The New Information Ecology: Transforming Libraries in the Digital Age

1. THE NEW INFORMATION ECOLOGYLee RainieDirector – Pew Internet ProjectColorado Library AssociationDenver11.20.09

2. 1996 Benton Foundation report: “Buildings, books, and bytes” "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.

3. 1996 Benton Foundation report: “Buildings, books, and bytes” “Many Americans would just as soon turn their local libraries into museums and recruit retirees to staff them.”

4. New information ecosystem: Thenand Now Industrial Age Info was: Scarce Expensive Institutionally oriented Designed for consumption Information Age Info is: Abundant Cheap Personally oriented Designed for participation

5. The internet is the asteroid: Thenand now 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 2009 77-79% of adults use internet 63% with broadband at home 85% own a cell phone 54-56% connect to internet wirelessly >two-thirds use “cloud” = fast, mobile connections built around outside servers and storage

6. Media ecology – then (industrial age) Product Route to homeDisplayLocal storage TV stations phone TV Cassette/ 8-track broadcast TV radio broadcast radio stereo Vinyl album News mail Advertising newspaper delivery phone paper Radio Stations non-electronic Tom Wolzien, Sanford C. Bernstein & Co

7. 37% of adults own DVRs – up from 3% in 2002 Media ecology – now (information age) 47% of adults own laptops – up from 30% in 2006 Product Route to homeDisplayLocal storage cable TiVo (PVR) VCR TV stations DSL TV Satellite radio player Info wireless/phone radio DVD “Daily me” broadcast TV PC Web-based storage content books iPod /MP3 server/ TiVo (PVR) Cable Nets broadcast radio stereo PC Web sites satellite monitor web storage/servers Local news mail headphones CD/CD-ROM Content from express delivery pager satellite player cell phone memory individuals iPod / storage portable gamer MP3 player / iPod Peer-to-peer subcarriers / WIFI cell phone pagers - PDAs Advertising newspaper delivery non-electronic cable box Radio stations camcorder/camera PDA/Palm game console game console paper Satellite radio e-reader / Kindle storage sticks/disks e-reader/Kindle 37% of adults own game consoles 18% of adults own personal gaming devices 45% of adults own MP3 players – up from 11% in 2005 Adapted from Tom Wolzien, Sanford C. Bernstein & Co

8. Media ecology – now (information age) Product Route to homeDisplayLocal storage cable TiVo (PVR) VCR TV stations DSL TV Satellite radio player Info wireless/phone radio DVD “Daily me” broadcast TV PC Web-based storage content books iPod /MP3 server/ TiVo (PVR) Cable Nets broadcast radio stereo PC Web sites satellite monitor web storage/servers Local news mail headphones CD/CD-ROM Content from express delivery pager satellite player cell phone memory individuals iPod / storage portable gamer MP3 player / iPod Peer-to-peer subcarriers / WIFI cell phone pagers - PDAs Advertising newspaper delivery non-electronic cable box Radio stations camcorder/camera PDA/Palm game console game console paper Satellite radio e-reader / Kindle storage sticks/disks e-reader/Kindle … and this all affects social networks1) their composition2) the way people use them3) their importance4) the way librarians can play a part in them Adapted from Tom Wolzien, Sanford C. Bernstein & Co

9. The turn from groups to social networks = a new social operating system Behold the idea of networked individualismBarry Wellman – University of Toronto

10. Big societal forces pushing us toward networked individualism • Affluence and affordable technology • Expanding consumer options • Income, wealth, job volatility • Rise of free agency and freelancing • Changes in family composition, roles, responsibilities • Trends towards management of retirement and health care • Rise of DIY politics and religion

11. Why good social networks (and social networking) matter • Healthier • Wealthier • Happier • More civically engaged = better communities

12. 10 ways digital technology has changed things for your patrons and their networking behavior

