Are You Feeling The Pressure?

The Ratcheting Up of Library Technology

Steven Bell, Associate University LibrarianTemple Universitybells@temple.edu

Rochester Regional Library CouncilNovember 20, 2008

Four Parts To This Workshop

• Technology trends, change and the rachet

• Strategies for technology adoption in library organizations

• Creating better library user experiences

• Keeping up with technology

Part I

• Technology trends

• Technology change

• The technology ratchet

Forces of Change

Librarians

Demographics

InstitutionPolicy

Technology Socio-Econ

Only The Paranoid Survive

Andy Grove, Founder of Intel, wrote this bookabout surviving competition and change

Wrote about the “inflection curve”

We have no control over the “forces of change” but we can control our strategy

Source: BusinessWeek IN Supplement June 11, 2007 http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_24/b4038404.htm

Source: BusinessWeek IN Supplement June 11, 2007 http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_24/b4038405.htm

Source: Sharing, Privacy and Trust in Our Networked World, OCLC, 2007

Source: Sharing, Privacy and Trust in Our Networked World, OCLC, 2007

From: Curran, Murray and Christian. “Taking the information to the public through Library 2.0.” Library Hi-TechVol. 25. No. 2, 2007 pp288-297.

The Ratchet Metaphor

1.What is a ratchet?

2. Think of it as a spiral – pressure increases on the center

Technology Ratchet

What Technologies Make You Feel Pressured?

• Web Technologies • blogs, wikis, rss, aggregators, social collaboration tools, social networks, flickr, tagging, folksonomies, gaming, podcasts…

• Library Technologies• link resolvers, federated search, institutional repositories, open worldcat…

• Academic Technologies• courseware, hardware/software, learning objectsscreencasting…

Part II

• Strategies for technology adoption

• Bandwagon jumping and shiny toys

• Tips for technology adoption

• A thoughtful approach - design change

Technology ImplementationWiki Case Study

1. Identify problem – possible solutions2. Wiki identified as technology with potential3. Learn more about wikis4. Practice editing a wiki5. Obtain a wiki account for experimentation6. Show staff but allow time for acceptance7. Identify compassionate pioneer8. Allow pioneer to experiment and discover9. Develop strategy for implementation10. Incorporate staff training/learning11. Implement12. Evaluation

Reverse The Technology Ratchet

Consider the opportunity costs

Balance experimentation (play) and investment of time

Pick your edge – lead or trail

Identify your compassionate pioneers

Reverse mentoring

Make a plan and let it guide – but there are exceptions

• Creating better library user experiences

• UX Trends

• The experience economy

• The design approach

Part III

The Age of User Experience

What Defines It?

• Make it simple

• Complexity/Confusion are deal breakers

• If you have to learn it – we have a problem

• Good design is critical

• Features get used if they provide a good user experience

Source: EWeek.com - http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,1914495,00.asp

What’s Broken - ActivityThis is a 2-4 minute activity

Think about something at your library that you think is broken. Either something that doesn’t work or a solution that has no problem attached to it.

Just jot down a description of that on a sheet of paper

Also – why do you think it is broken?

• Simple• Satisfies instant

gratification• No unnecessary

features• Millennial seal of

approval

• Complex• Takes time to learn• Many features• Added value• Better quality• Personalized help

Google Experience vs. Library Experience

GOOGLE LIBRARY

Simplicity – Complexity Conundrum – how to resolve the tension between the two yet encourage qualityresearch and education

What Do Libraries Offer? Fear of Complexity

Library anecdote – “This is broken”

• See Seth Godin’s blog or his presentation at GEL2006

What’s Broken At Your Library?

Designing A Better Experience The Experience Economy

• Book about designing user experiences

• Moving from commodities to experiences

• Make it memorable

• It has to work

Word Association

What comes to your mind when you hear the word

DESIGN

Write it down

Question

Do you think library workers are designers?

Yes or No

What is Design Anyway?

What They Have in Common

The Design Approach!

empathic thinkingidentifying the problem before the solution

brainstorming processprototyping processformative/summative evaluation

• Identify the problem before the solution• Understand the users• Work creatively to identify and develop the solution• Bottom Line – it’s how designers approach challenges

Key Points:

Design Thinking

• Approaching library problems the way designers approach design problems.

• “Librarianship by Design” draws mostly from instructional design for influence

• How is it different? – Thoughtful process to create new services– Integrates needs assessment and evaluation– User-centered not technology-driven

Thinking Like A Designer

DT vs ISD

• In what ways are design thinking and instructional systems design similar

• Compare ADDIE and the IDEO Method

ADDIE IDEOAnalysis Understand/Observe

Design/Develop Visualize/Brainstorm Implement Implement

Evaluate Evaluate/Refine

Design Thinking

• Empathic Design

• Prototyping process

• Formative and summative evalution

UX: What is it?

