State of America’s Libraries Report 2014
Data and library trends of the past year are detailed in this digital report, released every year as a free American Libraries digital supplement during National Library Week (this week–April 13–19, 2014).
The report includes data and insights on:
• Ebooks, digital content, and copyright issues
• Library construction and renovation
• Outreach and diversity
• Libraries and community engagement
• Intellectual freedom
• Social networking
You can access the report at http://www.ala.org/news/state-americas-libraries-report-2014
Libraries continue to transform to meet society’s changing needs, and more than 90 percent of the respondents in an independent national survey said that libraries are important to the community. But school libraries continue to feel the combined pressures of recession-driven financial tightening and federal neglect, according to data from the National Center for Education Statistics, and school libraries in some districts and some states still face elimination or de-professionalization of their programs. These and other library trends of the past year are detailed in the American Library Association’s 2014 State of America’s Libraries report, released today during National Library Week, April 13– 19.
Press release: ALA releases 2014 State of America’s Libraries Report
Zmags version of the report at American Libraries Magazine
2014 State of America’s Libraries Report (PDF 9.4MB)
Executive Summary
Introduction
Libraries and Community Engagement
Public Libraries
Ebooks and Copyright Issues
School Libraries
Academic Libraries
Social Networking
Library Construction and Renovation
Outreach and Diversity
Washington Scene
Intellectual Freedom
Sources
Contributors and Feedback
Stephen
A Framework for Influencer Marketing:Action Plan and Tips
http://traackr.com/influencer-marketing-framework/
Stephen
http://allfacebook.com/viglink-publisher-roundtable_b130592
“How effective are certain channels are when it comes to driving traffic to publisher sites? The answer is a bit complicated. Good thing for you, VigLink recently gathered some excellent data to share on that specific topic. Allow me to break it down by focusing on three social media insights you really need to know.
Last month, VigLink announced the launch of Publisher Roundtable, a collective intelligence platform designed to help online content publishers grow their businesses.
To join the platform, publishers were asked to fill out short surveys asking them about their traffic, where it was coming from, and how well it was performing.
More than 250 publishers completed the questionnaire, offering results from more than 30 million unique monthly visitors spanning verticals ranging from “home and family” to “firearms and hunting” and everything in between.
While the report’s findings illustrated a few important takeaways, such as the vast importance of a quality search-engine-optimization strategy, it also highlighted some obvious trends occurring in social media that publishers should analyze and optimize for — specifically, Facebook. Here are the top three:
- Facebook drives traffic: One of the highlighted results of VigLink’s Publisher Roundtable report was that Facebook is “the most popular and effective social media site,” with 99 percent of publishers claiming that they receive traffic from the social network. Even if the traffic from Facebook isn’t the best, and can be expensive with paid advertising, it’s important for publishers to have Facebook pages to share their content, engage with followers, and grow their networks.
- Social media is key to retaining an audience: Social media isn’t just great for connecting with your followers and expanding your audience — it’s also key for maintaining your fan base. According to the survey results, 81 percent of publishers with a high percentage of repeat visitors receive traffic from social channels. And we’re not only talking about the big guys (like Facebook or Twitter) — sites like Reddit and Digg are also very valuable. Any social site that reaches your target audiences and encourages them to read, share, and engage with your content is worth its weight in likes.
- Social media traffic isn’t always quality traffic: Ah, you knew there was a rub, right? Even though lots of publishers claimed that social media was vital to generating traffic for their sites, they also suggested that social media traffic was less likely to take action or engage with their sites. Of the more than 250 publishers that took the survey, only 41 percent expressed satisfaction with the traffic they received from Facebook, which was twice as high as Twitter. So social media is likely best used for growing and curating a following, rather than advertising.”
Stephen
Via FullTextReports: http://fulltextreports.com/2014/04/03/older-adults-and-technology-use/
Older Adults and Technology Use
Source: Pew Research Internet Project
America’s seniors have historically been late adopters to the world of technology compared to their younger compatriots, but their movement into digital life continues to deepen, according to newly released data from the Pew Research Center. In this report, we take advantage of a particularly large survey to conduct a unique exploration not only of technology use between Americans ages 65 or older and the rest of the population, but within the senior population as well.
Two different groups of older Americans emerge. The first group (which leans toward younger, more highly educated, or more affluent seniors) has relatively substantial technology assets, and also has a positive view toward the benefits of online platforms. The other (which tends to be older and less affluent, often with significant challenges with health or disability) is largely disconnected from the world of digital tools and services, both physically and psychologically.
As the internet plays an increasingly central role in connecting Americans of all ages to news and information, government services, health resources, and opportunities for social support, these divisions are noteworthy—particularly for the many organizations and individual caregivers who serve the older adult population. Among the key findings of this research
Stephen
Here’s How People Will Actually Use ‘The Internet Of Things’
http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-how-people-will-actually-use-the-internet-of-things-2014-4
“The Internet Of Things will make many of the familiar devices and objects in our lives — from door locks to toll booths to refrigerators — suddenly Internet-connected, smartphone-accessible, and responsive.
But which “things” in the Internet of Things will be truly disruptive and improve the way we live? What will be the killer app that popularizes it?
Here are some of the devices and applications that will be implemented at the consumer and civic level that we think will make the Internet of Things, or IOT, a critically important part of our daily lives:
- Kitchen and home appliances such as refrigerators, washers and dryers, and coffee makers that can keep track of when the milk is out and let you know when the clothes are dry.
- Lighting and heating products, including bulbs, thermostats, and air conditioners that maximize energy efficiency.
- Safety and security monitoring devices such as baby and assisted living monitoring systems, smoke detectors, fire hydrants, cameras, sensor-equipped drawers and safes, and home alarm systems.
- Health and fitness products that measure exercise, steps, sleep, weight, blood pressure, and other statistics.
- Intelligent traffic management systems, including toll-taking operations, congestion penalties, and smart parking-space management.
- Waste management systems, such as garbage cans and recycle bins with RFID tags that allow sanitation staff to see when garbage has been put out. “Pay as you throw programs” are also likely to decrease garbage waste and increase recycling efforts.
- Industrial uses, including Internet-managed assembly lines, connected factories, and warehouses, etc.
After a time, the question will become, what applications won’t the Internet Of Things touch?”
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-how-people-will-actually-use-the-internet-of-things-2014-4#ixzz2xwnZaJZH
Stephen
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