So what do you think? Anyone in MCLS want to test my theory?

Patty

By 2014, automobiles will be among the top three fastest growing connected-device platforms for Internet-based content.

What implications does this have for libraries? What kinds of applications should we be building now to address this future state? How about a voice activated catalog search and download capability? Picture this – you’re driving along and hear about a new book on the radio and decide you want to read it tonight. Using your car’s voice activated internet connection, you hook up to the library catalog, search the title and choose to download the ebook wirelessly to your iPad. Bing. It’s there when you get home.

Or maybe you’re on a trip and decide you want to listen to an audio book. Through the same process, you connect to your library, select a recorded book and have it downloaded to your car and read over the radio.

How else could car connectivity be applied?

Patty

First of all, it’s awesome that this patron has taken the time to create a video describing a library service as part of his “I Love Topeka” video series.

Secondly, that’s a pretty darn cool service. A reservable Redbox! We should have one!



Patty

http://mannahattathegame.com/

It’s a location-based game that maps Manhattan’s ecosystem to a learning game. We had talked at one time about the possibility of a Facebook game for libraries, but I like this better. Take a look at the videos, and also the presentation and the game design document. There are lots of ways we could adapt this to Rochester/Monroe County/Libraries and I bet it would be a big hit. I wonder if we could get a grant to do this.

Pat

• Same thing being done in London, but in downtown Rochester and throughout Monroe County. I see the library creating tours and then adding the overlays using pictures from Rochester Images, or digital texts. Wouldn’t it be amazing to do a version of Many Roads To Freedom using this app? The tour would send people to the locations mapped out in the pathfinder, and then overlays could be the images associated with each site. And why not accompany the whole thing with audio?
• Could this app be used to provide audio or static text reviews of library materials? Or perhaps be used for reference interactions?

What else can you think of? And more importantly, who can do this?

Patty

So, I asked the same type of question of our own MCLS Emerging Technology Committee. Here’s one answer.

“A patron of any age and any background uses a tablet device which
functions as a web surfer, email client, audio/video player, ebook reader,
video/still digital camera, GPS, word processor and spreadsheet machine,
plays video games and is customizable to add various apps (some free, some
at cost) to meet the various and changing needs of users.

Data access is available through wi-fi or the successor to 3GS which provides download speeds of 54 mbps minimum. The Monroe County Library System has a free app which allows library patrons to quickly search the library catalog, place holds and check their accounts. Downloadable audio books, ebooks, music and videos are available and playable on the tablets, which handle a variety of formats and can universally play all popular audio, video and data file formats (whether MCLS, iTunes, Amazon, B&N, etc.). These players use the successor to the current SD card and so can store large amounts of data (20 gb minimum). These cards can be easily swapped between tablets to share information and files or file swap is an option within all tablet functions as all tablets have a non-wired file transfer option which utilizes the successor to 3GS. The tablets are backlit, have color screens, external speakers, headphone and mic jacks, a retractable cover which folds into the hard shell case and a touch screen which is difficult to scratch. The tablet has 4 USB drives and 2 SD card slots. Each tablet has a serial # etched on the case and embedded in the OS which can identify the tablet and aide if it is stolen. This # is findable via GPS as well. Many aftermarket products exist for these tablets and so customers can swap tablet skins at will and change their tablets to reflect their moods and causes (people buy and wear all kinds of rubber cause bracelets, so why not)? The tablet costs $199 and monthly fees for data access are available from major vendors such as Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, etc. but have been frozen at $19/month due to price wars worldwide (the tablets support most international languages and so are popular around the world).

The OS is a descendant of Ubuntu Linux and can cheaply and easily handle the above tasks. Since Linux is free and developed by zealous programmers who as a community ensure functionality, security and availability, it is a great option for hardware manufacturers who are tired of playing the  Apple/Microsoft game which has led to higher prices, buggier software and
file format differences which have been costly and frustrating to customers
and vendors. Goodbye to all that. 

Since these tablets are so popular, affordable, prevalent, and easy to use, MCLS finds it easy to provide content to patrons in various formats, all of which work on the tablet. Ebooks, audio music, videos, articles from databases, and images are all compatible on the tablet. MCLS has an easy to
use catalog which showcases all of its content (regardless of format). It is
colorful and fast with well designed intuitive menus and advanced keyword
searching. It also allows RSS feeds, patron profiles to be saved by library
card # (which are customizable with avatars, colors, backgrounds, etc. and
which house personlization options for wishlists). The library is mobile friendly and its web presence reflects that, highlighting a small set of the
most common patron requests rather than the dense page of options available on the non-mobile website.

Because the library offers so much, has an easy to use website which easily highlights and makes available this content, the library continues to be a popular destination for patrons of all ages and economic backgrounds.
Content continues to be expertly chosen and offered and continues to be free to borrow for patrons, a huge advantage in a shifting economy. The library also maintains a strong local presence in that its employees live and work in the local community and can thus support and advocate MCLS and its services. MCLS develops strong consortial relationships with regional
systems and thus benefits from connections with a wider group of employees and access to a wider range of materials.”

Sound pretty “out there?” Maybe not. What do *you* predict?

Cross-posted at Mouth2Ear.

Here’s his blog post about it: http://www.crowdsourcing.com/cs/2010/03/one-book-one-twitter-.html and you can check back for updates and book selection here: http://www.crowdsourcing.com/cs/ or follow the progress on Twitter using the one book, one twitter hashmark: #1b1t

This looks like fun. Once he chooses the book and kicks off the reading, I think it would be very cool if we try to get some Rochester people participating, and maybe have some “offline” events to tie in with it.

In fact, why not have twitter book discussions of our own? Participating in #1b1t would be fun, but there’s no reason why we couldn’t do a #rocbooks as well.

Pat

Check out http://GoWalla.com which revolves around finding virtual objects in the real world. I’m betting Pat Rapp will dig this. How can the library pounce on this? Can we play the game and add virtual objects within our facilities?

Also look at FourSquare – http://foursquare.com/ - can we create an atmosphere where people habitually check in from our libraries?