On the surface, a conversation about the physical spaces within libraries might not seem relevant in:re technology in libraries, but there’s a trend I’ve noticed — not only in my own library, but in other libraries I’ve visited in recent months: user-supplied tech in library landscapes. Over the course of the last decade, we’ve seen a steady rise in the use of portable personal computing devices. In their Evolution of Technology survey results, Pew Research Center reports that 51% of Americans own a tablet, and 77% own smartphones. Library patrons seem to be doing less browsing and more computing, and user-supplied technology has become ubiquitous — smartphones, and tablets, and notebooks, oh my! Part of the reason for this BYO tech surge may be explained by a triangulation of high demand for the library’s public computer stations, decreased cost of personal devices, and the rise of telecommuting and freelance gig-work in…
The Space Age: Library as Location
