Week 6, #15

Everything Old is New Again?

When I read Dr. Schultz's article outlining the Library 1.0 to Library 4.0, the above cliche came to mind. In the end, what patrons/students really need and want is personal attention.

Dr. Schulz said people will want "...the LIBRARY: a WiFREE space, a retreat from technohustle, with comfortable chairs, quiet, good light, coffee and single malt. You know, the library."

Maybe. I almost can't imagine the world giving up its technology. How many of us are willing to live "off the grid"?

Her point about superstar Avatars was interesting. Will libraries be more competitive against each other with the ease of online access? And what about money concerns? More digital divide when the next wave of "3-D" technology hits, or Library 3.0, as she calls it.

What we have to consider is not just the change that the technology is making in our libraries but the change technology is making in the society, particularly in face to face interactions. I recently read a fascinating article about the changes social networking is making in teenage behavior: Subrahmanyam, Kaveri, and Patricia Greenfield. "Online Communication and Adolescent Relationships." Future of Children 18.1 (2008): 119-46.

Think about these statements from their paper:
--the anonymity of social networking increases negativity, and negative comments, esp. racism
--teens can safely use social networking (hereafter called SN) to try out new roles, part of their development
--technology is having a substantive effect on family relationships, with parents losing much of the control they previously had
--the majority of teens get at least 11 text messages per day, and are more comfortable texting than talking f2f
--harassment is quite likely to come via electronic means rather than in person, often through texting
--most SN reinforces existing relationships rather than establishing new relationships, esp. with older teens
--SN changes the emphasis from family communication to peer communication

As Rick Anderson said in another article, if we don't change with society, we hit icebergs. Mr. Anderson made astute observations about serving the public. I agree that more and more people will expect access to all materials online. However, this seems to me to be generational and research-oriented. At our public library, circulation continues to increase each year. The 40+ users and the 8- users are the ones I think who still use books almost exclusively. Mr. Anderson, probably because he works in an academic library, ignores the patrons who use the library for pleasure reading. Kindle is seemingly popular but it hasn't overwhelmed the library patrons. Users will still want children's books and fiction. I'm presently using microfilm to do genealogy research. Sure, I was it were online (and someday soon it will be) but I still accept that I go to the information. It will be some time yet before our collections disappear. I can envision Digital Books on Demand...... As a school librarian, I've known for decades that teaching is my main role. And it will continue to be that. The Flickr one button he mentions will change tomorrow, and I will be needed to teach patrons where the new button is. I believe that most libraries have already accepted that we will "go where they are" (the third point)in providing 24/7access to as much info -- and library help-- as possible. Most of us are not as oblivious at the Titanic Captain when it comes to icebergs. Maybe it's because we've had much better advice.

Courses like this will help librarians keep pace with change, even if that change isn't so different.