teton countyfinal

The Community Library in the 21st Century

Stephen Abram, MLSCengage Learning [Gale]

Jan. 12, 2012These slides will be available on Stephen’s Lighthouse blog

Is there still life in libraries in a web world?

Yes, but . . .

Change: Are libraries Future Ready?

News Flash

News Flash

Shift Happens

Strategic Choice

Are there too many choices?

7 Gifts to Libraries, Publishers & Booksellers

1. The book isn’t dead or dying. It is evolving.2. Our users/customers are improving.3. Technology is going social and can support social

acts.4. The PC isn’t dead, but, again, it’s evolving and more

mobile.5. We know more about our information use than ever

before.6. Talent, Insight, Community, have social value.7. Opportunities always exist more in times of change

Can Libraries Stand Out in a Crowd?

Questions for Libraries & Publishers Today:1. Are our priorities right?2. Are learning, research, discovery changing

materially and what is actually changing?3. Books. Meh.4. What is the role of information and

recreational reading in the real future (that is not an extension of the past)?

5. Are we ready for the 21st Century world that will be or the 20th Century one that was?

What Are Libraries Really For?

• Community• Learning• Discovery• Progress• Research (Applied and Theoretical)• Cultural & Knowledge Custody / Conservation• Economic Impact

Challenge 1

Books

FictionNonFictionReading

The Book Comet

Harper Collins fiascoAmazon “authors” Google Bookstore Amazon Subscriptions and Lending 24Symbols Bookish Pottermore Recommendation Engines Apple . . . iStore, iBooks

READING

Why do people read?

Why do people read?1. To learn2. To engage in hearing other’s opinions (to agree or disagree or understand)3. To develop more knowledge about myself and develop as a whole person4. To be entertained and laugh, to engage and interact5. To address boredom and the inexorable progress of time6. To research and keep up-to-date7. To participate well in civil society (everything from news to voting)8. To be informed (and maybe smarter)9. To understand others (individually and culturally)10. To escape our day-to-day lives11. To stimulate the imagination and be inspired or spiritual12. To write and communicate better through reading others13. To teach14. To have something to talk about15. To connect with like-minded people

Challenge 2

Containers

Challenge 2

DVD/CDROM

Challenge 3

Positioning

Kids Today

IQ, Rates, Scores, Gaming, Reading, Gender . . .

SmellyYellowLiquid

OrSex

Appeal?

Challenge 4

Schools

Challenge 5

Distance Ed

Challenge 6

Search

Content Spam

List of content farms and general spammy user generated content sites:

All Experts (allexperts.com) Answers (answers.com) Answer Bag (answerbag.com) Articles Base (articlesbase.com) Ask (ask.com) Associated Content (associatedcontent.com) BizRate (bizrate.com) Buzle (buzzle.com) Brothersoft (brothersoft.com) Bytes (bytes.com) ChaCha (chacha.com) eFreedom (efreedom.com) eHow (ehow.com) Essortment (essortment.com) Examiner (examiner.com) Expert Village (expertvillage.com) )

Experts Exchange (experts-exchange.com) eZine Articles (ezinearticles.com) Find Articles (findarticles.com) FixYa (fixya.com Helium (helium.com) Hub Pages (hubpages.com) InfoBarrel (infobarrel.com) Livestrong (livestrong.com) Mahalo (mahalo.com) Mail Archive (mail-archive.com) Question Hub (questionhub.com) Squidoo (squidoo.com) Suite101 (suite101.com) Twenga (twenga.com) WiseGeek (wisegeek.com) Wonder How To (wonderhowto.com) Yahoo! Answers (answers.yahoo.com) Xomba (xomba.com)

Challenge 7

Experiences

The Baker’s Dozen: LVA Top 13

1. Health and Wellness / Community Health / Nutrition / Diet / Recovery

2. DIY Do It Yourself Activities and Car Repair 3. Genealogy 4. Test prep (SAT, ACT, occupational tests, etc. etc.) 5. Legal Questions (including family law, divorce, adoption, etc) 6. Hobbies, Games and Gardening 7. Local History 8. Consumer reviews (Choosing a car, appliance, etc.) 9. Homework Help (grade school) 10. Technology Skills (software, hardware, web) 11. Government Programs, Services and Taxation 12. Self-help/personal development 13. Careers (jobs, counselling, etc.) 14. Readers Advisory was 14th

The new bibliography and

collection development

KNOWLEDGE PORTALS

KNOWLEDGE,LEARNING,

INFORMATION &RESEARCHCOMMONS

Challenge 8

Literacy

Trans-Literacy: Move beyond reading & PC skills Reading literacy Numeracy Critical literacy Social literacy Computer literacy Web literacy Content literacy Written literacy

News literacy Technology literacy Information literacy Media literacy Adaptive literacy Research literacy Academic literacy Reputation, Etc.

Challenge 9

Economy

Challenge 11

Questions

The Evolution

of Answers

Sensemaking: Too much choice

Why do people ask questions?

Why do people ask questions?

Who, What, When, WhereHow & WhyData – Information – Knowledge - BehaviorTo Learn or to KnowTo Acquire Information, Clarify, TuneTo Decide, to Solve, to Choose, to DelayTo Interview, Delve, Interact, ProgressTo Entertain or SocializeTo Reduce FearTo Help, Aid, Cure, Be a FriendTo Win A Bet

Grocery Stores

Grocery Stores

Grocery Stores

Cookbooks, Chefs . . .

Cookbooks, Chefs . . .

Meals

Why do people ask questions?

What are your top 10-20 questions?What is the service portfolio model

that goes with those?

The power of libraries

Challenge 12

Mobile

Mobility: Where the Patron Is

Challenge 13

Creativity

Take back the Strategy:

Rebalance

The Essential Definitions

Ask Yourself . . .

How do libraries differ as an issue?From the listeners point of view and

experience.

Selling Ideas

Essentials for Advocacy

Someone who needs to care Courage Trustworthy Passion Belief Proofs Stories and Knowledge Respect for whom you need to influence Understanding beyond caricature (e.g. Politicians, the

“Boss”, Teachers, Teens, Seniors, The “Public”, Vendors...)

Ummm, It’s real easy! Talk to

me about something I am

interested in, where I am,

that meets my needs and

goals.

Speak Up!

Libraries Are Social

Institutions

The Virtual Handout

The Value of Public Librarieshttp://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/04/06/the-value-of-public-libraries/The Value of School Librarieshttp://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/04/06/the-value-of-school-libraries/The Value of Academic and College Librarieshttp://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/04/07/value-of-academic-and-college-libraries/The Value of Special Librarieshttp://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/04/07/value-of-special-libraries/Library Advocacy: Save the Library Campaignshttp://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/04/01/save-the-library-campaigns/

Stephen Abram, MLS, FSLAVP strategic partnerships and markets

Cengage Learning (Gale)Cel: 416-669-4855

stephen.abram@cengage.comStephen’s Lighthouse Blog

http://stephenslighthouse.comFacebook or Google+: Stephen Abram

LinkedIn / Plaxo: Stephen AbramTwitter: sabram

SlideShare: StephenAbram1