Globally, we are seeing a rise in a both the knowledge economy and the service sector, placing libraries squarely at the center of forces that will reshape neighborhoods and nations. Powell and Snellman, from Stanford University say that in a knowledge economy, “production and services are based on knowledge-intensive activities” that accelerate the pace of technical and scientific advancement, as well as rapid obsolescence. Librarians enter this age of acceleration with great assets: unparalleled community trust, deep expertise in information services, a strong base of technology and tech skills, and a local and national footprint that is the envy of any retailer. Building on these existing strengths, I think librarians can harness new superpowers that will help transform neighborhoods, communities and global systems. Let’s talk about why librarian superpowers could save the world.

1. Karen Archer Perry
Clarion Collaborative
@KarenAPerry
www.ClarionCollaborative.com

3. Why Librarian
Super Powers
Could Save the
World
Karen Archer Perry
Clarion Collaborative
@KarenAPerry
#LibrarySuperPower

5. Colorado Water 2012
Connecting Coloradans to their water

6. Colorado Water 2012

7. Colorado Water 2012

8. Colorado Water 2012

9. Librarian Super Powers
Trust
Knowledge
Technology
Place

10. libraries.pewinternet.org
digitalinclusion.umd.edu
csreports.aspeninstitute.org

11. What’s your #LibrarySuperPower?
#LibrarySuperPower
@KarenAPerry
@KSlibassoc

12. Trust
Super
Powers
#LibrarySuperPower
@KarenAPerry
@KSlibassoc

13. Libraries are appreciated
• 91% say libraries
are important to
their
communities
• 76% say libraries
are important to
them and their
families
Reference: Library Services in the Digital Age, Kathryn Zickuhr, Lee Rainie and Kristen Purcell,
January 22, 2013, Pew Research Internet & American Life Project,
http://libraries.pewinternet.org/2013/01/22/library-services/
#LibrarySuperPower
@KarenAPerry

14. Libraries stack up well
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Reference: Pew Internet and Gallup June 1-4, 2013 Confidence Poll,
http://www.gallup.com/poll/1597/confidence-institutions.aspx
Congress
Health Maintenance Orgs
Big business
Newspapers
Television News
Banks
The criminal justice system
The public schools
The US Supreme Court
The medical system
The presidency
The Church or religion
The police
Small business
The Military
The Library
A great deal of confidence Quite a lot of confidence
• Gallup poll asks about
personal confidence in
specific American
Institutions (Gallup
does not include
libraries)
• Pew poll asks about
importance of libraries
91% say
Libraries are
very important
important

15. Libraries stack up well
The Military
76%
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Congress
Health Maintenance Orgs
Big business
Newspapers
Television News
Banks
The criminal justice system
The public schools
The US Supreme Court
The medical system
The presidency
The Church or religion
The police
Small business
The Military
The Library
A great deal of confidence Quite a lot of confidence
*

16. Libraries stack up well
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Congress
Health Maintenance Orgs
Big business
Newspapers
Television News
Banks
The criminal justice system
The public schools
The US Supreme Court
The medical system
The presidency
The Church or religion
The police
Small business
The Military
The Library
A great deal of confidence Quite a lot of confidence
U.S. Congress
10%
*

17. Libraries stack up well
*
Public Schools
32%

18. Libraries stack up well
Library
91%
*

19. People like librarians
• 98% of “ever” library visitors say interactions “very
positive”
• 81% of library visitors say librarians are “very helpful”
• 50% of “last year” visitors got help from a librarian
Reference: Library Services in the Digital Age, Kathryn Zickuhr, Lee Rainie and Kristen Purcell, January 22, 2013, Pew Research
Internet & American Life Project, http://libraries.pewinternet.org/2013/01/22/library-services/
Photo credit: Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Flickr

