(Actually, there are only 10 listed here)
How do we implement, sustain and report on new technologies in libraries in a 2.0 world?
How do these tools help us? How do they fit into the library landscape?
1. Control Technolust
· Just because it’s cool and sexy doesn’t mean we need it or that it will serve patrons.
· Avoid Technomust: don’t buy it because somebody else has it
· Techno-Divorce: Let go of dead technology. Use pilot projects to make sure something works
2. Plan for your users
· Find new ways to deliver services that meet their needs
· Involve users in planning from the beginning
· Ask them what they want – don’t tell them what they need
· OCLC’s Perceptions study found:
o Top 3 Criteria respondents use for deciding which electronic source to use:
1. Provides worthwhile information
2. Free
3. Easy to use
o Reasons for never using the library website:
1. Didn’t know it existed
2. Other web sites have better information
3. Can’t find the web site
o People want more information self-service and seamlessness
o 51% have used Instant Messaging
o 30% have never heard of online databases.
Pew study on the Millenial generation (born 1978-92) They are:
Team oriented
Immersed in media & gadgets
Use the Social Web
Accept loss of privacy for accessibility
Learning is shaped by technology & collaboration
5 factors to consider
Does it place a barrier between user and service
Is it librarian-centered or user-centered in conception
Does it add more rules?
Does it make more work for the user or the staff?
Does it involve doing damage control before you even begin the service?
Do research!
What are other libraries doing? What works?
(#3 is missing from notes: it may be some of the above!)
4. Communicate Effectively
With staff and users at every step
Involve all in creating new services
Listen
5. Focus on the ROI (Return on Investment)
Cost to benefit ratio
How much will the new technology cost?
Include hardware, software and hidden costs like training, staff time, promotion
6. Become a Trendspotter
Read Blogs and use RSS feeds
Read the professional journals
LITA Top Trends
Chat with colleagues at conferences
Read outside of field
OCLC Pattern Recognition: Scans the landscape for negative and positive trends
What’s happening in the community that will affect the library?
Technology Landscape
Bringing structure to unstructured data
Distributed, component-based software
Open source software
Security, authentication and Digital Rights Management
o Library Landscape
§ Community/Civic Center
§ Retail Expectations
§ Aggregator of community information
§ New formats and delivery
§ Focused on user’s point of view
7. Create Staff Buy-in
o What can we do to insure success with Tech projects?
o Listen, Involve staff, Tell stories about why it’s important, Report & Debrief – no surprises, Manage Projects well, Let them play with new technology, Celebrate Success!
o Manage Projects Well
§ Learn to have effective meetings
§ Remember Parkinson’s Law
§ Establish a point person
8. Training, training training
In-person, online, off-site
Make it part of staff development
Make it part of the culture- up and down
Training Web 2.0
Set up places and tools to play with and explore new technology
Form an Emerging Technology group
Allow time to plan innovation (see Michael’s blog post Are you Dreaming
Try different things!
Don’t be afraid to fail
Use many ways to get to the end result
9. Consider Content
It’s the future
Digital Creation Stations
Mashups and Remixes
User created content may be more important than libraries that create podcasts
Are we ready to help our users create digital content?
What can we offer them?
10. Embrace Change and Learn
Never stop learning
Challenge yourself
If time if the problem, look at other processes and how we allocate time. Can we save time somewhere else?
The 11th and 12th steps were not in the presentation. Maybe the process got easier?
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