One of my first presentations about "information shifting" and how things were about to change. Future iterations incorporated more about the "heavenly jukebox" and ubiquitous wireless services. See more at http://theshiftedlibrarian.pbwiki.com.

1. INFORMATION SHIFTING
Friday, February 23, 2001
Jenny Levine
levinej@sls.lib.il.us
http://www.sls.lib.il.us/infotech/presentations/shifting/

2. Jenny’s Theory of Library Relevancy
Generation Y is the first generation that has
been “information shifted” from birth and
expects it.
Time-shifting = 1984 court term for recording shows
on VCRs and watching want you want when you want
Space-shifting = 1999 court term for making digital
music files portable on MP3 players
The Library is not portable.
The Library will have to become portable.
We’re getting there.

3. The Immovable Library
How was the Library portable before 1998?
Telephone (landlines only; limited services available)
Homebound service (seniors only)
Booktalks (only librarian-selected titles)
Bookmobiles (ditto, maybe some different formats)
Fax (maybe)

4. The More Portable Library
How is the Library portable in 2001?
E-mail
Web site
Remote databases for access from home or anywhere
else
Internet-accessible catalogs

5. The Even More Portable Library
What else can we do?
Chat
Wireless access (cell phones, pagers, PDAs)
MP3s
PDA channels
Webcams & videoconferencing
Distance education (e.g., LibraryU)
Common denominator is the digital format.

6. Technologies You May Already
Know About
E-books
Wireless (cell phones/pagers)
PDAs
MP3s

7. The Next Level of Technologies
Audio e-books
http://www.audible.com/
E-ink
http://www.eink.com/
http://www.parc.xerox.com/dhl/projects/gyricon/
Bluetooth
Heavenly Jukebox
Napster
MP4

8. The Fun Part -- The Toys
MP3 players
Wireless Web
PDAs (Palms vs. PocketPCs)
Cybiko
FRS (Family Radio Service)
Chat
Instant Messenger
ICQ
PVRs (Personal Video Recorders)
ReplayTV
Tivo

9. Tomorrow’s Toys
GPS (Global Positioning System)
Pervasive Internet, pervasive computing
Bluetooth devices
All-in-one devices
Information will come
to you, not the other
way around.

10. Everyone Loves Portability
“[In 2000], more cell phones were sold
than computers, televisions, PDAs and
pagers combined…. It has even been
predicted that by 2004 more people will
connect to the Web via cell phone than
by computer.”
-- Time Digital, January/February 2001

11. Other Countries Are More
Portable than the U.S.
34% of the U.S. population uses mobile
phones;
50% of the population of western Europe
uses mobile phones;
50% of the population of Japan uses
mobile phones (more than land-lines!);
71% of the population of Finland uses
mobile phones!
-- Scientific American, October 2000

12. Portable Examples Elsewhere
Download new characters to their phones
each day
Get pictures of the “10 most wanted” criminals
on your phone
Get your child’s school schedule on
your phone
Pay for vending machines & parking
meters
Play “Street Fighter III” on their phones
“Handy Dandy” from the Industry Standard

13. Generation Y Will Be Able to...
PAN themselves
Personal Area Networks
Use wireless and geographic positioning to
get customized information
Use E-ink and GPS for continuously-changing
maps
Get new music or movies via their cell
phone
Play any game on their Java-enabled
wireless devices

14. Generation Y Can Already...
Locate each other and/or chat
Mobile Young Friends Online Network (MYFON)
-- http://www.wapthis.com/
Interact with their cars and clothing (wearable
audio)

15. See For Yourself!
Philips vision of wireless --
http://www.semiconductors.philips.com/3g
/index_flash.html?mp3

16. Important Problems to Solve
How do we interact with our patrons
when wireless access is more
important than physical ownership?
How do we make sure we are
prepared to serve Generation Y in
their world?
Answer: Become portable.

17. Some Things You Can Do Now
There is no certification for “gadgets”, so be
willing to play.
Do email and do it efficiently, including mailing
lists
Learn how to chat. On both ends.
Register your library’s name in ICQ, IM, etc. just
in case.
Learn about the Digital Millennium Copyright Act
(DCMA), keep informed, and be prepared to
write letters.

18. Some Things You Can Do Now
Come to the SLS Tech Summits.
Maintain a teen advisory group, teen friends
group, whatever to get feedback from them.
Talk to your vendors. Prioritize remote database
access and Web-based catalog enhancements.

19. Any Questions?