Phil Tetlock’s research about predicting the future

I’m reading about Phil Tetlock, an American psychologist interested in the validity of predictions about the future.  His conclusion is the average expert isn’t very successful at predicting.  However, there was a second group who did better than average.  “The experts who were a disaster tended to value one big, analytical idea, simplicity, clarity and certainty.  Experts with insight used many analytical ideas, gathered information promiscuously, were comfortable with uncertainty and ambiguiity, and much less sure of themselves.” (Dan Gardner)  Here’s to information promiscuity!

Collections Tour Key Concepts

Our FATT group went to tour the Glenbow stored collections. With their archives, they form part of the “Heritage Triangle” with CPL’s 4th floor Local History archives and the City Archives.

We discussed means of exposing the public to archival material and some of the challenges including copyright and privacy restrictions on on-line access to these materials.

What we learned or re-emphasized:

Use events eg. presentations, parties, open discussion (vs. lecture) to involve community.

Get involved in community projects/activism

Focus on the quality of public response/evaluation, not the quantity

“Take it Outside” to public spaces, community events 

Libraries and museums are competing with other leisure-time activities and media, so we should choose really current and relevant subjects of national and international interest.

One participant (Adrienne) noted that as collections decrease or are digitized, the “exchange of ideas remains” 

The Future’s Fantastic

I really didn’t know what exactly I was getting into when I appiled to attend the Funture Action Think Tank — but am I ever glad that I did!  This day was really well organized and insightful with comments and connections about people, spaces, technology and community. From Coffee to GPS the keynote video speaker was amazingly well picked and the “field trips” were well planned. The new Spark Science Centre was a field trip themed under “spaces” but half of the information we gathered while there was how much thought they put into the ‘community’ aspect of the building! The whole day was really insightful and worthwhile and definately got you thinking!

So, what is a library future?

It has been one week since more than 80 Calgary Public Library staff got together to Imagine the Future.  The buzz in the John Dutton Theatre during the 90 minute Futures Fair was incredible- thanks to everyone for participating, especially those who put together the informative and creative poster sessions.  

There is much curiosity among those who did not attend the December 7 event, as well as from those who did, about the individual field trips.  What did you see or hear that impressed you the most?  Did you have more questions than answers after your field trip discussions?  Did anything you saw change your mind about what you thought the future for libraries was at the beginning of the day?  What are you following up on? What would you like to follow up on?

Thanks to those of you who have shared your thoughts on this blog already.  We would love to keep the discussion going here and as well as in the Tackle Teams, so we hope you continue to use this forum.  Please share your thoughts and insights about the December 7 Think Tank while they are still fresh in your mind.

Thanks!

Lisa H

Context First: a unified theory of publishing

http://vimeo.com/20179653

The keynote address for anyone who wasn’t lucky enough to take part in SocioSocial YYC last week.

Meeting spaces!

What about having a program to invite youth/adults tomake art/sculptures out of discarded books? They could buy the discards and thenparticipatein the program. This could be facilitated by staffand/or (book) artist(s) could be brought in to inspire/teach techniques.  

There could be a contest as well where the images are posted on our website.

This could be partof a fundraiser and/or there could beprizes/library swag awarded not just for the sculpture itself but for it’s intereaction with the particular themes of the book chosen. 

Workshift

Field Trip to Calgary Economic Deveploment and we had a discussion about Workshift. Workshift is the new word for telecommuting and its the idea of doing work from anywhere! (I know quite revolutionary right?).

 My biggest take away from this experience is that its about trust. Granted, there there are some areas to iron out before setting up a workshift program, but the bottom line is if you trust employees to deliver on their objectives, what matters most is that work gets done-not WHERE work is done!

Paper art is impressive

The mission of librarians is to improve society through facilitating knowledge creation in their communities.


The following ideas are taken from the recently published, Atlas of New Librarianship, specifically the thread on Facilitation. The whole book, (all 408 pages!) is certainly worth reading, talking about and using in our day to day practice and our long term planning. I can’t provide a link to the chapter but we currently have 2 copies with 5 more on order.

(Lankes, David. The Atlas of New Librarianship. Cambridge: Massachusetts, 2011.),

Effective facilitation must include:

·         Access

·         Knowledge

·         Environment

·         Motivation

True facilitation means shared ownership. 

There is a difference between public space and civic space. Public space is open to everyone. Civic space, like libraries, according to Lankes, is space that is regulated on behalf of the public.

“Is the library, to put this in a political context, an institution of the people or for the people? If the library is of the people, then to facilitate is to engage and help the community because you are helping yourself.”

Literacy is about power – We facilitate literacy in members to empower.  “Without power you don’t make decisions, things are decided for you. Librarians need to be powerful. They need to be able to share agendas, lead the community and empower members to do the same.”

Marketing campaigns if done well seek to bring people to the library – never to bring the library to the people – and never to bring librarians to the people

Questions:

If we are trying to bring the library (or librarian - you choose) to the people, instead of just bringing people to the library (which is very important) how do we need to change our message?

What are we talking about in our communities?

Nancy M.