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Big Trends in Library Land Stephen Abram, MLS OGLC April 29, 2014
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Big Trends in Library Land
Stephen Abram, MLSOGLCApril 29, 2014
What does it mean to be human?
To liveTo experienceTo learnTo create and innovateTo inspireTo love and raise another generation
2
I my customers
Print was complicated too
Can we make transformational change?Can everyone source their force?Can we contribute to everyone’s self-actualization?
Can we turn our heads around from the foundations (collections) to the users (humans)?
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Is your library ready to support a world of unlimited content, multiple formats, massive access, and consumer expectations of MORE?
Yes?No?With Effort, Vision, Leadership?Never?
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• What leadership is needed?
• Top down or bottom up?• Culture of experimentation and pilots?• Relationships?• Network effect?• Competencies and Skills?• Attitudes or Aptitudes?
• What is the nature of ‘conversation’?
Differences in the Private and Public Sector Approaches to Development
Private Sectorq Competitive advantage is
the idealq Innovation is key to long-
term existenceq Focus on clients and
marketshareq Business strategiesq Responsibility to
shareholders or owner/investors
q Increasing revenueq Risk orientedq Economic success is a
prime personal motivatorq Competitors, partners and
alliesq e-Business is the challengeq Focus on “results”
Public Sectorq Collaborative advantage is the
idealq Good service is the key to
long-term existenceq Focus on citizens and social
contractq Political agendas and
government imperativesq Responsibility to parliament
and to citizensq Wise use of tax dollarsq Risk averseq Making a positive impact on
society is a strong motivatorq Other departments, levels of
government, unionsq e-Government is the challengeq Focus on “process”
It’s simple really, shift happens, gedoverit• Users & Communities will continue to be diverse in the extreme• Expectations around timeliness will increase • We will have a foot in both camps for many, many years to come:
digital and physical – professionals don’t debate the end of print• Content will (is already) be dominated by non-text (gamification,
3D, visual, music, video, audio, etc.), acknowledge that!• Search will explode with options and one-step, one box,
commercial algorithm-based search is for dummies not libraries• The single-purpose anchored device is already dead as a target• Devices will focus on social, collaboration, sharing, learning,
multimedia, creation and successful library strategies will align with that (and libraries’ missions)
• E-Learning, collections, software, and metadata will go to the cloud massively
• The “Open” movement is both threat and opportunity for libraries
Library Megatrend
It doesn’t take a genius to see librarian skills and competencies applied to the trends and issues in our communities in very strategic ways – policy, social, economic, learning, and discovery impacts.
Deer in headlamps slide here.
Librarians core skill is not delivering information
Librarians improve the quality of the question
and the user experience
Librarians are about learning and building communities
Librarian Magic
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Librarians Cultural Diseases
•Risk Aversion•Conflict
avoidance•Candle under
the basket
Failure to Reward Risk & Failure
Digital risk has raised the bar on risk taking in library land.
SmellyYellowLiquid
OrSex
Appeal?
The Complex Value Proposition
NounsBooks, eBooksMagazinesWebsitesBuildings, BranchesRoomsDesksProgramsDatabases
Nouns can be warehoused and ‘cut’
VerbsServeAnswerEngageLinkTeachEntertainTell a storyDo
Action verbs imply dynamism and impact
Grocery Stores
Cookbooks, Chefs . . .
Cookbooks, Chefs . . .
Meals
Library Land
What changes, disruptions and shifts are already in the environment?
The Kids are Alright!
Millennials are the largest generation in historyIQ and their brainsDevelopmentGamingReadingLearning StylesCrime Rate and other issues
Changing User Behaviours
GamingMakingWritingReadingResearchingLivingEnjoying
Streaming Media
What if all music, audiobooks, and video moved to streaming formats by 2018?What if the DVD and CD go the way of vinyl, VHS, and cassettes?
E-Books
What if all or the majority of content is digital?What about next generation e-books?What if all books are ‘beyond text’?Can we support books with embedded video, adaptive technologies, audio, updating, software tools, assessments, web-links, etc.
E-Learning and MOOCs
Could your library support advanced higher education and offer accredited courses or support universities and colleges for distance education?Could your library support distance education, high school credits, and home schooling on a much higher level?Have you catalogued them?Can you see yourself offering diplomas?
Mobility and BYOD
Could your library support any kind of mobile device seamlessly?Are you fully ready to deliver, agnostically to desktops, laptops, tablets, phablets, smartphones, televisions, appliances, at a much higher level?
New forms of content
Are you prepared for new forms of content?Real multimedia? 3D objects and databases? Holographics? Enhanced media?Can you be ready for makerspaces, creative spaces, writing labs, business and start-up incubators, etc.Can you publish for your community?
New forms of spaces
What kinds of community spaces are needed in the future?Can you support learning spaces, community meeting spaces, performance spaces, maker spaces, real advisory spaces, true relationship and consultation management . . .?
The Cloud
What if everything was in the cloud? (software, databases, metadata, content . . .) What would you do with those system skills on staff?
Discovery Layer & Search
Semantic, Sentiment, Bias, Visual, OntologicalThis is happening in intranets firstWhat if search immersive resource discovery becomes as ubiquitous as search engines?What if schools and public libraries partner on discovery services (a la NYPL, BPL, QBPL, and NYED with their BiblioCommons initiative)
Metadata vaults
What if all metadata and content discovery is freely available using open APIs through the OCLC WorldShare vault and the Digital Public Library of America / Europeana vault of open and free metadata?What does your experience portal look like? Top questions?
What Should Library Priorities Be?
And what would you sacrifice?
