A lovely evening.

1. The Future of Public Libraries
5 strategies that matter
Stephen Abram, MLS
Amber Wilde Memorial Lecture
University of Toronto iSchool
Jan. 19, 2012
These slides will beavailable at Stephen’s Lighthouse blog

3. Avoid the Climate of Poverty

5. Worrisome Symptoms of Dysfunction
 Terrible advocacy
 Slow and poor response to the e-Book challenge
 Generational disrespect and misunderstanding
 Workplace friction and avoidance
 Too slow technology adoption
 Inadequate promotion of digital resources
 Inadequate promotion of programs
 Handcrafting

7. Is there still life in
libraries in a fully web
world?
Yes, but . . .

9. Change: Are public
libraries Future Ready?

10. Change can happen very fast

12. 1
2.0 Fill That Gap
3

14. 5 Strategies that Matter

15. 1: Aggressive, assertive, attention
seeking, in-your-face promotion

19. What Are Libraries Really For?
• Community
• Learning
• Discovery
• Progress
• Research (Applied and Theoretical)
• Cultural & Knowledge Custody / Conservation
• Economic Impact

20. Smelly Or
Yellow Sex
Liquid Appeal?

22. It’s the Whole Experience

23. News Flash
“The Internet and technology have
now progressed to their infancy”

24. 7 Gifts to Public Libraries
1. The book isn’t dead or dying. It is evolving.
2. Our users/customers are improving and the
question economy is different.
3. Technology is going social and can support social
acts for social institutions.
4. The PC isn’t dead, but, again, it’s evolving and more
mobile.
5. We know more about our customers than ever
before.
6. Talent, Insight, Community, have social value.
7. Opportunities always exist more in times of change

33. 2: Engaging the next generation
where they are and not repairing
them.

34. My son: Zachary

39. NextGen Library Staff
They hate the term ‘NextGen’
(or any label for that matter)
Work with them.

41. 3: Focus on reading and questions –
not books and objects

42. What is an EXPERIENCE?
What is a library experience?
What differentiates a library experience from a transaction?
What differentiates public libraries from Google/Bing?

43. Books are a
Poor Branding

44. The Book Comet
 Harper Collins fiasco
 Amazon self-published . . . You?
 Amazon “authors”, Nancy Pearl curator
 New Google Bookstore
 Amazon Subscriptions and Lending
 Bump
 24Symbols
 Bookish
 Pottermore
 Recommendation Engines: Books & Authors, Bibliocommons,
LibraryThing . . .
 Apple . . . iStore, iBooks

47. GBS

48. Launched in US on June 30th

50. Expected Launch July 2011
Back Office: Baker & Taylor

51. Expected Launch 2012
7 books - 15 billion franchise
Back office – Overdrive / Sony

52. What do libraries have?
LibraryThing
BiblioCommons
ChiliFresh
Etc.

55. Fiction
Non-Fiction
Reading

56. What does all this mean?
 The Article level universe
 The Chapter and Paragraph Universe
 eBooks Opportunity: Integrated with Visuals –
graphics and charts, ‘video’, scored, integrated with
Sound and Speech, integrated with social web,
integrated with interaction and not just interactivity
 How would you enhance a book?
 How do Libraries play the game?
 Libraries are creative centres or publishers?

57. Can we frame the e-book issue so
that it can be addressed rationally?

58. Why do people read?

59. Why do people read?
1. To learn
2. To engage in hearing other’s opinions (to agree or disagree or understand)
3. To develop more knowledge about myself and develop as a whole person
4. To be entertained and laugh, to engage and interact, to feel
5. To address boredom and the inexorable progress of time
6. To research and keep up-to-date
7. To participate well in civil society (everything from news to voting)
8. To be informed (and maybe smarter)
9. To understand others (individually, spiritually, and culturally)
10. To escape our day-to-day lives, to be transported into the imagination
11. To stimulate the imagination and be inspired or spiritual
12. To write and communicate better through reading others
13. To teach, to share
14. To have something to talk about
15. To connect with like-minded people

63. 3: Focus on questions and needs –
not desks and in person F2F

64. The Evolution
of Answers

65. Sensemaking: Too much choice

66. Why do people ask questions?
Is your library experience conceptually organized around
answers and programs?
Or collections and buildings?

