Christina's LIS Rant
Thursday, January 11, 2007
eVisioning Maryland Libraries: Wrap Up
First, I have to link to the speaker, Andrew Zolli. 1) he is really cool and 2) so he can find my blog :)
Zolli’s getting from Here to There
(closing)
Possible future, probable future, preferable future…
1. Pick targets that matter
Address fear of change and the need for control (stop, relax, ask for help)
What if we bring technologists and designers to these meetings and put them at each table. What if we build institutional relationships with people in different fields – outside of the vendor relationships
2. Involve stakeholders in both metrics & design of the solution
Z+ modeled innovation – 5 basic models
“think model” – have proven lightening bolts of innovation, we take them and lock them in a closet until they come up with an idea. They can’t do this, design to the wrong metric,
Example: write down 75 books and put them on 3x5 cards and shuffle them. Take next person who comes in and have them organize the cards and see what they do. (folksonomies, really)
Make a macho library. {librarians need to get together with Make and create a place to support creativity and for learning about technology, not just soft, touchy-feely stuff}
3. Create a culture of permission
(to allow failure and experimentation and risk)
4. Define a model of accountability
5. Commit to Action
(take this stuff back, can we assign each person here a task?)
6. Support and Celebrate Each Other
Zolli’s getting from Here to There
(closing)
Possible future, probable future, preferable future…
1. Pick targets that matter
Address fear of change and the need for control (stop, relax, ask for help)
What if we bring technologists and designers to these meetings and put them at each table. What if we build institutional relationships with people in different fields – outside of the vendor relationships
2. Involve stakeholders in both metrics & design of the solution
Z+ modeled innovation – 5 basic models
“think model” – have proven lightening bolts of innovation, we take them and lock them in a closet until they come up with an idea. They can’t do this, design to the wrong metric,
Example: write down 75 books and put them on 3x5 cards and shuffle them. Take next person who comes in and have them organize the cards and see what they do. (folksonomies, really)
Make a macho library. {librarians need to get together with Make and create a place to support creativity and for learning about technology, not just soft, touchy-feely stuff}
3. Create a culture of permission
(to allow failure and experimentation and risk)
4. Define a model of accountability
5. Commit to Action
(take this stuff back, can we assign each person here a task?)
6. Support and Celebrate Each Other
Labels: evisioning
¶ 6:09 PM| (0) comments |cites (technorati) |
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
eVisioning Maryland Libraries: My thoughts from day 1
First, I'm really glad I was invited because I never hear the point of view of the school library media specialists and rarely hear from the local public library management. These librarians, library marketing specialists, managers, and IT managers are amazing -- it's a really neat group. They all seemed really up on new technology and a bunch of the libraries are experimenting although they don't seem to get hyped that much in the biblioblogosphere (Harford County has a bunch of teen activities including an Anime club and a blog).
It's really hard to get people from special, academic, public, and school libraries together. CIL is really the only event I attend that draws from all of them and that's why I go.
It's really, really hard to come up with a vision or a goal -- it's so easy to slip back into all of the immediate problems and not envision the desired future.
All libraries have communication problems. We all need more information on how our customers perceive libraries and our services. According to a big survey(big ppt file), they like us, they really like us -- but what do they think we know, offer, do?
We all need to figure out how to enable serendipitous discovery in mixed electronic/print environments.
If I thought I had problems with intranet and firewall, you should talk to a school library media specialist... holy cow! They're not even allowed to let their catalog be searched outside of the library (maybe this is typical?)
It's really hard to get people from special, academic, public, and school libraries together. CIL is really the only event I attend that draws from all of them and that's why I go.
It's really, really hard to come up with a vision or a goal -- it's so easy to slip back into all of the immediate problems and not envision the desired future.
All libraries have communication problems. We all need more information on how our customers perceive libraries and our services. According to a big survey(big ppt file), they like us, they really like us -- but what do they think we know, offer, do?
We all need to figure out how to enable serendipitous discovery in mixed electronic/print environments.
If I thought I had problems with intranet and firewall, you should talk to a school library media specialist... holy cow! They're not even allowed to let their catalog be searched outside of the library (maybe this is typical?)
