I attended the Spotlight on Your Career 2011 workshop this weekend which focused on technology and the necessary skillset for a digital world. Megan Kinney, one of the presenters, made a really good point about relevance. There's something very artificial and almost futile about trying to adopt technology that is not relevant to you. The interesting thing about the library setting is that sometimes we get patrons that think they don't need to learn how to use a keyboard, or a mouse or how to navigate the internet. They just need to get this online application done, and can you please just help them do it. However, the workplace nowadays is saturated with technology no matter what you're doing. At some places, janitors have to use computers to "punch" in and out, and are even required to check work email. Helping patrons to see that these skills really are important to them might help them adopt them more easily.
In terms of my own use of technology, I felt like I had an epiphany about Twitter. I've had an account for about 3 years that I never check, and I never use. Twitter and I just never clicked, and part of that is because at this point in time I don't have a need for it... or even a like for it.
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This is a very interesting idea. My only concern is that people who are unfamiliar with the a piece of technology are rarely the best-equipped to assess its relevance. I can't help but think of the old "why do I need e-mail? Regular mail works just fine."
ReplyDeleteAs information professionals, we're not really allowed to opt out of understanding ANY user-level technology that comes along. That said, it's absolutely true that not all tech is for all people.
I agree with you Mark, that as information professionals we must be familiar with technology and comfortable about venturing the unknown in order to serve our users. Which is why attending workshops on emerging technologies like Spotlight on Your Career and the Handheld Librarian is necessary. But, what we choose to adopt and use on a regular basis for our own professional and personal use will still depend on our need and how important/appealing it is to us.
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