Sh! No cell phones in the library! That's what we say now, but for how much longer? In these digital and quick response times we live in, cell phones do a lot more than make the traditional phone call. The capabilities are endless, from texting to surfing the web to responding to emails. How cool is that to do from the palm of one's hand? Could we have envisioned this future on our own? If library patrons are on the move with their devices then libraries will have to find a way to keep pace.
This is he era of communication and technology. Nothing stays the same it seems for even a month, let alone a year. New versions of Blackberry and iPhones seem to come out just when everyone has just gotten over the excitement of the latest version. Mobile devices have changed the information highway into the information speedway. DSL is no longer fast enough, people want their information, whether it's for business or pleasure, faster. Don't look now, but there are mobile devices that have the capabilities of an iPad, iPhone and laptop all rolled into one. What will libraries say to these devices? No you can not use them in OUR library. Instead of saying that, place a sign outside the library stating: "While the rest of the world enjoys living in the 21st Century, we prefer living in the dark ages." If libraries want to be relevant, essential and in the game it's time toss out cell phone rules. Librarians rev up your engines, the race is about to start.
Once libraries have embraced mobile devices of all types, the next step will be to discover ways of offering new services to patrons on the move. A starting point could be as simple as an App to allow access to the library's catalog. This is a huge time saver for someone who is constantly on the go and does not have the time to stop at a library to see if a certain book is available. Not only that, if the library has services such as Overdrive, the desired piece of information could be downloaded straight to their device. Is this a bad thing that the person has not even stepped into the library to retrieve information? Not at all. Giving patrons what they want and in a timely manner, is enough
of an incentive to draw them in on a lazy Saturday or Sunday.
Another step in providing mobile service is using SMS, Short messaging Services, which allows the libraries to communicate to patrons where ever they may wander. These messages could alert patrons that a book is ready for pickup, program registration confirmation or change in the library's hours. Taking it a step further, these messages may also allow reference librarians to answer questions quickly. Recently, a patron left a message on the library's voice mail asking what was the magnitude of the earthquake in Japan. Knowing that he would not be home when the library might be returning his call, he instructed for the information to be emailed to him. This began the process of What ifs in this librarian's mind? What if libraries could provide a link on their website for FAQ about current events? What if libraries used SMS or RSS to inform patrons of latest news development that affect everyone locally and nationally. What if there were an SMS Reference desk dedicated to providing quick answers for the mobile patron? The possibilities are endless!
Finally, librarians are in the people and information business. Perhaps the reason why many librarians try to buck the technology trends is because of the fear of losing the connection with the patrons. There is only one way to squash those fears: Embrace technology. Offering mobile services will not mean the end of the librarian/patron relationship. It's actually the beginning of a beautiful friendship. The once "evil" cell phones who dared to distract the silence of hallowed libraries are now offering a unique opportunity to gain, if not keep, patron loyalty. Let's face it, loyal and devoted patrons are not only desired but needed for the survival of libraries.
Showing posts with label cell phones. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cell phones. Show all posts
Friday, March 25, 2011
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Teens, Technology and KISS (Not the Rock Band)
Simple minds, simple pleasures. That is the theory that has explained many situations in my career. it seems that the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) rule does apply in just about everywhere I look. Except one area of working in the library: Teens. Need I say more? Don't get me wrong, I love working with the teens. They are a fascinating group that views the world in ways I would have never dreamed. In other words, they keep me young. Except, when it comes to technology. I'm not a dinosaur by any stretch of the imagination. I'm hip. I can use an iPod or iPad. Cell phone with texting, yeah it's fun but I like human voices. I tweet, blog and catch up with friends on Facebook. Email, is so yesterday! So why does KISS rule not apply with teens? They take technology and multitasking to a whole new level.
On any given Saturday, when most teens come into the library to do homework, it is an amazing site to see how things get done in the realm we call Teens. A snapshot of what I typically see is this: teen sitting at table with homework. Between the books and laptops is the cell phone. Mighty important because it is ready to receive the next important text from friends. In the ears are earbuds attached to the MP3 player of choice. When walking pass the table, a glimpse at the laptop reveals that three screens are open, one for Facebook, one for their email account and finally Google page for quick searches. I get exhausted just thinking about doing all these tasks. Yet, there they are reading, texting, listening, updating, and researching all in a single bound. My concern: With so much distraction while they are working, how are they analyzing information? Are they absorbing the information or are they going through the motion of completing homework without thought to what they are learning?
This is a question that all educators, librarians and parents should be asking themselves. It is after all our duty to ensure that teens will be ready for the challenges they will face in the future. Our challenge is how to teach teens to KISS without sounding like we are technophobic. I'd like to suggest that the first step begins with teaching them the art of communication. Now, I know that teens can communicate with their friends quite well, but let's face it when they get into the workforce they will have to know how to communicate with people of all ages. In a world of abbreviated words such as ttyl, btw or lol, there seems to be little time to have a meaningful conversation. Challenge your teens at home or in the library to join you for chat time at least once a week. Make it an appointed time and place where they know they are welcome to drop in anytime. The stipulation to joining this chat: no cell phone allowed. Once you've got their attention, let the conversation flow naturally, allowing them to talk about their world. What could be a more interesting topic to them?
