So now I’m doubly excited that Stephen has posted a list of library labs (Stephen’s Lighthouse: “Library Innovation Labs & Incubators” — thank you sweetie!!); I had no idea that there were so many, particularly in the academic sector. Excellent. Now, look at the public sector: there are 3. That’s right. Three.

I still think there’s a role for the government agencies supporting libraries, although they are only for the public sector. Plus, what am I saying? Academic sector — public sector — what we need is cross-sector.  The best ideas — the most innovative concepts often come from cross-collaboration. Perhaps the role can be filled by the associations?

Or….she says with a grin — how about an accelerator? ReadWriteWeb reports on a Montreal “accelerator” firm “Year One Labs”.  The brain-child of four guys who describe themselves as being “from the trenches” will guide, mentor, prod and get your concept “out there” to help you develop, pilot, and launch.  

Imagine this for libraries — a cross-sector accelerator — that doesn’t look at libraries as the ultimate benefiters, but looks at people as the benefiters.

Trendwatching.com should be must-scanning for someone in every library. It’s highlights of consumer trends and behaviour are fabulous – as are the updates on marketing and promotional campaigns. I know, I know – I keep harping about the importance of libraries looking at other types of organizations and companies; we need to learn from non-libraries — we need to stretch our “ah ha’s” into “gasps” — we need to ask “why not?”

Look, for instance, at BerkeloW Books, profiled by Trendwatching.com in its September Briefing. A 200 year old landmark in Australia, Berkelow has an easy to explore, inviting website (complete with a very visible phone icon with their 800 phone number, which, when you mouse-over says “speak to a staff” — why don’t we see this on more library sites? If you have this on your site, please tell me; I’m always looking for library websites that make it easy for people to get in touch with the library.)  Their locations have a variety of programs, including story times, movie ticket giveaways (which then advertise the book from which the movie originates), and, ready for this? Wine. That’s right, wine.  Because BerkeloW is known for its rare books, it’s now serving wine for those customers in its reading room. As Trendwatching.com says, the store has “embraced the experience of perusing a rustic, private library by offering a glass of wine to its customers, the same way they would at home.”

Hm…now, THERE’s a concept. Similar to the library in the pub in Britain, and Toronto Public Library’s Salon , it’s all about aligning library places, sites, services and programs with people’s preferences and behaviours — rather than vice-versa.

Thanks to Gary Price’s ResourceShelf for reminding me that the world’s first airport libraryhas opened at Amsterdam’s Schiphol.  It is part of an “ambitious Holland Boulevard” to create a “strong Dutch sense of place.” This new “zone” in the airport “aims to deliver a strong flavour of Holland to the five million departing and transit passengers through the area each year”…with… “a Dutch Kitchen Bar & Cocktails outlet.. a Bols Genever Experience unit, displaying the history of the well-known Dutch brand…. Rijksmuseum store, a Kids’ Forest play area, a Baby Care Lounge, a Back To Life massage zone, an area selling premium chocolates and flowers, a unit offering long-stay transit passengers the chance to undertake excursions into Amsterdam, plus a series of ‘living rooms’ with fireplaces and televisions…” and the casino.

The MoodieReport.com writes “The zone fits with Schiphol Group’s vision to devote 10% of space at the airport to entertaining passengers and non-revenue-generating activities such as the library, museum and baby care areas.” What’s more, the library is seen as adding “a touch of class. Supported by the Dutch Public Libraries, it’s not a revenue generating area for the airport, but it does enhance the consumer services offer and sense of well-being, especially for the many transit passengers that pass through the Boulevard.

I wrote last week about architect Francine Houben musing that public libraries may be the new cathedrals in communities.  In previous centuries many saw the cathedral as a a gathering place, a place of community pride, and, yes, for some it did offer a sense of “well-being.”  Interesting that Houben designed Delft Library and is now completing Birmingham Library.  And the “zone developers” of Schiphol share the view that the library is a vital part of this transient and transit community.

Wow. So when is a library opening at Toronto’s Pearson Airport – or Chicago’s O’Hare? Are our public libraries seen by our communities as part of the “sense of place?” And, if not, why not?

The article, Reinventing the Library,  also looks at the game changers  over past centuries – including technologies – that have impacted communities and libraries.

The building is designed to be provisional, with flexible spaces that can adapt when the next technology takes over.

Houben’s design focuses on how the “new library could be a social hub, a place where the target of 10,000 people a day come to meet, or be alone, or be alone in a crowd; a place for co-operation or silent study, for fun or hard work, a place to learn or just to linger over a skinny cappuccino. A place the whole city could use. A part of its soul.” In fact, she sees “Libraries are the new cathedrals – secular cathedrals.”

Is your community library viewed as a “cathedral”? What a concept……..

