10 easy steps to a fantastic future for libraries.
If we can we be:
• leaders in our community
• leading by doing
• proactive and engaged
• listening and forward thinking
• open and communicative
• learning and changing
• trusting and tolerant of failure
• free to experiment and play
• sharing our knowledge and skills
• creative and connected
Maybe easy isn't the right word but IMHO I think it's what we could be doing to create a strong and vibrant future. These 10 easy steps can be applied to any library context and then comes the hard part - where you put it into practice! This year I've been to a few events focussed on the future of libraries and the future of the profession and reflecting on those events helped me come up with this list. You may agree or disagree, I'd love to hear what you think?
Last week I attended a Sorry Day talk at the Library and it was a very moving experience. Susan Moylan-Coombs told her story as an Aboriginal woman who was taken away from her parents, who had each been taken from their parents before meeting up in the mission. Susan was born and immediately taken from her parents in 1964 when Aboriginal people were not considered people but as part of the Flora and Fauna Act. During the talk Susan described having no memories of her life in the mission, a happy life with her adopted family, the moment of meeting her birth mother and the intense emotions the National Apology stirred up for her. She explained that the apology made her realise for the first time the magnitude of what happened. That it wasn't just her but two or three generations of Aboriginal people were affected with ongoing repercussions for generations to come. As a positive and powerful person Susan has overcome so much in her life and her achievements are inspiring. I felt privileged to be in the room hearing her story.
She described returning to the hospital where she was born - "The nurses said 'all your needs were met' as if to say why are you upset? She explained that despite her basic needs being met in terms of Maslow's Hierarchy, there was a fundamental need she feels was not met - Spirit. She explained that Spirit is very important to Aboriginal people sometimes described as Country or Dreaming. Just because someone is fed and clothed doesn't mean that their spirit is nourished. I thought about this as I returned to my desk after the talk. My spirit was low and I thought about my spirit animal... the owl.. and there it was... someone came running through the offices calling 'there's an owl outside a window upstairs, come and have a look!' My spirit called and the owl appeared! I ran upstairs and there it was, sheltering from the pouring rain, in the tree with a rat in it's talons. I was glued to the window looking at it and it looked back. I showed it my owl gumboots (I'm wearing them again today) and my spirit soared!
I returned to my desk uplifted and joyous! I suppose I must now confess to being owl obsessed. It is indeed my spirit animal and a part of my Dreaming. I have (many) owl mugs, t-shirts, candle holders, (so many) ornaments, spectacle holders, salt-n-pepper shakers, necklaces, brooches, books, gumboots and more! As a printmaker/illustrator the owl is a common theme/character in my work. As a tribute to the owl and to nourish my spirit I have decided to wear something owly everyday for the month of June, photograph it (and all my owl objects) and upload to flickr. I hope you all enjoy the journey and perhaps find your own spirit animal to nourish your spirit.
Time for another update… Many of you would know that QR codes are a pet project for me and I’ve been trying to wangle them into the library for a while now. My nagging recently coincided with the decision to increase our video content and so viola - QR codes and our YouTube channel are a match made in heaven! We worked with a team of people to prioritise the content of the videos, then scripted them and early this year two colleagues and I agreed to star in them. We shot the vids and now you can enjoy watching them at your leisure on our YouTube channel! Most of them are very short (20-40 seconds) and informative or instructional about areas or services in the library.
For example, you can see in these images how QR codes are being used next to our self-service loans machine to link people to our video about how to use the machine. Our most popular video by far (starring Ashley – soon to be guest blogger) is the one explaining our printing system. The vids are also embedded in our website at relevant spots and it’s always fun to teach an IL class and come across a video of myself on the website… “hey, that’s you”… lol. I recently gave a presentation and introduced myself with 'you might remember me from such places as the library youTube channel...'
The two other stars of the videos and myself were recently recognised by the university for our contribution to social media because of this QR code video project. We were invited to ring the university bell to mark the start off semester. The festive occasion was much fun and we were honored to ring the bell and receive a commemorative pen.