67. Why do people ask questions?
 Who, What, When, Where
 How & Why
 Data – Information – Knowledge - Behavior
 To Learn or to Know
 To Acquire Information, Clarify, Tune
 To Decide, to Solve, to Choose, to Delay
 To Interview, Delve, Interact, Progress
 To Entertain or Socialize
 To Reduce Fear
 To Help, Aid, Cure, Be a Friend
 To Win A Bet

68. Gift:
Content Spam

69. List of content farms and general spammy
user generated content sites:
 All Experts (allexperts.com)  Experts Exchange (experts-exchange.com)
 Answers (answers.com)  eZine Articles (ezinearticles.com)
 Answer Bag (answerbag.com)  Find Articles (findarticles.com)
 Articles Base (articlesbase.com)  FixYa (fixya.com Helium (helium.com)
 Ask (ask.com)  Hub Pages (hubpages.com)
 Associated Content (associatedcontent.com)  InfoBarrel (infobarrel.com)
 BizRate (bizrate.com)  Livestrong (livestrong.com)
 Buzle (buzzle.com)  Mahalo (mahalo.com)
 Brothersoft (brothersoft.com)  Mail Archive (mail-archive.com)
 Bytes (bytes.com)  Question Hub (questionhub.com)
 ChaCha (chacha.com)  Squidoo (squidoo.com)
 eFreedom (efreedom.com)  Suite101 (suite101.com)
 eHow (ehow.com)  Twenga (twenga.com)
 Essortment (essortment.com)  WiseGeek (wisegeek.com)
 Examiner (examiner.com)  Wonder How To (wonderhowto.com)
 Expert Village (expertvillage.com)  Yahoo! Answers (answers.yahoo.com)
 )  Xomba (xomba.com)

70. The nasty facts
about Google &
Bing and
consumer search:
SEO / SMO
Content Farms
Advertiser-driven
Geotagging
Whack-a-Mole:
Farmer
Panda
Panda Silver

72. What are your top 10-20 questions?
What is the service portfolio model
that goes with those?

73. One public library’s Top Questions
1. Health and Wellness / Community Health / Nutrition / Diet /
Recovery
2. DIY Do It Yourself Activities and Car Repair
3. Genealogy
4. Test prep (SAT, ACT, occupational tests, etc. etc.)
5. Legal Questions (including family law, divorce, adoption, etc)
6. Hobbies, Games and Gardening
7. Local History
8. Consumer reviews (Choosing a car, appliance, etc.)
9. Homework Help (grade school)
10. Technology Skills (software, hardware, web)
11. Government Programs, Services and Taxation
12. Self-help/personal development
13. Careers (jobs, counselling, etc.)
14. Readers Advisory was 14th

74. Top 12 Patron Hobbies
Recreational Reading
Cooking & Recipes
Computers
Movies & Film
Exercise, Cycling & Walking
Traveling, Tourism & Vacations
Top Hobbies?
Music
Top Homework Questions?
Pets Top Travel Destinations?
Gardening
What do you know?
Television Shows
Arts & Crafts
Knitting & Needlecrafts
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

75. Grocery Stores

77. Grocery Stores

78. Cookbooks, Chefs . . .

79. Cookbooks, Chefs . . .

80. Meals

81. 4: Tie everything to programs on a
priority basis

82. The new
bibliography and
collection
development
KNOWLEDGE
PORTALS
KNOWLEDGE,
LEARNING,
INFORMATION &
RESEARCH
COMMONS

83. RELEVANCE

84. PROGRAMS

85. Confusing
the
Customer

87. What is the Sun?
 InfoTrac
 GVRL
 GDL
 PowerSearch
 Persistent URLs
 Training Support
 Apps, Webpages &
Mobile
 Marketing Support
 Etc.

