social media | emerging trends | libraries
WhoFi (a company that provides software and services that help community spaces like libraries, parks, and museums thrive in the digital age) has a podcast called Community Connectors that they’re posting on their YouTube channel.
On Episode 2, host John Kerber interviewed me! We discussed how libraries can pilot, scale, and promote hybrid maker spaces while balancing their digital and physical services.
I recently read an article from Fast Company – Why you should make the library a model for your business – and thought it was a good one!
I like how the author flipped a thing that libraries often say. We tend to suggest running a library more like a business. But his article flipped that and talks about how a business should be operated a bit more like a library.
Pulling out this quote: “What if long-term success is more about building environments where people feel inspired, curious, and connected? That’s what libraries do. And that’s what the best organizations of any kind are learning to do, too.”
Yep – that’s pretty much libraries in a nutshell!
Here are some main points in the article:
Let People Dream. Libraries don’t justify anyone’s interests. In fact, we encourage exploration in order to find and develop interests. The author then jumps from that to show how a good company can do a similar thing. They use Google’s “20% time” initiative, and how Google built some big things out of that exploration time.
Focus on More than Transactions. Libraries don’t monetize, but we do have value in our communities. Some companies (ie, Patagonia is mentioned) focus on helping their communities too, and it helps them resonate with their community.
Support the whole person. The article says this: “Libraries recognize that people are more than readers or borrowers. They offer after-school programs for children, job training for adults, and social services for those in need.” I definitely agree with that … I also think it’s hard for a library to shift from thinking about reading and books as our main thing (it’s not – that’s the vehicle, not the destination). But still…cool thought!
Be a platform, not just a point solution. Stop thinking of a business as offering a single product or service. Instead, think of it as a platform that you build things on. It’s a jumping off point. Good libraries do that well, and some companies can learn from that.
So – that was the article (go read it!). What can libraries learn from this? Well … we can definitely make sure that we are, in fact, doing the things the article writer thinks we are doing!
Are we:
Libraries have the potential to impact our communities in a huge way … we just need to tweak what we do so it matches the needs of our community (not just our voracious readers). Work on some small changes, and then measure the impact of those changes to see if it moves the needle. If it does … do more of that!
Just thinking about my last 24 hours …
I’m sitting at the Hyundai dealership, having some recall work done. I booked the appointment because of a recall letter I received (snail mail!).
But then I scheduled the appointment online.
The recall? A software update.
I’m in the waiting area, using wifi. Typing this blog post on my laptop (in Google Docs). And checking emails from work while I write. Ok, and watching a recap of the Chiefs opening game too. On the huge big screen tv.
Last night, I went to dinner with some friends. Two of them commented on a video I made – the 27-year old watched it on TikTok, and the 75-year old saw it on Facebook.
My phone is beeping, letting me know I received some text messages.
Oh, and before I left for the car dealership, I messaged my department to let them know I’d be late … using Microsoft Teams.
My life is pretty connected/wireless/online (except for the snail mail!).
I realize I’m the weirdo here. In the waiting area at the dealership, I’m the one writing on a laptop/checking email in multiple accounts/looking at my phone for messages/generally being a bit ADHD. There are three other people here – one’s watching tv, one’s reading a magazine, and one is glued to his phone.
And I know a lot of people either don’t want to be that way, or would like to be a bit more that way but can’t.
That’s why I’m glad libraries offer wifi, broadband, computer access, training classes, job skills development, etc. That’s why I’m involved with local digital inclusion initiatives. I’m glad some libraries are going after the grant money currently available for digital inclusion, better broadband, and cybersecurity improvements. It’s a way to help our communities connect online.
Because the world is quickly moving online. We live in a world where a car requires a software update and the car dealership has free wifi for customers (and free water, too!). Even my snail mail could probably be moved online. One of our goals, as libraries, should be to help our communities move as online as they are willing and able. Because that’s where we’re headed – in some cases, that’s where we already are.
And now – software update complete. Time to head to work!
Internet sign image by Leon Seibert, from Unsplash
Sometimes, Kansas makes the national news for the silliest things. This time, we made the news because of a poorly redesigned license plate (see the accompanying pic). The governor announced the change … and then 6 says later, announced that Kansas is re-thinking that!
The new license plate design has some issues. It’s ugly (I think so, anyway). It apparently looks a bit like a New York license plate; it uses the University of Missouri’s colors (Kansas arch-rivals in sports); and it also reminds people of … Texas (i.e., the stars).
It’s also a great example of how NOT to do something!
Reading into it a bit, here’s what I think happened. My guess is that this project was instigated internally. The state highway patrol wanted license plates that are easier to read, so they asked for a new design that’s easy to see from a distance, with highly contrasting colors. Also, apparently some of our older license plates have letters that are peeling off. About 5 years ago, Kansas switched to print-on-demand, and the newer plates don’t have letters that peel off.
So … they figured out what would work best for them … internally. And designed that. Then someone piped up and said “hey, we need to have some sort of Kansas connection.” So they translated part of the state motto (“Ad astra per aspera,” or “to the stars through difficulty”), and added the “to the stars” phrase, with two stars as a bonus in the design.
Then, after everyone internally was happy with it … they shared the new design with Kansans. And 6 days later they had to backpedal (because no one likes the new design). Now, we’ll probably get 4-6 potential designs to somehow vote on.
What should Kansas have done differently?
Any lessons for libraries here? Oh yes indeed.
I’m glad our Kansas state government was able to pivot and go another way after they received input from Kansans. Guess what? You can do that too!
I heard about an interesting new job while at Computers in Libraries 2023 (great conference, by the way!) – an AI prompt engineer.
What’s a prompt engineer? Here’s a description (from Computer Hope):
The idea of a “prompt engineer” came in response to AI text and image generators, which people noticed would produce higher-quality content when users give specifically-phrased prompts, as opposed to just asking naturally. The title describes people who are supposedly skilled at selecting the right phrasing so that AI tools generate the most accurate and relevant responses.
As the speaker talked about prompt engineers, and then moved on, I started thinking – hey, isn’t that sorta what librarians do? Sometimes, we just help find the answer … but often, our role is to help our customers ask a better question. Heck, some of us even have whole pages on our websites devoted to how to ask better questions.
We are trained to broaden, narrow, and refine a customer’s question, so that they can hone in on the answer they were looking for. To me … that kinda sounds like a prompt engineer.
And yes, I know – it’s not a complete picture. A “real” AI prompt engineer helps the large language model refine its output, so answers are accurate, sound conversational, and sounds like a human.
But the librarian-sounding parts, to me, seem like a pretty traditional librarian job. We help people figure out what they’re really looking for through refinement of their questions, by helping them narrow down a broad topic, or by adding important details to their search. Through the reference interview.
This is one reason I’m not too worried about our soon-to-be AI future when our search engines are also a type of answer engine. They’re only giving answers to the things people input into the system. In this new AI world, librarians will still be serving a very traditional role – helping to refine the question. And with generative AI tools, we might just be able to see the answers getting formed, as well.
Go forth and generate better questions!
Image: Generated from this prompt: “Cool-looking futuristic librarian answering a patron’s question” from Stable Diffusion Online