Risk, Reality, & the Mobile Revolution [Transcript]

Risk, Reality, & the Mobile Revolution
Lisa Carlucci Thomas

Keynote session for the Handheld Librarian Online Conference III - July 28, 2010

This is a transcript of a keynote talk given at the Handheld Librarian Online Conference.
For a list of references, see: www.delicious.com/lisacarlucci/hhlib3

Follow along with the slideshow - each numbered section corresponds with a slide:
http://www.slideshare.net/lisacarlucci/risk-reality-the-mobile-revolution

1. Introduction

2. Uncertain times

Whether you count your experience in months, years, or decades - you know firsthand how
libraries are changing and the forces that are influencing such change.

The migration to digital content and delivery; collaborative creative production and social
media; crowd-sourced development of resources; ubiquitous, customizable data streams, and,
nearly instantaneous, point-of-need access to a seemingly infinite amount of information:

y has set new expectations about how, when, and where someone can access content
y has prompted fresh skepticism about the library s place and function in this
environment
y has presented libraries, and thus librarians, with significant challenges to adapt, and
adapt quickly.

This talk will address the RISK, REALITY, and MOBILE REVOLUTION in the context of our
institutions and in our profession. It will highlight current challenges to adapting and expanding
services and discuss the new roles that are emerging as librarians become active participants in
the mobile world.

3. Let s begin with a look at where we are right now.

Thomas, Lisa Carlucci. Risk, Reality, & the Mobile Revolution. Handheld Librarian Online Conference III. 28 Jul 2010.
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In a recent poll, the popular technology new site Mashable asked readers Which do you
prefer: e-books or print books? - Majority voted for print [Printed books 41.9% (898 votes)]

The second place answer was Tie: Both have their advantages [34.86% (747 votes)]
With ebooks in last place: [E-books 23.24% [(498 votes)] - rec d half as many votes as print.

Is this surprising?

Let s look at another example.

Two weeks ago, the Old Spice Guy - that marketing marvel - responded to a Twitter post by
New Jersey librarian Andy Woodworth prompting him to to say a few words regarding
libraries.

The Old Spice Guy replied with aplomb. That s easy, he said. Libraries are filled with books.

Books. While Old Spice Guy s message extended beyond books, to include the sharing and
conveying of information and library s place in that, many librarians re-tweeted and shared the
link to the video, remarking that LIBRARIES ARE MORE THAN JUST BOOKS.

4. Of course, we know this is true. Libraries as institutions offer unique services and support
found nowhere else. And library collections include numerous resources, in multiple formats
beyond printed text: e.g. licensed databases, born digital and digitized items, archives and
ephemera, and multimedia resources, such as videos.

The Hartford Courant Newspaper reported the results of a recent OCLC study, which found that
libraries circulate more videos daily than Netflix, Blockbuster, or Redbox. An average 2.1
million videos every day nationwide.

In Connecticut, videos amount to 27% of public library collections and many libraries purchase
multiple copies of hit movies to meet demand. Video collections have doubled in the last
decade, while print collections have declined. Yet, libraries are not generally considered video
outlets.

Connecticut Library Association president Debbie Herman sums up why: People think we're all
about books....but we have all these other resources to offer."

The mere mention of libraries stirs a nostalgic soup of teeming stacks, quiet reading rooms, and

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neatly organized card catalogs for many readers. Yet we as librarians know, the modern reality
is quite different from that model.

Libraries present technologically up-to-date information resources to meet new demands, yet
continue to be defined by outdated assumptions. These assumptions, both internal and
external to the profession, restrict our ability to dynamically respond to change. Instead of
supporting a unified mission, we suffer a fracturing of professional identity, and label ourselves
techies or non-techies , in support of the new or old ways of being.

Libraries as institutions languish in this debate. Whether or not we agree about mode of
delivery, we must agree that access to information in all forms is paramount, and keep
ourselves and our profession current as the information society advances.

We must also engage our boards, donors, legislators, and communities in this dialog to
modernize expectations about what we already do, and what s needed to do it better.

