Access, schmaccess: libraries in the Age of Information Ubiquity

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Nyan Cat: I did not revoke access. One of the slides from the presentation

Nyan Cat: I did not revoke access. One of the slides from the presentation

Access, schmaccess: libraries in the Age of Information Ubiquity

I’ve enjoyed this February 2012 presentation from Eli Neiburger about libraries, information, the interwebs, Reddit Scholar, digital content, memes, ebooks, Metallica, sharing, intellectual propery, nyan cat, DRM, Louis CK…and what it could all mean for libraries.

“In the 20th century libraries brought the world to their communities. In the 21st century libraries bring the information of their communities to the world.”

“What would the library look like if you spent half as much on experiences as you do on collections? The reality is we’re probably going to run out out of stuff to buy over the next ten years…”

From the website: The 21st century isn’t just here, it’s already 12% over. The presence of ubiquitous access to a global information network, and the cultures that flourish on that network, change everything about Libraries… or do they? Eli will highlight some of the contrasts between the Web Culture of this Century, and the Broadcast Culture of the last century, exploring how the value, mission, and focus of libraries are impacted by this cultural change, which has still barely begun. Maybe the library of the future is not really so different from the library of the past… from a certain point of view.

Photo of a presentation

#ACElibraries and The Atlas of New Librarianship

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I went to the #ACElibraries Envisioning the Future of Libraries workshop today in Birmingham. I think everyone who attended needs to read this book.

The Atlas of New Librarianship by RD Lankes. There’s also a book companion site.

Here are some quotes from the author’s blog, Virtual Dave, just to get you started…

‘As Ranganathan enshrined in his 5th law “the library is a growing organism.” That is, to know what librarianship is today does not mean you know it tomorrow. It will change. eBooks and websites in our collections, digital reference and gaming in our services are today’s latest changes, but librarianship HAS ALWAYS evolved and changed. It is the defining aspect of a vital and relevant profession that it evolves and reforms itself.’

‘We must expect more of ourselves. We must stop talking about doing “more with less” and start talking about “doing better to get more.” We must expect all librarians, with degrees or without, with tenure or not, to lead and innovate. No more worker bees.’

Here’s the man himself

Nine neat links

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No Bob news here folks, just a nice picture...

Some stuff I found last week and shared on Twitter. Could be of interest if you work in a library…

Hacker Hours: The awesome grassroots meetup that teaches New Yorkers to code  via @tnwdesign

Consider the checkout slip via Walking Paper walkingpaper.org/5336

The Crowd and the Library presentation (via LoneWolf Librarian)

How to share a book in a video chat (via Galleycat) s.coop/me2a

Is your library on Yelp? Yelp reviews are the most valuable “social currency” out there: study s.coop/me29

Transforming libraries into “doing” spaces – free webinar oclc.org/innovation/def… (via Content Divergent)

Libraries are obsolete because they act as institutions of remediation…via @rdlankes quartz.syr.edu/blog/?p=1567

The return of Jerry Seinfeld
http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2012/may/12/jerry-seinfeld-review-comedy

Library Camp Updates

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Library Camp Leeds has sold out, but if you did get a ticket we’ll see you on the 26 May in Horsforth Ballroom :) and afterwards at the Sand Bar, watching Eurovision of course.

National Library Camp 2012 planning is well underway. The venue will be The Signing Tree in Birmingham. The date is yet to be announced Saturday 13 October 2012. Follow @librarycamp and checking out the librarycamp blog for more inormation.

Librarycampers can also be found on Facebook. We’ve got a new page and we need some more likes so hop over there, say hello and CLICK LIKE!

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A new library in Amsterdam. Photo from Pieter Musterd's Flickr photostream

Arts Council England has opened an online conversation as part of the next stage of its consultation on the library of the future.

In 2011 The Arts Council assumed responsibilities for museums and libraries, formerly held by the MLA. In September 2011, the Arts Council published Culture, knowledge and understanding: great museums and libraries for everyone, a framework on decision making for museums and libraries during the current spending period (2011-15). Here’s the link.

The consultation - Envisioning the library of the future – explores what libraries in 2022 and beyond could and should look like, through a programme of research and debate.

The online conversation is in the form of a series of blog posts – five so far – written by guest contributors offering views on the library service of the future. Anyone with an interest in libraries is encouraged to respond either by commenting on the blog or via Twitter using the hashtag #ACElibraries.

There are five guest posts so far -

Responses to the independent guest blogs will feed into the overall programme of research and debate, and help form a longer term vision for libraries. Visit the blog!

The first stage of the consultation concentrated on building a picture of the technological advances, societal trends and demographic changes that will affect the way people connect with libraries.

This second stage consisting of an online consultation, questionnaires and regional workshops will last until May 2012.

A third stage, to test the public view of the purpose and value of public libraries, will be undertaken between June and late September 2012. The Arts Council will then produce a final report, drawing upon this research, which will inform our vision for the future of public library services.

Facebook Timeline tips for libraries

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Facebook Timelines for pages were launched last week and if you’re a page admin you’ve got until March 30 to get yours ready for publication. I admin the Manchester Libraries Facebook page and our big timeline reveal was on Monday. That’s it – up there! Here’s a video from Facebook explaining what you can do with the new timeline…

There are loads of online guides to the new timeline (this great Hyperarts Timeline for Pages FAQ post is a must-read for all Page admins), but here are some tips especially for libraries:

1. You can now hide comments until you’ve moderated them on the new Activity Log. That’s an important new feature that might help you if you’ve been having trouble persuading your organisation to adopt Facebook. Many managers worry that you can’t moderate comments posted by users on your page before they are visible on your page – now you can.

2. Milestones are a useful new feature to add interest to your page. We know hardly anyone returns to your page after the first visit, but why not make that first visit as engaging as you can by featuring archive photos or sharing major milestones in your library or town’s history.

3. Add the Static HTML app to your page if you want to create custom tabs. Custom tabs can be used to promote specific stuff like event, ebooks, competitions, a feedback form, an email newsletter sign up form or simply share a catalogue search box or a link to join your library.

4. The timeline uses endless scrolling and a masonry style on the new design. This means that images and videos stand out more than other content on your timeline so think about using more visual content in your daily updates.

5. Use your Facebook Timeline cover photo to convey your library message. You can’t include calls to action or overt advertising but by carefully selecting the right image or image montage you can still create a powerful message about your organisation. At Manchester we are currently featuring images, photos and artwork from our fans as a way of engaging people with our new look.

And finally here’s a useful post on Beth Kanter’s blog – How to create a terrific timeline cover photo if you don’t have the resources to hire a designer