I also recently had a paper published in inCite called QR codes and the mobile web. I'm putting a pre-print up for those who haven’t seen it yet.
QR codes and the mobile web We are engaged in the delivery of high quality information literacy training and services to clients. We endeavour to maintain awareness of emerging trends in technology and communications with regard to their impact on educational and library settings. Through this process we hope to better meet the needs and expectations of our clients by creating an evolving and dynamic teaching, learning and research environment. One way we are trying to achieve this is through the use of QR codes. QR codes are barcodes for the 21st century that can be scanned by a web-enabled mobile device and link you to digital content such as a website, video, podcast, quiz, pdf, or almost anything!
Recently, Australia has experienced a massive increase in the use of mobile devices and clients now expect to access library services and resources anywhere, anytime. The nature of a mobile device means that digital content can now be accessed immediately, in context, when it’s most relevant or bookmarked for later. QR codes are a simple way to achieve this by connecting the physical and digital worlds through the use of a mobile device.
Trend watching: What the experts say The recent ANZ Horizon Report (2009) outlines key technology trends they recognise as emerging in educational settings over the next two to five years. QR codes are recognised in two categories: The delivery of mobile content and augmented realities emerging within the next two to three years.
This includes the development of educational gaming programs using augmented reality layers and making use of geo-location technology
QR codes are included in this category because of their ability to deliver mobile content when a connection between the physical and digital worlds is required
As part of a group of ‘smart objects’ which are classified as technology that connects the physical and digital worlds, emerging within the next four to five years.
Includes technology such as QR codes, RFID, smart cards and microchips
QR codes are included in this category because they combine “the ability to collect and transmit information with the means to immediately use that information“ (Horizon, p.22, 2009)
Physical and digital spaces QR codes have been used in a wide variety of contexts such as music, museums, games, marketing, libraries and education. In all contexts they have been used to connect users in a physical space to contextualised digital content. We are trialling QR codes in a number of ways. We are placing them on objects in the physical library such as self-check machines and printers where assistance may be required. This allows clients to take a photo of the QR code and immediately watch a short demonstration of the service they are trying to use. Traditionally, instructional and promotional materials have been text-based, however with the addition of QR codes these resources are now enhanced with more dynamic content.
QR codes can be used on promotional bookmarks and brochures to connect clients to online content in context. QR codes can also be used online to link to specific mobile content. For example, we are launching a mobile website in February 2010 which runs on a range of mobile platforms including iphone/itouch, Android, Windows mobile and Opera mini. A simple way of promoting the mobile site to clients is placing a QR code on the library home page. The code links clients to the new mobile site and they can immediately move around the library searching and browsing at the shelf rather than at the PC terminal. Similarly, databases are starting to provide mobile platforms and QR codes could be used in the OPAC to link clients directly to mobile databases rather than having to type in a long URL. While these ideas are simple, they provide library clients with easy access to mobile content and services.
Moving forward We are raising client awareness of QR codes so that clients can use this new technology more effectively. We will monitor this pilot project by tracking usage statistics of the content we link to and engaging in discussion with clients through our social networking sites. We see the addition of QR codes to our promotional and instructional material as a way to enhance traditional services rather than replacing them altogether. As the number of people using mobile devices increases, so does the demand for mobile content. Here, we aim to meet that demand by continuing to develop services that address client needs. Through the use of QR codes we will enhance our existing library services and create a more engaging and dynamic library environment.
More information can be found in this poster Sophie presented at the UTS Teaching and Learning Forum and at the HCTD Mobile Research Workshop both held in November 2009: http://www.slideshare.net/MissSophieMac/qr-codes-and-the-mobile-web. The ANZ Horizon report can be found here: http://www.nmc.org/pdf/2009-Horizon-Report-ANZ-Edition.pdf
Interested in: developing digital literacy, mobile literacy, game-based, learning, emerging trends in communications and technology, developing innovative services, 21stC information literacy, augmented reality, QR codes, mobile learning, The Cloud and so much more.
Disclaimer
This blog contains the personal opinions of the author, which do not necessarily reflect those of her employer or any other organisation with which she is associated.
