Created for keynote at NFAIS workshop - http://nfais.org/event?eventID=525 Fostering Content Usage

1. Digital Content Consumption:
The Current Landscape
Ann Michael
ann.michael@deltathink.com
Twitter: annmichael
Copyright 2013 Delta Think, Incorporated

2. Overview
• A Brief Background
• Dealing with Diversity
• Understanding User Expectations &
Experience Gaps
• Managing the Challenges
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3. A BRIEF BACKGROUND
The Current Landscape
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4. In the beginning (well not quite the beginning)
There was print ….
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Photo from: http://www.howstuffworks.com/arts/literature/oldest-book-in-the-world.htm
Copyright 2013 Delta Think, Incorporated

5. …and the print went digital
At first print products were
“poured” into digital form
— Looked like print
— Acted like print (but with some missing features!)
— Nothing all that new or revolutionary
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6. …and the digital form evolved
Digital products started to differ from print
— Multimedia
— Search & discovery
— More web appropriate formats
— Interaction/community
— Richer linking and interoperability
… and let’s not forget mobile!
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7. …as digital continues to
evolve
So do the challenges around supporting
— New content and delivery formats
— New channels
— Unclear/evolving standards
— Interoperability: between devices, within the
workflow, with other content/info sources
… and let’s not forget user expectations!
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8. …and the rate of change is increasing
• Historically, innovation focused on more efficient
composition and print processes
• As technology enables faster iteration in
content, hardware, and software development AND
• Strengthens the the customer’s voice in the process
• The rate of change keeps speeding up!
• Each new format, device, and user preference
ramps up faster and faster…
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9. iPod vs. iPhone vs. iPad
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10. Another perspective
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11. Each new technology…
• Forces publishers to make decisions
- Is this for us/our customers? And if so, when
(now, a little later, or much later)?
- How likely is this to become a standard, a ―bar
of entry‖ or expectation?
- How will this impact the customer experience?
- How will it integrate with the
people, processes, and tools/technologies we
already employ?
- How can we manage it? Internally/Externally.
Do we have the expertise? Do we have the 11Copyright 2013 Delta Think, Incorporated

12. Each new technology…
• Forces libraries to make decisions
- Is this a benefit for the institution? And if
so, when (now, a little later, or much later)?
- Does it improve faculty, researcher, student
experience?
- How will it integrate with the
people, processes, and tools/technologies we
already employ?
- How can we manage it? Internally/Externally.
Do we have the expertise? Do we have the
staff? Do we have the budget?
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13. DEALING WITH DIVERSITY
The Current Landscape
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14. Diversity: Content types
• What is the best way to:
- Make an argument?
- Introduce a concept?
- Get tenure?
- Advance scholarly findings?
- Get feedback?
- Enable discovery?
• What device is the best medium for
various content types?
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15. Classic monograph
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Image: http://openreflections.wordpress.com/2009/02/01/highlights-of-ape-2009-
%E2%80%93-day-2/

16. Short form (ex. Kindle Singles)
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17. Journal article
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18. Shortest form!
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19. Diversity: Users
• Researchers, Practitioners, Students, Faculty
, Recreational
• Different uses drive different requirements
• Yet often the same/similar content types
and formats are used to fulfill diverse needs
- Do they require different formats? Applications?
- Is content created in a way it can be repurposed
and/or reused?
- Is it tagged for effective discovery? If so, at what
level of granularity?
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20. Diversity: Devices
• The proliferation of mobile is a fact
• “Operationalizing” mobile is a challenge
- Web optimized vs. native apps vs. web apps
- What’s hot? Responsive design
• The uses of mobile are still emerging
- Lean back vs. lean forward
- Findable vs. discoverable – which is more
important on a mobile device?
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21. Diversity: Devices
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22. What’s next?
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23. USER EXPECTATIONS & EXPERIENCE GAPS
The Current Landscape
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24. User expectations
• Driven by the consumer market
• Increasing with digital experience
• Infinite customization & personalization
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“We shape our tools and afterwards our tools shape us.”
—Marshall McLuhan
Copyright 2013 Delta Think, Incorporated

25. What do users want?
• Frictionless use (tension with DRM)
• 24/7 access on device of their choice
• Functionality that supports their uses:
- Annotation/shared annotation
- Cognitive mapping (still best in print)
- iPad/e-reader availability
- Device interoperability
• Interlibrary loans/sharing
• Enhanced discoverability
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26. Why are these needs difficult?
• Does reducing friction and enabling sharing
increase publisher risk?
• Can libraries place licensed content on their
own internal (and 3rd party) platforms?
• Does the functionality users require demand
stable and unilateral standards?
• Cognitive mapping – how can that be done
on an electronic device?
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27. And if this all seems hard now…
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28. Keeping up with the curve
• Analytics
What are users doing with content now?
• Workflow
What do they need to do?
• UI/UX
How can we help them?
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29. What’s next?
• Speakers today will dive into some of the issues raised here
- Trends in eBook use and acceptance
- Fostering use in the mobile environment
- Enabling content sharing, annotation & review
- Usability & sustainability and
- Resolving the tensions created
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30. THANK YOU!
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Ann Michael
ann.michael@deltathink.com
Twitter: annmichael