How libraries can survive in the new media ecosystem

Lee Rainie – Director Pew Internet ProjectHELIN Library Consortium Bryant UniversityJanuary 14, 2009

January 14, 2009 2Libraries in the new information order

January 14, 2009 3Libraries in the new information order

"If you plopped a library down. . .30 years from now. . .there would be cobwebs growing

everywhere because people would look at it and wouldn't think of it as a legitimate institution

because it would be so far behind. . ."-- Experienced library user

1996 Benton Foundation report: “Buildings, books, and bytes”

January 14, 2009 4Libraries in the new information order

“Many Americans would just as soon turn their local libraries into museums and recruit retirees

to staff them.”

1996 Benton Foundation report: “Buildings, books, and bytes”

New information ecosystem: Then and Now

Industrial Age

Info was:

Scarce

Expensive

Institutionally oriented

Designed for consumption

Information Age

Info is:

Abundant

Cheap

Personally oriented

Designed for participation

2000

46% of adults use internet

5% with broadband at home

50% own a cell phone

0% connect to internet wirelessly

<10% use “cloud”

= slow, stationary connections built around

my computer

2008

74% of adults use internet

58% with broadband at home

82% own a cell phone

62% connect to internet wirelessly

>53% use “cloud”

= fast, mobile connections built around outside servers

and storage

The internet is the asteroid: Then and now

Ecosystem change – 1

Volume of information grows

January 14, 2009 8Libraries in the new information order

… and the “long tail” becomes more important

-- Chris Anderson

Tra

ffic

Content

20%-40% of traffic or salesin the “long tail”

Amazon, Rhapsody/iTunes, Netflix

January 14, 2009 9Libraries in the new information order

Ecosystem change – 2

Variety of information and sources of information grow

January 14, 2009 11Libraries in the new information order

… and people have more options for their passions-- Markus Prior

January 14, 2009 12Libraries in the new information order

The internet rises in a fragmented media environment(% of all Americans who “regularly” go to news source: PRC People/Press)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008

Local TV

Natl TV news

Cable news

Newspapers

Radio

Online News +1,850%

-25%

-52%

+18%

-41%

-27%

January 14, 2009 13Libraries in the new information order

Internet and broadband adoption 1995-2008

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

Mar

-95

Mar

-96

Mar

-97

Mar

-98

Mar

-99

Mar

-00

Mar

-01

Mar

-02

Mar

-03

Mar

-04

Mar

-05

Mar

-06

Mar

-07

Mar

-08

% A

meri

can

ad

ult

s

Go Online Broadband at home

Internet users

Broadband at home

Ecosystem change – 3

Velocity of information increases and smart mobs emerge

-- Howard Rheingold

Ecosystem change – 4

Venues of intersecting with information and people multiply and the availability of information expands to all hours of the day and all places we are

-- Nielsen Company

Ecosystem change – 5

People’s vigilance for information changes in two directions:

1) attention is truncated (Linda Stone)

2) attention is elongated (Andrew Keen; Terry Fisher)

January 14, 2009 17Libraries in the new information orderKaiser Family Foundation, Media Multitasking Among American Youth, December 2006

January 14, 2009 18Libraries in the new information order

Kaiser Family Foundation, Media Multitasking Among American Youth, December 2006

Ecosystem change – 6

The vibrance and immersive qualities of media environments makes them more compelling places to hang out and interact

-- Metaverse Roadmap Project

1) Virtual Worlds

Ecosystem change – 6

The vibrance and immersive qualities of media environments makes them more compelling places to hang out and interact

-- Metaverse Roadmap Project

2) Mirror Worlds

Ecosystem change – 6

The vibrance and immersive qualities of media environments makes them more compelling places to hang out and interact

-- Metaverse Roadmap Project

3) Augmented Reality

Ecosystem change – 6

The vibrance and immersive qualities of media environments makes them more compelling places to hang out and interact

-- Metaverse Roadmap Project

4) Life-logging

Ecosystem change – 7

Valence (relevance) of information improves – search and customization get better as we create the “Daily Me” and “Daily Us” – Nicholas Negroponte

Ecosystem change – 8

The voice of information democratizes and the visibility of new creators is enhanced. Identity and privacy change.

-- William Dutton

Ecosystem change – 9

Voting on and ventilating about information proliferates as tagging, rating, and commenting occurs and collective intelligence asserts itself

-- Henry JenkinsDavid Weinberger

January 14, 2009 26Libraries in the new information order

37% of young adult internet users have rated a person, product, or service online

---

32% of all adults have done so

Information sharing and evaluation

Ecosystem change – 10

Social networks become more vivid and meaningful. That changes the structure of friendship and the basic norms of human encounters. “Networked individualism” takes hold.

-- Barry Wellman

January 14, 2009 28Libraries in the new information order

Action item

Be findable.

Be available – timelines are fading.

January 14, 2009 29Libraries in the new information order

Action item

Think of yourself as a news node for information and interaction.

---

Prepare for the “big bang” moment.

January 14, 2009 30Libraries in the new information order

Action item

Think of yourself as a social network node for people looking for

“friendsters”

---

The internet is “personified” in some people’s lives and you can provide

information and social support in the same ways social networks can

January 14, 2009 31Libraries in the new information order

Action item

Think of yourself as an information hub -- an aggregator and a linker to others who have

useful, interesting material ---

Links are the currency of the internet, partnerships/affiliate relations are the norm.

That’s how you build social capital.

January 14, 2009 32Libraries in the new information order

Action item

Experiment with Web 2.0 applications – blogs, wikis, tagging, reputation/rating,

widgets, and social networking

---

Watch your usage data and the psychographics of users. Solicit feedback and show you are listening to responses

January 14, 2009 33Libraries in the new information order

Action item

Offer your good offices to help people master new literacies

-- MacArthur Foundation “Digital Learning” project

Library blogger Pam Berger

January 14, 2009 34Libraries in the new information order

Graphic literacy

Thinking visually and mastering the “language of the screen” and visual representation of information

New literacies

January 14, 2009 35Libraries in the new information order

Navigation literacy

Learning to maneuver through a non-linear, hypertext environment that can be disorganized

New literacies

January 14, 2009 36Libraries in the new information order

Context literacy

Seeing the connections among pieces of data and information in a hypermedia environment

New literacies

January 14, 2009 37Libraries in the new information order

Focus literacy

Practicing reflection and deep thinking – and enjoying leisure and daydreaming

New literacies

January 14, 2009 38Libraries in the new information order

Skepticism literacy

Learning to evaluate information and how to assess its accuracy and sourcing

New literacies

January 14, 2009 39Libraries in the new information order

Ethical literacy

Understanding the rules of cyberspace, living responsibly, and helping set civil norms

New literacies

January 14, 2009 40Libraries in the new information order

Personal literacy

Understanding your digital identity and digital footprints; managing your privacy and self presentation

New literacies

January 14, 2009 41Libraries in the new information order

Thank you!

Lee Rainie

Director

Pew Internet & American Life Project

1615 L Street NW

Suite 700

Washington, DC 20036

Lrainie@pewinternet.org

202-419-4500