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Photographs tell a story and illustrate an experience more profoundly than words alone. Real-time, text-based communication is an increasingly normal part of daily life as mobile devices and social networks proliferate. Yet, in the steady stream of tweets, comments, status updates, notifications, and e-mail, the details are easily lost in the deluge. It's no surprise that social platforms supporting visual content, such as Instagram, Tumbler, and Pinterest, are now rising to the top of social media channels. An attractive, compelling image offers background, narrative, and conclusion all a moment's glance, delivering information, efficiency, and satisfaction to the viewer. In a recent experiment, David Lee King (2012), "with some help from Ben Bizzle," sought to learn more about what prompted customer interaction with the Topeka & Shawnee County Library Facebook page. His test post was a Victorian-style e-card image, with the quote "My book is almost finished, but I'm just not ready to say goodbye to these characters. Maybe if I just read the last chapter really slow..." It was posted on August 23, 2012, and within days became "the most popular post EVER for Topeka's Facebook page" according to King's research (posted to his blog on August 28, 2012). Why did this post become number one with a bullet in just a few short days? Here's what David Lee King determined: (1) It's visual; (2) Visual is also pretty useful; (3) Images with words are another trend; (4) The message connects with something their customers love; (5) It hits on an emotion; and (6) They asked for it. When it comes to thinking visually, there's nothing like an eye-catching image, graph, or pie chart to have one shouting from the rooftops, "I love infographics!" (Abram 2011). Indeed, a well-designed infographic is as aesthetically pleasing as it is educational, which is exactly what makes it share-worthy. Of course, the form and value of data visualization goes far beyond infographics. In 2011, Deloitte cited visualization as one of the leading tech trends for enterprise. Deloitte describes data visualization as a "(re)emerging enabler," since earlier iterations existed, such as spreadsheet and database chart builders and business reporting tools with limited context. Steps for developing an effective data visualization program for an organization and for establishing a strategy for packaging data into consumable, sharable media files are offered.

Bookstores, record stores, libraries, Facebook: these places--both physical and virtual--demonstrate an established and essential purpose as centers of community, expertise, convenience, immediacy, and respect. Yet as digital, mobile, and social shifts continue to transform culture and interactions, these spaces and places transform, too. Meanwhile, the case for place is as strong as ever; librarians collectively rely on the value of mutual knowledge to edify, entertain, explain, and expand their own experiences. In upcoming "Social Eyes" columns, the author will explore further how libraries are integrating new technologies and trends to develop and deliver services reflecting new cultural norms, changing values, and visionary ideals.

Rare is the inspirational, spontaneous, transformative moment shared among 20 million people. In the summer of 2010, people around the world were moved by the sighting of a double rainbow--almost a triple rainbow--"all the way across the sky" in Yosemite National Park. Caught on video and posted to by YouTube by Paul Vasquez in January 2010, the video became an overnight Internet sensation: it was posted to social networks, e-mailed to friends, watched in dorm rooms and living rooms, and on laptops and smart phones (Brown 2010). This article discusses how libraries can design for "double rainbow" when planning an marketing library services, Web sites, and programs. In her keynote address for the Internet Librarian 2010 Conference, Patricia Martin presented key themes of the emerging techno-social, user-centered environment. In order for libraries to adapt and maintain relevance, Martin said that they must "put the user at the center of the universe, let users collaborate on the rules, and curate the human interface." The double rainbow video successfully delivered on these three guidelines--and libraries can aim for the same when designing elements of the library experience: (1) Think social; (2) Think emotional; and (3) Think customizable. As libraries continue to evolve and promote relevance using emerging technologies, understanding what makes the ordinary information experience extraordinary is essential for engaging users and exhibiting value.

