The document is a presentation about the future of libraries. It discusses how libraries need to adapt to the 21st century by focusing more on access, communities, programs, and social media presence rather than just collections and buildings. It provides examples of strategies libraries can implement like promoting staff on social media, doing signage audits, and using analytics. It also discusses how libraries need to help users build "decks of their dreams" rather than just providing hammers. Libraries should focus on community, conversations, relationships, and becoming more socially focused to remain relevant in the future.

1. Leah Krevit Rice University The Rest of Us Stephen Abram, MLS, Gale Cengage Learning The Future of Libraries Online Conference Alliance Libraries & TAP Information Services: June 8, 2010 Future Ready

2. These slides will also be available at Stephen’s Lighthouse blog

10. 20 th Century Strategies Inventory and Collections Buildings Reading is Fundamental Cardholders Outreach Circulation Privacy

11. 21 st Century Strategies Content Access Bricks and Clicks Tricks Communities Impact Reach Programs Social links

15. What Are Libraries Really For? Economic Impact – ($6.50 per $1, workforce preparedness, industrial attraction, quality of life, etc.) Equity (digital divide, integrating population growth, generations, etc.) Student Performance (up to 25 point increase) Competitive Advantage (Canada, EC, India, China, etc.) Non-partisan, non-commercial Social Glue Community Learning Interaction

16. Social Glue and Libraries

17. ASK YOURSELF What is more important for value based funding? 6% annual increases in circulation? 100% increases in ILL? 500% increases in website hits? 1000% increases in database results? 50% increases in customer satisfaction?

18. Bricks, Clicks and Tricks

19. 6 Tricks You Can Do Right Away Number One: What are your top reference questions?

20. 6 Tricks You Can Do Right Away Number Two: Promote your staff – FB, Tweets, web pages, photos

21. 6 Tricks You Can Do Right Away Number Three: Do a Signage Audit

22. 6 Tricks You Can Do Right Away Number Four: Get Some Widgets (Hint: API)

23. 6 Tricks You Can Do Right Away Number Five: Get Jiggy with GIS.

24. 6 Tricks You Can Do Right Away Number Six: Go Beyond Statistics Google Analytics Foresee

25. What We Never Knew Before 27% of our users are under 18. 59% are female. 29% are college students. 5% are professors and 6% are teachers. On any given day, 35% of our users are there for the first time. 29% found our products via the library website. 59% found what they were looking for on their first search. 72% trusted the content more than what they found on Google. But, 81% still use Google.

26. Driving User to the Library Encyclopedia.com HighBeam WorldCat iPhone App Questia Geo-IP measures Etc. Watch for more . . .?

27. Are we going to a totally build it yourself world? Imagine IKEA merging with GM...

30. Yes, this is ancient wisdom: clients aren't buying your hammer, they are buying the deck of their dreams. Help them build it.

31. OK – What is happening that will change everything?

32. “ The Internet has now progressed to its infancy”

33. Google Books Settlement

34. Google Editions: Bookstore

35. SEO: Search Engine Optimization SMO: Social Media Optimization

36. I  my customers

37. Transmogrifying Containers

38. Geo-IP

39. Broadband

40. The Cloud … printing … software … services … storage

41. The Article Economy++ Format Agnosticism

42. The Yahoo!/Bing iPhone, Facebook Migration

43. Devices like iPads, Kobo, Kindles, eDGe, and Mobile

44. Supporting the 21 st Century book experience?

45. Kobo, Amazon, Apple, iPDF, etc. . . .

47. What about censorship? Freedom of expression? Freedom…. In general

48. Mobile

50. The Experience

51. A Third Path

55. OK – Now let’s ask ourselves what our users really, REALLY want.

57. Observe Your Users

58. Context is King , not Content.

59. Community

60. Conversations

61. Relationships

62. Community Networks The Social Life of Information

63. Life

64. Connection

65. Personalization

66. Comfort

67. Simplicity

68. Learning

69. Trans-Literacy Move beyond reading & PC skills Reading literacy Numeracy Critical literacy Social literacy Computer literacy Web literacy Content literacy Written literacy News literacy Technology literacy Information literacy Media literacy Adaptive literacy Research literacy Academic literacy Reputation, Etc.

71. Growing up from books, Extending the experience

72. Progress

73. These are exciting times. Choose between achieving a dynamic and exciting future vision or longing for a nostalgic past.

75. The power of libraries

76. Speak Out!

78. What is at the heart of libraries ? Learning Interaction Community Innovation Passion Progress

79. What is at the heart of libraries ? Is it you?

80. Stephen Abram, MLS, FSLA VP strategic partnerships and markets Gale Cengage Learning Cel: 416-669-4855 [email_address] Stephen’s Lighthouse Blog http://stephenslighthouse.com