« Collection HQ and EBSM (Evidence Based Stock Management) Methodology | Main | Serving the 21st Century Patron »
Internet Librarian 2010: Random notes
By karen | October 28, 2010
There were lots of great sessions at the conference. Some final snippets:
Samuel Davis of the Columbus Metropolitan Public Library presented on Columbus Neighborhoods. CMPL, in collaboration with WOSU Public Media (the public television outlet based at Ohio State University), facilitated the creation of a community archive in preparation for Columbus’ bicentennial in 2012. CMPL provides the technical support, hosting a Drupal website for the content repository, while WOSU promoted the project. Community participation has exceeded expectations and is creating a rich online repository of local history. This was an excellent example of how libraries add value to and involve their communities.
Augmented Reality is becoming reality as people connect the physical world with data. North Carolina State University has developed an historic walking tour of their campus, the WolfWalk, which connects campus buildings and locations with images that trace their history. Layar is an augmented reality app that can be used to connect images and data. Imagine a time when you can walk down the street, photograph a building with your smartphone and see the data attached to it.
As a final thought, another recurring theme was transliteracy. We are moving towards a transliterate society, that is, a society that must be able to read, write and interact across a wide range of platforms, tools and media. In a much heard quote from futurist Alvin Toffler, we heard that “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.” Librarians must be ready to explore and learn about the ways their patrons (or what Michael Ridley, University of Guelph, calls “participants”) interact with the world. Customer service needs to escalate to “service fluency”, making those who participate in the library satisfied at the point of contact, whether it’s at the library, online or in an augmented reality.
As always, Internet Librarian provides much food for thought and visions of the future. And Monterey is always an inspiring place to visit.
Topics: Events, Future of Libraries | Comments Off on Internet Librarian 2010: Random notes
Comments are closed.