9. So, what’s Pop!Tech you ask? At first I didn’t know what to tell folks when they
asked this so, I bumbled around and said something about brilliant people
speaking about their brilliant contributions to the world in about 15 minutes.
20. To preserve or
not to preserve?
To answer that question, “what does Pop!Tech have to do with libraries,” and to
connect the Pop!Tech message of, “a world rebalancing” with the Maryland library
world I was seeing through my window, I’ve chosen to focus on one speaker who, for
me, illustrated the incredible possibilities of sitting down the idea of preserving and
choosing instead to adopt a mindset of redefining.
This is the message I feel will rejuvenate Maryland libraries right now.
21. My Arguments Against
preserving libraries:
1. Is keeping us in denial of the fact that everything comes to an end.
Remember, we’re balancing here.
22. My Arguments Against
preserving libraries:
2. Is forgetting that some of the most poignant lessons learned come
from harm and mistakes. We need to welcome these lessons, not
avoid them.
24. My Arguments Against
preserving libraries:
4. Is all about control and ownership. Of what? Buildings, services,
people? The “idea” of what a library is and does and should be?
26. Naturally, I changed my mind about library preserves and instead I’ve chosen
to focus on the following speaker based on his position in a situation that he
could have chosen to preserve – in one form or another –but instead he chose
a different path.
29. Bernard Lietaer
http://poptech.org/popcasts/bernard_lietaer_money_diversity
“
[complementary
currencies]…are
available to do
very, very, very
important things. i.e.
meet the challenges of
”
the 21st Century.
46. Julie Zamostny
http://www.westmdlib.info/
How can MExLs be spent?
THIS
METER
ONLY By buying premium parking
ACCEPTS
at spaces with specialized
meters designed to only
accept the MExL …
EX LIBRIS! Why couldn’t this be reality?
47. What Libraries If?
Libraries
Museums Schools
Maryland
Local Biz Parks
48. Julie Zamostny
http://www.westmdlib.info/
I ask you, which view of Maryland library preserves is tastier to you? The one where we
look pretty and can fit nicely onto a shelf but one where we can’t be fully experienced or
the one where we’re messy and sweet and sticky and spread all over some pound cake –
one where we can be enjoyed by all 5 senses?
OR
49. And that’s what I learned at Pop!Tech.
http://poptech.org/2011
Notas do Editor
Introduce yourself: Preface with, “journey through pre-poptech, poptech, and post-poptech.”Do energizer exercise. Ask 3 volunteers to share their fortune with the group.
This was me. Before I went to PopTech last October. There I was. With my thinking cap on gazing out on the world of MD libraries – and it wasn’t even a very clear view at that – look, it’s all blurry – nor was it a very big view – it was very limited. But what I started to see, from my non-administrator point of view, was this …
People working hard to produce this…
All natural Maryland library preserves.
And to show evidence that I wasn’t entirely off base, I did very thorough research on the topic and was unsurprisingly overwhelmed by the results.
So, just as I was about to take a big bite out of the library preserves to have a taste for myself …
Along came DLDS with their generous grant that allowed me to attend PopTech2011 in Camden, Maine.
Now I could assume that everyone here is already familiar with PopTech but the trainer in me says, “make no assumptions and ensure common ground.” So, first and foremost, what is poptech? I actually struggled with this prior to attending the event. Friends and family and colleauges would ask, “what’s poptech?” And having not yet attended, I didn’t know what to say…so, instead I bumbled my way around some incomplete description involving brilliant people speaking about their brilliant contributions to the world in 15 min or less. Like who?
Like photographers, like NASA scientists, like 13 year old middle school students, like Egyptian revolutionaries …
And then, after I gave that answer, my friends and family would inevitably ask, “so, why are YOU going?”
“Is a librarian going to be speaking?”
“What does THIS have to do with libraries?”
In an attempt to answer that very question – what does poptech have to do with libraries – and in an attempt to make the connection between the PopTech 2011 message of a world rebalancing with the maryland library world I was seeing through my small, blurry window –– I’ve chosen to focus on one speaker whose presentation – and message – illustrated for me the incredible possibilities of sitting down this idea of preservation and instead, adopting a mindset of redefining – and it’s this message of redefining that I feel could truly help rejuvenate Maryland libraries right now.
But first, I want to explain why I think we should rethink / reexamine / reconsider this notion of preserving libraries. This notion of “preserve” is keeping us in denial of the fact that everything comes to an end. Remember, we’re balancing here.This notion of “preserve” is forgetting that some of the most poignant lessons learned come from harm and mistakes. If we arent able or willing to accept experience of harm or mistake then how will we learn?This notion of “preserve” is merely catering to the status quo …. Not going above and beyond. Improving.This notion of “preserve” is all about control and ownership. Ownership of what? A building? Services? People? The “idea” of what a library is and does and should be? This notion of “preserve” is like embalming. They won’t decay but they won’t grow either. They won’t do anything.
