I just came back from London and the Internet Librarian International conference. (The twitter stream is the best way to get an impression).
The conference was one of the best I have ever been to. Greatly due to the wonderful people that you can meet and listen to, but also because of great programming.
One of the best parts of this conference is the conversations you have during breaks and meals. This year I got a chance to sit and talk to Åke Nygren, Michael Stephens, Trude Westby and many others. It is such a priviledge to learn from and share with so many brilliant people.
On the last day I started a conversation with Åke Nygren about a thought that popped into my head during the day. Why do we insist that library members log into library websites with library card number and a pin-code? Why not let them have the option to log in with their Facebook credentials, OpenID, Google- or Twitter login? I see this option at more and more sites and would like to have this possibility available for my library members as well.
Library cards are useful, for libraries, not for library users. They are an anachronism from the analog days. Why not go the way of Social Login? The ease of use for our websites and services would be greatly increased. The possibilities for communication and services increased.
As we stand today I can see several problems with library cards.
1. They are one-use-cards. They are not useful for any other purpose (except scraping ice off car windows in winter) – other cards usually have multiple purposes today – my bank-card is also an ID, my work identidy card is an ID-card that also opens doors and gives me access to parking.
)3. They are easy to forget. Many people do not use the library often enough that they feel the need to carry the card around all the time. Which means that they try to use the library without the card. Usually that ends up beeing frustrating, humiliating or cost money. Bergen Public Library charges 10 NOK (about 1.5 US$) every time you try to check out books without a card. I do not like this, it is a barrier to a happy relationship between member and library.
So I believe we have two paths to go in the “identify library member” game:
1. Make it easy to use some other means of identification to use library services both online and IRL. Facebook login, use other ID-cards as library card etc.
2. Make the library card more useful and full of added value. The card can be upgraded with memory chips and contain more information, poems, audio clips, special offers or access to “premium services”.
I'm a norwegian librarian.
YES. though i’m not happy with letting facebook have a lot of data on me, i do like open id or other ways, or just even a self-chosen username! If i log in with my id at the libary i need at least 4-5 tries, and a password reminder… And mostly i givce up and just solve the issue an other way.
I would not suggest making this mandatory. Just an option among several. And your reaction to the barrier is exactly why I want to make it easier.
Spot on mate.
To spice up this discussion about the requirement for physical cards, I recommend presenting the following little demonstration to your boss(es): take a library card number (from your own card in your pocket, or maybe a loan-receipt from a paper-recycling bin), google for “online barcode generator”, choose the first result, insert the number to the website, get a nice barcode as a JPEG, print it out, walk to the check-out desk and ask the staff to lend you a book with the printout. And finally contemplate on the process you just executed.
Optionally you can skip the printing, and just show the staff at the checkout desk your smartphone with the barcode generator’s reault on the screen
All-in-all it’s very weird. Some libraries refuse to loan/request/renes items if you try to do it with your passport (shich you are sure to take better card of than your librarycard), but insist on bringing your physical card sith you.
About the login to the library catalogue; ok i don’t mind having a separate account for it (namely library card number PIN), but shy do i have to log in so often, basically after every few hours. When was the last time ylu had to log in to Facebook, Twitter or somesuch on the computer/device you usually use? I think the last time i’ve logged into Facebook was in 2009.
(arg pardon my typos! I hope it’s understandable anyway)
I have tried to get some brainstorming going for Koha here: http://wiki.koha-community.org/wiki/Alternative_OPAC_logins_RFC
The university libary in Skellefteå uses your ID or drivers license as a libary card. It’s pratical but a bit boring if you har a collector
But it should be a choice, I think.
Agree, an option rather than mandatory. As I said at ILI2011, it would be great to be able to join the library community online, by means of a social login. Could give immediate access to the social and non DRM functions on the library website. The checking out of a fully valid library card, could be done when the patron visits the library.
… and when the patron has been fully authorized, by visiting a library and signing, he/she will have full access to all functions on the website, by means of social id only. /Åke
Most of the times I usually check in with my personal id, and the good thing about that is that I’m hardly at risk to forget the numbers:)
Multiple options is a good thing, I think!
Perhaps an answer to part of what you say is… I keep my library card in my wallet, with other cards. I don’t find it a “pain ” to use.
And unlike most internet entities it may well still be here tomorrow. Facebook, … Twitter…, all just tomorrows Bebo, and Myspace etc.,. Aleady I look at my Facebook…, and think.., these are my ‘Friends’ ?
I think maybe the physical card is less of a hassle than having yet another username/password to keep track of.
Er tiden for bibliotekskortet ved at løbe ud? Thomas Brevik mener det.
For other use than collections I hope that the library card is beginning to get obsolete – wich means that our systems and services must shapen up just as several of you are talking about.
At the hospital library in Karlstad we let our patrons use their siths-card to identify themselves with at the library. So far so good, everybody is very happy, then they dont have to give a second thought ’bout wether the library card is in the right pocket or not etc. BUT they have to save the library card – because otherwise they cant log in to our OPAC since we havn’t gotten aroud that problem yet. Annoying to say the least.