Dangerous ideas: what if libraries…

rivkah sass, deirdre routt, brian auger, amy de groff, stacey aldrich

what is a (dān’j e r- e s) (ī-dē’ e ) ?

dangerous ideas

• statements or questions – often avoided – which challenge the status quo

• are coming at us at a increasing rate

• the imagined dire consequences don’t necessarily follow

what if we stopped cataloging?

1

what if we participated fully with the fbi in all criminal investigations that involved the use of library resources?

2

“We put American lives at risk if we foolishly provide sanctuaries- even in our public libraries – for

terrorists to operate.”

Rep. James Sensebrenner, Wis.

what if librarians individually and as a profession, promoted, used

and helped develop wikipedia?

3

& =

William Frederick PooleJimmy Wales

We’ve Got the Whole World in Our Hands!

Would Be Great if Libraries Experienced This Kind of

Growth?

Growth of Wikipedia 2001-2007

what if all libraries invested together in open source solutions

to be more in control of our customer experience?

4

= $100

what if we embraced our inner geek and created

alternate reality games that promoted cults of library junkies?

5

year zero nine inch nails

www.opensourceresistance.net

cathy’s book sean stewart & jordan Weisman

collectors/providers creators/info engagers

what if we required all library staff to have expertise using technology?

6

what if mestakes were expected and embraced – and librarians became the mistake masters?

7

mistakes

what if we didn’t make decisions based on fear of/and/or scarcity?

8

scarcity vs abundance

• mission of libraries is to connect people with content

• formats are changing (again!), mission hasn't

• old connection model is predicated on scarcity

• new connection model predicated on abundance and ubiquity

• What is a library collection in an age of abundance?

what if we stopped being passive aggressive?

9

Open honest Communication

Making assumptions

explicit

Better Organizations

PASSIVE AGGRESSIVE

PASSION

Where there is passion, people are kicking Kathy Sierra

what if we didn’t make our customers work so hard?

10

what if…

1.  we stopped cataloging? 2.  we participated fully with the fbi in all criminal investigations that involved the use of library resources? 3. librarians individually and as a profession promoted, used and

helped develop wikipedia? 4. we accepted open source software as a way of being in control of

the customer experience? 5. we embraced our inner geek and created immersive games that

promoted cults of library junkies? 6. we required all library staff to have expertise using technology? 7. mistakes were expected and embraced – and librarians became the

mistake masters? 8. we didn’t make decisions based on fear of/and or/scarcity? 9. we stopped being passive aggressive? 10. we didn’t make our customers work so hard?

time to chat with your neighbor

1.  Review the 10 dangerous ideas 2.  What’s most uncomfortable? Why? 3.  What are the opportunities in this dangerous idea? 4. ideas for action?

think the unthinkable

1.  what is an unthinkable thought? 2.  why is it uncomfortable? 3.  where are there opportunities in the

unthinkable? 4.  action

think the unthinkable with us and find

new opportunities @

http://whatiflibs.wetpaint.com/