13. Network ecosystem change – 1 Volume of information grows -- Chris Anderson Hal Varian

14. Network ecosystem change – 2 Variety of information and sources of information grow

15. Network ecosystem change – 3 Velocity of information increases and smart mobs emerge -- Howard Rheingold Clay Shirky

16. Network ecosystem change – 4 Venues of intersecting with information andpeople multiply and the availabilityof information expands to all hours of the day and all places we are -- Nielsen Company

17. Network 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)

18. Network ecosystem change – 6 1) Virtual Worlds The vibrance and immersive qualities of media environments makes them more compelling places to hang out and interact -- Metaverse Roadmap Project

19. Network ecosystem change – 6 2) Mirror Worlds The vibrance and immersive qualities of media environments makes them more compelling places to hang out and interact -- Metaverse Roadmap Project

20. Network ecosystem change – 6 3) Augmented Reality The vibrance and immersive qualities of media environments makes them more compelling places to hang out and interact -- Metaverse Roadmap Project

21. Network ecosystem change – 6 4) Life-logging -- Gordon Bell The vibrance and immersive qualities of media environments makes them more compelling places to hang out and interact -- Metaverse Roadmap Project

22. Network ecosystem change – 7 Valence (relevance) of information improves – search and customization get better as we create the “Daily Me” and “Daily Us” – Nicholas Negroponte

23. Network ecosystem change – 8 The voice of information democratizes and the visibility of new creators is enhanced. Identity and privacy change. -- William Dutton

24. Network ecosystem change – 9 Voting on and ventilating about information proliferates as tagging, rating, and commenting occurs and collective intelligenceasserts itself -- Henry Jenkins David Weinberger

25. Information sharing and evaluation 31% of adult internet users have rated a person, product, or service online

26. Network ecosystem change – 10 Social networks become more vivid and meaningful. Media-making is part of social networking. “Networked individualism” takes hold. -- Barry Wellman

27. Content creation >68% of online teens have created their own profile on a social network site ---- 47% of online adults have such profiles

28. Content creation 33% of college students keep blogs and regularly post 54% read blogs ---- 11% of online adults have a blog 36% read them

29. Content creation 15% of online adults say they remix content they find online into their own artistic creations

30. Networked Individuals … have a different … • Sense of information availability – it’s ambient • Sense of time – it’s oriented around “continuous partial attention” • Sense of community and connection – it’s about “absent presence” • Sense of the rewards and challenges of networking for social, economic, political, and cultural purposes – new layers and new audiences

31. Technology has helped people change their networks • Bigger • Looser • More segmented • More layered • Facilitate greater freedom • Require more work • More important as sources of support, filters, curators, audience

32. The ways libraries can become nodes in people’s social networks

33. 8 tips on how to be a node in a social network • Think like a friend • Remember your strengths and play to them by being an expert, a filter, and a recommender (linker) • Be aware that your audience is bigger than the available evidence provides – lurkers and future arrivals are part of the mix • Look for opportunities to provide support to users and chances to build communities with your material

34. 8 tips on how to be a node in a social network • Help people cope with technology • Participate in the Web 2.0 world • Embrace the move towards mobility, constant connectivity, perpetual contact • This changes the realities of time and space and presence • Ask for help/feedback

35. A new pattern of communication and influence built around social networks and participatory media The four-step flow of information • attention • acquisition • assessment • action

36. How do you…. • get his/her attention? • leverage your traditional services • offer alerts, updates, feeds • be available in relevant places • find pathways through his/her social network

37. How do you…. • help him/her acquire information? • be findable in a “long tail” world • pursue new distribution methods • offer “link love” for selfish reasons • participate in the conversation about your work

38. How do you…. • help him/her assess information? • be transparent, link-friendly, and archive everything • aggregate the best related work • when you make mistakes, seek forgiveness

39. How do you…. • assist him/her act on information? • offer opportunities for feedback • offer opportunities for remixing • offer opportunities for community building • be open to the wisdom of crowds

40. Thank you! Lee Rainie Director Pew Internet & American Life Project 1615 L Street NW Suite 700 Washington, DC 20036 Email: Lrainie@pewinternet.org Twitter: http://twitter.com/lrainie 202-419-4500