Sept 14
Shifting Organizations
Jeff Treziak, Chief librarian, McMaster University,
with Debbie Trebych and Julie Willson

Sept 21
Getting Permission to be Successful
David Lee King, Digital Branch & Services Manager,
Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library,
& Author, Designing the Digital Experience

Oct 19
Thinking Strategically: How to See the Big Picture
Rebecca Jones, Dysart & Jones Associates

Nov 9
Engaging the Next Generation of Content Consumers
Michelle Manafy, Editorial Director, Enterprise Group,
Information Today, Inc. & Co-editor & Contributor,
Dancing with Digital Natives: Staying in Step with the
Generation That’s Transforming the Way Business is Done

Nov 23
Creating the Atmosphere for Change & Innovation
John Pullinger, Librarian and Director General,
Information Services, UK House of Commons

Dec 14
Tech Trends for 2011
Stephen Abram, Vice President, Strategic Partnerships
& Markets, Gale Cengage Learning

“21st Century Skills in Starcraft” is an eight-week class that “does not teach about Starcraft,” but combines weekly gameplay, analysis of recorded matches and “synthesis of real/game-world concepts,” to develop workplace skills.Part of the course description for the interdisciplinary honors course reads:

“With society becoming increasingly technology-based and fast-paced, it is important for professionals to be highly proficient in skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, resource management, and adaptive decision making. These skills are fundamental in Starcraft and therefore make the game a highly effective environment for students to analyze and take action in complex situations.”The course is open to twenty students that have access to a Mac or PC, Internet access outside the school labs and experience playing the popular game.”

Public libraries — the next the Board expresses their discomfort with “games” in the library, that highlighted phrase is worth citing.

There’s a lot to like about this initiative, not the least of which is that it is approaching library service management from the “full” perspective — from idea to design, development, pilot, delivery, management, maturity, and finally divestment.  Libraries have not (to my knowledge anyway) had R & D functions — which is absolutely critical for new concepts.

Wouldn’t it be cool if some of the agencies supporting libraries adopted this lab model too?

Stack View (below)  is a book “neighborhood visualizer” designed to allow users to browse Harvard’s virtual library stacks. Stack View is a project of the model library lab at Harvard Law School. Image credit: Jeff Goldenson—Harvard Law School Library.

As libraries focus on developing more and more mobile applications, they need to consider their strategies for mobile services and applications, and see if other organizations have learnings to share.  Too often libraries have quickly adopted new tools without considering the implications and asking hard questions: “What’s the impact of this tool or this service on our existing services? Is it complimenting other services? or cannibalizing or competing with other tools or services?”  Don’t get me wrong — I’m all for quick adoption.  I’m also for quick consideration of implications & quick setting up for success.  Remember when virtual services were initiated in 2000? Many libraries thought we could put a link on the reference desk computer and have the same staff responding to in-person, telephone, email and virtual patrons.  After a few months of stressed staff or no virtual traffic at all they realized they needed to consider their service delivery model and strategy —- was virtual reference replacing or enhancing the other service delivery modes?

Now libraries are considering their mobile strategies. Klint Finley summarizes Forrester’s report on a strategic framework for mobile development: POST – People, Objectives, Strategy, Technology.

People: profile the group you are targetting with mobile.  Forrester identifies 4 groups of mobile users:

• task workers
• information workers
• wannabees
• superconnecteds

Are these the groups for libraries? Who are the segments in your community or campus or market? The library has to segment its audience(s) to understand the behaviours and preferences of the segments and then determine which segments the mobile app is intended.  Cuz it’s not for all segments in the same way. One size doesn’t fit anyone very well.

Objectives: clarify what the library wants to accomplish or realize through the mobile app….. IN WRITING; there’s nothing like seeing the words to ensure the people involved, developers, managers, librarians, etc., are on the “same page.”  One of the easiest ways to articulate an objective or goal is to describe what success will look like from the library’s perspective and from the users’ perspective (that’s 2 different perspectives). And, most importantly (and this isn’t covered in the summary of Forrester’s report), talk about the implications of the channel for OTHER library channels, services and programs.  How does it impact other ‘engagement points’?

Strategy:  agree on how the channel will be developed, delivered, tested, and maintained.  Forrester recommends asking questions like “How many users do we need to reach?  What will their experience be with the app?”

Technology: after working through – and probably cycling through again! –  the POS examine and select the technology to be used.  I’ve purposely left out arrows in the graphic since this isn’t a matter of “do the people, then the objectives, etc.”  Mobile isn’t linear.  Life isn’t linear.  And determining why, who, how and what you’ll use to engage users and staff with services and the delight of libraries isn’t linear. Just leave the technology selection until you’ve had the previous conversations.  The tool shouldn’t determine what the house looks like — and the technology shouldn’t determine how the channel will work or for whom.