Post on 23-Jan-2015
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Top Library Strategies for Success in the 21st Century (not 1999)
Stephen Abram, MLSIndiana Library Federation
Fort Wayne, INNov. 14, 2011These slides are available at Stephen’s Lighthouse blog
Avoid the Climate of Poverty
Money is not the key.
Strategic Choice
Are there too many choices?Will disagreements about thefuture freeze the process?
OCCUPY
Is there still life in libraries in a web world?
Yes, but . . .
Change: Are libraries Future Ready?
News Flash
News Flash
Shift Happens
7 Gifts to Libraries, Publishers & Booksellers
1. The book isn’t dead or dying. It is evolving.2. Our users/customers are improving.3. Technology is going social and can support social
acts.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
Can You Stand Out in a Crowd?
Questions for Libraries & Publishers Today:1. Are our priorities right?2. Are learning, research, discovery changing
materially and what is actually changing?3. Books. Meh.4. What is the role of information and
recreational reading in the real future (that is not an extension of the past)?
5. Are we for the 21st Century world that will be or the 20th Century one that was?
What Are Libraries Really For?
• Community• Learning• Discovery• Progress• Research (Applied and Theoretical)• Cultural & Knowledge Custody / Conservation• Economic Impact
Challenge 1
Books
FictionNonFictionReading
Why do people read?
Why do people read?1. To learn2. 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 person4. To be entertained and laugh, to engage and interact5. To address boredom and the inexorable progress of time6. To research and keep up-to-date7. To participate well in civil society (everything from news to voting)8. To be informed (and maybe smarter)9. To understand others (individually and culturally)10. To escape our day-to-day lives11. To stimulate the imagination and be inspired or spiritual12. To write and communicate better through reading others13. To teach14. To have something to talk about15. To connect with like-minded people
Challenge 2
DVD/CDROM
Challenge 3
Positioning
SmellyYellowLiquid
OrSex
Appeal?
Challenge 4
Schools
Challenge 5
Distance Ed
Challenge 6
Search
Content Spam
List of content farms and general spammy user generated content sites:
All Experts (allexperts.com) Answers (answers.com) Answer Bag (answerbag.com) Articles Base (articlesbase.com) Ask (ask.com) Associated Content (associatedcontent.com) BizRate (bizrate.com) Buzle (buzzle.com) Brothersoft (brothersoft.com) Bytes (bytes.com) ChaCha (chacha.com) eFreedom (efreedom.com) eHow (ehow.com) Essortment (essortment.com) Examiner (examiner.com) Expert Village (expertvillage.com) )
Experts Exchange (experts-exchange.com) eZine Articles (ezinearticles.com) Find Articles (findarticles.com) FixYa (fixya.com Helium (helium.com) Hub Pages (hubpages.com) InfoBarrel (infobarrel.com) Livestrong (livestrong.com) Mahalo (mahalo.com) Mail Archive (mail-archive.com) Question Hub (questionhub.com) Squidoo (squidoo.com) Suite101 (suite101.com) Twenga (twenga.com) WiseGeek (wisegeek.com) Wonder How To (wonderhowto.com) Yahoo! Answers (answers.yahoo.com) Xomba (xomba.com)
Challenge 7
Experiences
The Baker’s Dozen: LVA Top 13
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
The new bibliography and
collection development
KNOWLEDGE PORTALS
KNOWLEDGE,LEARNING,
INFORMATION &RESEARCHCOMMONS
Challenge 8
Literacy
Trans-Literacy: Move beyond reading & PC skills Reading literacy Numeracy Critical literacy Social literacy Computer literacy Web literacy Content literacy Written literacy
News literacy Technology literacy Information literacy Media literacy Adaptive literacy Research literacy Academic literacy Reputation, Etc.
Challenge 9
Economy
Challenge 11
Questions
The Evolution
of Answers
Sensemaking: Too much choice
Grocery Stores
Grocery Stores
Grocery Stores
Cookbooks, Chefs . . .
Cookbooks, Chefs . . .
Meals
Why do people ask questions?
What are your top 10-20 questions?What is the service portfolio model
that goes with those?
The power of libraries
Challenge 12
Mobile
Mobility: Where the Patron Is
Challenge 13
Creativity
Challenge 14
Staff
Take back the Strategy: Rebalanc
e
Challenge 15
Energy
The Essential Definitions
Advocacy is Different
Public Relations is getting your libraries message across – This is who we are and what we do, where and for whom.
Marketing is understanding your customer and how to best deliver services and products
Advocacy is marketing an ISSUE. Support and awareness are built incrementally. Advocacy is an agenda and not an event!
Ask Yourself . . .
How do libraries differ as an issue?From the listeners point of view and
experience.
Selling IdeasYou are engaging in an INFLUENCE agenda.
Selling is not a dirty word!Politics is not a dirty word!
Essentials for Advocacy
Someone who needs to care Courage Trustworthy Passion Belief Proofs Stories and Knowledge Respect for whom you need to influence Understanding beyond caricature (e.g. Politicians,
the “Boss”, Teens, Seniors, The “Public”, Vendors...)
Ummm, It’s real easy! Talk to
me about something I am
interested in, where I am,
that meets my needs and
goals.
Speak Up!
Libraries Are Social
Institutions
The Virtual Handout
The Value of Public Librarieshttp://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/04/06/the-value-of-public-libraries/
The Value of School Librarieshttp://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/04/06/the-value-of-school-libraries/
The Value of Academic and College Librarieshttp://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/04/07/value-of-academic-and-college-libraries/
The Value of Special Librarieshttp://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/04/07/value-of-special-libraries/
Library Advocacy: Save the Library Campaignshttp://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/04/01/save-the-library-campaigns/
Learn to tell a story for
influence and not just
Information and
entertainment
Stephen Abram, MLS, FSLAVP strategic partnerships and markets
Cengage Learning (Gale)Cel: 416-669-4855
stephen.abram@cengage.comStephen’s Lighthouse Blog
http://stephenslighthouse.comFacebook or Google+: Stephen Abram
LinkedIn / Plaxo: Stephen AbramTwitter: sabram
SlideShare: StephenAbram1