Program Review
Great Gadgets in Libraries-Keeping up with current technology

Presentation by Hope Tillman, Director of Libraries, Babson College, October 27, 2005 at College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA; Review by Jill Coghlan, j7coghlan@yahoo.com.

Hope introduced the program by profiling how ubiquitous gadgets are in an environment where change is the constant. She noted that libraries have always been pro-active in providing content to users. However, the gadgets we may have viewed as toys are being tested to access content, news, blogs and course material, challenging librarians to stay current with new learning and information capture modes. Hope is also concerned that content be securely distributed.

Hope also described a mental adjustment in the usage of gadgets, as they frequently blur work and personal time. For example, podcasting delivers access to materials you can’t personally attend, making more efficient use of time. The balance of her presentation was divided into thee topics: (1) gadgets and their important features; (2) how librarians support and use gadgets; and (3) trends to watch on the “gadget front.”

1. Wikipedia defines a gadget as “a device that has a specific purpose and function.”  With typical prices between $100-200, gadgets are generally affordable and young people may insist on owning several of them. Hope presented an impressive catalog of gadgets from pocket PCs and PDAs, to cameras and audio playback, to digital pens that capture hand-drawn images and eventually e-paper. 

Electronic games are an important component of the new gadget presence. Educators are recognizing that game thinking can help students be more effective learners. Librarians need to come up to speed and manage the technology they require.

2.  Librarians are supporting and using gadgets in diverse ways, such as professional development, marketing, and instruction. For example, Babson College produces podcasts to market their library staff to users. Others deploy blogs to answer reference questions and wikis to host info about collaborative projects. Gadgets can also support patrons’ learning, but in an entertaining manner that keeps them tuned in. This could evolve into creating games within library instruction that download to a PDA. Librarians can also support gadgets by studying how content can best display on handheld devices. Given the importance of the wide world of gadgets, surveying for gadget preferences will serve users in a more personalized way.

The bottom line in gadget integration can be summed up as checking the WIIFM, the “what’s in it for me.” Tom Davenport, a Babson professor and author of “Attention Economy” suggests that when we develop in new technologies, we truly need to provide interesting content to make our efforts acceptable to our dynamic audience.

3.  Looking ahead, the primary trend is “e” everything. For example, we will be seeing e-signage, as electronic message boards give directions and announce events on short notice. E-ink (see http://www.eink.com/technology/howitworks.html) promises to bring text to more locales, creating textual displays on nontraditional surfaces. For more fun, there are trendy gadget wearables, which the MIT Media Lab has been promoting since 1996. Hot gadgets on this front include MP3 sunglasses from Oakley.

In perspective, the most successful gadgets obey the laws of convergence, personalization and miniaturization. These gadgets converge several functions in one tool, e.g. a cell phone with a camera and GPS. They allow individuals to choose which features they prefer: to receive the news or weather through your watch. They all increasingly miniaturize by improving functionality as they produce smaller toys, as in the iPod Nano.

You can view Hope’s presentation here, including pictures of the all the gadgets described: http://www.hopetillman.com/presentations/bcsla2005.pdf