We’re barely treading water, what will keep us from drowning?

Start with this, I did

Now think about this – How do libraries fit into this picture? As far as I can tell the technologies we’re struggling to adapt to and implement might very well be outdated by the time we’re ready to start using them.  That’s not good. Right now technologies are running by and we’re still crawling to keep up.  What does it mean? Maybe we can’t keep up, maybe we should stop focusing our energy there, at least temporarily.  Let’s face it we’ve been talking about the next gen OPAC for how many years?  Would our time be better spent elsewhere?  Maybe we need to look at changing our organizational structure and mindset first.  Then we’ll be better equipped to keep pace.  Perhaps becoming more fluid and ready to adapt much more rapidly to change as it happens?     Because right now I see two problems

1. The level of online service and interactions patrons  take for granted is not being met by libraries.  Not even the most cutting edge, front line, tech savvy ones.  
2. The technologies and trends the most cutting edge, front line, tech savvy libraries are preparing may not longer be relevant by the time they implement them or become obsolete soon there after.

We’re barely treading water here people and I don’t think another blog post about how your library can use Twitter or an article about website usability is going to keep us from downing.  We’ve got to change, and I mean really change.  

More Reading:

• The Beginning of the New Normal
• Inherit the Wind
• Libraries might not provide content in the future & its okay