Trend Tracking:

transcript

Trend Tracking: A tool to help your library

better serve the needs of your community

Elisabeth DoucettCurtis Memorial LibraryBrunswick, ME

Have some fun with this

Don’t think of it as brain surgery

There are many ways to get there

What are trends? What is trend tracking?

Definition of TREND

a : a general direction

b : a new direction or shift

Merriam-Webster

Trends are like…knitting

Macro trends (STEEP)◦ Social◦ Technological◦ Economic◦ Environmental◦ Political

Industry trends ◦ Libraries

Consumer trends◦ Fashion, décor, consumer technology

Types of trends (from trendwatching.com)

Macro trend - social

Macro trend - technological

Macro trend - economic

Macro trend - environmental

Digitizationof information

Industry trend - libraries

Consumer trend - fashion

HOWEVER,trends areNOT fads

Looking for those pieces of yarn

Figuring out the implications

Are you are going to develop a new service or product for your community?

Trend tracking is…

Why should we care about trend tracking?

Change is in the air

Focus on the future

Versus staying stuck in yesterday

Helps keep libraries relevant

Libraries are now also asked to be observers and interpreters of cultural change

We identify the trend and then we help library users figure out how/if it can be used in their lives

We aren’t just in the business of books any longer

Plus – trend tracking helps you find some really great ideas!

How to tell what trends are developing,

whether they are important, and how you can use those trends

for your library and community

STEP 1:

Follow “cool hunters”trendhunter.comthecoolhunter.netcoolhunting.comtrendcentral.com(Cassandradaily)

Watch television

Read popular magazines

Watch teens

Keep track of social networks

Read your local newspaper

Look at what books are “hot”

If you encounter an idea that grabs your imagination and energizes you…

No matter where it comes from…

Think to yourself “Is there any way I can use that in my library?”

To say it another way…

STEP 2: LOOK FOR PATTERNS AND CONNECTIONS

Keep track of ideas that “pop” into your head

Look for repetition of words and ideas

Different words or phrases that fall into the same “family” of meaning

Similar patterns of behavior

Intuition

Nostalgic fiber arts are being updated for the modern age

Country living is influencing big city design

Designers are looking to earthborn materials for fashion forward accessories

As people seek out more traditional, simple living, yurts experience a surge in popularity

New means of correspondence evoke the days of Western Union

Trampoline parks are making a comeback

Subjective Again, look for

repetition, patterns Do they make a

whole?

STEP 3: IDENTIFY THE TREND

Nostalgic fiber arts are being updated for the modern age

Country living is influencing big city design

Designers are looking to earthborn materials for fashion forward accessories

Fresh products and services encourage young families to forge new bonds As people seek out more simple

living, yurts experience a surge in popularity

New means of correspondence evoke the days of Western Union

Trampoline parks are making a comeback

Nostalgic

Country living

earthborn materials

encourage young families to forge new bonds

As people seek out more simple living, yurts experience a surge in popularity

Evoke the days

Nostalgia

Desire for or interest in simpler times

Making a comeback

Return to traditional values

STEP 4: BRAINSTORM IMPLICATIONS

What effect might this trend have on your community?

◦ Is it likely to be a big, important trend? Consider:

Number of people who could be affected? Impact on multiple age groups or just one? Long-term ramifications? Implications across multiple areas (business, social,

financial) or just one? Make sure you understand the demographics of your

community

If the trend seems important:◦ How can your library respond to this trend in a

way that is helpful to your community? Books/materials? Programs? Support (such as computer training)? Technology? Outreach? Changing your service model? Training staff?

Nostalgia

Desire for or interest in simpler times

Return to traditional values

Impact:- Brunswick is a retirement

community with a disproportionately large group of 65+ library users and young parents

- Trend seems particularly important to two groups: baby boomers/seniors and young parents

- Appears to a be a trend that is changing many areas of society (families, religion, business, social relationships) and will be around for some time

- Therefore, this is likely to be an important trend in my community

Services:- Genealogy training- Local history programs- Family night at the library

Programs:- How to preserve family photos- Professional organizer program- Community Read focus on local

eating, farming- Speakers on family farming, gardening- Knitting and craft groups

Materials:- Genealogy books – how-to and

reference- Information about “traditional”

hobbies like rug hooking, knitting

◦ A smaller trend?

