A Futuristic New Library in China Features Illusion of Endless Bookshelves — from booooooom.com
Five lessons for libraries looking to innovate in the 21st Century — from knightfoundation.org by Laura Sue Wilansky
Excerpt:
In June, Knight Foundation sent a cohort of U.S. librarians from institutions around the country to the Next Library Conference, an annual gathering held in Aarhus, Denmark that brings together library leaders from around the world to discuss innovative programs, services and ideas in the field. 20 U.S. librarians from 11 cities joined hundreds of colleagues who attended the conference from around the globe, from China to Kenya to the Caribbean.
The goal was to spread best practices in library innovation, while helping their capacity to meet new digital age demands. The initiative is part of Knight’s larger work to help libraries better serve 21st century information needs. We believe libraries are essential to addressing information challenges and creating opportunities for communities to engage with information, new ideas and each other. The conference was an opportunity to connect U.S. libraries in order to share practices and approaches being used to attract new patrons around the world, as well as gather insights from them that can help to further inform our strategy.
Here are some of the lessons the librarians brought home…
“We need to focus intently on making our buildings locations for experimentation, innovation, education, recreation and relaxation.”
Australian Library Design Awards 2017 — from
The Australian Library and Information Association has announced the five winners of its inaugural Library Design Awards at its conference in Melbourne.
Excerpt:
Thirty-three stunning libraries were entered in the awards and there is a winner in each category: public, school, academic and special libraries all feature in the entries.
The Australian Library Design Awards were created to showcase the best in contemporary library interiors and exteriors in Australia, and to celebrate the investment in libraries made by Australia’s institutions, corporations, local, state and territory governments.
Oculus Education Pilot Kicks Off in 90 California Libraries — from oculus.com
Excerpt:
Books, like VR, open the door to new possibilities and let us experience worlds that would otherwise be beyond reach. Today, we’re excited to bring the two together through a new partnership with the California State Library. This pilot program will place 100 Rifts and Oculus Ready PCs in 90 libraries throughout the state, letting even more people step inside VR and see themselves as part of the revolution.
“It’s pretty cool to imagine how many people will try VR for the very first time—and have that ‘wow’ moment—in their local libraries,” says Oculus Education Program Manager Cindy Ball. “We hope early access will cause many people to feel excited and empowered to move beyond just experiencing VR and open their minds to the possibility of one day joining the industry.”
Also see:
Oculus Brings Rift to 90 Libraries in California for Public Access VR — from roadtovr.com by Dominic Brennan
Excerpt:
Oculus has announced a pilot program to place 100 Rifts and Oculus Ready PCs in 90 libraries throughout the state of California, from the Oregon border down to Mexico. Detailed on the Oculus Blog, the new partnership with the California State Library hopes to highlight the educational potential of VR, as well as provide easy access to VR hardware within the heart of local communities.
“Public libraries provide safe, supportive environments that are available and welcoming to everyone,” says Oculus Education Program Manager Cindy Ball. “They help level the playing field by providing educational opportunities and access to technology that may not be readily available in the community households. Libraries share the love—at scale.”
Planning and Designing Academic Library Learning Spaces: Expert Perspectives of Architects, Librarians, and Library Consultants
This research report was based on interviews with 49 architects, librarians, and library consultants who led a total of 22 academic library projects in the U.S. and Canada.
In this shifting and complex landscape, the role of academic libraries is not fully known. For many librarians and architects who are creating physical and virtual learning spaces in libraries, the million-dollar design question remains: “Is there a model that can stand the test of time as effectively as a centralized print collection has done for hundreds of years, so that libraries remain useful to students and faculty into the future?”
300-year-old library in Dublin featuring a hall filled by 200,000 rare books — from fubiz.net
Example pictures:
From DSC:
The article below made me wonder about how beacons might be used within libraries. Some possibilities that came to my mind:
New mobile app makes using the library more intuitive and experiential — from news.cision.com
Charlotte Mecklenburg Library to pilot a mobile app for the iOS platform that includes a digital library card, easier experience getting to content, and service highlights “beamed” to users’ mobile devices as they move within branches.
Excerpt (emphasis DSC):
In March, 2016, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library will launch a new and innovative mobile application for the iOS platform, developed by Skookum and funded by an LSTA Project Access and Digitization Grant. This new app is an extension of the Library’s ongoing commitment to serving customers who are increasingly using mobile technology. It includes a pilot to assess the benefits to customers of receiving “push” notifications on their mobile devices informing them of library services as they enter and move about a library branch.
…
The new mobile app is also designed to work in conjunction with iBeacon technology in order to increase and extend the user experience while inside the library. iBeacon is the name of “indoor proximity system” technology that enables a smart phone or other device to perform actions when in close proximity to an iBeacon device. A mobile app user near one of the installed devices in a library branch can receive personalized notifications to their mobile device. As they enter and move about the branch, they’ll learn about resources, services and programs that may be beneficial to their visit. During the pilot phase, the app will integrate with devices located in three branches: Main Library, ImaginOn and Hickory Grove.
Addendums on 2/19/16: