Brown & Duguid, as related to librarians

Brown & Duguid make some interesting points on technology and it's antisocial tendencies. They believe that technology is so driven to bring people together that it drives them apart, as shown in their discussion of the Chiat/Day "hot desking" experiement. While hot desking, the concept of working from wherever there's an internet connection, looked good on paper, it failed miserably in real life. The experiement showed that people need to work together physically as well as digitally to get stuff done. They also discussed how technology is evolving so rapidly that people are expected to conform to it, not the other way around. Technology must be harnessed and used in such a way that it both enhances and expedites office work. Too often, so much time and money is spent to learn or fix technology that it eventually becomes a money pit - a money pit that nobody wants to admit to seeing, but into which everyone will fall.

Libraries and librarians are often afraid of new technologies. They worry that users won't accept them, that technologies will be too expensive or cumbersome to use, or that "the old way works, so why change." Libraries fall into what Brown & Duguid call the "social periphery," a group of organizations that shape the way we live and work. Unfortunately, the social periphery has been cast aside as the digital revolution tunnels forwards, so the social periphery must fight to be included. Libraries must fight to stay relevant, and they must do that by not only embracing, but harnessing new technologies to their best use.

Obviously, not every little piece of new technology will work in a library, but libraries can model the appropriate use of technology, and in turn, the patrons will adapt to it and the library will remain relevant. It's similar to Brown & Duguid's discussion of Bell and his telephone. He figured that if the telephone was put into the hands of the people, they'd figure out how to use it. Give people the opportunity to see firsthand the technology in action, and they will respond. Libraries can do the same with new technologies. They can offer a "virtual reference" service via email or chat. If one patron has a successful experience using it, that patron will tell a friend, who will in turn tell a friend, and eventually patrons will see virtual reference as a standard practice. As users change and adapt to new technologies, so must libraries. They can maintain a physical presence with a brick-and-mortar building, but it is necessary for libraries to develop and maintain a virtual presence online.