90. HOW MANY MOONS ARE THERE IN
OUR SOLAR SYSTEM?

91. 146 Moons plus 23 provisional moons
 Earth 37. Euporie 76. Tarvos 115. Mab 2. S/2003 J3
1. Earth's Moon 38. Orthosie 77. Ijiraq 116. Belinda 3. S/2003 J4
39. Sponde 78. Suttungr 117. Perdita 4. S/2003 J5
Mars 40. Kale 79. Mundilfari 118. Puck 5. S/2003 J9
2. Phobos 41. Pasithee 80. Albiorix 119. Cupid 6. S/2003 J10
3. Deimos 42. Hegemone 81. Skathi 120. Miranda 7. S/2003 J12
43. Mneme 82. Siarnaq 121. Francisco 8. S/2003 J15
Jupiter 44. Aoede 83. Thrymr 122. Ariel 9. S/2003 J16
4. Io 45. Thelxinoe 84. Narvi 123. Umbriel 10. S/2003 J18
5. Europa 46. Arche 85. Methone 124. Titania 11. S/2003 J19
6. Ganymede 47. Kallichore 86. Pallene 125. Oberon 12. S/2003 J23
7. Callisto 48. Helike 87. Polydeuces 126. Caliban 13. S/2010 J 1
8. Amalthea 49. Carpo 88. Daphnis 127. Stephano 14. S/2010 J 2
9. Himalia 50. Eukelade 89. Aegir 128. Trinculo
10. Elara 51. Cyllene 90. Bebhionn 129. Sycorax Saturn
11. Pasiphae 52. Kore 91. Bergelmir 130. Margaret 15. S/2004 S7
12. Sinope 53. Herse 92. Bestla 131. Prospero 16. S/2004 S12
13. Lysithea 93. Farbauti 132. Setebos 17. S/2004 S13
14. Carme Saturn 94. Fenrir 133. Ferdinand 18. S/2004 S17
15. Ananke 54. Mimas 95. Fornjot 19. S/2006 S1
16. Leda 55. Enceladus 96. Hati Neptune 20. S/2006 S3
17. Thebe 56. Tethys 97. Hyrrokkin 134. Triton 21. S/2007 S2
18. Adrastea 57. Dione 98. Kari 135. Nereid 22. S/2007 S3
19. Metis 58. Rhea 99. Loge 136. Naiad 23. S/2009 S1
20. Callirrhoe 59. Titan 100. Skoll 137. Thalassa
21. Themisto 60. Hyperion 101. Surtur 138. Despina
22. Megaclite 61. Iapetus 102. Greip 139. Galatea
23. Taygete 62. Erriapus 103. Jarnsaxa 140. Larissa
24. Chaldene 63. Phoebe 104. Tarqeq 141. Proteus
25. Harpalyke 64. Janus 105. Anthe 142. Halimede
26. Kalyke 65. Epimetheus 106. Aegaeon 143. Psamathe
27. Iocaste 66. Helene 144. Sao
28. Erinome 67. Telesto Uranus 145. Laomedeia
29. Isonoe 68. Calypso 107. Cordelia 146. Neso
30. Praxidike 69. Kiviuq 108. Ophelia
31. Autonoe 70. Atlas 109. Bianca
32. Thyone 71. Prometheus 110. Cressida
33. Hermippe 72. Pandora 111. Desdemona  Provisional Moons
34. Aitne 73. Pan 112. Juliet 
35. Eurydome 74. Ymir 113. Portia  Jupiter
36. Euanthe 75. Paaliaq 114. Rosalind 1. S/2003 J2

