This is a presentation I gave as part of the Top Tech Trends panel at OLA Super Conference 2010.

1. Competing in the Attention Age

2. The Information Age has ended, and the Attention Age is in full swing In the new age anyone can create, share and consume information instantly and freely Information is now cheap so attention is the most valuable commodity The Attention Age

3. Competing for Attention

4. Web giants such as Facebook and Twitter are raising the bar for user expectations Incredibly easy to use, streamlined user interfaces Seamless integrations and ubiquitous connectivity How do libraries stack up? New User Expectations

5. Example: 4 Distinct UIs

6. Not easy to use, not streamlined Why do I have to log in again? Why does this interface look different, and how do I use it? Not seamless, not ubiquitous How do I find an award winning book that’s available at my branch right now? Why can’t I access My Account from my cell phone? Library Systems

7. Example: Item Status

8. Facebook/Second Cup Example

9. Not lack of resources Not lack of technical know-how Given the solutions available, it’s virtually impossible for a library: To tie solutions together in a way that creates a seamless user interface To extend the reach of library data and systems to new applications and channels What’s the Problem?

10. Everything comes back to interoperability Library systems are not truly open Library systems are not integrated with each other Vendors are building vertical ‘silos’ of functionality The Problem

11. Emphasis on standards vs. ad hoc recombination of functionality Focus on data integration, “record sharing” vs. application integration Disconnected vendor silos vs. interconnected eco-system of service providers Traditional Library Approaches to Interoperability

12. Standardization over innovation Data over users Centralized control over decentralized collaboration Information Age Paradigms

13. Interoperability is active, not passive Just implementing standards is not enough New, more powerful forms of interoperability are required: Open APIs White Label solutions Software as a Service (SaaS) New Rules in the Attention Age

14. The Bad News: Interoperability is Difficult

15. What is an Open API? Publicly accessible web service Free or nearly-free Promoted on an API directory such as programmableweb.com Key challenge for doing this right: Enabling infrastructure including hardware, bandwidth, key management, usage metering, documentation, developer forums and support Open APIs

16. Example: Pie Palace BiblioPress

17. What is a White Label Solution? Software you can brand and integrate tightly into your domain to create a seamless user experience Key challenge for doing this right: Configurability vs. customization White Label Solutions

18. Example: BiblioCommons

19. Openness and configurability only gets us 50% of the way there True interoperability is multidirectional Single-Sign-On should just work “Save To” should always save to the same place “Tell a Friend” should always show same list of friends Every vendor needs to proactively integrate other solutions into their product What’s Missing?

20. What is Software as a Service? Software delivery model in which applications are hosted by a vendor and made available to customers over a network Key challenge for doing this right: Software on demand vs. ASP Software as a Service (SaaS)

21. Interoperability is a culture, not a technology Integration needs to be a core organizational capability SaaS is an agile delivery model which enables this capability The multi-tenant nature of SaaS creates economies of scale How SaaS Enables Interoperability

22. BiblioCommonsDrupal Integration

23. BiblioCommonsDrupal Integration

24. The Attention Age is upon us and libraries are competing for attention with web giants Web giants have a significant head start when it comes to interoperability Vendors must embrace new forms of interoperability, but they’re difficult to get right Conclusion