The library of the future

Phil BradleyVice President, CILIP

Where I’m coming from:

• Libraries should be judged by their overall relevance to their community

• Constantly evolve• People are the enabling factor, not technology• If we do nothing, we will be left with low

margin services no-one else wants to provide eg Post Office V FedEx

• Libraries are about information in all formats

http://www.lorinix.net/the_city/02.html

Libraries as a place

• Gathering place• Haven of creative ideas• Solitude• Support• Internet• Education/Training

Westbury-sub-Mendip library kiosk http://bit.ly/eUsS5w

http://bit.ly/hxnLGB 24/7 browsing: books, national art, d/l digital audio & videoFiles. Featuring seats with iPads and 14 lounge chairs. August 2010

Nashville Public Library airport branch library 1962 http://bit.ly/epH74y

Polk County Florida. Vending machine books via library swipe card http://on.io9.com/gozyFz

http://pressandpolicy.bl.uk/Resource-Library/Growing-Knowledge-Space-37d.aspx

http://pressandpolicy.bl.uk/Resource-Library/Growing-Knowledge-Space-37c.aspx

http://pressandpolicy.bl.uk/Resource-Library/Growing-Knowledge-the-Evolution-of-Research-29f.aspx

Libraries as a service

• Focal point for community activity• Podcast studio• Video studio/local television• Virtual• Gamer• Fitness• Art/drama

http://ngd.ala.org/

NGD 2010 stats

• Number of libraries registered to participate: 1,882• Number of libraries that submitted # of players for NGD

activities: 787• Total number of players for NGD activities: 26,504• Number of libraries in the national Super Smash Bros

Brawl tournament (simultaneous): 47• Number of libraries in the national Rock Band High Score

tournament (asynchronous): 40• Number of non-US libraries that participated (that we

know of): 5 (Canada, Costa Rica, Italy, Japan, South Korea)

Become a publisher!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shakespearesmonkey/3880748925/sizes/l/in/photostream/

Or ePublish

http://www.amazon.com/ePublish-Self-Publish-Profitably-Kindle-CreateSpace/dp/0977240657

Or use Lulu.com

http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/the-2011-guide-to-free-or-nearly-free-e-books/14609998?productTrackingContext=search_results/search_shelf/center/1

Or loan eReaders?

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51uJzmtxoYL.jpg

Audio devices

http://www.wfhowes.co.uk/playaway/

Kindle lending libraries

Create apps

http://yourlibrary.edinburgh.gov.uk/node/837

http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/MuseumOfLondon/Resources/app/you-are-here-app/home.html

Or create videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkeKvLDMK8M

And provide facilities to make them

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/2365494/how_to_make_a_green_screen_studio_part_1_create_your_screen/

Photography

Local television stations?

Community hub

Or Radio station?

http://www.radioanywhere.co.uk

While we’re talking sounds...

Battle of the bands. Oldham Library

Or Webcasts?

http://infopeople.org/training/webcasts/list

Guiding resources

http://www.google.com/cse/home?cx=012525561006221062609:a3ion4ndljq

Trailmeme

Jogtheweb

Bookmarking services

Be a reputable social network source!

Social media = search

Facebook as a search engine?

Go to where the conversations are!

Librarians

• Perhaps confirm quality of data in community based reports?

• Organisations knowledge brokers. Constantly making new connections

• At the centre of the value chain, helping identify & closing gaps in organisational knowledge

• A change agent

So how do we get there?

Libraries and Digital: Research into the use of digital media in libraries to develop audiences for reading

The Reading Agency http://bit.ly/fanOnH

Barriers to a digital offer

• Funding is the biggest issue• A lack of staff skills and time is a major barrier

to engaging users online• Councils are restricting libraries’ digital

activities• Poor public awareness and problems with

computer access are slowing take-up of digital services

Issues

• 1.8% of library authorities have a digital media/reading strategy in place

• Library rating of user awareness is 1.9/5• 13.1% of library authorities have a separate

website for young people• 12.1% of PCs in children’s areas have a home

page that is child friendly. The rest default to the adult page

More issues

• Library staff average rating of their confidence in handling social/digital media is 2.2/5

• 49.5% of library authorities do not have designated staff responsible for social/digital media

2 quotes

• “The librarian must be the librarian militant before he can be the librarian triumphant.” Melvil Dewey

• “Librarians must be like Krishna! And descend into the world to combat ignorance!” S.R. Ranganathan