Presentation to 4th mlibraries conference 26/09/2012, Milton Keynes.

1. Making sure to remember what we
already know – ensuring e-reading
innovation works
Anne Hewling
mlibraries conference 2012

2. (Lucy, 2012)
About
(Apple, 2012)
(The Guardian online, 2012)
(The Telegraph online, 2008)

3. Some book-related theory:
Processes:
• physical
• mental
Socially constructed ideas: reader, reading, read
• the person
• the activity
• the material

4. ‘e’ version theory - 1
Summarised:
• The person – is not us/me
• The activity is not about
principle, policy, curriculum design or
collection management
• The material is not (necessarily) what we/I
would choose

5. ‘e’ version theory - 2
So, the person:
We are the converted
We are the articulate and informed
We have the tools and the skills
To us it is obvious
We have felt the fear and dealt with it
(somehow)

6. ‘e’ version theory - 3
The activity:
We have the overview
We have the tools. And the options
We have choice

7. ‘e’ version theory - 4
The material:
We have the bigger picture
We have more choice and options
We have assumptions and expectations

8. Innovation?
• Change Context
• New
• Different and
• Alternative
• Radical Culture
• Other…

9. #Kindle – Ken Banks, 2012
• So, what makes the Kindle so special?
• It’s light, relatively rugged, and mobile
• Ten days reading time on one charge
• One month ‘standby’ time between charges
• Solar panel cover option removes the need for mains charging
• Built-in dictionary and thesaurus
• Display can be read in bright sunlight
• Internal storage for up to 200 books
• No need for the Internet once books are loaded
• Text-to-speech for illiterate/semi-literate users
• Costs continue to come down
• Remote delivery of books and materials (local wi-fi permitting)

10. Location, location, location…

11. Synch or swim?

13. Language matters

14. “Push and pull”
[Look at] … how important information gets around already.
Football results, fashions, new music get around very fast.
When Michael Jackson died it seemed everyone knew it in a
few hours even in remote parts of Chad. The World Cup result
will be known instantly everywhere. … When looking beyond
technology at the flow of information like this what can we
learn? It is a system which works by itself. driven by demand.
Similarly, when we work in HIV and reproductive health there
is always the question of why cigarettes, Omo, beer and Coca
Cola are found everywhere but NGOs feel a need to distribute
condoms. The need to push indicates that there is not a
natural pull.
( Barry Sesnan, personal communication, with thanks
to ‘Education for nomads’)

15. from Hack Education

16. Reminder
‘The mobile phone in Africa does something that
the OLPC will never do, it integrates itself into the
rhythm of life in Africa. Its use flows with the
pace of life: it augments ones life experience
when it needs to; it plays rescuer when the need
arises, it creates incomes where none were
possible previously; it makes the world smaller
where previously distances were vast. Most
importantly, it educates everyone.’
(Project Diaspora, 2010)

17. Resources
• http://www.hackeducation.com/2012/04/09/t
he-failure-of-olpc/
• https://twitter.com/tmsruge/status/15349751
4300026880/photo/1
• http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_2
1574190/google-uses-text-messaging-break-
into-burgeoning-nigerian
• http://www.kiwanja.net/blog/2012/01/

18. Contacts
annehewling@googlemail.com
a.hewling@open.ac.uk
Skype: anne_hewling
Twitter: @methel