Ola webinar2011

Libraries: Evolution, Revolution and the Two Kinds of Extinction

Stephen Abram, MLSEducation Institute Webinar

March 16, 2011

“Don’t you know what a library is for?

It’s to prevent us frommaking damn fools

of ourselves.”

George LockeChief Librarian

1908-1937Toronto Public Library,

quoted in theToronto StarApril 3, 1982

Are Your Strategies Frozen in Time?

Are they Based On Incremental Change?

Are they Responding to Future Challenges

or Past Pain?

Stop complicating things!

We Only Get So Many Once-in-a-Lifetime

Chances To Do Great Things

What Can Librarians Do?

Extinction

Extinction

Evolution

A Library Metaphor: Dinosaurs didn’t go extinct

because the climate changed. They went extinct

because the didn’t or couldn’t adapt.

Opportunities Abound

IN TIMES OF DYNAMIC CHANGE Innovation Inspiration Information Ideas Invention Investment Illumination Influence

A Library Metaphor

Grocery Stores

Grocery Stores

Grocery Stores

Cookbooks, Chefs . . .

Cookbooks, Chefs . . .

Meals

Chefs, counsellors, teachers, magicians

Librarians play a vital role in building the critical connections between

information , knowledge and learning.

Opportunities Abound

Advocate Creativity Collaboration Consortia Cooperation Community

Sensemaking

Strategy is a Choice . . .

To be a victim and feel these changes are fated and blamestormOR

Create the future we need and take collective responsibility for the conversation and development of the future.

Find Reasons not Excuses.

As technology advances

Think

Emboldened Librarians hold the key

News Flash “The Internet and technology have now

progressed to their infancy”

The Top 20

What are our libraries’ strategic responses to these environmental factors and changes?

E-Books1

Kindle Singles

2

Google Books

3

How would you enhance the book without the compromises

of the 1500’s?

Digital is Insufficient

Death of Containe

rs

4

No More DVD’s

5

Research

Culture

6

Content Farms

7

Apple: Apps

7

Kindle Formats

8

E-Reader Lending

9

ContentDisaggreg

ation

10

What does all this mean?

The Article level universe The Chapter and Paragraph Universe Integrated with Visuals – graphics and charts Integrated with ‘video’ Integrated with Sound and Speech Integrated with social web Integrated with interaction and not just

interactivity How would you enhance a book?

E-Learning

11

E-Learning

StrategicAnalytics

12

What We Never Really Knew Before (US/Canada)

27% of our users are under 18. 59% are female.

29% are college students. 5% are professors and 6% are teachers.

On any given day, 35% of our users are there for the very first time!

Only 29% found the databases via the library website. 59% found what they were looking for on their first search.

72% trusted our content more than Google. But, 81% still use Google.

We often believe a lot

that isn’t true.

2010 Eduventures Research on Investments

58% of instructors believe that technology in courses positively impacts student engagement. 71% of instructors that rated student engagement levels as “high” as a result of using technology in

courses. 71% of students who are employed full-time and 77% of students who are employed part-time

prefer more technology-based tools in the classroom. 79% of instructors and 86 percent of students have seen the average level of engagement improve

over the last year as they have increased their use of digital educational tools. 87% of students believe online libraries and databases have had the most significant impact on

their overall learning. 62% identify blogs, wikis, and other online authoring tools while 59% identify YouTube and

recorded lectures. E-books and e-textbooks impact overall learning among 50% of students surveyed, while 42% of

students identify online portals. 44% of instructors believe that online libraries and databases will have the greatest impact on

student engagement. 32% of instructors identify e-textbooks and 30% identify interactive homework solutions as having

the potential to improve engagement and learning outcomes. (e-readers was 11%) 49% of students believe that online libraries and databases will have the greatest impact on

student engagement. Students are more optimistic about the potential for technology.

The Baker’s Dozen

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.)

Hobbies and Gardening

Consumer reviews (choosing a car, appliance, etc.)

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

Local History

Homework Help (grade school)

DIY Do It Yourself Activities and Car Repair

Genealogy

Legal Questions (including family law, divorce, adoption, etc)

Test prep (SAT, ACT, occupational tests, etc.)

