19th Jan 2008
People creatively using devices they already own
I’m not one to dismiss the usefulness and market potential of the Kindel. However, I don’t think it’s a book panacea… libraries and consumers have been down the digital book reader path before, a few times, actually. Perhaps now the digital gadget climate is just right for people to go for a Kindel, or a Sony Reader, or something like that. But I really see it as somewhat of a niche market, like school kids who would no longer need to carry around 50+lbs of books, or crazy avid readers who don’t use any other technology in their lives and don’t want to pack 10 books for vacation.
Here’s what I’ve been thinking: instead of a specialized gadget, go with the gadgets that people already own. What I’ve seen with friends who have recently acquired shiny gadgetry is that they’re looking for the most comprehensive pocket toy humanly possible: phone, web, calendar, music, notes, emails, news, books, you name it, in a 3″x5″ or smaller package. I see potential for library innovation here somehow, by offering services that download to mobile phones, the same way we should really be implementing notifications and reference in happy mobile phone-friendly formats in areas where the service would be viable (good coverage for multiple carriers, multiple patron audiences showing interest, that sorta thing).
Even just promoting free services like LibriVox, Podiobooks (also great for self-published audiobooks), and myriad ebook download services shows that we’re recognizing the needs of this community, and making the effort to direct them to free services, much like we would in our brick-and-mortar libraries. I’m planning on teaching a class on Podiobooks in a few months — since a recent survey of patrons about classes showed there was interest in such a service — so I’ll let you know how it goes. If you’re already doing something, anything, with these services, as individuals or in your libraries, I’d love to hear about it.
Anticipating the next step ahead (I’m guessing this is already happening in the US), as we as librarians should be doing, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see more creative writing on cell phones. It’s happening in Japan, and it’s a very cool. I know that I’m writing and publishing blog posts from my Blackberry (you can even install the WordPress Mobile Edition plugin to access your blog through a much friendlier mobile interface), are people in your community doing it? Do you think they would? Have you asked? Are you doing it?
I’m not one to dismiss the usefulness and market potential of the Kindel. However, I don’t think it’s a book panacea… libraries and consumers have been down the digital book reader path before, a few times, actually. Perhaps now the digital gadget climate is just right for people to go for a Kindel, or a Sony Reader, or something like that. But I really see it as somewhat of a niche market, like school kids who would no longer need to carry around 50+lbs of books, or crazy avid readers who don’t use any other technology in their lives and don’t want to pack 10 books for vacation.
Here’s what I’ve been thinking: instead of a specialized gadget, go with the gadgets that people already own. What I’ve seen with friends who have recently acquired shiny gadgetry is that they’re looking for the most comprehensive pocket toy humanly possible: phone, web, calendar, music, notes, emails, news, books, you name it, in a 3″x5″ or smaller package. I see potential for library innovation here somehow, by offering services that download to mobile phones, the same way we should really be implementing notifications and reference in happy mobile phone-friendly formats in areas where the service would be viable (good coverage for multiple carriers, multiple patron audiences showing interest, that sorta thing).
Even just promoting free services like LibriVox, Podiobooks (also great for self-published audiobooks), and myriad ebook download services shows that we’re recognizing the needs of this community, and making the effort to direct them to free services, much like we would in our brick-and-mortar libraries. I’m planning on teaching a class on Podiobooks in a few months — since a recent survey of patrons about classes showed there was interest in such a service — so I’ll let you know how it goes. If you’re already doing something, anything, with these services, as individuals or in your libraries, I’d love to hear about it.
Anticipating the next step ahead (I’m guessing this is already happening in the US), as we as librarians should be doing, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see more creative writing on cell phones. It’s happening in Japan, and it’s a very cool. I know that I’m writing and publishing blog posts from my Blackberry (you can even install the WordPress Mobile Edition plugin to access your blog through a much friendlier mobile interface), are people in your community doing it? Do you think they would? Have you asked? Are you doing it?
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