This document discusses the fragmentation of knowledge and information across different formats, devices, licenses, and platforms. It notes the proliferation of eBooks, eJournals, digital content and issues around copyright. It also touches on the polarization of debates around these issues. The document provides recommendations for different types of libraries to address trends, pain points for users, and opportunities to focus on the user experience through experimentation and pilot programs. It emphasizes taking a balanced, critical thinking approach to an ongoing evolution in the field.

1. Stephen Abram
Gale Cengage Learning
NWILL, Portland OR
Sept. 13, 2012

5. A story about ILL

6. Content Fragmentation
Digitization’s real impact – non-fiction
Format
Print, ePUB, PDF, Kindle, etc. etc.
CD, DVD, USB, etc. etc.
Streaming
Licenses, Open Access, Creative Commons, etc. etc.
eBooks
eJournals
eContent
Copyright Issues (NatGeo, Tasini, TPP, SOPA, etc. etc.)
Author Lawsuits
Citation fragmentation

7. Beyond Text
Text
Graphics & Charts
Formulae
Pictures
Maps
Video
Audio
Gamification
Deep Data Mining
Assessments
Etc. etc.

8. Walled Gardens
ILS
CMS
Cloud(s)
Device dependencies
Formats (e.g. Kindle)
Amazon
Apple
ADVICE . . .

9. Learning Object Diversification
Textbooks
eLearning
Learning Management Systems
Cohort Learning Environments
Presentation Systems
Virtual Conference Environment
Personal Learning Environments
Collaboration Software
MOOCs

10. End User Fragmentation
Teens / Post-Millennials
Millennials
Other demographics
Business versus Consumer
The Device Divide
Mobility

11. Search Fragmentation
Consumer Search
Specialized Search
Professional Search
Semantic, Sentiment, Suggestion Search etc.
Mobile search
Social search
Augmented Reality
SEO
SMO
Content Spam
Geo-location

12. Technology Fragmentation
Feature Phones
Smartphones
Tablets
Laptops
Desktops
Gaming stations
Television
E-Readers
Internet of Things
Browsers

15. The polarization of discussion
Dogmatic vs. Professional positions
on: eBooks, access, copyright, etc.

16. Black & White

21. Recognize key shifts

22. Trends Differ by Library Sector
Public Libraries
Academic Research Libraries
Community College Libraries
School Libraries
Specialized Libraries
Consortia

23. Public Libraries
Recommendations (LibraryThing for Libraries, BiblioCommons,
Community Glue
Economic Impact
Programs
Partnerships
Education and Learning

24. Academic Research Libraries
eLearning
Repositories
Content Archipelagos
LibGuides
Patron-driven acquisitions
Information Fluency
Demarcation between Undergrad, Grad and Faculty/Staff strategies
Copyright compliance
E-Coursepacks and e-Reserves
Strategic budgeting
Partnerships

25. Community College and Undergrad
Information Literacy
Distance education and eLearning
Textbooks, Reserves, Coursepacks, e-all
MOOCs
Mobility
Collections for new degrees and certifications

26. School Libraries
Common Core
21st Century Learning
Future of the textbook
Scaffolded Information Literacy / Fluency
Filters
Staff and Faculty relationships
Classroom pages

27. Specialized Libraries
Intranets
MS SharePoint
Relationship building
Embedded Librarianship

28. Consortia
DPLA
Library Renewal
EveryLibrary Advocacy PAC
OCLC Linked Data
3M e-books
Califa / Douglas County initiatives
Cloud initiatives

29. Where are the real pain points?

31. Grocery Stores

32. Grocery Stores

33. Grocery Stores

34. Cookbooks, Chefs . . .

35. Cookbooks, Chefs . . .

36. Meals

37. What is a meal in library end-user or
research, education and learning
terms?
Think: Are you thinking
food, courses, days, weekly plan, or
nutrition overall?

38. The new
bibliography and
collection
development
KNOWLEDGE
PORTALS
KNOWLEDGE,
LEARNING,
INFORMATION &
RESEARCH
COMMONS

39. What are the real issues?
Craft versus Industrial Strength
Pilot, Project, Initiative versus Portfolio Strategy
Hand knitted prototypes versus Production
e.g. Information Literacy initiatives
Discovery versus Search versus Deep Search
eLearning units
Strategic Analytics
Value measures
Behaviours

40. What We Never Really Knew Before (US/Canada)
 27% of our users are under 18.
 59% are female. We often
 29% are college students. believe a lot
 5% are professors and 6% are teachers.isn’t
that
true.
 On any given day, 35% of our users are there for the very
first time!
 Only 29% found the databases via the library website.
 59% found what they were looking for on their first search.
 72% trusted our content more than Google.
 But, 81% still use Google.

42. Be More Open to the Users’ Path

43. What Would You Attempt If
You Knew You Would Not
Fail?

44. My Humble Recommendations
 Focus on the user, I mean really
Pilot and experiment with mobile social cohorts
 Classes (mobile training or extended learning)
 Reading cohorts and book clubs
Patron driven strategies first
 Associations
 Fundraising
 Meetings
 Teams (business or sport)

45. My Humble Recommendations
Actively lobby and educate to ensure that the emerging mobile
ecosystem supports the values and principles of librarianship for
balance in the rights of end users for use, access, learning and
research.
 Support vendors and laws to be as agnostic as possible by ensuring
that, as far as possible your services and content offerings support the
widest range of devices, formats, browsers, and platforms.

46. eLearning
Mobile
Distant
Tools

47. My Humble Recommendations
 Design for frictionless access using such opportunities
as geo-IP and mobile ready websites
 Test everything in all browsers – mobile or not – all
devices.
 Invest in usability research aimed at the user experience
and test and learn from it and share your learning.
 Don’t prioritize the librarian experience first
 Watch key developments in major publishing spaces –
retail, kiddy lit, textbooks, e-learning, fiction, etc. Sport
the differences and opportunities

48. My Personal Hobby Horses
 This is an evolution not a revolution
 The REAL revolution was the Internet and the Web.
 The hybrid ecology is winning in the near term for
operating systems and content formats.
 This is good since competition drives innovation and
we’re in a Renaissance not an end game right now.
 Engage in critical thinking not raw criticism. Be
constructive.
 Critical thinking is not part of dogma or religious fervor
or fan boy behavior.

49. My Personal Hobby Horses
 This is an evolution not a revolution
 Perfectionism will not move us forward at this juncture.
 Really understand the digital divide and remove your
economic and social class blinkers
 Get real about teens and Boomers
 Get over library obsession with statistics and
comprehensiveness.
 Get excellent at real measurements, sampling and
understanding impact and satisfaction.
(Analytics, Foresee, Pew)

50. My Personal Hobby Horses
 This is an evolution not a revolution
 We need to revisit the concept of
preservation, archives, repositories, and
conservation from an access and linked data view.
 Check out new publishing models like Flipboard.
 Watch for emerging book enhancements and
other features that will challenge library
metadata, selection policies, and collection
development.

52. A Third Path

55. Smelly Or
Yellow Sex
Liquid Appeal?

56. Consider the Whole Experience

58. Until the lion learns to write her own story, the
story will always be from the perspective o the
hunter not the hunted.

60. Stephen Abram, MLS, FSLA
VP strategic partnerships and markets
Cengage Learning (Gale)
Cel: 416-669-4855
stephen.abram@cengage.com
Stephen’s Lighthouse Blog
http://stephenslighthouse.com
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