A Definition:

UX is the quality of experience a person has while interacting with a specific design.

CaringNiceGo extra mileCourteousTrainingSatisfied PatronFast/

ConvenientAnswersRule Bending

HolisticTotality of ExperienceWoW Factor (not

broken)MemorableLoyaltyLocalizedDesign-basedWhat kind of

experienceUnderstanding user

Customer Service vs. User Experience

CS

UX

UX: The Totality of the Experience

• Not just one fragmented experience

• More than one WOW

• Must be designed into the larger library service operation

• Creates equal expectations throughout library

From Customer Service to Experience

• Start with core values – design from there

• Focus on relationship design – build trust andcreate meaning for users

• It’s more than customer service

• Must be useful and usable (simple/complex)

• Think about UX as the brand

• Design for local audiences

• Design for personal experiences

• Design for outcomes not features

• Design for success stories

• Design for user education

Design a Better Library User Experience

Add Your Voice To The Conversation

• Strategies for keeping up and keeping found things found

• Professional development

• Going beyond librarianship

• Coping with technology change

Part IV

What Are Keep Up Needs

Three Types

1.Databases/Systems – have to learn new features, interface changes, upgrades;

formal training may be needed.example – RefWorks, VR systems, etc.

2. New web technologies – social collaboration tools; learn by playing/experimenting

example – scholar; jing; facebook apps

3. New developments in peripheral fields - computing; instructional technology

Challenge And Opportunity

Challenge: Time constraints and cost

Opportunity: Use technology to learn about technology

Leverage Tech For Training

Resources:WebJunction – discussion lists / online training

Sirsi Dynix - webinars

OPAL – online training

ACRL E-learning

Blended Librarian – webcasts

College of DuPage – Soaring to Excellence DVDs

TBLC Play Days?

Sponsor an online technology summit

Base it on PLCMC’s 23 Days program

Staff development works bests when library staff are learning together

Opportunity for reverse mentoring

• Keeping up promotes technology awareness and innovation

• Keeping up keeps you “change ready”

• Journals, newsletters, TOC alerts, RSS and aggregators, webcasts, and more

• Develop a personal strategy for personalprofessional development – visit the Keeping Up Web Site for more ideas

Keeping Up With Technology

1. Read Journals – 1742. Attend Local/Regional Conferences – 1493. Attend National Conferences – 1474. Exchange Information With Colleagues – 1475. Follow a Discussion List – 136

Then:Regularly Visit a Discipline Specific Website – 77Read a Discipline Specific Blog – 27

N=174

How Are We Keeping Up?

Less Than 1 Hour Per Week – 21%

1-3 Hours Per Week – 58%

4-6 Hours Per Week – 15%

7-10 Hours Per Week – 4%

10+ Hours Per Week – 2%

N=174

Time Spent On Keeping Up

• Maintain professional skill level

• Stay abreast of new technology and applications

• Follow emerging trends in profession

• Exchange information with colleagues

• Career growth (seek new opportunities)

Rapid technological change demandsthat we invest time in keeping up!

Why Keep Up?

• E-Newsletters

• Web Pages (change detection)

• TOC Alerts

• News Aggregators

• Personalized Alert Services

• Organizing What You Find

Key Keeping Up Technologies

• Pay attention to societal/cultural change

• Question how demographic trends will impact libraries

• Follow recent technology developments and reports for coming innovation

• See Trendwatching.com and others

• If you haven’t yet, start with OCLC’s environmental scan and other reports of this type.

Get Better At Spotting the Trends

Change: Learn To Evolve

Example One – Jim Carroll’s squirrel experiment

Example Two – David Bishop, retired University Librarian at Northwestern U.

We’d Like To See Better Research…

And Help Students Take The Right Path…

Final Thoughts

Be open to new technology but resist pressure to do it all

Allow opportunities for staff development and time for play

Before you go too far connect new technology to your library plan

As always, keep up, talk to colleagues, visit other libraries, share with co-workers

Questions…

Discussion…

The Intersection of BL & DT

What do Blended Librarianship and Design Thinking have in common?

• Similar approach to identifying problems and developing solutions

• Boundary Crossers: A boundary crosser is someone who blends multiple skills into one

profession. Pink says “while detailed knowledge of a single area (e.g., traditional librarianship) once guaranteed success, today the top rewards go to those who can operate with equal aplomb in starkly different realms.”

• Work collaboratively with others in peripheral professional areas

Organizing What You Find

Sarah Long’s “The Daily Herald” August 13, 2006

David BishopRetired University DirectorNorthwestern University

Mashable.com – waves of technology