Roundtable: Discussing Daniel Pink’s A Whole new mind: Why right-brainers will rule the future.

Roundtable: Discussing Daniel Pink’s A Whole new mind: Why right-brainers will rule the future.
BOOK: Pink, Daniel H. A Whole New Mind: Moving from the Information Age to the Conceptual Age. New York: Riverhead Books, 2005.
DVD: Pink, Daniel H. A Whole New Mind Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future. [United States]: Better Life Media, 2006.
Page 49 graphic shows civilization moving toward the conceptual age.
Agricultural age (farmers)
Industrial age (factory workers)
Information Age (knowledge workers)
Conceptual age (creators & empathizers)

The new paradigm for how we think and use the internet was developed by Gary Gygax
who created Dungeons and Dragons. E.g. Amazon comes up with Hello, Helen! -- from D&D

Pink challenges the reader to describe what we do as librarians?
Would the patron understand

Section on play. P191 GM is in the ART business, the US Military is in the GAME business.
What is the library business? The HELP business the CHANGE business, the PERSONAL ASSISTANCE business. we are Connection, we are Facilitators

From the book Learning and Memory, about how animals learn. Squirrels sequence & association. Elephants have long term internal memory.
Hudmon, Andrew. Learning and Memory. Gray matter. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers, 2006.
Librarians facilitate different learning styles.

One horse owning librarian digs, shovels and deposits. Librarianship is like that: Shoveling shit; performing a service and giving it or depositing us. Not our business to determine what happens to the shit we shovel.

There is a part in our right brain that helps us to make a spiritual connection, making a difference in what you do, which gives purpose and satisfaction to a person’s professional or personal life. There’s a purpose in life; there are activities to which we are drawn which help us fulfill our personal mission or connect us to our destiny.

What kind of a book is this? It’s a Business/Economic book?
The economy of the future = Technology will migrate to India and China.
High concept-High touch economy, the arts, emphathy etc. will form the US economy of the future.

Example: Nursing: integrating empathy into the curriculum. Cultural competence.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN ON A PRACTICAL LEVEL FOR LIBRARIES AND LIBRARIANS

· Nice matters. Librarians and libraries need to be welcoming. Libraries should be a democrative, free open to all place where patrons experience mutual respect. Rude librarians are not appropriate.
· Libraries as spaces need to be adapted to accommodate group work, collaboration, cooperation, group learning, discussing.

· Gaming and creative activities such as multimedia use and production need to be part of knowledge use and creation.

· Libraries need to be not just responsive to, but proactive concerning, the needs of the local or target community.

· Seating should be comfortable.

· Libraries need also to be a quiet haven for creative thinking or study or “spiritual refreshment” . The UMass library with its landscaping and gardens - a good idea. Presence of plants and growing things is “spiritually refreshing”. Human beings need personal space.

· Libraries should engage the individual. Blogs, IM, interactivity, responsiveness in every way is part of this.

· Libraries should engage the individuals in groups and communities. Discussions/Lectures, Focus Groups, Group projects, exhibits, music/drama/arts.

One problem mentioned. Some libraries have evolved into quiet spaces and noisy spaces. Adults and kids. Kids need quiet? They invade the adult space. Adults complain.


Ideas for empowering library clients
http://www.goodreads.com/ http://www.librarything.com/

Brenda