Eliza has been a bit grumpy the last couple of days…we think it may be a little early 3 month growth spurt. During her 3 week and 6 week growth spurts, she got grumpy as hell, and just wasn’t her normal happy self.
She’s happy when she wakes up (when this was taken) but over the course of the day she’s more fussy than normal. More fussy for her is still pretty chill, though.
Well, after griping about little girls’ clothes, I was somewhat successful in shopping for Eliza this weekend. She’s outgrowing everything faster than we can put her in it. I had to stay strong, though, since I went with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law, both of whom want to put Eliza in frilly little outfits with bows and ruffles. But I prevailed. Some jeans, a few comfy gender-neutral outfits like this one, and some new sleepers, and she’s good for what…the next few weeks!?!?
Over the course of the last 20 years, there has been a radical shift in the economies of information. We’ve moved from a world in which information was plentiful but distributed and difficult to find to a world where information is even more plentiful, but ubiquitous and easy to find. Libraries are suffering now as a result of their inability of unwillingness to change based on the new method of information indexing, exchange, and archival.
Libraries were a central part of the public sphere because of that information imbalance. Most libraries have moved to a new model that emphasizes access and comfort instead of being the storehouse of knowledge they once were. Access is something that libraries have on their side, because information, in defiance of the normal rules of supply and demand, still insists on being expensive.
Prepare for another shift, because the next 5-10 years is going to change the rules again.
Chris Anderson, in the latest Wired magazine, outlines the next information revolution: Free.
The rise of “freeconomics” is being driven by the underlying technologies that power the Web. Just as Moore’s law dictates that a unit of processing power halves in price every 18 months, the price of bandwidth and storage is dropping even faster. Which is to say, the trend lines that determine the cost of doing business online all point the same way: to zero.
Anderson outlines his argument in the context of business, but his points really show us that the nominal cost of information delivery is the core of the revolution. Of course, the fact that the delivery is free does not immediately mean that the information being delivered is free…that change arises from more traditional competitive pressure. What are traditional information services like books, movies, and television competing with these days? They are competing with free, easily available, highly portable, and in nearly every way more useful unauthorized versions of themselves.
When customers look at the following options, what do you think they choose?
Buying TV shows on iTunes, where they can watch them on their authorized computer and iPods, but not on their Zune or PSP or anywhere else they might want OR downloading a .torrent of their favorite TV show that is higher in quality than the iTunes download that they can watch anywhere they want.
Buying an audiobook from Audible, which has limited playability on only approved devices, or grabbing a P2P copy of that audiobook with no limitations (and no price).
Reading a book on Harper-Collins website, embedded in your browser is one option. Another is the Tor model, where once a week they are providing a free book, in multiple formats (pdf, html, mobi) for you to do with as you will. Move it to an ebook reader. Read it on your computer. Put it on your cellphone. Another option is the library.
It’s obvious that things that are free have an immediate advantage, and libraries have been free for a very long time in the US. But even free vs free has its calculus. If we look at the above examples, it’s very important for libraries to realize that they aren’t competing with iTunes and Audible. They are competing with .torrents and other P2P technologies that disintermediate the information distribution process.
But even free has choices: One example is Hulu, the beta site for NBC/Fox/etc. They pulled their shows from YouTube, citing copyright violations, and launched Hulu, where they can control the message and availability. Then there is OpenHulu, a site that scrapes Hulu and provides the ability to watch the same shows with no login or account creation. Yet another choice is the aforementioned Torrent or other P2P distribution, where there are no commercials, no requirement to stream instead of download, and the ability to watch them on the device of your choice. The advantage of Hulu and OpenHulu over torrenting is instant gratification. Which wins?
So when there are two freely available sources for information, what drives choice? Lots of different aspects of the interaction between the patron and the information make the difference. Ease of use. Availability. Speed. Quality. Brand recognition. Marketing.
Anderson points out that free is the future of commerce, and I absolutely see it as the future of media and information generally. How do libraries then compete in a world where their major advantage is completely nullified? What do we bring to the new information economy, because we need to be planning and implementing now to have any hope of competition.
I think I know some of the ways we compete, but that’s another post. What do you think we can do to stay relevant?
Ellie is doing really, really well lately with tummy time. Her trunk muscles are getting stronger by the hour, it seems like.
IMG_1576.JPG, originally uploaded by griffey.
Eliza’s one-piece outfits are quickly becoming too short. Time to go shopping soon. It’s kind of hard to find clothes for baby girls without the following annoyances:
All we want is simple: soft, comfortable, functional, cute but not cutesy, easy to take on and off, easy to care for clothes made out of good quality cotton, fleece, or terry. Eliza is not a doll, she is a kid. She wants to feel good while sleeping and playing in her clothes.
Ok, I’m done ranting now.
IMG_1553.JPG, originally uploaded by griffey.
Eliza is starting to “use” her hands more. If you offer her something, she will grab onto it for a while. Here, she explores the interesting textures of a “Taggies” book, a wonderful gift from our friend Chrysty. It seems like Eliza is changing by the minute. You can almost see her brain working overtime.
Given my infrequency of posting, its obvious that I’ve been a little busy lately. Mostly it’s been Eliza based, but work is also nuts. This time of year is crazy, and you pile working 3 days a week instead of 5 AND building a new library…well, its a little slice of insanity.
I’ve been so nuts that I completely missed my 5 year Blogoversary!
February 10th, 2003, after an inauspicious start, I started blogging. Five years, 1241 posts, and 1445 comments later, and it’s still going strong. Over the course of those years, I’ve been featured on BoingBoing four times, Digg once, highlighted by the ALA, and it’s led to an enormous amount of opportunity for me.
Pattern Recognition also led directly to being invited to write a book on Library Blogging, which will at long last be out this Spring. Another writing opportunity has presented itself as well, which will be announced in the next few weeks…I’m not at liberty to say quite yet, but if you want to read what I have to say, you’ll have at least one more place you can be sure to see me in 2008.
Most of the above isn’t thanks to anything special I’ve done, but instead thanks to the readers and comments on Pat Rec…thanks to everyone who takes time from their day to read me. I appreciate it more than I can adequately express, and hope that you’re getting some value for your time.
All in all, this crazy blog has done a lot for me. Here’s hoping the next 5 years are as auspicious as the last!
Eliza met Papaw (my dad) for the first time yesterday. They became fast friends, especially because Papaw sang and talked to her a lot. He was amazed at how much she smiles and how bright her eyes are, drinking in the world.
