Growing up in the odd time between the ipod nano and smartphones really gives me a strange perspective on technology. I feel like I have watched it change over the course of my life so much. This reading resonated with me because it brings attention to how technology has evolved and changed and how people have changed with it in regards to how we consume media and information, how we learn, and how we communicate. The reading that stood out to me was the article “The hyperlinked school library: engage, explore, celebrate” (Stevens, 2010) because it brings attention to how each generation is different when it comes to learning and how technology plays a role in our lives by shaping it socially and academically. I am interested in how each generation is shaped by their technologies and how this affects their own unique experiences at the library.
According to the article “Emerging Variants of Library and Information Services”, the emerging of newer technologies offers library professionals an opportunity to significantly enhance user-centered services and promote collaboration between libraries and their users (Kumari, 2022). In the real world library service, libraries are meant to be a space welcome to all. Since users may range across many different ages, librarians must come up with ways to engage with all members of their communities and users despite there being generational differences among users. The three main generations may be Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, and Millennials (and we may possibly throw in younger generations Z and Alpha). According to the article “Know Your Library Users: How Three Generations Use Digital Tech”, librarians need to be aware of the differences that each generation has within their own information-seeking preferences, behaviors, and backgrounds (A. Becker, 2019). The modern library is a space where technology is trying to keep up with the latest trends and seeks to adapt in order to better serve their communities. Newer technologies offer many resources for libraries to share information and services to their communities and with other libraries.
Bridging technology gaps may be a challenge for library professionals but must be embraced in order to remain relevant in society (Kumari, 2022). Librarians cannot assume that their users will react the same to changes within the library and this sparks a challenge for librarians to engage more with their patrons in order to learn their readiness to engage with a new technology and how they can effectively offer guidance to their patrons. The article “The hyperlinked school library: engage, explore, celebrate” stated that young people learn differently, are very good at integrating technology into their lives, and are living in a decidedly different world due to new media forms and digital realities (Stevens, 2010). It is interesting that each generation consumes and interacts with information differently. Factors that have contributed to these different characteristics relate to social, economical, and technological factors for each generation. An example of a different characteristic across generations could be that the Baby Boomer generation may be more inclined towards printed books and newer technology workshops while generation Z may be more inclined towards social networking services and e-resources offered at the library.
According to the book Digital Information Strategies: from Applications and Content to Libraries and People, each generation interacts with libraries and technologies differently and has their own set of specific characteristics regarding information search and retrieval (Vassilakaki, 2015). For a modern library, it is important to understand the needs of their users and how they can best meet their users needs while also effectively offering newer technologies and services. Information regarding the newer technologies may be provided by the libraries in a tailored form that may meet a wide variety of different users needs. In one of the readings “To keep people happy … keep some books” the concept of third spaces is reflected on as being a widespread need for users at the library and is generally known as a space for people to unwind, discuss, and talk about things that matter within their communities separate from home life and work life (Leferink, 2018). I think that libraries can utilize being a third space across all generations. Although each generation interacts with libraries and their services differently, there may be some similarities across them through their need of a third space. I feel that libraries are a great place for each generation to overlap. It was also reflected in the reading “To keep people happy … keep some books”, that although we live in a technology-driven, digital world, it is important that a physical space remains core to the human experience (Leferink, 2018). I think librarians have a great opportunity in being able to use a third space to bridge the gap between generations and bring people together. Technology connects people digitally but a third space connects people physically. Perhaps it is significant that librarians play a role in balancing newer technologies and its incorporation within third spaces across a wide variety of users from different generations. This sparks the thought that librarians are given a unique opportunity to understand how different generations interact with emerging technologies. It is significant to me that libraries remain a place of interest across a wide variety of generations throughout so many technological changes over the years. Growing up I witnessed many changes in technology and it is astounding to still witness the technological advancements of our time. It will be interesting to see how libraries keep up with emerging trends while also ensuring that each generation gets to experience the newer technologies or trends within their comfort zones at the library.
Reference
A. Becker, D. (2019). Know Your Library Users: How Three Generations Use Digital Tech. Journal of Electronic Resources in Medical Libraries, 16(1), 29–34. https://doi.org/10.1080/15424065.2019.1596777
Kumari, S. (2022). Emerging Variants of Library and Information Services. International Journal of Knowledge Management and Practices, 10(2), 33.
Leferink Saskia (2018, January 24) “To keep people happy … keep some books”. OCLC Next. https://blog.oclc.org/next/to-keep-people-happy-keep-some-books/
Stevens, Micheal (2010, March 2). “The hyperlinked school library: engage, explore, celebrate”. TTW Tame the Web. https://tametheweb.com/2010/03/02/the-hyperlinked-school-library-engage-explore-celebrate/
Vassilakaki, E. (2015). Knowing your users, discovering your library: An overview of the characteristics of user generations. Digital Information Strategies: from Applications and Content to Libraries and People/by ed. D. Baker, W. Evans.–Oxford: Chandos Publ, 215-224.