630: ASSIGNMENT 1INTERVIEW: TECHNOLOGY AT CHARLOTTE MECKLENBURG LIBRARY

Ciara Meeks

Frank Blair• Director of Technology and Operations

at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library•  Manages information technology, real

estate, and capital projects• Oversees long-range planning and

strategic research• Has over a decade of experience with

library services and technology at the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library

• Gets his tech news from ALA, PLA resources, tech blogs, and mainstream newsmedia

Charlotte Mecklenburg Library (CML)• 20 library branches in

Mecklenburg County provide checkouts, meeting spaces, classes, computer access, and programming

• Maintains a physical collection of 1,070,164 items and a digital collection of 12,000 items (audio, video and E-books)

• About 1,200 public access computers system-wide

Technology at CML• Main website http

://www.cmlibrary.org/• Other library sites include:• Bizlink Online Business

Resources http://www.cmlibrary.org/bizlink/

• Library Loft http://www.ibraryLoft.org

• And others, plus a mobile catalog• Aquabrowser discovery layer for

OPAC• Online resources and digital

content by third-party sources• Heavy social media presence

Trends in library technology

• The changing nature and mission of public libraries

• Virtual vs. physical spaces• Print and digital borrowing• Remote and mobile access

The public library of the future

What user activities will define the ongoing mission of public libraries?

• Low-cost meeting space• Internet access • Print books• Physical media formats• Digital downloads• Reference

“Bricks vs. Clicks”• Physical spaces vs. virtual spaces• The library inhabits both worlds:• Physical

• Meeting spaces • Face-to-face reference help• Programs, classes, job help• Print resources

• Virtual• Downloadable and streaming media• Online reference help• Databases

Didn’t work out too great for these guys

Remote and mobile access

• Increased use of library resources from outside the building• Online resources• Library website• Downloadable content• All available from home and on mobile devices

Print and digital borrowing

• Print circulation is bolstered by media checkouts (CDs, DVDs)

• EBook and audiobook downloads counted separately from traditional checkouts

• Appropriateness of print or digital depends on feasibility

• Pricing models for digital content need to catch up with demand

Future developments• Mobile devices: How can libraries take advantage of

users’ access to smartphones?

• High-end devices vs. lower-end devices: How will socioeconomic status affect how users experience information technology?

• Marketing the library’s tech resources