After attending this year’s Digital Odyssey, the phrase “WWRD, What Would Ranganathan Do?” has sprung to my mind.  Although I don’t expect to see this phrase on a bracelet or bumper sticker anytime soon, I’ll explain my train of thought.

Since their inception in 1931, S. R. Ranganathan’s “Five Laws of Library Science” have comprised the core of library values.

The second law, “Every reader his or her book” proposes that every member of a community should have access to the books or materials they require.  The third law, “Every book its reader” is closely connected to the second, proposing that each library item will have groups of individuals that find its contents useful.

By extension, the overarching concept of this year’s Digital Odyssey could be captured by: “Every reader his or her e-reading device.”  This is because no single device can satisfy the desires of all users, but the iPad, the Kindle, the Sony Reader, Kobo or Nook all boast various features and facilitate accessibility in differing ways.  Regardless of imperfect e-book technology, libraries must continue connecting users with the resources they find useful, thereby upholding the Second and Third Laws of Library and Information Science.

Digital Odyssey made a strong point:  librarians cannot dismiss e-books as a trend.  OLITA is currently lending e-reading devices to libraries so that they may experiment with how to lend these devices to their patrons.  School librarians have noted that e-book collections have increased access and encouraged better citation practice.  Students do not face the imposing fines that can discourage future library use when loaning e-books because they simply disappear off the computer after the loan period.

The key frustration cited by public librarians was the lack of ease that users experience when downloading e-books from OverDrive.  The range of titles is currently unimpressive and titles are not compatible with the proprietary nature of the Kindle.  However, this year’s Odyssey drew attention to other e-book repositories.  Although venom has been directed at the OverDrive distributor, many publishers currently do not sell e-books to libraries at all.  Any future e-book discussions must address the publishing industry’s concerns of a nebulous future.

Finally, Digital Odyssey encouraged librarians not to fear the terminology of copyright or fair dealing and its myriad of implications for e-content circulation.  Librarians must recognize that copyright is a special expertise, not only restricted to the legal or risk management professions.  Instead of allowing the media to inundate us with piracy critiques, librarians can read everything available on the subject of copyright to better educate their patrons.

In the realm of the 21^st Century Library, Ranganathan would remind the world that the library is a growing organism; this is the Fifth Law of Library Science.  Libraries need to accommodate e-books and evolve to suit the needs of new and existing patrons.  WWRD may not be on a t-shirt, but I keep Ranganathan’s Five Laws of Library Science on a card in my wallet.

1. Books are for use.
2. Every reader his or her book.
3. Every book its reader.
4. Save the time of the reader.
5. The library is a growing organism.

E-Book (R)evolution and the Future of Libraries

This was my first time as a convenor in a conference. I was excited when I was notified of the opportunity to attend, especially when I heard that the topic is very interesting – Digital Odyssey: E-Book (R)evolution. I immediately thought: How does e-book affect library users? And what will libraries be in the future?

I was pleasantly intrigued by the keynote speaker session, “Why Libraries Exist: Transitioning from Print to E-Books”, presented by Eric Hellman. Mr. Hellman described the development of electronic books and its standard, namely “EPUB3”. As e-books are becoming more popular, he raised some questions, “If ‘books’ are obsolete, do we need libraries?” This is a good question. He continued, “Why do libraries exist anyway? What’s the role of society?” All these questions inspired me to think and re-evaluate the role of library – its past, present, and the future……and my future as well as someone who is really passionate about working in the field.  While I was contemplating all these queries and faithfully believed that libraries still have missions and are valuable, I heard Mr. Hellman saying that  libraries are still important and necessary in any society and in many different ways. I was filled with joy. With e-book readers as the preferred platform for books, he said libraries are now experiencing a transitional period where they have to prioritize their people, places, and community. He suggested the competitors of libraries are café or coffee shops in terms of space; while libraries are not short of people resources as they provide training and programs. The relationship between libraries and communities, however, are reciprocal – libraries offer collection and information technology resources to communities, while communities contribute as they bring to libraries archival information and grass-root publishing. I am glad to hear that libraries do survive and continue to be essential. Long live the libraries, yeah!

Another session that inspired me is the presentation and panel discussion of “The Popularity of E-Book Readers and the Implications for Canadian Libraries”. It is interesting to know that academic library users do not think about using e-books, probably due to issues such as interoperability, internet connectivity, and print capability. Through the panel discussion, I was able to identify the differences of various e-book readers and what factors to consider before purchasing. I think these are very useful tips for myself and for libraries considering of starting any e-book project.

After the conference, I think I would love the opportunity to try out leading an e-book through a lending program and provide training to my patrons. I would bear in mind that the perceptions of library users on e-books could be different in different types of libraries, and that no single device will work for all types of users. I think needs assessment, training, and advocacy are all critical to the success of an e-book reader loan program. I also appreciated the opportunity to attend the Digital Odyssey 2011 Conference as it kept me abreast of libraries’ innovative initiatives on e-books and offered me a chance to exchange ideas and network with professionals in the field.