Labels: evisioning
¶ 9:16 PM| (0) comments |cites (technorati) |
eVisioning Maryland Libraries: Feedback from a (former) non-user
An attendee reported staying out of the library for 4 years and gave her reasons why she didn't use the public library:
Working mother
- couldn't get there when it was open
- couldn't park
- programs all during the day when she worked
Medical care needed for child
- referral from doctor
- went and searched Medline herself (she is an MLS)
- books on the subject were either "missing" in the catalog or not owned by her county
- she could afford to buy the books so she did
The library wasn't welcoming
- info desk staff on phone or on computer and she didn't want to interrupt
- computers all busy and when she got on one she couldn't stay on it long enough
- the library didn't feel like community to her
Working mother
- couldn't get there when it was open
- couldn't park
- programs all during the day when she worked
Medical care needed for child
- referral from doctor
- went and searched Medline herself (she is an MLS)
- books on the subject were either "missing" in the catalog or not owned by her county
- she could afford to buy the books so she did
The library wasn't welcoming
- info desk staff on phone or on computer and she didn't want to interrupt
- computers all busy and when she got on one she couldn't stay on it long enough
- the library didn't feel like community to her
Labels: evisioning
¶ 9:12 PM| (0) comments |cites (technorati) |
eVisioning Maryland Libraries: Customer Panel
Andrew Zolli
1:45-2:45
4 issues:
Demographics
Library experience
Participation/Authorship revolution
Evolving forms of literacy
Panel of library users
Michael Powell – Assistant Principal of Patuxent Elementary (PG County)
? – mother of a pre-schooler in Hyattsville (PG County)
Margaret Thresher – Private Citizen (former PGCMLS librarian)
Ken Ulmen – County Executive, Howard County
Hannah Gallagher – Heavy library user, home schooler
Questions:
What opportunities do you see for improving the libraries?
- mother – the only way she hears about things is through actually coming to the library, so there needs to be a better way to find out about things
- principal – story times and programs for children need to be scheduled such that working parents can take advantage of them
- citizen – need to still have print materials, she likes to actually touch and browse materials
- county executive – lack of parking! Space issue. More partnerships, more collaboration, more guest authors and book signings. Would like to see the libraries maintain/build position as cultural center. Libraries as places to hold events. Special section for cancer research – referrals from local doctors, health system.
Audience questions:
Libraries as spaces – we have trouble justifying costs, usually the thought is just to keep books dry – what would you recommend?
- in Howard County 60% of the local budget goes to the school system so the rest of the agencies get crumbs
- your users should lobby on your behalf
- have events and invite local officials to get visibility
- have people at open budget sessions as advocates for the system
To the principal – what would you like to see in your own school library media center
- line between what teachers teach and what librarians (or in his case paraprofessionals) teach
- system that would give more funding to the library to buy more materials
- books more in line with teaching requirements
- certified librarian (their principal has only chosen to hire a paraprofessional)
Problem of lack of communication between the public library and the schools
- he has teachers publish all of the materials the students need to their web page
- maybe blogs or other communications tools
Public-Private Partnerships (to county executive)
- have to have libraries who are willing to innovate and partner
- have to talk
- they have a librarian who’s assigned to each school so they can work together.
How do you interact with the electronic resources
- the mother – doesn’t really use them except to check when books are due but things they are important
- the home schooler –
Comment from Zolli: we’ve gotten better with transactional interactions and known item searching but we have problems with serendipitous finds
How can we reach your communities better?
- local town newsletter
- send out information to the schools
- more places to plug in laptops, quiet places to study, fun novels
Are libraries in the county planning process?
- he was on zoning board - we only test roads and schools for development approval, other counties take public safety into account, but they also need to take libraries and other things into account
- work with developers to put new public libraries within walking distance of new developments – win-win situation
1:45-2:45
4 issues:
Demographics
Library experience
Participation/Authorship revolution
Evolving forms of literacy
Panel of library users
Michael Powell – Assistant Principal of Patuxent Elementary (PG County)
? – mother of a pre-schooler in Hyattsville (PG County)
Margaret Thresher – Private Citizen (former PGCMLS librarian)
Ken Ulmen – County Executive, Howard County
Hannah Gallagher – Heavy library user, home schooler
Questions:
What opportunities do you see for improving the libraries?
- mother – the only way she hears about things is through actually coming to the library, so there needs to be a better way to find out about things
- principal – story times and programs for children need to be scheduled such that working parents can take advantage of them
- citizen – need to still have print materials, she likes to actually touch and browse materials
- county executive – lack of parking! Space issue. More partnerships, more collaboration, more guest authors and book signings. Would like to see the libraries maintain/build position as cultural center. Libraries as places to hold events. Special section for cancer research – referrals from local doctors, health system.
Audience questions:
Libraries as spaces – we have trouble justifying costs, usually the thought is just to keep books dry – what would you recommend?
- in Howard County 60% of the local budget goes to the school system so the rest of the agencies get crumbs
- your users should lobby on your behalf
- have events and invite local officials to get visibility
- have people at open budget sessions as advocates for the system
To the principal – what would you like to see in your own school library media center
- line between what teachers teach and what librarians (or in his case paraprofessionals) teach
- system that would give more funding to the library to buy more materials
- books more in line with teaching requirements
- certified librarian (their principal has only chosen to hire a paraprofessional)
Problem of lack of communication between the public library and the schools
- he has teachers publish all of the materials the students need to their web page
- maybe blogs or other communications tools
Public-Private Partnerships (to county executive)
- have to have libraries who are willing to innovate and partner
- have to talk
- they have a librarian who’s assigned to each school so they can work together.
