Tomorrow's technology and library programs
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Presentation to SA public libraries at Future Formats Seminar September 2010.
![A broad view of tomorrow’s technology and services and their influence on library programs, suppliers and customers. Patricia Genat [email_address] Future Formats PLS/September 2010](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/plssept2010-100927191535-phpapp01/85/future-formats-sept-2010-1-320.jpg)
![Planning for tomorrow: ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],Future Formats Sept 2010/ ALS Library Services Pty Ltd](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
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Editor's Notes
- Thank you for the invitation, I love the idea of being involved in a seminar about Future Formats, and a quick look at the program indicates just what a diverse future awaits us. Because as Steve (Steve Thomas, Uni of Adelaide) and Kerrie (Kerrie Smith Education Services) have already spelt out some of the challenges and opportunities ahead of us for e-books, I have been given permission to broaden the scope a little . In June of this year I was lucky enough to travel with a group of 12 Public Library Managers and 1 Architect from Australia, through the USA to visit cutting edge public libraries and also to attend the ALA conference in Washington DC. In 2008, a similar trip travelled though Asia and Europe and I am sure you have all enjoyed the presentations from Geoff Stremple about some of the exciting programs we saw, from Lap-Top Doctors in city libraries, to specialist Music and Film collections for students and the general public alike. The 2010 trip had a greater concentration of large city libraries and we heard more stories about staff and budget cuts, language and literacy problems, after school and job hunting programs as well as all the normal showing off about beautifully designed buildings and hard working community development staff. So this morning I’ll spend about half of our time together pulling together some of the exciting things I see in tomorrow’s technology, and the other half showcasing some of the exciting trends we saw in the US and at the ALA conference. We saw some innovative solutions for the challenges that Public Libraries are facing everywhere.
- Planning for tomorrow’s Future Formats, involves many of the issues that affect our time and our budgets today. Last month in Victoria, The Public Library Managers Retreat identified 6 strategic domains (or challenges) to trend watch- Brand and Identity Community Engagement Governance and Regulation Leadership and Influence Professional Development Resources and Resourcing However, I’ve simplified to 4. SPACE, SUSTAINABILITY, ACCOUNTABILITY and RELEVANCE You’ll notice that neither of us has added in Funding - not to negate the impact that increased or decreased funding can have on every issue, but only to remind myself that ‘its NEVER about the money” It’s always about the PEOPLE” We really don’t have time today to enjoy pulling apart the relevance of these issues for our individual environments however, let me rattle through a few for you. SPACE – means not only the impact that a physical space can have on collections and clients, but also the space you take up in the minds and hearts of your community, your council and your staff. Are you perceived as a person interested in what the future holds and therefore more able to manage it? Or is your space more about today’s rosters, collection of fines, where the extra pram parking is going to go? Story about two libraries and their carpet… SUSTAINABILITY – notwithstanding your political opinions, I hope your heart and actions are growing ever greener. Have you visited the wonderful Envirodome (http://www.envirodome.org.au) in the Adelaide Zoo – its an eyeopener. I’m sure I don’t have to quote the statistics to you about how costly it is to lose and retrain staff – its HUGE. Look after your staff, make sure they are the best they can be, don’t for a minute accept underperformers, they will affect every member of the team, train them as if you’re keeping them forever, lead your performance culture from the front. ACCOUNTABILITY – Publishers are fighting over copyright, digital rights and country rights, Suppliers and Libraries are arguing over how many times a digital copy can be used or lent and how much to charge. In the meantime Mrs Smith just wants to be able to access the latest hot detective novel on her cute little handheld reader that her nephew bought her for Christmas. No answers yet…but keep fighting. At the ABA conference last month, Richard Nash a publisher and futurist, challenged publishers and booksellers by claiming that it wasn’t content that was king, but rather Culture is King. He claimed that we were NOT in the business of selling containers but rather of selling the culture contained within – he could have been speaking to librarians. In fact, as an aside, librarians were offered a special price of $95 for attendance at the conference and exhibit, but only 5 took up the offer. I hope to increase that number for the 2011 conference. RELEVANCE – I think most of us would agree that the debate of print Vs electronic book almost irrelevant and that multiple formats will be supported by libraries and readers. An August survey to 1500 library patrons by the Colorado Department of Education was labelled “Perceptions of Cost and Technological Advantages of Paper and Electronic Formats”. One of the most telling statistics to emerge was that when asked what format public libraries will circulate in 10 years, 44% indicated an equal qty of physical and digital, 40% said more digital, and 16% said more physical. It’s going to be an interesting 10 years! As for the questions about literacy levels falling – we know that as long as parents and teachers continue to engage children in stories and print – in any format, then they will read and discover all the worlds of imagination and fact that are available to them today.
- The POD options are very interesting: Academic publishers have been using POD for some time. Oxford University Press for instance started in 2000, and now they add about 1200 titles per year and have a current total of 14,000 titles available as POD or short run. Right here in SA, Griffin Press is investing heavily in extra machinery for their POD program. For Oxford and other publishers, POD is especially useful at the moment when there is great uncertainty about Digital rights and how quickly the market will take up electronic products. Originally, POD was almost solely the domain of academic and self publishers such as Lulu.com, however, Literary and Trade publishers have jumped into using POD for re-vitalising their backlists – Faber Finds, Random Collection, Harper Collins used the party at the Adelaide Writers Festival to announce the launch of their Australian backlist now all available on POD. If you are checking availability of a backlist title on TitlePage or a wholesalers site, if the quantity available is a nice neat 100, or 50, then you can almost guarantee that it’s a POD title. Books into Apps – need some changes to make them easier to read and access. 4 Ingredients is a classic example, Jamie Oliver cookbooks, Gardening Books, Travel, Language (tell Lao story) Different formats – Read How You Want , increasing access to various formats and a wider range of titles. Just one note – 24 point Vs usual 16 point which looks OK