July 4, 2012 · 12:58 am

The eBook Will Die Within 5 Years

I have been asking recently whether a book is still a good container for knowledge.  I recently watched a TEDxMontreal video, that really demonstrated that I was asking the wrong question.  The question is whether the distinction between the Internet and eBooks is arbitrary and false.  To further explain, is an eBook that incorporates video still a book?  Is an eBook with audio still a book?  In library school we debated whether audiobooks were books, but are they?  What about an eBook whose content updates as the world updates?  What is the difference between an eJournal article and an eBook?  Is a YouTube video television? Is email mail?  Should we continue to divide up knowledge based on old formats?

Hugh McGuire in the video I mentioned (which is displayed below) argues that all of these medias are blurring together and that the future will make it virtual impossible to distinguish between the formats.  I certainly am inclined to think he may have a valid point.  What will we use in the future to determine whether something is a book, video, audio?  Will it be percentage?  Will it be intent?  Will it be usage?  Will everything just converge into the Internet?  I don’t really have an answer, but the question is still worth asking.

 

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June 12, 2012 · 2:53 pm

Help LWB win $15,000

Please vote to help LWB win $15,000 from Better World Books to help us fund a school library in Haiti.

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May 16, 2012 · 8:13 pm

IA Greatest Hits: Imaginarian

I have been thinking a lot about the concept of an Imaginarian.  I wrote about it back in April, 2011 and thought I should revisit it here.

A few weeks ago I wrote about my mission to inspire a generation of imaginarians and information activists.  Many have told me that they like the term imaginarian.  Others have asked what it means.  So, like a good doctoral student, I thought I would define my terms.

An imaginarian is built on the concept of imagineer from the Disney Corporation.  The term imagineer is the blending of imagination and engineering.  So I define the term imaginarian as the blending of imagination and librarianship.  Imagineers are tasked with designing and building Disney’s parks, resorts, etc…

Imaginarians are tasked with designing and building the human imagination.  We focus on the creative and learning processes that take place in the human brain and soul.  We help people construct realities and worlds that meet their desires.  Imaginarians help people find their voice, identity and creative-self.  We foster an environment in which these can soar.

Libraries are the only place anyone can go to become anything they want.  Whether this is manifest only in their mind or becomes a reality in the physical world, the library can truly take people anywhere they want to go.  And imaginarians help people get “there”.

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