5. Fortunately, as you may have heard, the next big pop-culture wave after cupcakes might be
libraries. NPR cites several reasons for this prediction:

Libraries get into fights: for equal access to information, for adequate funding, patron privacy,
and more. Have you see Jane Austen Fight Club? Just like those high society characters,
librarians are shaking things up for the greater good.

Librarians know stuff. We work hard to organize and facilitate access to resources, and
advocate for freedom of information, ethical practices, and fair use.

Libraries are green, local, and open to all. Libraries are community focused by design, and serve
and provide an essential foundation for a literate citizenry.

In short, LIBRARIES TAKE RISKS. Librarians take risks. Exploring the value of new technologies is
one of those risks.

6. Today s conference is focused on library and information services to handheld devices a
hot topic in all respects, and an especially controversial topic at a time when library budgets are
tighter than ever. The Handheld Librarian conference celebrates its first anniversary this month
a year ago, demand for the conference crashed the technology and subsequent interest and
developments prompted organizers to arrange a mid-year sequel, instead of waiting a full 12
months. Consider how much has changed since July 2009.

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7. New Devices

Smartphones proliferated: Apple faced real competition from Palm Pre, Blackberry Storm,
Motorola Droid, and HTC Evo, the first 4G smartphone in the US market.

Didn t slow Apple down instead, following last year s iPhone 3GS, Apple introduced the iPad,
and iPhone 4 this year, along with the iBooks, FaceTime video calling, and other features far
ahead of its competitors.

Ereaders, such as the Amazon Kindle and Barnes & Noble Nook continued to rise in popularity
as consumer prices dropped and new social features were added and many new models and
applications were introduced. Ereader devices, software and technology dominated the
International Consumer Electronics Show last January in Las Vegas, and the Consumer
Electronics Association projected that 5 million ereaders of all types would be sold this year
(double last year s sales).

However, this preceded the introduction of Apple's iPad, which already has sold 3 million units
to date this year. Demand and opportunity are rising faster than anyone can easily predict.

Vendors and publishers are seeking new ways to tap into this burgeoning market B&N
recently announced NookStudy an etextbook application which will allow users to organize
and access class materials, textbooks, and notes all on one platform. And more and more
publishers are taking leap toward mobile platforms.

8. Where do libraries fit in the context of these changes?

Librarians must be able to explore these trends and experiment with opportunities that may be
useful to their communities. There is no one-size-fits all solution, but there is a critical need to
budget time and staff for research and service development, beyond professional development.

9. Only...the reality is:

Professional development and minimal technological ability are essential to understanding
mobile trends and considering their local relevance. It goes beyond training or an occasional
staff day the organizational culture must first embrace the value of measured risk to progress,
and integrate technology training into a series of teachable moments.

The current wave of interest in geolocation provides an example.

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10. Foursquare was launched at SXSW conference, March 2009. Just one year later,
Foursquare reached one million users. Just this month, announced that users exceed one
million check ins per day.

Yet, six months ago, it wasn t yet on our professional radar. One colleague said it was too easy
to become mayor of local venues, in particular, their own library. That s hardly a problem now
in many places. Foursquare and its competitors, such as Gowalla, rely on an incentivized social
interactions to spark interest among communities of users, and grow.

In the library world, the spark caught on around and after the January 2010 ALA Midwinter
conference, when colleagues such as Kenley Neufield and David Lee King blogged about the
opportunities geo-social information sharing might present to libraries. Many librarians signed
up for Foursquare and Gowalla after learning about it from their peers at the conference. The
conference provided the right mix of innovative culture and low risk opportunity and, thus, we
were able to learn together by doing.

11. Since then: increased interest in the possibilities for libraries using these services, and
librarians are exploring their worth locally.

Yet, it s always a gamble. Information sharing through geo-social networks create significant
privacy considerations that we re just beginning to understand.

No surprise, as we re still learning about how to manage privacy and our digital lives online,
after 6 years of Facebook, and 12 years of Google.

12. NY Times Magazine this week: featured article The Web Means the End of Forgetting -
which explored the ways that the Internet for better and worse is becoming a record of our
activities over our lifetimes, shackling us to everything that we have ever said or done.

