Students at the Miami Ad School have come up with an
innovative way to draw more people into libraries. Using smartphone standards that
allow the transfer of data by bringing devices close to each other, the project
proposes that subway riders could download book samples underground during a
commute. An app would then tell them where they could check out the book at a library
branch. Good idea.
Yesterday, I asked if libraries would become museums. Not if
they adopt innovative ways to encourage reading and membership.
Here’s an idea I had. Why not conduct a contest between two
teams of NYU students. They will be given an assignment to research one
specific subject. The first team would be restricted to the Internet, while the
second team could only use the resources—including
real, live, breathing librarians—
of the New York Public Library. Someone rich (that would not be me) would put
up a prize of a few thousand dollars. The research results would be judged by NYU
professors and college librarians for thoroughness and accuracy. I believe the
NYPL team would win today. But if we made this an annual contest, I'm not as sure about future results.
John Allen Paulos once said, "The Internet is the
world's largest library. It's just that
all the books are on the floor." Let's see if some bright college students can sort them out.