7. Keynote Address: What To Do With the Time That Is Given Us, given by Kenning Arlitsch from University of Utah
- As we are well aware, library services are in a state of flux. Economic pressures are mounting, and educational organizations are feeling the impact. In addition to financial considerations, library services that were once acceptable are no longer meeting the needs of library users. The shift from print to technological advances (including remote access and online education) is forcing libraries to focus less on the local collection and more on shared digital collections. Redesigning spaces (and librarian attitudes) to facilitate group work (both in person and online) is important, but what do we do with the print assets and other physical collections as they (or their format) becomes irrelevant (particularly special collections)? The move to digitize special collections not only makes a "back-up" copy, but also makes the information found within the item more easily shared and accessible to library users. One concern over digitization is the long-term preservation of the digital data (and how it adapts to upgrades in technology). Another concern, and this is regarding any information, is that data can be overwhelming. Making it understandable and usable through linking and data visualization is key. The question Arlitsch left us with was: what is your response to adversity? It is easy to stay in your comfort zone, particularly if technology is not your strong suit. But, as a public servant, it is your responsibility to adapt to the changing needs of those you serve. That may mean examining and completely redesigning the way you approach information services.
- Resources mentioned throughout:
- Planet Money, NPR
- The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine, Michael Lewis
- Disrupting College: How Disruptive Innovation Can Deliver Quality and Affordability to Postsecondary Education, Clayton Christensen
- Libraries are Screwed, Eli Neiburger
- Espresso Book Machine
- DataViz.org
- VisualEconomics.com
- Gapminder
- Kaggle
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