a society. Given the current state of budgets all over the USA, I think unless they’re seen as the future, we might just lose them. How can we encourage American innovation?How can we get kids access to laser cutters, CAD, 3D printers, and tools to design and build?How can we train each other for the jobs and skills needed in the 21st century?How can we spark the creativity and imagination of kids?How can America be a world leader in design and engineering?"
“Getting the Most out of Academic Libraries – and Librarians”. Posted on December 10, 2011 by UT Librarians." "Article on current levels of student proficiency at being able to assess, critically, electronic resources – nothing new, but reaffirms current views." Carol Saller: "The group [academic librarians] unanimously perceived a lack of skills among its clientele: Students are routinely flummoxed as to how to search for or evaluate the sources they need in their work. But even as librarians are poised to teach information technology through classes, online tutorials, and one-on-one sessions, actually laying hold of student time and attention depends on faculty support—and that is not always easy to find. The extent to which college students are unprepared to conduct research may be surprising to those who assume that young adults are automatically proficient at any computer-related task. “Many students don’t actually know how to interpret the citations that they find in print or online, and as a result, they don’t understand what to search for,” says Georgiana McReynolds, management and social-sciences librarian at MIT. “They search for book chapters in Google because they don’t recognize a book citation compared to an article citation. Or they don’t know which is the title of the article as opposed to the title of the journal. Or they can’t decipher all the numbers that define the volume, issue, and date.”
Big News on Libraries In Crisis. Includes blogs, news, and community conversations about Libraries In Crisis http://t.co/U9AaaiVl...)...
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jeff Rivera: "He is arguably one of the most successful bloggers and thought-leaders of our time." Rivera: "A number of publishers have pulled the plug on library editions of eBooks. Do you think that is a wise business decision and if not, how do you see it being a win-win scenario? Seth Godin: "How incredibly silly. Libraries are like the radio for books. Not a money-maker for all, but a great way to spread an idea. I don’t think you can find a single author who suffered any damage at all because too many people took his book out of the library. Ebooks for libraries need to be tweaked, not killed."
By Amanda Young: NEWS: Robert Darnton discusses future of libraries http://t.co/XUPL1y55... 'Despite a number of obstacles, the Digital Public Library of America, an open-access digital library, is projected to launch in April 2013, making the United States’ cultural heritage available worldwide, according to Robert Darnton, a Harvard University professor and the director of the Harvard University Library. Darnton spoke in Filene Auditorium in Monday’s inaugural Donoho Colloquium titled “The Digital Public Library of America and the Digital Future.”
KARI LYDERSEN: "There’s a Ripple Effect’: A @chipublib Librarian Speaks Out About Cuts http://t.co/khroA9Mb #libraries #Chicago "...firsthand the important role the city’s libraries play and how library workers and residents have been affected by more than recent 100 layoffs and cuts in service hours."
Video of Lauren’s final project for the “Innovation in Public Libraries” class taught by Meg Backus and Thomas Gokey "We want to see 3D printing, FabLabs and Hackerspaces become a regular feature--in addition to its other services--at every public library in the country. This is a description of our proposal to create a FabLab in the Fayetteville Free Library and gives a brief introduction to what 3D printing is and how revolutionary it will be for those who are unfamiliar with it. A FabLab is a fabrication laboratory (or a fabulous laboratory). A hackerspace is just a public library under a different name (although I’m not aware of any hackerspaces that are publicly funded, its time to change that!). It is a place where people gather to share their knowledge and help each other make whatever project they are currently working on. This video was made in support of Lauren Britton-Smedley’s proposal to create a pilot FabLab at the Fayetteville Free Library.
Matthew Volkov: "Although many claim that the traditional library is loosing its relevance, UR libraries have managed to stay afloat thanks to digital innovations and student support services." They made use of [...] "The research report, which has since been applied by more than 40 university libraries worldwide, is entitled “Studying Students: the Undergraduate Research Project at the University of Rochester.”
Since then, the library and its staff have made every effort to ensure that UR’s library system stays relevant to students.
“We want to figure out what technology students are using and ensure that our capabilities match up with what students need,” Rush Rhees Librarian Eileen Daly said.
Students can now chat live or text with librarians during the day to get help with research or writing projects. The library’s website can also text students the call numbers of books found through the reference catalog.