13. If The Web Means the End of Forgetting then, the mobile geo-social web may be the
beginning of forgetting that privacy was ever an option. Librarians, as advocates for freedom of
information AND privacy AND promoting literacy skills in their communities should consider the
opportunity of developing information programs about best practices for life in the mobile
environment.

14. That, too, may be a risky proposition.

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One person s thrill is another person s danger it s up to libraries to define and present a
balanced perspective. We re all learning as we go and taking chances is part of the process.

15. Libraries extend value to the communities they serve, beyond books and reading. In the
new information environment, there is greater need than ever before for individuals to
understand their relationship to information content, both as producer and consumers.

We must consider whether this role falls under our professional purview. (I believe it does).

16. According to the Pew Report on Mobile Access 2010, 40% of adults use their mobile
devices to access the internet, send email, or exchange messages an increase of 25% over last
year. Yet, how far does this go in promoting access to underserved users?

Bobbi Newman, on the Librarian By Day blog, posited that Mobile Phones Are Not The Key
to Bridging the Digital Divide and I agree. Mobile access provides new opportunities and
convenience. Mobile library services should be considered an extension, not a substitute, for
existing services to non-mobile users.

17. Here is where we, as a profession can work together to coordinate our varying interests
and integrate programs and services across physical and virtual environments.

Polarization and mobbing within our profession due to risk or technology aversion is
counterproductive and creates institutional barriers to change.

18. Change is here whether or not we embrace it.

In the Wall Street Journal this week : Lost in Translation explored how language influences
understanding and encoding of information, specifically related to space, time and causality.

19. The article described how:

* Russian speakers, who have more words for light and dark blues, are better able to visually
discriminate shades of blue.

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* Some indigenous languages rely north, south, east and west, rather than left and right, and as
thus have great spatial orientation.

* In Spanish and Japanese, languages where the agent of causality is dropped: ("The vase broke
itself," rather than "John broke the vase.") Speakers couldn't remember the agents of
accidental events as adeptly as English speakers could.

20. Accordingly, this research shows us that the languages we speak not only reflect or express
our thoughts, but also shape the very thoughts we wish to express.

The structures that exist in our languages profoundly shape how we construct reality.

21. It won t take long before we experience not only a digital divide, but a significant cultural
divide between mobile and non-mobile users. (e.g. www.bit.ly/QLmobile)

We re already seeing this emerge. We ve talked about text-speak, abbreviated words and
phrases individuals use when sending text messages and we ve seen this spill over into real
life. Anecdotal evidence indicates that text abbreviations frequently appear in college papers,
and of course in emails and other correspondence.

22. Mobile games and products are becoming mainstream, vernacular - prompting the creation
of new words and phrases. Twitter and Facebook have joined Google as common verbs, we
now say good morning to our tweeps and vaguebook when we re feeling discreet, or coy.

23. The impact of mobile technologies extends far beyond our budgets and resources. It
changes one s view of the information landscape. It is critical for information professionals of all
experience levels to learn and develop an understanding of these trends.

24. How do we do that? We apply our critical professional lens to each innovation.

And we and take (measured) risks.

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25. We leap.

We also advocate. We work with IT professional or develop our programming skills. Or if
programming isn t for you, identify the trends most closely aligned with your own specialties.

26. Before and after we leap: we investigate. We learn by trying, and by evaluating details up
close and personal. We share what we learn. This how we promote the future of libraries one
day at time, and maintain not only relevance, but innovation within our profession.

27. Facebook announced this week that is has 500 million users.

According to CNN, Facebook has nearly saturated the market in United States and Western
Europe become a common way to function and get a lot of normal things done."

28. Facebook topped Yahoo and Google in quick succession earlier this year to become the
most popular website in the US and with social networking the most popular use of mobile
devices mobile/social content sharing will continue to take over traditional channels.

29. If Facebook were a country, it would be the third most populated nation following China
and India, respectively. US would be 4th. Think again about the unique language of mobile
culture, and how language influences our understanding and encoding of information.

30. No wonder we can recognize these changes as so important, and yet still find them so
confusing. The mobile revolution surrounds us influences our professional products and
priorities as well as our personal and interpersonal interactions.