This summer's "make a statement" statement was simple to understand: "I have moved." Facebook friends and colleagues marked their mass exodus from the social networking giant with these words as they left to start a new colony of peers on the newly announced Google+ (Google Plus). G+, as it is abbreviated, offered an appealing alternative from the blue and white megalopolis of Facebook. Members departing Facebook for Google+ posted a profile image of a sign with black lettering on a white background, with the words "I Have Moved" and a G+ logo in the corner. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a commodity as "a kind of thing produced for use or sale, an article of commerce, an object of trade" and commodification as "the action of turning (that) something into a (mere) commodity; (i.e.) commercialization of an activity that is not by nature commercial." In the context of Google+ (and Facebook, too), it could be said that the "you" represented by your account's value to potential advertisers are commodi"tized". Google offers a person an account, packages it as "an object of trade," and potentially makes money. This model is not new, by any means. What stood out when G+ hit the scene was how immediately people made the jump and the idea that it was where the cool kids were moving the party. In this article, the author describes the qualifying characteristics that made G+ cool and discusses the commodification of cool: taking something uncommercial by nature and corrupting its value by making it commercialized product--in this case, the intrinsic experiential value of "cool."

In this article, the author discusses Connecticut Library Consortium's (CLC) recently held fifth annual Trendspotting symposium, "E-books: Collections at the Crossroads." She was pleased to work with CLC to develop a cutting-edge program of dynamic, thought-provoking speakers and presentations, including an outstanding keynote by Eli Neiburger on libraries and e-books in the 21st century and an expert overview by Sue Polanka about what's hot and what's not in the current e-book landscape. CLC selected the symposium theme far in advance of the April 2011 event date, clearly identifying e-books as a hot topic and recognizing the increasing interest and need for expanded discussions on the subject. Nevertheless, the advancements and controversy related to e-books in libraries during the first quarter of 2011 sparked unprecedented activity, engagement, and debate among librarians and scholars, students and faculty, and journalists and citizens alike. E-reader adoption is sufficiently mainstream that individuals have strong opinions about how, when, and where they should acquire e-book content and at what price. Likewise, librarians continue to grow concerned about the "edging out" of libraries in the e-book market, the limitations of digital rights management and the trade-offs of privacy and ownership in exchange for digital convenience, and the de facto (often unsatisfactory) solutions required to make e-books available to library users.

In this article, the author discusses the four essential building blocks for personal brands: (1) name; (2) message; (3) channels; and (4) bridges. However, outstanding building materials can only take a person so far. The author emphasizes that vision, determination, faith, a sense of humor, and humility are also required.

Librarians, like patrons and researchers, are caught between traditional library service models and the promise of evolving information technologies. In recent years, professional conferences have strategically featured programs and presentations geared toward building a mobile agenda and adapting or adopting services to meet new demands of mobile users. Yet for every librarian with a mobile success story, there are many more seeking to identify how, when, and why to develop mobile library services. Adding to the complexities of the mobile puzzle, even vanguard libraries report relatively little overall usage of mobile services. So while mobile interest and capabilities are increasing, libraries with taut budgets must carefully weigh the benefits of specialized services with the costs of delivery. To set a baseline on the extent of current mobile services and to identify desired features, "Library Journal" recently conducted an email survey of public and academic libraries. Results from the 483 respondents indicate that many libraries are endeavoring to participate in the mobile environment, either by implementing or planning to implement mobile services. Overall, 44% of academic libraries and 34% of public libraries currently offer some type of mobile services to their customers; two out of five libraries of all types, academic and public, report plans to "go mobile" in the near future.

