Abram, Stephen & Luther, Judy. Born with the Chip. LibraryJournal.com
A term to describe the people born between 1982 and 2002 is NextGens with roughly 81 million in the group. Just when I thought I was adapting to the tech world, I read about the NextGens and how they are considered to be "born with the chip" which may be part of their DNA no less. Abram and Luther discuss aspects of the next generation's behavior that make this group different than others and the major impact these will have on libraries and the services they provide.
NextGens want information NOW with a Google search and little consideration regarding the source of the information. Abram and Luther stress the importance of media literacy skills to help evaluate the content and diversity of the lists provided and to use the information in an effective manner in which they base their decisions. Librarians have to reach the NextGens "on their device of choice" whether it is IM, virtual reference, or other technologies and it needs to be accessible on the devices being used by them along with the hardware to support it.
Abram and Luther write that the amount of information in the future will double every 11 minutes. That is quite an astonishing figure which proves that libraries must keep up with new trends and be prepared to meet the needs of the next generation. Change can be difficult for some, although it can not be for a librarian that strives to match the needs of all patrons even those "born with the chip".
http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA411572.html
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3 comments:
That really was an eye opening article about the importance of communicating with young people using the technologies that are an everyday if not essential part of their lives. I have seen our library adapting to the 2.0 environment with IM a librarian, online teen book discussion groups, teen webbies helping to design the teen site, etc. Until I read this article, it just didn't hit me that I see my own kids (ages 19-25) communicate this way everyday. Sometimes you just overlook what is in front of you. Our kids juggle multiple IMs while downloading music to their IPods, as they are contacted via text messaging on their phones, while surfing the Web for homework, as they word process their assignments. I see it all the time and really didn't "humanize" the connection until I read this article. It was an "ah ha" moment for me! You choose a great article to review.
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I also liked this article... I actually read it and used it for a paper I wrote last semester on IM in the library. I agree with the sentiment that we have to hit teens where they live and breathe in order to continue to show them the relevance of library services. There is definitely a thread of manipulation in this thought process, if you will, but it's for their own benefit really. Teens are the group that most often fall out of love with the library, so if we make it "cool" to use the library and hang out at the library by using the technologies they love, perhaps we can salvage many of our future patrons, taxpayers and voters! Taking it a step further, I am a big fan of the idea of libraries as community spaces, "free bookstores", and lounges. There is nothing more exciting to me than the idea of having to chase people out of the library at night because it's so cool, they don't want to leave! For a great example of this type of evolutionary library, check out Gail Borden in Elgin- they even have fireplaces!!!
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