PLA 2010 Conference: PLA's First-EverTop Tech Trends Panel Addresses Content Gap and Ebook Readiness
Public Library Association - PLA 2010 Annual Conference - Portland
By Josh Hadro -- Library Journal, 03/26/2010
For the first time, the Public Library Association Conference featured its own Top Tech Trends (TTT) Panel, mirroring the American Library Association's extremely popular ALA Annual and ALA Midwinter TTT panels. What trends should public librarians expect to deal with in the coming years? Community access to content, augmented reality applications, staff readiness for ebook readers, and consideration of the digital divide.
The PLA's TTT panel, sponsored by the Library and Information Technology Association (LITA), was attended by approximately 400 conference registrants. It was moderated by LITA president and head Michelle Frisque, Information Systems, Galter Health Sciences Library, Northwestern University, and panelists included:
David Lee King, Digital Services Manager, Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library, KS (a 2008 LJ Mover & Shaker)- Michael Porter, Communications Manager, OCLC-WebJunction (a 2009 LJ Mover & Shaker)
- Monique Sendze, Associate Director of Information Technology and Virtual Services, Douglas County Libraries, Castle Rock, CO
- Kate Sheehan, Open Source Coordinator at Bibliomation, Inc.
The session followed what has become a standard TTT format, with panelists each given five minutes to present their vision of the most important technology areas to watch, followed by discussion and questions.
Connecting community and content
To start, Porter offered what he hopes will become the librarian's mantra: "Libraries need a new electronic content access and distribution infrastructure." He returned to this phrase repeatedly and tied it to his view of the fundamental mission of libraries as community intermediaries providing access to content. He contended that libraries are at serious risk of being marginalized if they cannot compete with flashier and more robust digital content distribution outlets, like Amazon, Google, Netflix, and others.
He also made veiled mention of founding a project or a foundation to address content access concerns on behalf of libraries, perhaps even via legal or judicial means. Pressed for more detail by audience members, Porter said the process has barely begun and that he had few concrete details to offer. But, he concluded, "if we can…make libraries the hub, we would be more vibrant, relevant, and well funded than we've ever been, and able to achieve the things that are at the core of our mission"—namely, connecting patrons to the content they've come to expect to be made easily available.
Augmented reality and QR codes
Sendze told the audience that Augmented Reality—"the overlaying of digital data with the real word, in real time"— holds tremendous potential for library services (a trend reminiscent of Lauren Pressley's similar top tech pick from ALA Midwinter). Augmented reality is not a new concept, Sendze said, but added that smartphones are helping to remove the technology out of the realm of specialized technology and hardware and onto mass-market consumer devices.
As a related trend, Sendze cited the work libraries are doing to integrate QR, or quick response codes, into their collections and services. Specifically, she cited a $60,000 grant given to Contra Costa County Library, CA, which is just beginning the process of linking QR codes on books to reader's advisory suggestions, chat and SMS reference, and relevant library programming, all accessible via camera phone–scannable barcodes placed on materials.
Ebooks: all for one?
King, a self-professed Apple enthusiast, took on the recent proliferation of ebook readers. It was his opinion that, while there is currently some chaos in terms of file formats and hardware standards given the wide variety of devices available, one ebook reader in particular stands to change the way the public thinks of ebooks: Apple's iPad, which begins shipping to customers on April 3.
King predicted that the iPad will have the same effect on the ebook and gaming markets that the Mac had on desktop computers and that the iPod had on the music industry. But how does this affect libraries?
King emphasized the importance of all staff having familiarity with the iPad as well as with all other popular ereaders. Patrons will only be frustrated, he advised, if they come into the library and find no support for their preferred device.
A question posed via Twitter asked how libraries, perpetually strapped for cash, can afford to keep buying the growing range of devices in order to meet patron needs.
One option King mentioned was to consult with library Friends groups, but Sheehan offered a more informal proposal: ask patrons if they'd be willing to demo the devices. Bleeding-edge gadget enthusiasts are often delighted to share their tech with others, and the outreach effort can even help to strengthen the bond between librarians and their communities. "Buy somebody a sandwich and win their heart," she said of the simple effort it takes to forge a lasting relationship.
Addressing the digital divide
Finally, Sheehan took up a discussion of the digital divide, echoing a presentation given by Jessamyn West and Jenny Engstrom at the recent South by Southwest (SXSW) conference in Austin, TX, titled "How the Other Half Lives: Touring the Digital Divide."
"Generally speaking, if we're talking about trends, we're not talking about the [other] half of the digital divide," Sheehan said, "and to some extent, we have to make some level of peace with that." However, librarians risk heading down a dangerous path if they don't carefully consider the effect their service choices have on patron populations.
Moreover, technology proficiency isn't as clear cut as many might think, Sheehan added. Patrons who are quite comfortable using sophisticated software tools in their line of work often still consider themselves "bad at computers" and can be hesitant to engage with online services such as LinkedIn. Libraries are the perfect place to address this apprehension, given that they are a safe place to learn about technology, staffed by professionals who reserve any judgement about a user's level of tech savvy.
Later in the day, the panelists also reprised their TTT panel roles for a webcast as part of the PLA Virtual Conference, to be archived for one year.
Click here for PLA 2010 Conference News coverage from the editors of Library Journal and School Library Journal.