Technology Skills (software, hardware, Internet/web)

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

88.3%

83.1%

81.7%

75.9%

72.9%

67.8%

60.0%

60.0%

58.3%

51.7%

10.0%

15.3%

16.7%

22.4%

25.4%

30.5%

31.7%

35.0%

41.7%

48.3%

1.7%

1.7%

1.7%

1.7%

1.7%

1.7%

8.3%

5.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Resource Levels for Top Ten Areas of Patron Interest (Question 1)

EnoughNot EnoughNot Applicable

History

/ Socia

l Studies

Scien

ce / S

cience

fairs)

Biographies

Litera

ture

Speci

al Ev

ents

(Black (

or Hisp

anic,

Asian, N

ative

American

) Hist

ory Month)

Women

’s Studies

Religio

n0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

45.0% 46.7% 46.7%

32.2% 33.3%

5.2% 3.4%

43.3% 38.3% 38.3%

42.4%35.0%

12.1% 11.9%

10.0% 13.3% 13.3%22.0%

20.0%

22.4%

39.0%

1.7% 1.7% 1.7% 1.7%11.7%

56.9%

44.1%

0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 1.7% 3.4% 1.7%

Student Homework Support - Level of Requests by Area

N/ANot at all CommonSlightly CommonCommonVery Common

Euro

pe

Middle Ea

st

United Kingd

omAfri

ca

World

Cultures

/Unders

tanding O

ur World

Australi

a /New

Zeala

nd

China / Fa

r East Asia

Easte

rn Eu

rope

Latin Ameri

ca

India / P

akist

an

Cuba & Cari

bbean

Russia

Asia Paci

fic0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

18.97% 20.00%

6.90% 8.62%14.04%

1.72% 5.00%10.53%

1.89% 3.39% 6.90%0.00% 0.00% 1.69%

39.66% 38.33%

37.93% 32.76% 22.81%

24.14% 20.00%14.04%

18.87% 16.95% 10.34%15.25% 13.79% 8.47%

34.48%28.33%

36.21% 41.38% 47.37%

56.90%50.00%

57.89%

49.06%55.93%

51.72% 52.54%46.55%

45.76%

6.90%11.67%

18.97% 17.24% 14.04% 17.24%

23.33%

17.54%

28.30%22.03%

31.03% 30.51%39.66%

42.37%

0.00% 1.67% 0.00% 0.00% 1.75% 0.00% 1.67% 0.00% 1.89% 1.69% 0.00% 1.69% 0.00% 1.69%

Areas of World Which Generate Most Questions

N/ANot at all PopularSlightly PopularPopularVery Popular

Gardening (L)

Knitting & Needlecrafts (P)

Knitting & Needlecrafts (L)

Arts & Crafts (P)

Arts & Crafts (L)

Television Shows (P)

Television Shows (L)

Gardening (P)

Computers (L)

Pets (P)

Pets (L)

Music (P)

Traveling, Tourism & Vacations (L)

Traveling, Tourism & Vacations (P)

Exercise, Cycling & Walking (L)

Exercise, Cycling & Walking (P)

Movies & Film (L)

Movies & Film (P)

Cooking & Recipes (L)

Computers (P)

Music (L)

Cooking & Recipes (P)

Recreational Reading (L)

Recreational Reading (P)

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Top 12 Hobbies - Patrons (P) & Librarians (L)

Whitespace

Broadband

13

Free Culture

14

Mobility

15

Digital 1st & Only

16

Peer e-Review

17

Inter-Disciplinar

y

18

Discovery & Ideas

The Future Discovered

• Stem Cells• fMRI and The Brain• Cloning• Trucking and GPS• Wind and other energy• Nanotechnology• Robotics• Massive Book Digitization• Music• Translation• Streaming Media• Seed Bank

Total Integratio

n

19

The new bibliography and

collection development

KNOWLEDGEPORTALS

KNOWLEDGE,LEARNING,

INFORMATION &RESEARCHCOMMONS

Don’t Rest on Your Laurels.

Reintermediation: Personalize the Service

Stand Out!

Trust Yourself to Make Difference and Have an Impact

Save the User!

What Would You Attempt If You Knew You Would Not

Fail?

Context is King,Contact trumps Culture Content is a Foundation

Community

Conversations

Relationships

What Are Libraries Really For?

• Community• Learning• Training the researchers of today & tomorrow• Discovery & Invention• Progress• Research (Applied and Theoretical)• Cultural & Knowledge Custody & Curation • Economic Impact &n Infrastructure

5 Things To Do

Must do actually

1. Know what your users are doing and why. (analyze your data, choose the top 5… & focus)

2. Focus on the user psycho-graphics – their goals from their point of view.

3. Invest in Knowledge Portals that support your user’s goals (in person and virtually)

4. Rise above Collecting and truly Support Reading and Research. Build on the foundation.

5. Be VERY comfortable with the devices. All of them.

5.

CooperateCollaborate

Consort

20

The power of libraries

Good Luck

Join the Revolution

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: Stephen Abram

LinkedIn / Plaxo: Stephen AbramTwitter: sabram

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