This document is a collection of miscellaneous ideas, thoughts, images and links on various topics including the digital world, institutions, and the future of libraries. It discusses how the digital world is fluid and dynamic, requiring new approaches to organization. New approaches mentioned include tagging, playlists, hyperlinks and user-generated metadata. Examples are given of positive trends like sharing knowledge through social networks and collaboration platforms. The challenges and opportunities for institutions in this new environment are also addressed, along with exemplars of innovative library spaces focusing on areas like services, collaboration, sustainability and flexibility.

1. Miscellaneous Connectionsthe digital and institutional environmentsMal BoothUTS Library, October 2009

2. Seven Pillars of Wisdom (1922 text)Contains Hazel Bell’s Wheatley Medal winning index.http://www.telawrence.info/telawrenceinfo/books/works.shtml#sp22

3. Seven Pillars of WisdomThe ParallelText (1997)Collection of the Australian War Memorial, presented by the publishers, Jeremy Wilson & Nicole Helari

4. A messy but connected collection of miscellaneous ideas, thoughts, images and links to places on the web and about some institutionsCollaborators: @CathStyles @paulhagon @MissSophieMac @mhuston @lizholcombeall in Google Documents+ Robyn Van Dyk & Alex Byrne by email

5. If this doesn't work: blame them!

6. It just doesn't make sense to chunk it up and put an arbitrary structure around stuff like this, so I won’t.Maybe that is why things like DAMS, ECM, WCM and EDRMS are so hard to do and so painful as experiences?I think we are trying to apply too many techniques and methods from the physical world in the digital world.

7. Trying to put a physical taxonomic protocol on digital material either doesn't work at all or at best, not very well. It is too cumbersome, too slow, too costly, too restricted.There is no "right" way to do it because we cannot agree on the categories & because of the size of the problem and the time it takes to do things the old way (in unhelpful systems, adding formal metadata).http://www.researchchannel.org/prog/displayevent.aspx?fID=569&rID=16134

8. The web is too fluid, too dynamic. It is never finished; a work in progressWe are no longer limited by volume, storage, film, distance, membership, pages, chapters, paragraphs, the concept of the physical object, place, time or even ownershipAnd yes, we're struggling with that last one too - Copyright wasn't designed for a web platformhttp://frommelbin.blogspot.com/2009/10/cory-doctorow-on-copyright-open-access.html

9. So what helps now?In addition to given subject headings, Dewey, & other taxonomiesTagging, playlists, hyperlinks, shared platforms & data, applications, mashups, ‘digital altruism’Is it really digital convergence or is it convergence of the best of the physical and digital worlds?

10. . . . by letting users tag URLs and then aggregating those tags, we're going to be able to build alternate organizational systems, systems that, like the Web itself, do a better job of letting individuals create value for one another, often without realizing it.http://www.shirky.com/writings/ontology_overrated.htmlhttp://www.librarything.com/home/malboo http://www.last.fm/home http://delicious.com/malbooth

11. We're sharing knowledge & collaborating to do it (think Wikipedia)We're staying connected: social networks and the mobile web, micro-bloggingWe're helping & engaging with each other Examples from the film:http://www.couchsurfing.org/ http://www.mumsnet.com/ http://theps.net/http://watch.usnowfilm.com/

12. Have you seen this?http://www.personalizemedia.com/garys-social-media-count/

13. We're creating and sharing film, images, games, data and text more freely than everhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/malbooth/sets/72157607919370856/

14. We're sharing software and free applications to help all of the above, e.g. Echofon and Tweetdeck for iPhoneshttp://www.linux.org.au/

15. We're having our say and we're reading what others have to say, not just traditional media & publishinghttp://www.google.com.au/reader/view/?hl=en&tab=wy#overview-pagehttp://www.frommelbin.blogspot.com/

16. We're figuring out new ways to trust each other and to judge authenticityhttp://www.ebay.com.au/http://sydney.craigslist.com.au/

17. InstitutionsIt is no longer adequate to wait for people to come to us: physically or via our homepages. Our content MUST be findable open and then we must get out to where the people are!Content is king, but clever access to content is God, no amount of content is good, if you can't access it.@paulhagon (NLA)

18. We're freeing up our data (slowly) and allowing others to do clever things with ithttp://data.australia.gov.au/http://about.nsw.gov.au/

19. Other stuff I likehttp://pandora.nla.gov.au/

20. http://www.pictureaustralia.org/

21. http://www.digitalnz.org/

22. http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/community/

23. http://www.awm.gov.au/collection/war_diaries/cew_bean/

24. http://www.flickr.com/commons

25. http://mappingouranzacs.naa.gov.au/

26. NewUTSLibraryservices: data curation, e-publishing, i-repositories (for research), & facilitating better rights management http://utsescholarship.lib.uts.edu.au/

27. Librarians must continue to be proactive in their attempts to reach students and other researchers where they begin their search. http://www.dlib.org/dlib/may07/lally/05lally.htmlhttp://www.facebook.com/pages/Sydney-Australia/UTS-Library/93282252430http://twitter.com/utslibraryhttp://www.youtube.com/user/UTSLibraryhttp://www.lib.uts.edu.au/news/*/*/*/feedhttp://www.lib.uts.edu.au/students/need-help

28. Library of the FutureHow we will get thereVodafone Electronics Tutor, Lisbon

29. Automated Storage & retrieval systemSpecification development (now)Relegation policies & algorithms (soon)ASRS tender(s) from early 2010Excavation & build from 2011Plan decant & ingest from mid-2012Procure ASRS – late 2012Collection decant & tote load from Aug 2013Operational use of ASRS from Aug 2013?

30. exemplars1. Service delivery • “Barefoot” librarians• 24/7 service• “Triage” or tiered levels of service• Client & staff circulation and interaction• Use of furniture or space design that helps or facilitates improved service• Way finding & signageQantas Sydney First loungeFaculty hub concept, US

31. exemplars2. Personalised or customised services• Spaces designed specifically to meet target groups or individuals• Personalised services• Consultation servicesCodrington Library, All Souls, Oxford

32. exemplars3. New physical and virtual spaces & integration of thoseSecurity initiatives and access regulation

33. Evidence of the physical and digital spaces working together

34. New teaching & learning spaces, group study spaces, training facilities

35. Staff office spaces or other concepts

36. Showcasing eScholarshipTop: “reactable”, tangible multi-touch interface.Bottom: AMP office refurbishment, Sydney