The document outlines a workshop on emerging technological trends, focusing on the concept of the hyperlinked library, which emphasizes an open and participatory model welcoming user engagement. It discusses the roles of 'social sharers' and 'social librarians' advocating for transparency and engagement, but also warns of potential pitfalls such as outsourcing and user dissatisfaction. The conclusion highlights the necessity for understanding and adapting to the implications of new technologies while monitoring industry trends.

1. G: Emerging Technological Trends
Let’s Predict the Future!
A half-day workshop
at the SAOIM 2014
conference held on
Tuesday 3 June
2014 facilitated by
Brian Kelly, Cetis
Slides available
under a Creative
Commons licence
(CC-BY)
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G3: Let’s Predict the Future:
The Hyperlinked
Library

2. What is the Hyperlinked Library?
The hyperlinked library:
• Based on the notion of the hyperlinked organisation.
• A model which emphasises an open, participatory institution
that welcomes user input and creativity
• See The Hyperlinked Organization, chapter 5 in The
Cluetrain Manifesto
The hyperlinked library was defined by Michael Stephens:
• “An open, participatory institution that welcomes user input
and creativity. It is built on human connections and
conversations. The organizational chart is flatter and team-
based. The collections grow and thrive via user involvement.
Librarians are tapped in to user spaces and places
online to interact, have presence, and point the way. The
hyperlinked library is human. Communication, externally and
internally, is in a human voice. The librarians speak to users
via open, transparent conversation.”2

3. The Social Sharer
The social sharer:
• Professional sharing: researchers, coders,
data wranglers, …
• Social sharing: photos, games tips, good
pubs, good hotels, spare rooms, ....
Can use variety of services:
• General: Facebook, Twitter, blogs, …
• Dedicated: Stackoverflow, Stackexchange,
Quora, Hotukdeals, Airbnb, …
Characteristics:
• Gets badges from their community
• Open metrics demonstrates leadership
• May be open to gaming
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See discussion at on Brian Kelly’s
Hyperlinked Library blog

4. The Social Librarian
The social librarian:
• Shares relevant resources openly.
• Engages in discussions.
• Has an authentic voice and personality.
• Goes where the users are; doesn’t hide
in the office in the library
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See
• “Could Librarians Be Influential Friends? And Who Owns
Your Search Persona?”, Tony Hirst, OUseful blog, 27
Oct 2010
• “My Trusted Social Librarian”, UK Web Focus blog, Brian
Kelly 16 Feb 2012

5. The Dangers!
But will the hyperlinked library:
• Result in outsourcing technical infrastructure to
commercial companies which have an interest in
profits?
• Result in transferring ownership of content / usage
data to commercial companies who may exploit
such content without considering user concerns?
• Be great for middle classes who are happy to use
networked technologies?
• Fail to recognise signals of user dissatisfaction
which may lead to a return to trusted information
sources and listening to authoritative voices?
• Be irrelevant if everyone has their own networks of
peers for answering their queries?
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6. The Need for Flexibility
Even if emerging technology trends do become
mainstream
• They may pose new and unexpected
challenges
• They may undermine existing business
practices
Or:
• They may be rejected due to societal concerns
(privacy, NSA, …)
• The business benefits may be undermined
(e.g. pressure on Amazon to pay taxes)
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7. Conclusions
There is a need to:
• Understand unexpected implications of
growth of new technologies
• Monitor trends of mainstream services
to detect unexpected dips
• Be prepared (unlike the music industry!)
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8. Questions
Any questions?
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