Libraries are widely known as institutions that access, organize, and preserve collections of information. Libraries are also dynamic administrative entities that generate and exchange internal business information. From small operations with limited staff and technology to large, multidepartmental institutions with full IT support, libraries universally require efficient communications systems to operate effectively. Many libraries use proprietary systems or self-designed intranets to centralize institutional information. Faced with new and competing communications technologies and shrinking budgets, some libraries are exploring whether social and emerging technologies might offer advantages over existing models. Intranet expert Toby Ward, CEO of Prescient Digital Media, is the author of IntranetBlog.com (2005), a blog of current research, reports, analysis, case studies, and assessments of intranets and related best practices. The blog features intranets in the business environment, offering readers the opportunity to benefit from integrating enterprise models and perspectives into their own intranets. In this article, the author discusses three articles found on this site that have her thinking differently about library intranet trends and enhancements: (1) "Intranet Predictions for 2010," which provided an in-depth look at how and why these predictions are relevant to enterprise; (2) "Intranet ROI," which emphasized the need to assess and articulate the return value of intranet endeavors and offered several examples of ways intranets are cost-effective for organizations and a useful list of content topics optimal for intranets; and (3) "Nexus of Intranet Success," which presented a graphical view of the critical elements of an intranet. Ward's "nexus" depicted intranet components in three levels. Level 1, at the center, is executive support; Level 2 includes administrative and technical factors--i.e., planning, resources, content, and technology; and finally, Level 3 is made up of motivated users.

In a time of increasingly digital distribution, challenging questions arise regarding what people own, what they want to access to, and how they develop and maintain collections. What considerations influence their decision making, as individuals and libraries shift toward more subscription-oriented content? Digital access to e-books and multimedia offers numerous advantages, including convenience, immediacy, and direct access to a wealth of content, ranging from the mainstream to the obscure. However, the direct-to-consumer model provides added value to customers and leaves libraries out of the equation. Libraries have traditionally offered the "convenience, immediacy, and direct access to a wealth of content" that would have been otherwise unavailable to the consumer. In the digital environment, libraries struggle to maintain a primary role. New expectations, advanced technologies, and market innovations are evolving faster than libraries can reasonably compete with, since resource limitations, reduced staffing, and conflicting priorities inhibit libraries' technological agility. Examining how digital media impacts expectations and consumer behavior thus informs how one shapes library e-book and multimedia collections. For libraries to maintain relevance in the digital content economy, the author suggests they need to continue advocating for effective digital access to e-books and they must aim higher in their negotiations.

As emerging information technologies have driven demand for new library communication channels, there has been increased interest in the use of mobile tools to promote interaction, expand outreach, market programs, and enhance the library experience. Libraries today are at widely different levels of mobile engagement, a gap poised to grow as mobile device adoption proliferates and library budgets shrink or stagnate. While all libraries strive to deliver timely, effective, and seamless service to their users, many operate with minimal staffing and limited financial resources, which inhibits chances to take even moderately innovative risks. However, it is necessary for librarians to be aware of the opportunities presented by mobile interactivity and develop a mobile strategy. A mobile strategy should encompass the broadest range of library services, like mobile Web sites, online catalogs, reference services, access to collections, community information, events and programs, room reservations, course materials, and a full suite of patron account management features, such as renewals, holds, fine payments, virtual bookshelf, and self-checkout. Once the services, methods, and benchmarks are determined, creating a patron relationship management (PRM) plan ensures that mobile library communications align with existing services, represent the vision and goals of the institution, and maximize the efficiencies and opportunities of the technology. Mobile PRM expands upon the Short Message Service (SMS) reference concept to combine marketing, outreach, and interaction to meet a broader need for information services beyond the basic reference inquiry. In addition, Mobile PRM is applicable and relevant to a wide range of mobile library users, as users can utilize any type of mobile phone (not only smartphones) to send or receive texts.

Customer service is at the core of everything librarians do in libraries. They strive to create positive customer relationships and to provide added value to the library services offered to their patrons. Emerging technologies offer opportunities for creative integration with library services. Staff should be encouraged to explore, learn, and recommend how these technologies might fit into the library's suite of services. Administrators should determine and define the policies and standards by which these technologies maybe actively employed. Only by participating in the mobile/social culture can they learn how to develop adequate services for the mobile/social members of their libraries. Establishing standards to support such endeavors requires librarians to think strategically about how, when, and where to apply resources for technological innovations. Moreover, a well-documented policy ensures a collective understanding of institutional goals and sets criteria for evaluation, improvement, and future innovations.