Slides on "Let’s Predict the Future: Workshop Introduction" for a workshop session on "Predicting the Future" held on 3 June 2014 at the SAOIM 2014 conference in Pretoria, South Africa and facilitated by Brian Kelly, Cetis. See https://ukwebfocus.wordpress.com/events/saoim-2014-lets-predict-the-future-workshop/

1. A: Introduction
Let's Predict the Future!
A half-day workshop
at the SAOIM 2014
conference on
Tuesday 3 June 2014
facilitated by Brian
Kelly, Cetis,
University of Bolton,
UK
Slides available
under a Creative
Commons licence
(CC-BY)
A: Introduction
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About The Facilitator
Brian Kelly:
• Innovation Advocate at Cetis,
University of Bolton, UK
• Worked at UKOLN, University of Bath as
UK Web Focus for 16+ years
• Web technology adviser to
higher education & cultural heritage sectors
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Workshop Abstract
This workshop session will help participants identify potentially
relevant technological developments by learning about and
making use of ‘Delphi’ processes. The workshop also provides
insight into processes for spotting ‘weak signals’ which may
indicate early use of technologies which could be important in
the future.
But having identified potentially important technological
developments, organisations need to decide how to respond.
What will be the impact on existing technologies? What are the
strategic implications and what are the implications for staff
within the organisation?
The interactive workshop session will provide opportunities to
address the challenges in understanding the implications of
technological developments and making appropriate
organisational interventions.
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IdentificationPlanningInteractive

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About You
In small groups:
• Introduce yourselves: your name,
where you work and what you do.
• Say what made you decide to sign up
for this workshop and what you hope to
gain from it.
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Draft Timetable
Time Title
08.30 A: Introduction
08.50 B: Predicting the Future: the Need and the Risks
09.20 C: Let’s Predict the Future
10.00 Coffee
10.30 D: We’ve Predicted the Future! So What?!
11.00 E: Prepare for the Unexpected: Scenario Planning For Libraries
11.30 F: Conclusions and Reflections
12.00 Finish
Lunch
Subject to changes!
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Workshop Format
Features of the workshop:
• Participative
• Questions and discussion welcomed
• Welcoming of alternative views
• Open (feel free to take photos, tweet, ….)
• Appreciative of limitations of openness
(feel free to state if comments are
‘off the record’)
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Slides available at http://ukwebfocus.wordpress.com/events/
saoim-2014-lets-predict-the-future-workshop/

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Your Thoughts
What technical developments might
be important?
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#saoim14
(or #wtf)
Tweet your ideas with
event hashtag
I think teleporting could have implications for libraries in the future! #saoim14
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Feel free to add
implications for users …
Teleporting could have implications for libraries as people won’t be put off from
visiting when it’s raining! #saoim14 22
and implications
for libraries
We would therefore need larger physical spaces for the teleporting visitors to the
library #saoim14 41
Discuss the
implications …
So maybe the books could be teleported. Would we need a physical library
building? #saoim14 48
such as legal issues,
business models, …
What about the legal implication? Border control? Which VAT rate to use?
Importing banned book? … #saoim14 #wtf 27

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Questions
Any questions?
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