Handheld Librarian II Online Conference (ongoing)

Today, NEKLS is hosting a ‘viewing’ of the Handheld Librarian Online conference.  We have folks here from Johnson County, Lawrence, Central Kansas Library System and the State Library.  Brenda Hough, Cindi Hickey and Heather organized this and I look forward to the ‘unconference’ bits where we will talk about using handheld devices (iPhones, kindles, iPads, blackberries, etc.) in libraries.  I like this idea of a hybrid webinar/face-to-face workshop.  We need better speakers…mumble, mumble, mumble.

OK, I missed the first part, but here’s the “My Message in One Slide” –

• Lose the Desk – Reference desk = DMV = Beetlejuice desk for the recently deceased
• Lose the Schedule
• Worldwide Crowd of Librarians – lose library boundaries, all customers are primary customers, “Rogue librarians are well-positioned to move into the mobile social search service space.”
• Level and Expand the Playing Field of Question Types – ‘Great Chain of Questioning’: Research, Ref, Ready-Ref and Directional (way academic).  Information provided, not Opinions and Advice (except when talking Reader’s Advisory?)
• KISSy-Faced Experience
  • Simple is the cousin of Quick
  • Keep it Simple for both the user and the provider
  • The onus on us: What does the user need to know in order to use the service?
• Learn from the Competition – Aardvark, ChaCha, KGB (mobile reference)
• Trouble in Paradise – How do you establish and maintain professional deportment and distance in a mobile social search service?  Reduce the distance or dump this traditional professional distance?  Are people texting reference questions out of loneliness?  This is no different than face-to-face interactions.

[Insert a trip downstairs]

Brenda’s Discussion – Show and Tell

• Mobile in Public Libraries
• Mobile Web access – WordPress plug to show just posts
• Earl brought a new Nook – you can lend a B&N book to another user for 2 weeks, then get it back to finish reading.  $259.
• E-Books – purchase 4 times a year, $5-10,000 (State Library) and build a more comprehensive collection.  Fiction circ 10:1 – mysteries and thrillers.  Only buy up to 8 copies of any single title.  About 120 participating libraries, also purchasing.  Holds ratio report, no ‘leased option’ in Overdrive, but Patti brings it up at each meeting!  Woot.
• 400 ebooks for $4,000 – $10 a title (Topeka bought).
• Buying arts and crafts books for schools and kids – use eReaders in the library.  Clear illustrations?  Some are missing (says Chris) – only on the ‘enhanced’ version.
• Heavy use of Overdrive by school libraries – loaning zooms and nooks pre-loaded with books.
• Suggestion for purchase??
• Publishers have to license the book – it’s a problem (some are only as audio, others are as e-pub)
• Audiobooks are very popular b/c iphone users can use them from Overdrive.
• Redbox movie rental near libraries to fill demand that the library can’t meet.  When the box is near the library, they get a percentage.  Service to the community!  Is this similar to libraries loaning Kindles (against the agreement?)
• iTunes and Kindle store are changing patron expectations – we want what we want when we want it…and that’s NOW!
• Joco has a Nook, Kindle and Sony eReader for playing.  Can you pre-load a device for check out?
• “The natural thing to do is load the device and check out a book, or in this case a book shelf.”  – Chris
• How is Fiction used differently than non-fiction.  NF is browsed – check out a reference collection.  Many technical manuals on one Kindle – computer books, travel books, reference.  Neat idea.
• Formal text reference?  With smart phones and unlimited texting, when will it go from informal to formal?  Facebook reference, Twitter reference – at Joco it’s the Web development teams responsibility.
• Event registration through Facebook – higher than through the Web site
• Library notification through smart phone – how are smart phones pushing innovation.
• Heather – who is looking into getting an ipad?  A devise somewhere in between a laptop and the iphone (cheaper than a laptop and desktop, but functional)  Use it for email and chat.
• Overdrive will have an app for every smart phone – never have to get on your pc.
• Reading on a smartphone – the physical nature of it.  Easier to read on the iPad than the iPhone?