On Monday, Feb. 6, the library released an application that allows students to search virtually all of the library’s article databases and access the articles via smartphones."
Ned Potter: "This is a call to arms for libraries, inspired loosely by the famous SHIFT HAPPENS deck. Feel free to embed it anywhere and everywhere, with attribution."
"As more information moves online, traditional libraries are losing relevance, but librarians are becoming more important than ever. This is according to R. David Lankes, author of The Atlas of New Librarianship (MIT Press, 2011). Himself a librarian—he is the director of Syracuse University’s Library and Information Science Program and an associate professor in Syracuse’s School of Information Studies—Lankes sees librarians’ roles evolving into that of “facilitators of conversation” who interact with their communities to support each one’s informational and learning needs. Rick Docksai, staff editor for THE FUTURIST, spoke with Lankes about his book and his views on libraries’ future."
ALAN S. INOUYE: The impact of the digital revolution on libraries & librarians: "In fall 2011, ALA established a Digital Content and Libraries Working Group and an associated initiative. In an Association-wide effort, members and staff from ALA’s divisions, offices, and other bodies are being coordinated to pursue short-term and long-term activities to advance the interests of the library community. These activities will provide support for the library community, as well as communication and advocacy with the general public and other key stakeholders such as publishers, other information intermediaries, and government agencies. But ALA can only go so far. You must take action to meet your own institutional challenges. Take a hard look at how you are doing business, assess what resources you have, and consider whether you are well positioned for the challenges ahead. (Confronting the Future provides some direction on how to frame this strategy development.) The main driver of change in the past 10 years may have been the digital revolution, but these changes also have serious organizational implications for libraries. Get involved in grassroots action. You can negotiate directly with publishers and intermediaries, perhaps in collaboration with other librarians or such organizations as library cooperatives and state libraries. Spread the word among your patrons, local government officials, local newspapers, and other media. What are you doing for your library and your profession?" ALAN S. INOUYE is the program manager of ALA’s new initiative on digital content and libraries. He is also director of the ALA Office for Information Technology Policy, based in Washington, D.C.
THE one certainty in life is that in any life time there will be change to those things we took for granted and this is true for that most traditional of public services – the library.
After reading a lot of literature on libraries in this 21st Century, it finally struck me that one area in which I have read virtually nothing is collaboration among librarians.
Via Dailin Shaido
Libraries – a case for renewal http://t.co/oTxICmJX #future #libraries via @ellenforsyth... Dr. Wendy L. Schultz: "Library 2.0: Product
How should the library package its commodity – books – as products in an environment that disintermediates, dematerialises, and decentralises? Chad and Miller’s essay, and the debates and conversations around it, raise this question and answer it with the characteristics of our emerging information infrastructure: the library is everywhere, barrier-free, and participatory. Collaborate with Amazon; provide digital downloads of books; create a global, and globally accessible, catalog; invite readers to tag and comment. Yet as more information becomes more accessible, people will still need experienced tour guides – Amazon’s customer recommendations are notoriously open to manipulation; tagclouds offer diverse connections, not focussed expertise. This will drive the transition to Library 3.0: the 3D service.
Library 3.0 – Web 3D to Library 3D: Service.
There are SecondLife (3) subscribers who spend more than forty hours a week online, immersed in its virtual graphic world. Digital natives take 2.0 for granted; they are buzzing over Web 3D. Carrying Chad and Miller’s argument through this next phase transition, we arrive at virtual collections in the 3D world, where books themselves may have avatars and online personalities. But the avalanche of material available will put a premium on service, on tailoring information to needs, and on developing participatory relationships with customers. So while books may get in your 3D face all by themselves, people will prefer personal introductions – they will want a VR info coach. Who’s the best librarian avatar? How many Amazon stars has your avatar collected from satisfied customers? This could create librarian “superstars” based on buzz and customer ratings. People will collect librarians rather than books – the ability not just to organise, but also to annotate and compare books and other information sources, from a variety of useful perspectives."
RT @micahsb: One of the best articles on the future of libraries that I've ever read - by Peter Brantley http://t.co/AsbVzLOU... "Every lending library is a partnership between authors, publishers, and communities. For both traditional publishing and the growing number of self-publishing authors and literary agents, a new generation public library collective presents both tactical and strategic advantages."
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