How do you interact with the electronic resources
- the mother – doesn’t really use them except to check when books are due but things they are important
- the home schooler –
Comment from Zolli: we’ve gotten better with transactional interactions and known item searching but we have problems with serendipitous finds
How can we reach your communities better?
- local town newsletter
- send out information to the schools
- more places to plug in laptops, quiet places to study, fun novels
Are libraries in the county planning process?
- he was on zoning board - we only test roads and schools for development approval, other counties take public safety into account, but they also need to take libraries and other things into account
- work with developers to put new public libraries within walking distance of new developments – win-win situation
Labels: evisioning
¶ 8:53 PM| (0) comments |cites (technorati) |
eVisioning Maryland Libraries: Zolli
eVisioning Maryland Libraries
January 10, 2007
The Road Ahead : Forces Shaping the Coming Decades
Andrew Zolli
Futurist in residence at Popular Science and National Public Radio, consultant, curator of PopTech
Libraries are valued by citizens.
Librarians are sexy.
Complicated drivers of change
- demographic transformation
- disruptive technologies
- citizens’ evolving needs
Tremendous population growth globally, primarily in the East and the South (Africa to have 120% population growth despite epidemics, warfare, etc). 30 Largest cities – western cities such as London dropping off the list, cities not even built yet will be on the list in 2030.
Aging population in the West, very young population in the Middle East.
We’re becoming an hour glass population with larger percentages in oldest and youngest
- markets for health care and longevity enhancing technologies
- voting population will change – older adults vote more frequently and more conservatively in general
- X-ers will be catapulted up the management chain as boomers retire and leave a vacuum… but new “boomer ass glass ceiling” as Dad won’t retire or comes back. Leads to intergenerational complexity in the labor force. Retirees returning to labor force due to poor savings rate will need new training. They will also be competing for management jobs.
- Retirees are running out of money and returning home from Florida. If you were born after 1972 you are statistically more likely to take care of your mother longer than she took care of you. We’ll go back to a 3 generation family like we were early last century. Wealth will skip a generation from boomers to millenials and will skip X-ers (bummer!)
- Won’t have enough 18 year olds, so will encourage immigration
Population centers are moving south and west within in the US
White non-Hispanics will be the largest minority in a society with no majority. 25% Hispanic population in about 2050.
Women are leading in educational attainment. (women are now 56% of undergrad populations and are increasing). Single women are buying more homes.
Income is becoming concentrated at the top – libraries are even more necessary for providing equal access to information in the knowledge economy.
Interesting cob web graphic comparing boomers, Xers, and millennials, in terms of optimism, trust, participation, socialization, diversity.
Boomers like music, have disposable money, and don’t know how to share music on the internet -- very attractive market.
“Longevity risk” insurance ?!?
Maryland in Context
2000-2004 43% growth in minorities, substantial growth in African American populations. Foreign born are now about 11% of the population. (Latin America, Asia, then Africa…)
People who join libraries become citizens 3 times more than non-library users.
Choice in Media Consumption
Kjell Norstrom
“The surplus society has a surplus of similar organizations, employing similar people, …
Tyranny of choice – huge growth of consumer items available. Grocery stores stock 40K items, people can pay attention to about 160. (the law of crap… instead of Moore’s law)
Helping people understand and deal with choices is a librarian strength. “hedonic satisfaction curve” – people don’t like too many choices. Librarians remove information to give people what they want (very interesting statement… see my talk about weeding earlier in my blog).
Moving up the chain of meaning
Commodities ($0.10) > products ($0.25) > services ($1.00) > experiences ($4.50)
Use of design, social aspects, technology together humanize experiences…The whole economy is moving to the right so services are just commodities. Libraries are still in the services area but economically, we’ll need to move.
There are 11,659 types of MP3 players, but most Americans can only name one, the iPod. (they have 85% of the market because of the experiential bit – finding sharing and building communities around music – stuff that libraries know how to do).
Zolli’s law
“People would rather fly a burning flaming plane, than coach on United” (wrt Jet Blue’s increased sales after landing gear incident that passengers were able to view real time on televisions on all the seats).
Choice, Control, Authorship revolutions
Huge information information economy.
We used to have 3 of everything in each dimensions (3 tv stations, 3 newspapers, etc) Now we have the long tail. Top of the long tail, broadcast, high-end, global, ad-driven. Bottom of the curve: community, conversation, pr-am, local, search driven.
This is where we were centuries ago, but last century glorified the other end. Now we’re heading back. But we each pay attention to both the big spike and the long tail.
Askaninja.com
Photoshopping of romance paperback covers.
