4 Posts on the Future of Libraries

In a case of serendipity, recently I've come across a number of articles/blog posts exploring ways to innovate and design better library services. They contain some interesting, thought provoking ideas.

The themes of each of these articles have their germination in other industries. I believe that libraries benefit greatly from looking outside our own field for new ideas to help us move libraries forward into the future.

So, if you would like some reading that may challenge your thinking about libraries, you might like to check these out.

Libraries as software – dematerialising, platforms and returning to first principles on the It's Not About the Books blog

Think Like A Startup: a white paper to inspire library entrepreneurialism
by Brian Mathews

Convenience Trumps Quality? Blame Joe Thompson over at Designing Better Libraries.

And finally, a post simply titled Convenience by Peter Bromberg at Curious Kind.

The links in these articles are really good reading too. Lot's to explore, enjoy!

Photo Credit: Creating the Future for Libraries blank book by The Shifted Librarian on Flickr.

Slam the Boards in April

On the same day each month Librarians around the globe stretch their reference skills by going online and searching out questions to answer from the various answer boards which are out there - they Slam the Boards.

Not only do they display amazing research skills but they continually point the people asking the question back to their local library and the array of resources they will find there - for free. As a professional development exercise, it's fun and rewarding to stretch your skills in answering questions in a completely online environment.

The next slam will be held April 10th. But you can slam earlier or later if you wish.

Go ahead, challenge yourself and Slam the Boards! You know you want to!
(and don't forget to comment below with how you went)