Library Revolution

One of the major points I will be taking away from this conference is the idea that we really need to be watching mobile trends closely. Very closely.

Megan Fox’s presentation on the topic was fast paced and almost overwhelming… which I found quite fitting for the topic. I highly recommend checking out her presentation slides…. I couldn’t possibly get all of the info into a post!

To summarize some of the market statistics:

75 % of all US adults have cell phones
90% of college students have them
95% of US mobile phones support text messaging
62 % of subscribers use text messaging regularly
text messaging increased 95% over last year

Put this together with the info from Lee Rainie’s keynote and we’re really seeing some clear signals here! 

For me, it’s so exciting to think about the possibilities when it comes to the mobile Web. But it means that we really need to think long and hard about how libraries fit in to the wireless world. It’s something I will be pondering…

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So here we are in Arlington, ready for Computers in Libraries!

It was a quick 6-hour drive from Long Island… a journey that was saved in the end by mobile devices. It seems that getting to the hotel is not ass straightforward as it might seem on paper. But with the help of Google Maps on my phone and a quick call to the hotel, we got here safe and sound.

And tired.

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Take a peek at this post from LibrarianInBlack. Sarah Houghton-Jan shares some very astute comments about the library “tech trends” she predicts for 2008, including tough budgetary times, an increasing awareness of the growing (and changing) digital divide, and my favorite: that librarians will have to get off of their high horse about technology and “stop being so bossy.”

“…we have taken on that holier-than-thou role when it comes to online services, where we are telling people repeatedly that we know the right way to behave online. We know what is safe. We know what is appropriate. We know what is cool. No…we…don’t. The mere fact that we put ourselves in to that patronizing role informs our users that we do not know what we’re talking about.”

Great predictions. The only thing I might add is something about library services becoming more mobile… but that is a thought for separate post…

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I love the basic theory - free Wi-Fi for everyone, wherever you go.

But I’ve been really skeptical of all of the hot air being blown around for a while by Suffolk County politicians about really making it happen here.

And now, they’re starting to test…

I don’t know. Something just isn’t right here. I guess I’ll  believe it when I see it.

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I just love this so much that I had to post about it even though everyone else has the same idea.

I love seeing all of the answers, all offered this way in the respondant’s handwriting. It’s so effective.

The answers are great and wide ranging. But here are a few of my favorites:

Motivating

Where I am, tailored to my interests and delivered in the format required. i.e. virtual or hard copy

Social Connected Seamless Mobile

A Place ASpace Where I want to be

An Option on your i-pod

Ubiquitous

Like McDonalds: Everywhere, easy to find, with a big menu and a tasty product!

In my pocket

The New Black

Bloody Awesome

And my very favorite:

Looking Towards 2027

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