Library as Future #vala14 #p6

Joe Murphy Library as Future

Don’t have a choice in all this – outside world has burned down the way we’ve done things. But can exercise vision in what we build for the future. Also note that the burning is ongoing: change is constant.

Future of libraries will always have to do with inspiration points from the past.
“She who has more curiosity has more strength”.

Do libraries have a future? Well, do we want to engage in the ongoing story of our communities?

Diffusion of creativity in the industry – trend seen in makerspaces, globalisation vs localisation, self-publishing. Use conversation points to inspire.

Identify microprojects that are far-reaching and have tendrils of benefits across the community – library as connector, supporter, future-enabler. Supporting research -> supporting entrepreneurialism.

Internet of Everything
Nest letting you control things in your house (thermostat, lights, etc) with your phone.

Need to face what’s going to be impacting our environment.
Libraries as change entities – open our space to be laboratories, experimental zones.
Libraries as pivot engines – able to make quick turns with new pressures/opportunities
Partnerships as growth – locally with independent publishers and small libraries, with researchers and business, with vendors. And across usage expectations. He recently got a subscription to a print newspaper, not for news, but it’s fun to read this way. Partnering with coders.

New platforms for libraries – smart cars, smart tvs, wearables. Wherever there’s a screen there’s an opportunity for the library because library is still about facilitating access to information. Concept of moving screen from palm of hand in smart phone to somewhere else (wristwatch, google glass…). This stuff is open to developers so the future of these is what you make it.

Libraries as gap filler. Every gap is an opportunity for libraries. Need to harness energy from the tensions of change in our community.

“Now accepting Bitcoin”? [I’m reminded of an article a month or two ago that argued, tongue-in-cheek, that Bitcoin had got a lot more cachet due to its massive crash. Maybe this is true, but it’s kind of disturbing.] Bitcoin ATM in Vancouver actually being used.

Mobile usage continuing to grow and to shift. Messaging had the highest growth – beating out gaming, news, everything. Trends have converged and settle down. A few years ago trend of messaging with pictures and everything included these features. Amazing growth in Snapchat. Opening it opens the camera – photo comes first, caption comes next, last is choosing the audience. Can control how long the photo will exist (10 seconds). Privacy important, as is impermanence and ephemerality. Not saying libraries should use it, but shouldn’t disregard it.

Stop investing in excelling at past strengths. Question about new things is always what old things to give up. We know what we do, we know what we need, we know how we have to appear. There are legitimate important reasons to maintain print collections – for PR if nothing else.

Aereo lets people rent an aerial to watch cable via streaming. (Legal as demonstrated by many many many court cases….)

Gets annoyed at “Netflix for books? that’s a library” – Netflix doesn’t fine people or block people from borrowing.

Library space at SFSW – positioning librarians in the technology space.

Librarians need creativity, curiosity to be change agents. Job description should start “Able and willing to accept change” while directing change.

QR codes didn’t really take off in libraries but we had a good conversation about them – about connecting physical and online content. Will always be a need for a physical point of access to online information.

With new tech shouldn’t ask what’s the point, should ask what opportunities it provides for growth.

Don’t focus on if we have a future or what it is. Focus on how we can get to the future. “Nothing to fear but death and obsolescence.” Books create inspiration, libraries create opportunity.

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