20. Trust
Super
Powers
#LibrarySuperPower
@KarenAPerry
@KSlibassoc

21. Engage &
Activate
Trust
Super
Powers

22. Turn Outward

23. Connect and convene

24. Engage Deeply

25. Enlist support

26. Knowledge
& Learning
Super Powers
#LibrarySuperPower
@KarenAPerry
@KSlibassoc

27. Librarians are THE champions of
the first amendment
• Intellectual
Freedom
• Free speech
• Privacy
• Equal access
• Open Internet
• Copyright
Photo credit: American Library Association President Roberta Stevens
#LibrarySuperPower
@KarenAPerry

28. People appreciate core library
services
98% of
80% say
Americans say
reference
borrowing
librarians are
books is “very
“very
important”
important”
77% say free
access to
computers and
the internet is
"very important"”
Reference: Library Services in the Digital Age, Kathryn Zickuhr, Lee Rainie and Kristen Purcell, January 22, 2013, Pew Research
Internet & American Life Project, http://libraries.pewinternet.org/2013/01/22/library-services/
Photo credit: Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

29. People love to read!
75% adults 16+ read a book last year
23% adults read an e-book last year
15 average # of books read last year
24 average for those w e-readers
30% e-content consumers say they read more
41% table consumers say they read more
5% borrowed at e-book from the library
Reference: Library Services in the Digital Age, Kathryn Zickuhr, Lee Rainie and Kristen Purcell, January 22, 2013, Pew Research
Internet & American Life Project, http://libraries.pewinternet.org/2013/01/22/library-services/
Photo credit: Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

30. Libraries are open for learning!
Public Access Computing 100%
Education & Learning 99.5%
Employment & Workforce 95%
E-Government & Civics 75%
Health & Wellness 57.9%
Reference: Digital Inclusion Survey 2011-2012, Information Policy & University of Maryland,
http://digitalinclusion.umd.edu/

31. Navigate
& Create
Knowledge
& Learning
Super Powers

32. There’s an information
explosion!
• Knowledge is
doubling every 12
months, maybe
faster.
• People need help
navigating to things
that are meaningful
Reference: "Knowledge Doubling Every 12 Months, Soon to be Every 12 Hours," Industry Tap, David
Russell Schilling, April 19th, 2013, http://www.industrytap.com/knowledge-doubling-every-12-
months-soon-to-be-every-12-hours/3950

33. While the public library was conceived in an age of information
scarcity, today’s networked world is one of information abundance
and mobility…

34. You can’t even trust a
trusted source!
• Information
professionals need
to deepen skills and
tools to differentiate
content
Reference: Anne R. Kenney, Cornell University Librarian
#LibrarySuperPower
@KarenAPerry
@KSlibassoc

35. This world’s got a big
skills gap!
• 1/3 to 2/3 of adults -
depending on the
country - lack the basic
skills necessary for
learning and working in
modern economies
• Problem-solving in
technology-rich
environments, literacy,
and numeracy
• Libraries to the rescue
with literacy, online, in-person,
and partner
learning opportunities
Reference: 2012 OECD Report, report, Better Skills, Better Jobs, Better Lives,
http://skills.oecd.org/documents/SkillsHighlightsEnglish.pdf

36. Skill yourself first Then
help others
#LibrarySuperPower
@KarenAPerry

37. Creating the future
@YourLibrary
#LibrarySuperPower
@KarenAPerry

38. Technology
Super Powers
#LibrarySuperPower
@KarenAPerry
@KSlibassoc

39. Libraries are community hubs for
technology and media
26%
17%
16%
46%
40%
Use a research database
Borrow a DVD
Use computer or internet
Borrow an audio book
Borrow a music CD
Among those who visited
a library in-person in the
past year, the % who did
the following activities
Reference: Pew Internet November 2012 survey. Data is for library visitors ages 16+.

