This is an unordered list of “top tech trends” from Library Land. Season to taste:
* Full-text data/information is increasingly available. Now this presents real opportunities (as well as challenges) for libraries. To what degree is surrogate description necessary when full-text indexing an option.
* Increasingly libraries are thinking about repurposing existing staff. “I know things are changing. What can I do to remain relevant?” Just asking the question says you are going in the right direction.
* iPhones & friends are coming in a bigger way, and user’s expectations will change accordingly. As a profession we enjoy words, and I wonder how we will provide services to such devices when we are unable to be verbose.
* Library catalogs are a hot topic. Even though I have been a bit more outspoken about catalogs than most people, I wonder whether or not this is something our patrons/users really care about. Hmmm…
* There is an increasing amount of vendor consolidation going on. It is too bad the library community is so small, otherwise the government would get involved. I think there needs to be greater amount of choice. The same thing goes for scholarly publishers. There is some value in competition.
* Ubiquitous networking. While the ‘Net is not everywhere all the time, it is getting closer. How will 100% all-the-time access to the Internet change the way we do business?
* XML is not a hot topic, but trend-wise I think increasing numbers of people will begin to see the advantages of it. It is so much more flexible than that “other” data structure.
* Yes, AJAX is all the rage, but how accessible are those interfaces to people with various physical disabilities? It is very difficult to serve two masters.
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Eric Lease Morgan
January 16, 2007