Adam Little @ CIID

At a self checkout terminal in Copenhagen's central library

Last week we visited Pernille Schultz, head of the Copenhagen Central Library (Hovedbiblioteket), to gain some background knowledge on the Danish library system and it’s current challenges (libraries are one of the topics for our current course on Service Design). To get a better understanding of how libraries worldwide are using digital services, Pernille recommended the blog of Lorcan Dempsey. As it turns out, this blog is actually a great resource for anyone interested in services and networks in general, not just libraries.

One particular article, Always on: Libraries in a world of permenent connectivity, was especially relevant to some of the stuff we have been talking about in school over the past few days.

Keep reading for a summary of Lorcan’s key ideas in this article…

In Always on: Libraries in a world of permenent connectivity, Lorcan Dempsey looks at how mobile communication (i.e. networked devices) changes the way people coordinate their resources to achieve goals. He mostly focuses on students, whose goals may be academic or social, and how they use network technology to give new meaning to time (watching lectures on a train) and space (ad hoc rendezvous and social learning). But what is most interesting in this article is what these technologies and behaviors mean for services, particularly library services.

So what does this mean for libraries? He starts by describing some general observations:

• As more people access library collections from the network, the quality will be judged by what is visible on the network. Network-based services are no longer an “add-on”, they must be regarded as an “integral design principle.” I think this was recognized by Pernille and her associates although their current web presence did not reflect this.
• Socialization and personalization must play a role in library services which creates new challenges in utilizing products from various sources. They will have to “meaningfully synthesize a range of products and services from multiple sources, specialize them for particular users and uses, and then mobilize them into a personalized, socialized, individual user experience.” Dempsey also raises the issue of where these products will come from. What will the library need to create and what can come from third parties?
• Tagging, reviews and other user generated content common in social computing have been a challenge for libraries because users are small in numbers or perceive no incentive. Therefore these must mesh with broader initiatives or larger services. As an example of personalization, Dempsey describes a service at the University of Minnesota which suggests resources and services to students based on their interests which can be assessed by analyzing their course enrollments.
• Challenges of provision become highlighted in a network environment, where much the of the content does not meet the needs of digital devices or students who demand relevant, tailored material that they can copy and share.

Demspey goes on to describe some of the ways libraries are adapting to these challenges:

• Reference/enquiry - Instant messaging, SMS and email can all be used to communicate with the with reference desk, but Dempsey mentions one interesting study that indicates “even where people are physically in the library they may prefer to use chat reference than seek out a face-to-face encounter.”
• Collections to go - Audio and e-books which are more attractive with new user lifestyles.
• Presentation and visibility - Libraries are utilizing services like YouTube and iTunes to distribute videos and podcasts promoting the library.
• Alerting - Text message and email alerts about events, due dates, status of requests, etc.
• Syndication - RSS feeds, Facebook widgets, etc.
• Mobile sites - Portals, catalogs, etc. designed just for mobile devices.
• Communications and referral - Wiring up of library staff similar to retail environments.
• Booking - Rooms, equipment, etc. can be reserved online.
• Note-taking - Photos are taken of computer screens instead of writing down catalog details on paper, photos of text/images from books, etc.

And a few opportunities that might appear in the near future:

• With new student behaviors such as watching lectures on trains (”timeshifting”), capturing and managing audio/video materials such as lectures, events, etc. becomes a new opportunity.
• Synching large amounts of data and media to iPods and other storage devices is common practice. An opportunity exists to use the physical library as a space to sync tailored collections based on personal preferences.
• People use network services to manage their digital lives (Flickr, YouTube, Slideshare, etc.), so how can libraries play a role in this? Dempsey gives two ideas: having the library offer backup services as some of these materials may be important to the institution, and allowing users to mix library materials in with their personal online collections.

Dempsey also talks a lot about “presence” which is something we heard about in our meeting with Pernille.

In some ways, the challenge for libraries is to make themselves invisible, by delivering services into user workflow in networking environments… Libraries must also demonstrate value in the context of growing competition for resources. This suggests that as their network services grow in sophistication it is important for the library itself, its people, to be more visible.

The library cannot expect its users to build their workflow around the library; it must reach out into the workflows its users are creating on the network.

This article offers a lot more, so if anyone is focusing on network technology you should probably read this.