Communicate or die!?!

The more I read about the future of libraries and schools and the direction of technology, the more I see that 'communication' is a key element. Whether through Web2.0 apps (Facebook, Twitter), communication (mobile phones, messaging, email), sharing knowledge and ideas or getting feedback from staff and students (clients) as to what they want; they all centre around communication.

The time of the librarian as an island is over. The way to stay relevant and necessary is to find out what clients want and provide what they want. We (librarians) can no longer dictate what services/resources we provide to our clients. There is enough resources (shops/online/Internet) that it is easy for our clients to bypass the library and find what they want elsewhere.

Libraries have to change to suit the needs of the clients (school community) and seek input from them as to what they need and how we can deliver it.

The digital age

I have had an interesting meeting today with a colleague. We work together in a library and are looking at making changes to our library database called Oliver. The GMDs and other areas needed a good 'clean out'. As we looked at what categories we needed, we were able to remove many as they are now redundant to our school ie. microfilm.

What was interesting was trying to 'future proof' the collection management system. Thinking of what categories to give to different objects. Pdfs can come on a CD, ClickView or other server or on a password protected website. So, what is thew GMD (General Material Designator) for something intangible like a website, URL or computer data? We had many interesting discussions as we thought about 3D hologram images, epubs and vodcasts.