1. Liaison and Relationship Management: EngagementUp Your Game• Know your local community demographics• Focus on needs assessment and social assessments• Prioritize: Love all, Serve all, Save the World means nothing
gets done• Priorities are SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable,
Relevant, & Time bound• Look for partnerships that add value
Focus and Understand on the Whole Experience
2. Programs --- More, more, more
Up Your Game• Align with Collections – every collection must be justified by
programs• Force strategic investment budgeting• Look for partnerships that add value• Don’t go it alone. Focus on large scale sustainable programs• Connect to the longer process not just events• Virtual and in-person - in the Library and reaching out with partners• SCALE: eLearning and Surveys – e.g. citation methods
What are the real issues?
• Craft versus Industrial Strength• Personal service only when there’s impact• Pilot, Project, Initiative versus Portfolio Strategy• Hand-knitted prototypes versus Production• e.g. Information Literacy and Fluency initiatives• Discovery versus Search versus Deep Search• eLearning units and program dissemination • Citation and information ethics• Content and repository archipelagos
• Strategic Analytics• Value & Impact Measures• Behaviours, Satisfaction• Economic and strategic alignment
3. Experience PortalsThe Virtual ‘User’ is differentUp Your Game• Align with Collections – But add virtual experiences• Look for partnerships that add value• Ensure the program delivery person is embedded including
librarians• What are your top 20 question domains? Start there.• Don’t go it alone. Build scalability and sustainability.• Look for replicability – every neighbourhood
4. Learning StrategiesUp Your Game• Start offering diplomas and certificates• Look for partnerships that add value like HR and IT• Offer real educational opportunities not just adjacencies• What does your community need for economic advantage?• What courses to you offer or recommend? (TED, Khan
Academy, MOOCs, Coursera, Udacity, edX, Learn4Life (ed2go), Online High Schools, Homeschooling, etc.)
5. Get real about Partnerships
Up Your Game• Learn two-way relationship and consultation competencies• Understand Communities and have deep partnerships• Understand Pedagogy in the context of government and
educational goals• Know where your programs are heading• Consider deep partnerships especially IT and HR• Consider coaches, peer, and tutoring partnerships
6. Take Branding to the Next LevelUp Your Game• The strong ‘library’ brand – but add dimension• Personal branding – Who are your stars? Promote them. You?• Program branding• Take risks for attention (AIDA)• Embed your brand beyond the library walls and virtually
The Virtual Handout
• The Value of Public Librarieshttp://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/04/06/the-value-of-public-libraries/
• The Value of School Librarieshttp://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/04/06/the-value-of-school-libraries/
• The Value of Academic and College Librarieshttp://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/04/07/value-of-academic-and-college-libraries/
• The Value of Special Librarieshttp://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/04/07/value-of-special-libraries/
• Library Advocacy: Save the Library Campaignshttp://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/04/01/save-the-library-campaigns/
8. Start to ‘get’ the cloudUp Your Game• Move the ILS to the Cloud• LinkedData models – OCLC WorldShare, Europeana, DPLA, etc.• Look at TCO and look at all costs incurred and not just hard
costs• Review opportunity costs in soft costs
9. Develop and Use PersonasUp Your Game• Stop using meat cleavers and use paring knives• Examples:
• A meat cleaver is undergrad versus grad vs. faculty• A meat cleaver is kids, teens and adults• A meat cleaver is medical versus legal
10. Upgrade Your Teaching Skills
Up Your Game• Learn how to reach and teach online• Teach how to learn online• Teach how to research online• Everyone in academic libraries should be focused on
teaching/researching first, then library• Learn more systems than one!• Be obsessive about consultation, recommendations and advice• Social alignment rules and use the tools
11. Know your data but data is not enough
Up Your Game• Use your data to derive insights• Mine your data for measurements• Justify• Prove value and impact• Avoid print and in-person measures alone
12. Uncomfortable Bonus: SacrificeUp Your Game• Dog, Star, Cow, Problem Child?• Reduce investment in successes• Increase investment in early strategic innovation• Be patient and learn, it can take years• Look at TCO• Look at all costs incurred and not just hard costs• Review opportunity costs in soft costs
Change is….
Global
Constant
Inevitable
Stressful
Breathe
Rhythm
Do you like change?
Does it matter?
What are the risks of not changing?
We can’t control change…
We can control our attitude towards change…
Deny
Resist
React
Explore
Commit
Change can be difficult
Personal change precedes organizational change
Negativity
Contagious
I can learn and I can change and I can do it quickly.
What can you do to deal with change?
Accept that change is an
attitude
Create a personal visionIn the context of your team
Focus on what you can do………not what you can’t do
Develop a perspective of opportunity
Create Learning Centric Strategies
Being More Open to Comment
Being More Open to Criticism and Feedback
Make an impact
Support Aspiration
Be Creative and Attract
Being More Open to Change
The Library as Sandbox
Problem: Too Much Respect for Tradition
While Neglecting to Curate the Future
Being More Open Experimentation, Pilots and Innovation
Being More Flexible
Being More Open to Risk
Being Open to a Mosaic of Solutions
BeMoreOpen to SocialTechnologiesand UnintendedConsequences
Being Comfortable with Speed
Being Open to New Ideas
Letting Go of Control
Remove the Borders Inside Libraries
Be the Change We Want to See
Remove the Borders In the Library Community
Be the Change We Want to See.
Remove theBorders Between
Libraries and Users
Be the Change We Want to See.
Be Inspirational
Know What Makes Us Different
Stand Out!
The power of answers
Mission of Librarians (Atlas of New Librarianship)
“The Mission of Librarians is to Improve Society through Facilitating Knowledge Creation in their Communities.”
David Lankes
Honest to G*d – Let’s Encourage Some Fun!
Stephen Abram, MLS, FSLAConsultant, Dysart & Jones/Lighthouse Partners
Cel: [email protected]’s Lighthouse Blog
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