generation now! instant gratification in the academic library
TRANSCRIPT
Generation Now!Instant Gratification in the Academic Library
I just find it a bit upsetting that I can’t come in and have someone answer my question straight away. If I knew I had to speak to someone on the phone I may as well have just stayed at home.
Law student at UWA (2008)
Instantaneous access to information, goods, and services 24/7 has virtually led to the death of distance and patience, and the emergence of a generation expecting, wanting, and demanding instant gratification.
Jukes and Dosaj (2004)
...students have become accustomed to multimedia environments: figuring things out for themselves without consulting manuals; working in groups; and multitasking. These qualities differ from those found in traditional library environments, which, by and large, are text-based, require learning the system from experts (librarians), were constructed for individual use, and assume that work progresses in a logical, linear fashion.
Lippincott (2005)
• Libraries DON’T have a captive audience
• As information providers we must compete with our online counterparts
• This means thinking about who our client is and finding a way to appeal to their demands for INSTANT GRATIFICATION
Call to action
Whilst the pundits might claim that the future is technology, I say the future is customer service. So can service and technology co-exist? You bet!
Kym Illman, WA Entrepreneur of the Year
Social bookmarking
• PennTags - Members of the Penn Community can collect and maintain URLs, links to journal articles, and records in catalogue though this social bookmarking site.
• Once these resources are compiled, users can organise them by assigning tags (free-text keywords) and/or by grouping them into projects, according to their specific preferences.
• http://tags.library.upenn.edu/help/what_is_penntags
FindIt on GoogleScholar
• Google works with libraries to determine which journals and papers they've subscribed to electronically, and then links to articles from those sources when they're available.
• Users simply indicate what library they are a member of, then Google Scholar keep an eye out for that library's subscription materials and provide special links to them in the search results.
• http://scholar.google.com.au/scholar_preferences
Web portals
• A one-stop client-oriented web site that personalises the portal's tools and information to the specific needs and characteristics of the person visiting the site, using information from university databases.
• http://myuw.washington.edu
Social networking
• Social networking sites focus on building online communities of people who share interests and activities. They provide a variety of ways for users to interact, such as e-mail and instant messages.
• Popular examples include MySpace and Facebook