40. Libraries are connected to more
digital content & services
#LibrarySuperPower
@KarenAPerry

41. Librarians are America’s Digital
Literacy Corps
Reference: Digital Inclusion Survey 2011-2012, Information Policy & University of Maryland,
http://digitalinclusion.umd.edu/
IMLS
Framework
Building
Digitally
Inclusive
Communities

42. Librarians are winning the battle for
tech access against evil budget foes
Reference: Digital Inclusion Survey 2011-2012, Information Policy & University of Maryland,
http://digitalinclusion.umd.edu/ #LibrarySuperPower
@KarenAPerry

43. Technology
Turbo Charge
Get
Networked

44. You gotta be in the game!
Reference: E-Reading Rises as Device Ownership Jumps, Kathryn Zickuhr and Lee Rainie, January 16, 2014, Pew Research Internet &
American Life Project, http://www.pewinternet.org/2014/01/16/e-reading-rises-as-device-ownership-jumps/

45. People are e-reading on
everything
41
23
2011 2014
42
Among all e-book
readers ages 18
and older, the %
who read e-books
on each device
28
57 55
29
32
E-reader Tablet Computer Cell phone
Reference: E-Reading Rises as Device Ownership Jumps, Kathryn Zickuhr and Lee Rainie, January 16, 2014, Pew Research Internet &
American Life Project, http://www.pewinternet.org/2014/01/16/e-reading-rises-as-device-ownership-jumps/

46. • 62% of Americans say they do
not know if their library lends
out e-books.
• This includes 58% of library
card holders.
Tell them!
#LibrarySuperPower
@KarenAPerry
@KSlibassoc

47. Libraries need a tech
turbo charge
Reference: Digital Inclusion Survey 2011-2012, Information Policy & University of
Maryland, http://digitalinclusion.umd.edu/

48. Libraries need an Edge
to win this battle!
Practical and
aspirational
benchmarks organized
into three categories
that assess:
• Community value
• Engaging the community
• Organizational management

49. Libraries need an Edge
to win this battle!

50. The
Power of
Place
#LibrarySuperPower
@KarenAPerry
@KSlibassoc

51. Half of America came to your
place last year!
• 54% of Americans used
a public library in the
past year
• 48% visited in
person
• 30% used a library
website
• 72% of Americans live
in a “library household”
Reference: Library Services in the Digital Age, Kathryn Zickuhr, Lee Rainie and Kristen Purcell, January 22, 2013, Pew Research
Internet & American Life Project, http://libraries.pewinternet.org/2013/01/22/library-services/

52. Many wearing shirts proclaiming
their love!
#LibrarySuperPower
@KarenAPerry

53. The Power
of Place
Strengthen
Experience

54. Engagement, loyalty and advocacy
is no longer driven by the products you sell.
It’s driven by how well the experience you deliver
meets your customers’
ever-changing emotional needs and wants.
54
Lewis Carbone

55. Create an experience
not a product
55
Product or Service Environment People
#LibrarySuperPower
@KarenAPerry

56. 5 tips for strengthening
user experience
1. Less is more
2. Visual trumps all other senses
3. Foster discovery
4. Keep it fresh
5. Maintain your space
Reference: King County Library System and Fernow Consulting

57. Library super heroes use
space to their advantage!
Photo Credit: King County Library System, Newport Way and Federal Way Branches

58. The field of play is in the
building and online

59. Super powers needed to save world
Trust
Knowledge
Technology
Place
Engage & Activate
Navigate & Create
Turbo Charge
Experience

60. Google Images: Captain Information Technology, September 3, 2014

61. Google Images: Captain Information and Community, September 3, 2015

62. Thank you Super Heroes!
Thanks to Mike Hall
www.comicbooklibrarian.com
Librarian Superhero Artist
www.ClarionCollborative.com Clarion Collaborative

63. What’s your super power?
Take a selfie
Add you super power
Tweet it with these tags
#LibrarySuperPower
@KarenAPerry
@Kslibassoc
Show us some real Kansas Librarian Super Heroes!

64. libraries.pewinternet.org
digitalinclusion.umd.edu
csreports.aspeninstitute.org

65. More ideas > More Action
• Read and Share the new Aspen Report:
Rising to the Challenge: Re-envisioning Public Libraries
• 15 Action Steps for Library Leaders
• 15 Action Steps for Policy Makers
• 15 Action Steps for Community Leaders
• Complete the 2014 Digital Inclusion Survey by 11/21
• Check out the new E-rate Modernization Order
• $2B in funding available for wifi network upgrades
• Slides will be available on Slide Share and at Clarion
Collaborative