Via Nancy K, SJCPL’s Coordinator of Info Tech (who gets it big time!):
This makes me sad. An article at the IndyStar notes how poorly Indiana fares in a study of how we stack up with other states in a “technology report card.” It seems Indiana has not progressed in tech start ups, graduating scientists and the tech economy in general
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2005511020478
We rank rather low in some categories and actually dropped in a few. What do we need? The article says we need more science and math graduates, more technology in schools (that’s used) and a focus on information/tech literacy!
So, Indiana Librarians, I have a few charges for you:
Become as tech-savvy as you can and take every chance to teach your users about information access and technology but put your users first – no Technolust in Indiana please!
Strive to make your library a meeting place for the community, that just happens to have some great technology – Show folks some new tech and inspire them
Review your Long Range Plans and Technology Plans and make sure your mission, service priorities and objectives include information literacy and acknowledge how your library will use technology to inform and serve users
Re-evaluate your Internet and tech classes and get some up-to-date content in there
Look for ways to outfit your library if not your community with FREE wifi access to the Internet
Harness the power of blogs, RSS and other Web 2.0 tools to get your faces out there and make sure the library is recognized and intergral to your community’s information gathering habits
Partner with schools and teachers to insure info literacy is addressed
Be vocal when city and state initiatives come up that might impact the library and its services
Read articles, blogs and other professional sources and get yourselves to some conferences that address how we can improve our tech-related standings in school, universities and libraries
Find tech and non-tech ways to get out into the community – you can no longer hide behind your safe little reference desks and wait for a question to come to you!
Get together (at ILF meetings?) and TALK about this sad state of affairs for our state and let’s find some solutions
Find ways to make your organization/institution attractive to tech types who might want to relocate here