We (the Ferals) have been having discussions on what we think Libraries will be like in 20 years and have bounced from the “AIM” (Automatic Information Machine, you know, like a money teller, but dispensing information instead.) to Information Centres where people can gather to talk and share information as well as learn. Books it seems will be precious objects and we all will have a hand held link which will connect to the information service of our choice. The discussion then came back to the AIM and whether it should be an Authoritative AIM (AAIM) and how to ensure, no one having control of this, or the type of information you receive, do you pay or is it free....all very deep.
A major theme is the ‘service’ part of information. Do we instantly gratify to help the client get what they need or do we teach to enable them to learn how to get more. (You know the old “give someone a fish and he eats for a day, teach him how to fish and he will eat forever....or something like that.) Increasingly we are faced with clients that want the piece of information they want and nothing else. Is teaching them how to search a database wasted time on our part? As soon as they have the info they need they get up and leave, and when they return ask how to find a particular piece of information again. Will they even come in when we have our new future or will they just download information straight to the screen, wrist link or brain?
We know that Libraries will be ‘different’, Knowledge centres, Information hubs, AAIM’s, we just hope we can adjust to the changes.
Speaking of books being precious objects, I just don’t see myself snuggling up with a personal electronic book (shiny screen and all), it just won’t be the same. I suppose with the “Ways of Seeing” (John Berger (Author) newer generations won’t have a problem with this, as they won’t have had books.
From the Book Studio Blog August 2nd 2006
“If books had been invented after the computer, they would have been considered a big breakthrough. Books have several hundred simultaneous paper-thin, flexible displays. They boot instantly. They run on very low power at a very low cost.”
Prof. Joseph M. Jacobson, MIT Media Lab, quoted in the N. Y. Times, Apr 8, 1988, page B2.
(And might I add, they don't crash or need power!
And don't get me wrong, I want a wrist link...:-)
Other things;
This weeks: Conversations with Jesus......
They cloned me you know. (That’s why no one knows who I am!)
The colours green, red and white, the Italians stole them from the Egyptians.
My name means Jesus Christ, look at this.........
Do you want to see my birth mark?
The police don’t believe me about the colours, they keep putting me away.
But I got out....
I am a 7th son of a 7th son, and I should have had my 7th in the year 2000, but I didn’t know. If I had known I would have....
Oh well, the stats on the photocopier have gone up, and we don’t think he is dangerous....
Thats all for now, Feraltb.
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