Blurb book publishing on demand – how do libraries select these resources? No isbn, no barcode, but great content.
Demographics, creating meaningful experiences, authorship
Future: climate change, control over our biology – how do we deal with them socially.
Update: Title had Zolli spelled wrong
January 10, 2007
The Road Ahead : Forces Shaping the Coming Decades
Andrew Zolli
Futurist in residence at Popular Science and National Public Radio, consultant, curator of PopTech
Libraries are valued by citizens.
Librarians are sexy.
Complicated drivers of change
- demographic transformation
- disruptive technologies
- citizens’ evolving needs
Tremendous population growth globally, primarily in the East and the South (Africa to have 120% population growth despite epidemics, warfare, etc). 30 Largest cities – western cities such as London dropping off the list, cities not even built yet will be on the list in 2030.
Aging population in the West, very young population in the Middle East.
We’re becoming an hour glass population with larger percentages in oldest and youngest
- markets for health care and longevity enhancing technologies
- voting population will change – older adults vote more frequently and more conservatively in general
- X-ers will be catapulted up the management chain as boomers retire and leave a vacuum… but new “boomer ass glass ceiling” as Dad won’t retire or comes back. Leads to intergenerational complexity in the labor force. Retirees returning to labor force due to poor savings rate will need new training. They will also be competing for management jobs.
- Retirees are running out of money and returning home from Florida. If you were born after 1972 you are statistically more likely to take care of your mother longer than she took care of you. We’ll go back to a 3 generation family like we were early last century. Wealth will skip a generation from boomers to millenials and will skip X-ers (bummer!)
- Won’t have enough 18 year olds, so will encourage immigration
Population centers are moving south and west within in the US
White non-Hispanics will be the largest minority in a society with no majority. 25% Hispanic population in about 2050.
Women are leading in educational attainment. (women are now 56% of undergrad populations and are increasing). Single women are buying more homes.
Income is becoming concentrated at the top – libraries are even more necessary for providing equal access to information in the knowledge economy.
Interesting cob web graphic comparing boomers, Xers, and millennials, in terms of optimism, trust, participation, socialization, diversity.
Boomers like music, have disposable money, and don’t know how to share music on the internet -- very attractive market.
“Longevity risk” insurance ?!?
Maryland in Context
2000-2004 43% growth in minorities, substantial growth in African American populations. Foreign born are now about 11% of the population. (Latin America, Asia, then Africa…)
People who join libraries become citizens 3 times more than non-library users.
Choice in Media Consumption
Kjell Norstrom
“The surplus society has a surplus of similar organizations, employing similar people, …
Tyranny of choice – huge growth of consumer items available. Grocery stores stock 40K items, people can pay attention to about 160. (the law of crap… instead of Moore’s law)
Helping people understand and deal with choices is a librarian strength. “hedonic satisfaction curve” – people don’t like too many choices. Librarians remove information to give people what they want (very interesting statement… see my talk about weeding earlier in my blog).
Moving up the chain of meaning
Commodities ($0.10) > products ($0.25) > services ($1.00) > experiences ($4.50)
Use of design, social aspects, technology together humanize experiences…The whole economy is moving to the right so services are just commodities. Libraries are still in the services area but economically, we’ll need to move.
There are 11,659 types of MP3 players, but most Americans can only name one, the iPod. (they have 85% of the market because of the experiential bit – finding sharing and building communities around music – stuff that libraries know how to do).
Zolli’s law
“People would rather fly a burning flaming plane, than coach on United” (wrt Jet Blue’s increased sales after landing gear incident that passengers were able to view real time on televisions on all the seats).
Choice, Control, Authorship revolutions
Huge information information economy.
We used to have 3 of everything in each dimensions (3 tv stations, 3 newspapers, etc) Now we have the long tail. Top of the long tail, broadcast, high-end, global, ad-driven. Bottom of the curve: community, conversation, pr-am, local, search driven.
This is where we were centuries ago, but last century glorified the other end. Now we’re heading back. But we each pay attention to both the big spike and the long tail.
Askaninja.com
Photoshopping of romance paperback covers.
Blurb book publishing on demand – how do libraries select these resources? No isbn, no barcode, but great content.
Demographics, creating meaningful experiences, authorship
Future: climate change, control over our biology – how do we deal with them socially.
Update: Title had Zolli spelled wrong
Labels: evisioning
¶ 12:44 PM| (0) comments |cites (technorati) |
Live blogging eVisioning Maryland Libraries
Maryland's Department of Education Division of Library Development & Services (DLDS) has sponsored this 2-day session. Participants from school, public, academic, and special libraries were invited.
Update: accidentally published a second ago and had to pull back, twice!
Update: accidentally published a second ago and had to pull back, twice!
Labels: evisioning
¶ 12:23 PM| (0) comments |cites (technorati) |