Social Reference discussion – back to the presentation, I guess…

• Petsitters international has a pool of experts and translators – similar idea with reference?
• Outside the library world – when will it come to us?  Develop a base of experts who are willing to answer your questions.
• FriendFeed – Josh is already doing this because librarians tend to answer any question that is posted.  We can’t help it.  Before answering, he vetted the Web site, and then posted it.
• We need to be where the questions are asked!!!  Whatever list-serv we are on (hammer dulcimers, Wow, whatever), we answer questions and guide people to information.  Josh feels his professional reputation is on the line, too.
• Library Cloud – everyone serves everyone, everywhere
• I love this idea – put Homeworkhelp in Runescape 😉

Mobilizing Libraries for Today’s Students  – keynote by Joan Lippincott

• Net Gen – 1982-1991, grew up with computers, Digital natives, GenY, Millennials, etc.
• Born Digital, 2009 by Palfrey and Gasser – they’re a ‘population’ not a ‘generation’
• MoodJam.org – this is cool.  Visual posting of your mood.  Mine would have been rather dark recently.
• Today’s students blend academic and social life
• Today’s students are knowledge seekers and creators – Dartmouth student video project, for example
• Wow – 67% of students 9-12 maintain a personal Web site (Facebook?)  (project tomorrow – http://www.tomorrow.org)
• All students are using mobile devices – talk, chat, photo sharing – mobile and using multiple devices
• My question – how does my niece (sophomore in HS) use her new smart phone?  Does she use it for school or just socializing?  Might be too expensive at this time.
• Drowning in statistics….
• What does this mean for libraries? (ugh, more studies)
• Make info engaging, blend work and socializing, steamline info, involve students, and think about style
• Libraries level the playing field, so it’s their mission to check out equipment, including mobile devices.
• Academic libraries could get a net gen liaison to help with communication – what public libraries employ Net Gen staff and then involve them in service and program development??
• Sorry, this is not holding my attention..Koha 3.2 is much more interesting 😉
• Google library guide: books.google.com/googlebooks/midterms.html < good model.
• Conclusion:  study users, start pilot projects, ask students to develop library apps, plan, promote awareness…(missed the rest, sorry)

Breakout – Smart phones, smart objects and augmented reality with Harry E. Pence

• Smartphones – perk – computer, camera, video, GPS, compass, thousands of apps
• Augmented reality overlays a real photo with additional information generated by a computer – it’s a GPS with interesting annotations.  Take a picture, find location and overlay information – Layar from Holland
• Google Goggles with Android cell phones – take a picture and the phone will pull up the wiki page!  Cool.
• Yelp provides reviews about stores via photos – over 25 million visitors a month
• Publishers are putting 2D barcodes in books that lead to additional information, such as web addresses and video info
• Japanese magazines use this tech for advertising
• Smart objects – online material can link from site to site (I use Wikipedia this way, flowing from article to article depending on my mood) – This is a legitimate way to learn, just different from the ‘contemplation’ mode of past ages.
• Hardcopy material with PC readable 2D barcode is not as convenient, but can interact with the digital universe.  The connection of this search from ‘power searching’ creates knowledge!
• Smart objects in libraries: Bio info on the stacks, near books – staff pics – pull amazon reader reviews – RFID – connect to Novelist – read alikes – science added content – project information built into the stacks with the 2D barcodes – augment local history (cemetery records and audio memorials with a QR code on the grave stone) – museum info in your hand!

iPhone/Mobile Applications for Digital Library – Minglu Wang

• Duke University’s iPhone app is very cool.  Northwestern’s is good, too.
• International Children’s Digital Library  – access to children’s books.  Application called storykit to modify the book and then share it!  I like this
• Museum apps – Yours, Vincent by the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam (download, not Web-reliant) Value added to the app with curator audio
• Love Art: National Gallery, London – same company created this app.  Curator discussion by subject.
• Univ. of Nevada, Las Vegas Digital Library Mobile Prototype – historical photos with ways to add content!
• Features of these examples:  Content (images, ebooks, audios and videos) :: keyword and location search functions :: added value ‘Insights’ (added by expert or user) :: Users’ contributions through tagging, commenting, sharing and creating – turn it into a social network
• Web App or Native (non-Web) App?  Web apps more promising, maybe synch the Web app with a native app?
• She needs to slow down so we can understand what she is saying…
• Project process – greek to me (CONTENTdm API Document, API generates RSS feed, Axure RP develops a mockup, use Dashcode to develop the Web app and use PhoneGap to convert the Web App to a Native App)
• Tools :: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, UI frameworks for iPhone apps and PhoneGap (more Greek)
• Books – one by Jonathan Stark other by Elisabeth Robson