Changing Technology & Circulation Statistics

A comment from our Children's Librarian yesterday really got me thinking about how changing technology will be/is affecting how patrons use libraries. She said that a number of patrons have told her that they prefer to use their video-on-demand service through their cable system to watch movies vs. renting DVDs from the library.

We have not seen a decrease in our DVD circulation but if this trend continues, we can expect to see one, and then what? Libraries have had movies in their collections since the dawn of videotapes in the late '70s/early '80s. The circulation of VHS tapes and then DVDs has traditionally been high, contributing a significant count to libraries' overall circulation statistics, not to mention the income generated by video rentals. If DVD rentals disappear (or should I say 'when'), library circulation statistics will decrease. Consequently, funding of libraries will decrease, as many funding formulas take circulation statistics into consideration.

The question arises: in the Web 2.0 age, what is the real value of circulation statistics for libraries' circulation of 'things'? Should libraries really be counting something else, or adding something else to their count, to provide an indicator of library usage? I believe that statistics like library visits and public computer usage will become of more value than circulation figures to local governments and library funders in the not-too-distant future. Furthermore, libraries dependent on income from DVD rentals will have to seek this income elsewhere.

Will there be another format to replace DVDs that libraries can circulate and count? Perhaps, but I don't believe it's very likely. Should libraries be getting into the video-on-demand service? Perhaps, but they will face stiff competition from cable/satellite providers who have been providing this service for some time already.

In this virtual, downloadable age, the role of libraries is definitely changing. Measures of libraries' success will have to change as well.

Flickr Mashups

Today, I explored some of the cool mashups that can be created with Flickr. It's amazing how many things you can do with a photograph. I particularly enjoyed fd's Flickr Toys. I'm intrigued by patterns, and fd (AKA John Watson) has some great mashups that convert your photo or graphic into some fascinating patterns (e.g., jigsaw puzzle, color palette, Warhol painting, beads). I probably like the jigsaw the best and wish you could create an actual puzzle with it (I'm sure there's another tool out there that does just that!). Where do these people find the time to come up with these things? I'm so non-creative I just can't comprehend!

fireplace

fireplace
Originally uploaded by pintomw

A bit of the old and the new. This shot was taken in the magazine area of the Carnegie Room of the Adult Library. Would Andrew Carnegie recognize his library 106 years later? One wonders. The fireplace is no longer in use. It occupies the space that, at one time, WAS the entire Phoenixville Library. On the left side of the picture you can see a little bit into the 1988 addition, where, on this floor, the Circulation Desk now resides, in addition to several computers, the biography and nonfiction collections, DVDs, audiobooks, three offices, and more.