◦ An interesting trend but not that important?

◦ Always ask: what value might this trend have for my community?

◦ Value here for community?

◦ Still valuable a year from now?

◦ Some way to “try it out” without breaking the bank?

◦ If you answer yes - move forward!

My rule of thumb

Talk about ideas with others

How do they respond?

Can you build off of each other’s ideas?

Work in teams

STEP 5 : LET THE IDEAS PERCOLATE

ASK FOR INPUT

CONSIDER AVAILABLE RESOURCES AND EXPERTISE

THEN REVIEW AND EDIT

STEP 6: FINALIZE AND SUMMARIZE YOUR IDEA

No more than 2 pages◦ Summary◦ Source of idea◦ Value to community◦ Value to library◦ Cost◦ Timeline◦ Resources needed◦ Potential issues◦ How to measure success

2 pages Easily understood? Demonstrates you have thought through

implications Easy for decision makers to review and

understand possibilities If turned down – find out why and how you

might address issues/concerns

Submit idea summary◦ Be willing to advocate

If you get “no”, ask why - specifically Revise and try again Make sure you tell your leadership what you

are doing and why Bring them through the process Track your results

STEP 7: GET BUY-IN, GET FUNDING AND GET TO WORK!

When something doesn’t work the way you anticipated it would◦ It is an opportunity to learn

Develop a process to learn

STEP 8:DON’T BE AFRAID OF FAILURE

Define the project or idea as it was executed (may be different than what was planned)

What did you anticipate happening? ◦ Value to the community◦ Value to the library

What actually happened? Why was this result problematic? What might you have done to deliver a different result? Would you suggest trying this idea again with the

recommended changes? Why or why not?

Process for learning (1 page)

What we saw◦ Closing of Brunswick Naval Air Station◦ Closing of local stores◦ Loss of population◦ Concern over loss of community

Trend tracking

Library – strategic focus on programming with specific goal of community building” ◦ Partnership with Midcoast Senior College – “Current

Events Café” Once a week, meet at the library, facilitated

discussion about what is happening in the world

Result

Result Little Free Library Program

◦ Community build-out◦ Community stewardship

Curtis stewardship of its own LFL at the community’s new Amtrak station

What we saw The “digital hub” concept

◦ iPod Introduced in 2001

◦ iPod mini Introduced in 2004

◦ Playaway® Introduced in 2005

Trend tracking

Looking for the same concept for readers – first generation Kindle

◦ November 2007

◦ So much interest and use for eReaders, we continued to build with other additions – iPad, Nook, Sony Reader

Result

◦What we saw Apple “Genius Bar” More & more

library usersasking forhelp withtheir newtechnology

Trend tracking

Result Marian – the tech

wizard ◦ The tech wizard – here to help

with any technology problems – twice a week while at ref desk

◦ Tech meet-up’s – short sessions (30 minutes) to meet, discuss and share idea about the newest technology topics/problems

What we saw◦ 2008 Recession◦ More women in the library

using resources Jobs Finances Retirement Long-term financial

wellness◦ Seniors stop volunteering,

start looking for jobs◦ Impending closure of the

Brunswick Naval Air Station

Trend tracking

Money Works for Women grant (ALA/FINRA)◦ Money management for women

Result

What we saw◦ Maine’s creative

economy – used to spur economic development

◦ Heavy use of the library’s meeting and art display space

◦ Discussion with young & emerging artists locally about difficulty of paying costs associated with a formal show

Trend tracking

Result

Step 1: Stop, look, listen Step 2: Look for patterns and connections Step 3: Identify the trend Step 4: Brainstorm implications Step 5: Let the ideas percolate Step 6: Finalize and summarize your idea Step 7: Get buy-in, get funding, get to

work! Step 8: “Failure” = learning

In a nutshell…

No right or wrong

Intuition centered in observation

Some big, important ideas

Great team building

And…most importantly…

Means you are continuously searching out tools

To help your library better serve the needs of your community

Cartoon by Tom Gauld for the Guardian (Saturday Review letters page)

Thank you!

edoucett@curtislibrary.com

http://irreverentlibrarian.wordpress.com

Trend Tracking:

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