So, let s review:

31. The mobile web and rapid changes in information technology have set new expectations
about how, when, and where someone can access content.

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32. These changes have prompted fresh skepticism about the library s place and function in
this environment.

33. And presented libraries, and thus librarians, with significant challenges to adapt.

[Risks]

34. Readers still show a preference for our old, analog ways voting for print, even though we
know that ereading is beginning to dominate mainstream markets.

35. If libraries experience with video collections is any indication, we should expect
multimedia to follow the ebooks trend and soon expect demand for mobile multimedia
offerings from libraries.

36. Our culture still embraces and defines libraries as storehouses for books, instead of centers
of information exchange across formats.

37. Telecommunications hardware and software environment is constantly changing. We have
to take chances, learn what we can, share what we know, and be ready to reinvent ourselves.

38. We need to take on the fight to go beyond nostalgia (and kittens) and advocate for a new
understanding about what libraries are today.

39. The organizational culture must have room for what is, and what can be. Is this an
inscribed artifact, or a digital object accessible via mobile device?

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40. We must work together, mitigate technology aversion, and uphold the values of
communication, support, and respect within our profession.

41. There s no one-size-fits all solution. An organizational culture supporting technology
learning and innovation is an essential first step toward mobile-friendly library.

42. Exploring tools to help with the heavy lifting is essential. We need to work efficiently, and
may turn to our peers and colleagues to help us learn which tools to use, and best practices.

[Realities]

43. Different organizations have differing mobile information needs. Public libraries may have
greater success circulating mobile devices for popular reading of ebooks or providing reference
assistance via SMS.

44. Academic libraries may find that geolocation-enhanced services or devices supporting
education oriented platforms offer greater opportunities. Archives may seek to develop
augmented reality tools in support of historical documents, or Special Libraries may lobby
publishes to deliver content across mobile platforms.

Everyone could benefit from a mobile website.

45. If, the Web [truly] Means the End of Forgetting then, the mobile geo-social web may be
the beginning of forgetting that privacy existed. Libraries can educate communities about
these changes.

46. There is greater need than ever before for individuals to understand their relationship to
information content. Learn through play try it on your own this extends beyond our
professional lives.

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47. Mobile users see information through a different lens. Language and culture are
developing around and from this new perspective.

48. Old methods are fading from common understanding. Have you ever had to explain radio
static to a child? They just don t get it.

49. Mobile technologies present new pathways to information also create distance between
different cultural and generational groups.

50. Even the recent past looks like the old way and begins to quickly seem out of date.

51. These are in fact uncertain times. The reality is the risk is part of the business of libraries.
Administrators and librarians must evaluate their involvement with mobile-geo-social
technologies both institutionally and personally to determine the specific risks and benefits.

52. There are times when there will be no substitute for the old world, old way and
technology is harmful, rather than helpful.

53. Likewise, there will always be a place for nostalgia - libraries don t look like this (anymore?).

54. We need to be sure that collective nostalgia doesn t interfere with the very real, and
expensive, needs of the modern library. Recent economic reductions pose serious threats.

55. As mobile advocates or at least those interested in handheld library services keep in
mind that mobile phones are not the key to bridging the digital divide. That work (equal access
to Internet) is far from complete.

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56. Mobile devices are here to stay. Devices will gain new features and we will gain new skills
adaptation being the lead.

57. As info professional, we re experts in organizing and accessing data across formats and
platforms, and will continue to thrive in these roles.

58. Even our libraries and services look remarkably different in the next 5, 10, or 20 years.

59. Librarians are already risk-takers, working at capacity.

How can we handle the risk of more risk? Even if we re sweeter than cupcakes?

60. We ll take chances. We ll work outside of our comfort zone.

61. We ll demonstrate leadership in the mobile environment and work toward building a
culture of professional technological proficiency related to mobile-social devices and platforms.

62. We ll ensure that we have a place and product that suits the needs of our readers,
regardless of their content access/delivery preferences.

63. We ll continue to be what we are: Institutions with heart at the heart of communities.

64. With savvy, forward-thinking librarians, leading new centers of information exchange.

Thank You. [Q&A]

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Risk, Reality, & the Mobile Revolution [Transcript]

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