Rewriting the Book: On the move in the Library of Birmingham

Brian Gambles

Becoming upwardly mobile

Executive Briefing 15th September 2010

Mobile Strategy

ICT Strategy

Horizon Scanning

Library of Birmingham Strategy

Defining the face of the city

£193m investment

Opens June 2013

The vision• 3 principles

– Universality– Sustainability– World-class

• And 3 underpinning themes: -– Building the Knowledge

Economy– Investing in Children,

Young People and Families

– Promoting Community Culture and Heritage

The Ambition• To create a library like no other, a new kind of

public library for the 21st century• To create a “LoB Digital” presence as compelling

and formidable as the physical • To stimulate genuine partnership – co-production

of services and content• To completely re-engineer the business model for

the library• To future proof the library

– Web 2.0, 3.0 etc– E-books– Electronic paper– Print on demand

The hardest question?

What will the future be like?

What is a library?

Knowledge hub…Social learning hub

A new partnership – a new contract

Communication EngagementParticipation

Partnerships Collaboration

Personalisation

The thing about success, is that it’s not about

things.

The production of too many useful things results in too many useless people. Karl Marx

Or Technology

Content

Services not devices

Big Society

Co-production of content and services

Commercial Strategy

Change and Challenges

Mobility: Integral to Living• Examples of how mobile has moved into our lives

By 2015, 5 billion people will be always connected

5 billion mobile subscriptions globally by

the end of 2010 – growing at rate of 2m a day

Of the 500 million Facebook users 150

million are mobile. This was 100 million in April

2010

11.1 million people in the UK use smart

phones.

In the first 80 days of its launch the iPad hit sales of over 3 million. 300,000 of these on the first day. The iPhone has sold

almost 60 million since launch in Autumn 2007.

Over 85% of people in the UK own a mobile phone. 60% globally.

By 2014 some 1.7 billion globally.

23% of UK smart phone users are

social networkers

An era of change with mobility

changing on a global scale.

The ICT Challenges• Critical importance of ICT for the LoB

• Making the change through to 2013 – one

opportunity!

• Seamless integration of ICT into the design

• Impacts of the operational use of the LoB

• Prime importance of customer experience

• Sustaining the experience beyond 2013

Challenge to Archives / Libraries• Revolution in how we read, learn and consume

knowledge

• Can libraries continue to hold appeal?

• Physical to digital change – massive new user

community

• Digital can unlock the collections and treasures

• Unique opportunity for the LoB

• Mobile – relevant and meaningful services

• Complements the online and physical experience

2. The Virtual Library• Content

• Digital and digitised material

• E-resources including e-books

• VLoB

• Real time enquiries but not in person

• Google mindset

4. The Self-service Library• Online transactions

• Kiosk based transactions

• Internet access

• Printing

• Booking PCs and other facilities

• No direct staff intervention

5. The Extended Library• Partnerships, funding and

sponsorships

• Collaboration

• Community

• Wider Community Benefit

• Income generation

3. The Logical Library

• The physical building

• Physical material – archives, books

• Digital wayfinding

• Static signage and guiding

• Dewey

• Staff and helpdesks – mobile staff

1. The Connected Library• Always on. 24/7/365

• Access from anywhere – on the move, at home, in the library

• Access from a variety of devices – mobile, PDA, laptop etc

• Interactive – can upload, download, submit reviews, rankings etc

• Uses Web 2.0

• Wifi access in and around the library

• Personalised services

ICT Projects

Infrastructure Projects

Core Projects

Innovation Projects

- Apple iTunes-U- Digital Media SMEs- MS Surface

- Digital Asset Management System- Web Presence- Library Management System- Ticketing

- Cabling, Wireless & Telephony - Digital Signage & Multimedia- Onsite Self-Service

INNOVATION OPPORTUNITIESand TECHNOLOGY CHALLENGE

Mobility: Integral to Living• Examples of mobile apps in the cultural sector

7th highest downloads

in 2009

300,000 downloads

LoB Mobile Strategy• Recognition of changing lifestyles, technologies and

customer expectations

• Core values linked to digital revolution

• The future Opportunities: • Cloud, Plastic Paper, eNewspapers, Universal Wireless, Voice

integration, Device and Channel Convergence

• Mobile strategy fits with vision for LoB:• Top-down provider-recipient relationship replaced by collaborative,

collective sharing

• Active memory bank for the City

• Unify the digital with physical with community engagement

Change with Innovation

Potential

Mobile

Opportunities

Augmented

Reality

GPS

Tracking

Online

Ticket

Booking

RFID /

NFC

Online

Books

Supporting Technologies

Peoples

Archive

Social

Networkin

g

City Wide

Location

Services

Digital

Media

Catalogue

Search

Video / AR

Tours

2d Bar

Codes

Physical

Way

Showing

iTunes

U

Online

Multi-

Media

eBooks

/ iPads

Online

Payments

The Library of the Future

The Library Experience

A Centre for Knowledge

LIBRARY OF BIRMINGHAM