But first, I want to explain why I think we should rethink / reexamine / reconsider this notion of preserving libraries. This notion of “preserve” is keeping us in denial of the fact that everything comes to an end. Remember, we’re balancing here.This notion of “preserve” is forgetting that some of the most poignant lessons learned come from harm and mistakes. If we arent able or willing to accept experience of harm or mistake then how will we learn?This notion of “preserve” is merely catering to the status quo …. Not going above and beyond. Improving.This notion of “preserve” is all about control and ownership. Ownership of what? A building? Services? People? The “idea” of what a library is and does and should be? This notion of “preserve” is like embalming. They won’t decay but they won’t grow either. They won’t do anything.
But first, I want to explain why I think we should rethink / reexamine / reconsider this notion of preserving libraries. This notion of “preserve” is keeping us in denial of the fact that everything comes to an end. Remember, we’re balancing here.This notion of “preserve” is forgetting that some of the most poignant lessons learned come from harm and mistakes. If we arent able or willing to accept experience of harm or mistake then how will we learn?This notion of “preserve” is merely catering to the status quo …. Not going above and beyond. Improving.This notion of “preserve” is all about control and ownership. Ownership of what? A building? Services? People? The “idea” of what a library is and does and should be? This notion of “preserve” is like embalming. They won’t decay but they won’t grow either. They won’t do anything.
But first, I want to explain why I think we should rethink / reexamine / reconsider this notion of preserving libraries. This notion of “preserve” is keeping us in denial of the fact that everything comes to an end. Remember, we’re balancing here.This notion of “preserve” is forgetting that some of the most poignant lessons learned come from harm and mistakes. If we arent able or willing to accept experience of harm or mistake then how will we learn?This notion of “preserve” is merely catering to the status quo …. Not going above and beyond. Improving.This notion of “preserve” is all about control and ownership. Ownership of what? A building? Services? People? The “idea” of what a library is and does and should be? This notion of “preserve” is like embalming. They won’t decay but they won’t grow either. They won’t do anything.
But first, I want to explain why I think we should rethink / reexamine / reconsider this notion of preserving libraries. This notion of “preserve” is keeping us in denial of the fact that everything comes to an end. Remember, we’re balancing here.This notion of “preserve” is forgetting that some of the most poignant lessons learned come from harm and mistakes. If we arent able or willing to accept experience of harm or mistake then how will we learn?This notion of “preserve” is merely catering to the status quo …. Not going above and beyond. Improving.This notion of “preserve” is all about control and ownership. Ownership of what? A building? Services? People? The “idea” of what a library is and does and should be? This notion of “preserve” is like embalming. They won’t decay but they won’t grow either. They won’t do anything.
After looking at Preserve more closely and in the context of our libraries, I no longer wanted to bite into that. And so, I’ve chosen to focus on the following speaker based on his position in a situation that he could have chosen to preserve – in one form or another –but instead he chose a different path.
I’d like to introduce you to Bernard Lietear – author of The Future of Money and an international expert in the design and implementation of currency systems. His main thesis is this …
The problem is this: monetary preservation.“We’ve moved out of the industrial age but we keep using industrial age monetary concepts – the idea of a single currency.”
The solution is complementary currencies like the C3s in south america, the wir in switzerland.“[complementary currencies]…are available to do very, very, very important things. i.e. meet the challenges of the 21st Century.” challenges like poverty, unemployment, and community strife.
In order to realize the solution of complementary currencies, he simply redefines what money is….He just redefined money – on his own – he didn’t ask permission – he didn’t form a committee – he just did it. What if we did that for libraries – just keep that thought in the back of your mind. . .
It’s unstable because it’s unbalanced. Provides evidence of such instability … banking crashes, monetary collapses, sovereign debt crises.… “systemic problem is assumed to be just something that happens … in development.” another example of preserving an unhealthy assumption.
But how do we know complimentary currencies work? Example: WIR in Switzerland. A complimentary currency created 75 years ago by 17 business owners. With it they created private sector jobs and as a result the WIR has been scientifically linked to the economic stability in Switzerland. www.wir-bank.ch
14:15 cue end at 16:10
Connection with libraries: stop preserving and start redefining what our libraries are; what we are as librarians.
So, one big idea i got from poptech was that maryland libs need to create our own currency.We already have the community we just need to agree to adopt a complimentary currency and then decide what that currency is going to be and how it’s going to be used.
There ya go – the Marylib Ex Libris (MExL)
How could ExLibris be earned? By the usual modes of volunteering - Processing materialsShelving materialsTeaching workshopsDonating materials – books, ereaders, etc.Each act of kindness could be worth a different amount of ex libris depending on the library system.Ex Libris could be given out spontaneously – when a library staff member sees a patron doing something to benefit another.
Or better yet, earn ex libris by advocating for libraries!
Pay your fines in libris.
Buy extra days of loan time.
Buy an extra hour of computer time.
Buy a coffee at the library café.
Buy a better parking spot.
And after a while, once the ex libris grows in value to the community members, there’s a chance it might be accepted in other community areas as well. It could take over Visa’s slogan as being accepted everywhere you want to be.
So now, in conclusion, I’d like you to ask yourselves: which view of Maryland libraries is tastier to you? The one where we look pretty and fit nicely onto a shelf but not fully experienced or the one where we’re messy and sweet and sticky and spread all over everything?And that’s what I learned at PopTech.