The future of libraries
Did a gonzo presentation for 100 danish library leaders today. Ended up calling it “Excitement, Fundamentals and Implementation”. Discussing the excitement about the future many people are experiencing. Calling for the library to go back to the fundamentals of giving free access to information. Calling for the libraries to actually implement their core in a digital context by digitalizing all information in their archives and providing danish citizens free digital access to all material published whether in books, journals, dvd, etc. - effectively bridging the copyfight vs. the copyright cartels war. But also calling for world class product design implementation of all their services and modern decentralized organizational principles. To stop accepting losing meaning every day and start winning.
PDF in danish here if you’re adventurous.
January 17th, 2007 at 6:56 pm
- Et godt indspark, det var fremragende med en råt for usødet udmelding.
Og en endnu mere fremragende efterfølgende tilhører-kommentar (forudsat den er rigtig), med at du søgte på den forkerte måde
January 18th, 2007 at 12:03 pm
[…] Da ikke alle blogs dukker op på Technorati er her et foreløbigt overblik over de der taler om konferencen: iRandersbib: Tanker fra konferencen Brugernes Bibliotek bootstrapping.net: The future of libraries Bibliotek 2.0 DK: Brugernes Bibliotek, 1. oplæg: Stig Hjarvad Bibliotek 2.0 DK: Brugernes Bibliotek, 2. oplæg: Thomas Madsen-Mygdal […]
January 18th, 2007 at 4:49 pm
That was indeed an exciting and highly relevant presentation. Probably the most inspiring and clear cut one I have heard for a few years in the library world.
You were the center of all discussion the rest of the day - and I am still thinking about what you said today.
I would really like to hear your thoughts again another time in a library context. Was this a one-time only or can the libraries still buy your time for another presentation?
January 18th, 2007 at 10:20 pm
I’m digging the phaseshift slide - but not so much the YOU NEED TO BE STATE OF THE ART/cutting edge interface and innovation bit at the end.
As far as I’m concerned it is exactly one of the points of now, that small is good and that experiments are OK. The libraries truly don’t need cutting edge innovation. They need to stop hesitating and get out there (to paraphrace T.S. Høeg)
January 18th, 2007 at 11:45 pm
@claus. The statement was getting back to the core, back to the basics, back to the original meaning of a library. Don’t recall any slides about cutting edge innovation, only that their digital services are designed on a world class level - if you take a look at biblioteket.dk i think both of us knows hundreds of people that could transform that experience substantially.
January 19th, 2007 at 12:18 am
@jens. glad that you enjoyed it. send me an email and let’s figure something out, start by having a cup of coffee. as you probably recognized the core role of a library in civic society is very close to my heart…
January 19th, 2007 at 12:56 am
Yup, I noticed a few hints of the fact that libraries are somehow close to your heart. That’s actually the perspective of my blog post.
I’ll try to find your mail address and send you a mail. But hey, I work at a library so expect a snail mail in a few days.
January 19th, 2007 at 12:57 am
Yikes, my link to the blog post didn’t come out well. Here it is:
http://avisen.dk/blogs/hofman/Fremtidens-bibliotek-d_F800_dsd_F800_mt-_1320_-eller-hvad_3F00_-180107.aspx
January 19th, 2007 at 6:45 am
“World class” is consulting speak in my book.
January 19th, 2007 at 7:30 am
Well, it’s what i could come up with with my limited vocabulary, there’s probably a better word for it.
January 19th, 2007 at 9:24 am
Come on - let’s not waste time being offended. What I’m saying is simply that trying beats being best.
They need to try so much more than they need to be best.
January 19th, 2007 at 10:30 am
@claus. offended - i’m just stating what i actually communicated to someone who wasn’t there.
the message is they need to try, really care - but also step out of their own monoculture and hire the best people in denmark (the world?) to do interface design, conceptual development, visual design, programming, usability, etc.
January 19th, 2007 at 10:48 am
Fair deal.
Your message in that regard is btw. very close to what I had to say when Thomas Angermann asked me to take part in a session om the user driven library future…
January 19th, 2007 at 10:55 am
@claus. good that it’s the same - consensus…
January 19th, 2007 at 9:53 pm
Hi Thomas. Nice talking to you yesterday! I enjoyed it very much. Just went through this presentation - was curious because you mentioned it. Actually I was talking to one of the socalled “central” libraries (Fyn) through a few years and the move from one mindset to the other was really difficult. It’s not easy to redefine your self-image even though it may only be a new form in which you fulfil the same role…
January 26th, 2007 at 9:16 am
C’mon Thomas!
Translate that presentation! It’s like taking candy from little children.
January 26th, 2007 at 12:59 pm
@pedro. hmm, might just do that one day - but it will need comments/more slides to get the narrative/statements.
January 27th, 2007 at 10:45 am
[…] Claus Dahl får syntetiseret dilemmaet på smukkeste vis, i en kommentartråd på Bootstrapping.net. Anledningen er Thomas Madsen-Mygdahls indlæg på Fra silo til samtale forrige uge. […]
January 29th, 2007 at 12:49 pm
I’ll keep an eye for it then!
September 30th, 2007 at 10:39 pm
[…] Min pointe i oplæget var faktisk at biblioteket sikkert ikke forsvinder fordi vi får mere brugerdrevne tjenester, og at bibliotikaren kan være med til at gøre internettet bedre. Brugerne kan naturligvis selv lave deres egne samlinger og det gør de i rigt mål, udfordringen bliver derfor ikke at få brugerne til at styre bibliotekerne, men rettere at lade brugerne styrke bibliotekerne, og omvendt. Det sker ikke medmindre der kommer nogle mere åbne kontaktfalder end dem vi kender i dag. Som Thomas Madsen-Mygdal, som jeg iøvrigt har lånt et par inspirerende punchslines fra, tidligere har sagt, så er bibliotekerne “nørder i distrubtionsformen: papir”. Bibliotekerne står som jeg ser det overfor mange udfordringer i forhold til at forstå og bruge sociale teknologier i deres service. I særdeleshed skal man alvorligt revidere og genforhandle bruger-relationen. Bibliotekerne har qua deres store og historiske binding til fysisk distribtution dybest set et lettere anstrengt forhold til brugere. Let karikeret kunne man sige, at brugerne meget let bliver mis-brugere. I det fysiske bibliotek er det sociale altså typisk noget negativt, mens det på nettet kan bruges til noget godt. Tænk på google som bliver bedre af at man bruger det, eller last.fm som den ulitmative musik-bibliotikar. Hvad lærer biblioteket af mig når jeg har lånt noget, og hvad kan andre bruge min brug til! […]