Once teens begin to learn the art of communicating the next step of keeping it simple stupid should be easy to take. Honing their concentration skills. Teens often tell me they concentrate just fine even with a million other things going on around them. My response has been that I am glad they feel that way because the next time they need major surgery (knock on wood that does not happen anytime soon) I hope that they are okay with the surgeon receiving sending texts during the operation. Better yet, listening to hard rock music, singing along, catching up on the Tigers baseball game via Google and updating his FB status with "Hey, dude just closing up the guy I'm working on. I hope I didn't forget to take out the appendix. lol" . Yes. I get the look that tells me I'm nuts. They don't tell me that directly, but they will say, "Mrs.Nowc that will never happen." Maybe, but wouldn't you want to have your surgeons' full attention? Shouldn't your homework get your full attention? The reality is, they don't want to admit I'm right. To prove the point about concentration, challenge teens to complete two simple puzzles. Both 48 piece puzzle that is easy enough for a 5 year old and they will be timed to compare how "quickly" they complete each puzzle. The first puzzle must be done with all the distractions they like, including texting, ipods, anything goes in this game. The second puzzle should be done without any distractions at all. No phones, no ipods, nothing. The objective here is to prove how much quicker things get done when teens are concentrating on one task.
Most importantly when teaching teens the KISS rule, it's wonderful that they have the ability to do everything at once. However, remember that its not only important to find information, its equally important to be able to understand, use it and apply it in the right way. it is one of my greatest fears concerning teens and their use of the internet. The can understand how to find information, but what to do with it or how to evaluate it is another story all together. In essence, they are skipping over the most important part of research. As educators, if we allow this to happen we are sabotaging the teens' future. We are sabotaging our future. Teens must be given the knowledge on how to properly use and apply the tools given to them. The Internet made research a wee bit easier and made this generation a wee bit lazier. Using KISS should make it easier to teach teens on the awesome capabilities of technology and using it wisely.
On any given Saturday, when most teens come into the library to do homework, it is an amazing site to see how things get done in the realm we call Teens. A snapshot of what I typically see is this: teen sitting at table with homework. Between the books and laptops is the cell phone. Mighty important because it is ready to receive the next important text from friends. In the ears are earbuds attached to the MP3 player of choice. When walking pass the table, a glimpse at the laptop reveals that three screens are open, one for Facebook, one for their email account and finally Google page for quick searches. I get exhausted just thinking about doing all these tasks. Yet, there they are reading, texting, listening, updating, and researching all in a single bound. My concern: With so much distraction while they are working, how are they analyzing information? Are they absorbing the information or are they going through the motion of completing homework without thought to what they are learning?
This is a question that all educators, librarians and parents should be asking themselves. It is after all our duty to ensure that teens will be ready for the challenges they will face in the future. Our challenge is how to teach teens to KISS without sounding like we are technophobic. I'd like to suggest that the first step begins with teaching them the art of communication. Now, I know that teens can communicate with their friends quite well, but let's face it when they get into the workforce they will have to know how to communicate with people of all ages. In a world of abbreviated words such as ttyl, btw or lol, there seems to be little time to have a meaningful conversation. Challenge your teens at home or in the library to join you for chat time at least once a week. Make it an appointed time and place where they know they are welcome to drop in anytime. The stipulation to joining this chat: no cell phone allowed. Once you've got their attention, let the conversation flow naturally, allowing them to talk about their world. What could be a more interesting topic to them?
Once teens begin to learn the art of communicating the next step of keeping it simple stupid should be easy to take. Honing their concentration skills. Teens often tell me they concentrate just fine even with a million other things going on around them. My response has been that I am glad they feel that way because the next time they need major surgery (knock on wood that does not happen anytime soon) I hope that they are okay with the surgeon receiving sending texts during the operation. Better yet, listening to hard rock music, singing along, catching up on the Tigers baseball game via Google and updating his FB status with "Hey, dude just closing up the guy I'm working on. I hope I didn't forget to take out the appendix. lol" . Yes. I get the look that tells me I'm nuts. They don't tell me that directly, but they will say, "Mrs.Nowc that will never happen." Maybe, but wouldn't you want to have your surgeons' full attention? Shouldn't your homework get your full attention? The reality is, they don't want to admit I'm right. To prove the point about concentration, challenge teens to complete two simple puzzles. Both 48 piece puzzle that is easy enough for a 5 year old and they will be timed to compare how "quickly" they complete each puzzle. The first puzzle must be done with all the distractions they like, including texting, ipods, anything goes in this game. The second puzzle should be done without any distractions at all. No phones, no ipods, nothing. The objective here is to prove how much quicker things get done when teens are concentrating on one task.
Most importantly when teaching teens the KISS rule, it's wonderful that they have the ability to do everything at once. However, remember that its not only important to find information, its equally important to be able to understand, use it and apply it in the right way. it is one of my greatest fears concerning teens and their use of the internet. The can understand how to find information, but what to do with it or how to evaluate it is another story all together. In essence, they are skipping over the most important part of research. As educators, if we allow this to happen we are sabotaging the teens' future. We are sabotaging our future. Teens must be given the knowledge on how to properly use and apply the tools given to them. The Internet made research a wee bit easier and made this generation a wee bit lazier. Using KISS should make it easier to teach teens on the awesome capabilities of technology and using it wisely.
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