Generation Now! Instant Gratification in the Academic Library

I just find it a bit upsetting that I can’t come in and have someone answer my question straight away. If I knew I had to speak to someone on the phone I may as well have just stayed at home. Law student at UWA (2008)

Instantaneous access to information, goods, and services 24/7 has virtually led to the death of distance and patience, and the emergence of a generation expecting, wanting, and demanding instant gratification. Jukes and Dosaj (2004)

...students have become accustomed to multimedia environments: figuring things out for themselves without consulting manuals; working in groups; and multitasking. These qualities differ from those found in traditional library environments, which, by and large, are text-based, require learning the system from experts (librarians), were constructed for individual use, and assume that work progresses in a logical, linear fashion. Lippincott (2005)

Libraries DON’T have a captive audience As information providers we must compete with our online counterparts This means thinking about who our client is and finding a way to appeal to their demands for INSTANT GRATIFICATION Call to action

Whilst the pundits might claim that the future is technology, I say the future is customer service. So can service and technology co-exist? You bet! Kym Illman, WA Entrepreneur of the Year

Social bookmarking PennTags - Members of the Penn Community can collect and maintain URLs, links to journal articles, and records in catalogue though this social bookmarking site. Once these resources are compiled, users can organise them by assigning tags (free-text keywords) and/or by grouping them into projects, according to their specific preferences.

FindIt on GoogleScholar Google works with libraries to determine which journals and papers they've subscribed to electronically, and then links to articles from those sources when they're available. Users simply indicate what library they are a member of, then Google Scholar keep an eye out for that library's subscription materials and provide special links to them in the search results.

Web portals A one-stop client-oriented web site that personalises the portal's tools and information to the specific needs and characteristics of the person visiting the site, using information from university databases.

Social networking Social networking sites focus on building online communities of people who share interests and activities. They provide a variety of ways for users to interact, such as and instant messages. Popular examples include MySpace and Facebook

tx 4 ur 00:00 Jessica Shortis Librarian, University of WA e: p: (08)