All this can only come about if libraries adopt a form of change management. Change has become the norm for libraries as it has with many other businesses who wish to remain competitive. The rise in popularity of the e-book and digital libraries, the transformation to digital centers featuring computer and Wi-Fi access, and libraries as community meeting centers has challenged what used to be the norm, and replaced it with an ever evolving one instead.

Here are five emerging technology trends that will benefit both staff and patrons.

Tablet Loaner Programs

Desktops once lined the tables of library computer centers. It is certainly easier however, to read an e-book on a tablet or Chromebook instead. While fiction books were the first to make the transition, many nonfiction and reference books have made the move to e-format. So patrons can, instead of browsing the stacks, sit with a tablet or iPad and read the same materials, even printing parts they need for later reference.

Many magazines and newspapers have also digitized their archives, making them searchable. Special collections from libraries (such as this one from the University of Idaho) have at least part of their records available online. Local search engines housed on tablets or laptops may become a vital part of any research library.

Virtual Reality

Virtual reality is emerging as a new form of storytelling and educational gaming. Creating virtual reality spaces in libraries will provide patrons access to this content.

Virtual field trips conducted from libraries can be enhanced by directing patrons to other related content when the field trip has been completed. Educational games can become a regular part of children’s programs, and making documentaries and other films a part of the libraries digital collection will further enhance educational opportunities.

This will not only increase patron visits and engagement but also provide access to this technology to visitors who would not otherwise be able to utilize it.

3-D Printing

Maker stations are not new, but new uses for them are always emerging. Some libraries have managed to leverage this technology creatively. The following are examples from WebJunction:

• Fayetteville Free Library was able to locate its FabLab in a previously unused space, which was formerly (and appropriately) part of the Stickley Furniture factory, renowned makers in the Arts and Crafts movement.
• The Westport (CT) Public Library chose to locate its makerspace right in the middle of the library and now has an active event and activities calendar.
• The Arrowhead Library System (WI), has a mobile makerspace that is shared between seven libraries in southern Wisconsin.
• In the Netherlands, a mobile FabLab is bringing twenty-first-century making to primary and secondary schools in rural and remote communities.^[1]

3-D metal printing will be the next production method for many objects, as it is both less expensive and faster than conventional methods.^[2]

Libraries engaging adults as well as children in this activity are potentially helping prepare them for the future in many job markets.

Robotics

This is not the kind of robot that will replace the librarian; rather, this is the kind of robot that can, among other things, teach kids to write computer code. Some libraries are even acquiring robots that can be checked out by patrons, just like other library materials.

Maxine Bleiweiss, director of the Westport Library, which already has 3-D printers, says, “We believe robotics is the next disruptive technology that people need to know about.”^[3] The library was the first in the nation to acquire sophisticated humanoid robots made by the French robotics firm Aldebaran.

The robots don’t do anything they are not programmed to do, and so patrons learn the Python language to make them perform tasks from reading stories to children to dancing. The library is even talking about doing robot poetry slams, since the robots gesture when they talk just like humans do.

Drones

Much like robotics, this emerging field is being explored by libraries in a number of ways. Besides keeping patrons informed of FAA regulations regarding drones, including the need to register any drone that is over .55 pounds (8.8 ounces) when flight ready, some libraries are providing demonstrations and instruction as well.^[4]

The potential uses for drones extend far beyond demonstrations and patron education, including book drop offs and pickups for patrons unable to make it to the library, content creation, and research.

Drones will likely be a part of the technology resources offered by libraries. The library at the University of South Florida even experimented with lending drones to students.^[5]

These are just a few ways emerging technology can help both patrons and librarians going forward. The library is changing, and in the future they probably will not look much like they do today, but through change management and the embracing of new technology, libraries will continue to be the community centers they have always been.

References

[1] Betha Gutsche, “3D Printers: a revolution headed for your library,” WebJunction, November 9, 2015.

[2] “3D Metal Printing | 3D Printing Technologies,” YouTube video, 5:00, courtesy of Ex One, posted by “i.materialise,” December 10, 2010.

[3] Maxine Bleiweiss, “Beyond bookshelves: Meet your public library’s robots” by Mark Herz, Marketplace, October 10, 2014.

[4] Andrew Stengel, “Your Drone Christmas Gift Could Cost You $27,000 Or More: FAA Requires UAS Registration,” Huffington Post, January 4, 2016.

[5] Jareen Imam, “Check it out: Florida university library to lend drones to students,” CNN, June 23, 2014.

The post Emerging Tech Trends Require Change Management first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

The tech center, since officially opening on November 7, 2015, has seen over 15,000 visitors, with over 800 people attending programs and events. On the Do Space’s blog, the Executive Director, Rebecca Stavick, writes that she hopes that the space will inspire Omahans to feel “empowered to lead the nation in innovation.” It’s actually a part of their Vision Statement: “Do Space, as the heart of a community technology movement, inspires Omaha to lead the nation in innovation.” Appropriately, Rebecca Stavick previously worked for five years as a Staff Development Specialist at OPL and in her free time on Open Nebraska, an organization she cofounded that focuses on technology education and emphasizes open access; it will also be partnering with the tech center in the future.  It seems like Do Space is a perfect marriage of Stavick’s two previous roles, and she is the perfect liaison to bring both the OPL and Open Nebraska on board as community partners.