95. Driving the Knowledge Portal
alignment with User Behaviour:
Build Experiences

96. Sample Challenges
 Top Reference and Research Question Buckets
 Employment
 Homework
 Health
 Government access and forms
 …

97. How would this look?
 Top Reference and Research Questions
 Do you know them? Or do you know retail
sales numbers or circulation numbers better?
 Role of Encyclopedia
 Shelf Talkers & databases / eBooks
 Being rational about homework role for public
libraries
 Men users – we’re pretty bad at that.
 The new Senior

98. 5: Be technology Agnostic:
Adapt and Evolve

99. Mobility: Where
the Patron Is

100. Mobility

102. Fun Program Ideas
 Act Like a User Day (signs, sign up, ADD, kids, wheelchair)
 Librarian for a Day – Homework Peer Coaching
 Fraud and ID Theft Prevention
 Facebook for Teens – Study, Sharing and Social Safety
Facebook for Adults – Work, Reputation, Jobs
 Signage
 Top 20 Questions Portals Focus Groups
 eBay (Cameras, How to, Books, etc.)
 Perennial Trade / Garden Days
 Garage Band MP3 collection
 Flickr Trading Cards
 Who’s here @the library (photos, FB, tweets, recommenders, talents, etc.)
 Collections Slap Down
 Research Success for Adult Learners
 Download Faire / Digital Days – download to phones, tablets, laptops, e-readers.
 23 Things TNG

105. The Value of Libraries Soundbite
 The Value of Public Libraries
http://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/04/06/the-value-of-public-
libraries/
 The Value of School Libraries
http://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/04/06/the-value-of-school-
libraries/
 The Value of Academic and College Libraries
http://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/04/07/value-of-academic-
and-college-libraries/
 The Value of Special Libraries
http://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/04/07/value-of-special-
libraries/
 Library Advocacy: Save the Library Campaigns
http://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/04/01/save-the-library-
campaigns/
 Storytelling…

108. Libraries
Are Social
Institutions

110. Summary
 Respect the generations – learn from eachother
 End User Psychographic Centricity
 Focus on the Questions (Needs, CRM)
 Build or Buy Knowledge / Experience Portals (Meals)
 Emphasize Content Quality (not formats like books)
 Expand Social Media Programs on Information Literacy
 Advocate and Align with the Listener
 Tell Stories, Have users tell stories
 Strategic Analytics Investment – Measure Impact, ROI
and Value
 Collaborate vs. socialize or service / servant

111. News Flash
News Flash
Shift Happens

113. Librarians

114. Conan the Librarian

115. Librarians 1918

116. Librarians

117. Don’t piss them off.
Ok, sure. We’ve all got our little preconceived
notions about who librarians are and what they do.
Many people think of librarians as diminutive civil
servants, scuttling about “Sssh-ing” people and
stamping things. Well, think again buster.
Librarians have degrees. They go to graduate school
for Information Science and become masters of data
systems and human/computer interaction. Librarians
can catalog anything from an onion to a dog’s ear.
They could catalog you.
Librarians wield unfathomable power. With a flip of
the wrist they can hide your dissertation behind piles
of old Field and Stream magazines. They can find
data for your term paper that you never knew
existed. They may even point you toward new and
appropriate subject headings.
People become librarians because they know too
much. Their knowledge extends beyond mere
categories. They cannot be confined to disciplines.
Librarians are all-knowing and all-seeing. They bring
order to chaos. They bring wisdom and culture to the
masses. They preserve every aspect of human
knowledge. Librarians rule. And they will kick the
crap out of anyone who says otherwise.

120. Follow the
Amber
Road

122. Stephen Abram, MLS, FSLA
VP strategic partnerships and markets
Cengage Learning (Gale)
Cel: 416-669-4855
stephen.abram@cengage.com
Stephen’s Lighthouse Blog
http://stephenslighthouse.com
Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, Plaxo : Stephen Abram
FourSquare, Path: Stephen Abram
Twitter, Quora, Yelp, etc.: sabram
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