John B. Horrigan, in Libraries at a Crossroads, points out that there are “some 30% of those ages 16 and over [that] think libraries should “definitely” move some print books and stacks out of public locations to free up more space for such things as tech centers, reading rooms, meeting rooms and cultural events; 40% say libraries should “maybe” do that; and 25% say libraries should “definitely not” do that.” So how can other libraries develop either an affiliation with a center like this or create one within their own space if possible? The important elements for public libraries to take note of in Do Space are the community partnerships that lead to the space developing and going from just an idea to fruition. YOUmedia and the Maker Lab at Harold Washington Library in downtown Chicago, for example, are both grant-funded and offer technology programs as well as equipment to mess around with. They partnered with groups like the Digital Youth Network  and the MacArthur Foundation as well as Motorola and the City of Chicago in order to develop spaces for teens and adults to tinker, learn, and grow in, and it’s free to use just like Do Space. Public libraries need to continue to work towards empowering their patrons to develop their information and digital literacy skills, and sometimes reaching out to the community at large can make something really special happen!

Sources:

Horrigan, John B. “Libraries at the Crossroads.” Report by the Pew Research Center, 15 September 2015. Web. http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/09/15/libraries-at-the-crossroads/. Accessed 7 January 2016.

Kelly, Bill. “Will A Nebraska Community Tech Center Force Us To Consider Libraries Without Books?” NET, November 30, 2015. Web. http://netnebraska.org/article/news/1001826/will-nebraska-community-tech-center-force-us-consider-libraries-without-books. Accessed 7 January 2016.

Peet, Lisa. “Rebecca Stavick, Omaha’s First Digital Librarian.” Library Journal, April 27, 2015. Web. http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2015/04/people/rebecca-stavick-omahas-first-digital-librarian/. Accessed 7 January 2016.

Resources:

http://www.dospace.org/space

http://omahalibrary.org/

http://www.chipublib.org/maker-lab/

http://www.chipublib.org/youmedia/

http://digitalyouthnetwork.org/

https://www.macfound.org/

The post Tech Centers Are Coming to a Library Near You! first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

To accomplish this feat, the Pharr Memorial Library (PML) required assistance from the city’s GIS and Engineering departments. The project was spearheaded by the library’s Reference department, which invested almost a year’s worth of time coordinating information on 1,500 plots and 2,230 deceased individuals. Adolfo Garcia, PML’s Director, stated, “We’re interested in archiving information as librarians and making that information available to the public so people can search to know if their relative is there.”[2] Photos of every headstone were taken and will be used as a search tool for patrons interested in not only searching to see where their relative was buried, but what the headstone looks like.

The idea came about after multiple library patrons visited the library’s local archives to sift through two boxes of cemetery paperwork that included the names of all individuals buried at the Guadalupe Cemetery. The main problem the library faced was the time it took for the Reference Librarian to sit with inquirers until he finally come across the sought out relative. There was no structure to the paperwork as an earlier novice project simply recorded names in a primitive fashion. The Library Director and Reference Librarian brainstormed options for providing this information to the public in a more suitable and reliable way. They knew the city had already been using hand-held GPS devices to map out fire hydrants across the city. That is when it hit them (lightbulb):why not use those same devices to GPS every single grave at the cemetery? That information would then be placed in an online searchable database at no charge to the public. It was logical and convenient for community members and the library. And best of all? No more paper shuffling!

So, the Reference department got to work. They battled cold and rainy days as well as the suffocating South Texas heat for the sake of completing this one-of-a-kind project. All graves were coordinated. Information about birthdates and death dates were recorded on a simple iPhone app known as iSpreadsheet and photos were taken of every headstone to use as a searching tool for anyone interested. Several graves were in bad condition so names and dates were not legible. Those simply read as “unknown” on the online database that is now available online for community members to utilize. The deceased can be searched through a search tab by first name, last name, birthdate, or death date. The database can be found here: http://cop.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=c85a7458cb404438ac0d580c51c157ac.

So the next time you wonder if technology will put a damper on public libraries, remember the innovative idea the Pharr Memorial Library Reference department devised using advanced technology available to them. Libraries have always and will always adapt to stay relevant and current.

[1] Vinjamuri, David. “Why Public Libraries Matter: And How They Can Do More,” Forbes, January 16, 2013, accessed October 19, 2015, http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidvinjamuri/2013/01/16/why-public-libraries-matter-and-how-they-can-do-more/.

[2] Sides, Emily. “Pharr Library Catalogs Historic Cemetery,” The Monitor, March 28, 2015, accessed October 20, 2015, http://www.themonitor.com/premium/pharr-library-catalogs-historic-cemetery/article_49303b7c-d590-11e4-ae58-3b91c6499bd6.html.

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