Library Technology R E P O R T S Expert Guides to Library Systems and Services Hope, Hype, and VoIP: Riding the Library Technology Cycle Char Booth www.alatechsource.org Copyright © 2010 American Library Association All Rights Reserved. Library Technology About the Author REPORTS Char Booth is E-Learning Librarian at the University of California, Berkeley. A 2007 AmericanAmerican Library Library Association Association ALA Emerging Leader and 2008 5050 East East Huron Huron St. St. Chicago,Chicago, IL IL 60611-2795 60611-2795 USA USA Library Journal Mover and www.alatechsource.orgwww.alatechsource.org Shaker, Char blogs about library 800-545-2433,800-545-2433, ext. ext. 4299 4299 312-944-6780312-944-6780 futures, instructional design, 312-280-5275312-280-5275 (fax) (fax) and technology literacy at info- mational (www.infomational AdvertisingAdvertising Representative Representative .com), and tweets @charbooth. BrianBrian Searles, Searles, Ad Ad Sales Sales Manager Manager Char advocates for library cultures of experimentation ALAALA Publishing Publishing Dept. Dept. [email protected]@ala.org and assessment, explores free and open source solutions to 312-280-5282312-280-5282 library sustainability, and promotes the integration of instruc- 1-800-545-2433,1-800-545-2433, ext. ext. 5282 5282 tional design and pedagogical training in library education. In 2009 she published Informing Innovation: Tracking ALAALA TechSource TechSource Editor Editor Student Interest in Emerging Library Technologies at Ohio DanDan Freeman Freeman [email protected]@ala.org University (ACRL Digital Publications) and has a book on 312-280-5413312-280-5413 teaching and technology effectiveness forthcoming in Fall 2010, Reflective Teaching, Effective Learning; Instructional CopyCopy Editor Editor Literacy for Library Educators (ALA Editions). JudithJudith Lauber Lauber Char completed an ME in educational technology at Ohio University in 2008, an MSIS at the University of Texas at AdministrativeAdministrative Assistant Assistant Austin’s School of Information in 2005, and a BA in history at JudyJudy Foley Foley [email protected]@ala.org Reed College in Portland, Oregon, in 2001. 800-545-2433,800-545-2433, ext. ext. 4272 4272 312-280-5275312-280-5275 (fax) (fax) ProductionProduction and and Design Design ALAALA Production Production Services: Services: Troy Troy D. D. Linker Linker andand Tim Tim Clifford Clifford Abstract LibraryLibrary Technology Technology Reports Reports (ISSN (ISSN 0024-2586) 0024-2586) is is published published eight eight times times a a After the initial hype is past, the real value of an emerging yearyear (January, (January, March, March, April, April, June, June, July, July, September, September, October, October, and and December) December) technology unfolds as librarians adopt, test, and learn from byby American American Library Library Association, Association, 50 50 E. E. Huron Huron St., St., Chicago, Chicago, IL IL 60611. 60611. It It is is managedmanaged by by ALA ALA TechSource, TechSource, a aunit unit of of the the publishing publishing department department of of ALA. ALA. it on the ground. This issue of Library Technology Reports PeriodicalPeriodical postage postage paid paid at at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, Illinois, and and at at additional additional mailing mailing offices. offices. examines the long-term adoption cycle of one established POSTMASTER:POSTMASTER: Send Send address address changes changes to to Library Library Technology Technology Reports, Reports, 50 50 E. E. HuronHuron St., St., Chicago, Chicago, IL IL 60611. 60611. tool, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), in order to gain actionable insight into the library innovation process. It out- TrademarkedTrademarked names names appear appear in in the the text text of of this this journal. journal. Rather Rather than than identify identify lines the types of online calling and conferencing products oror insert insert a atrademark trademark symbol symbol at at the the appearance appearance of of each each name, name, the the authors authors andand the the American American Library Library Association Association state state that that the the names names are are used used for for that have developed, examines their library implementations editorialeditorial purposes purposes exclusively, exclusively, to to the the ultimate ultimate benefit benefit of of the the owners owners of of the the from video kiosks to telecommuting to distance instruction, trademarks.trademarks. There There is is absolutely absolutely no no intention intention of of infringement infringement on on the the rights rights ofof the the trademark trademark owners. owners. and considers how their successes and failures can inform other emerging applications. By understanding a tool’s prac- tical library affordances and how there are adopted, adapted, and rejected, we can better evaluate its local promise criti- cally, creatively, and with an eye toward sustainability. www.alatechsource.orgwww.alatechsource.org Subscriptions For more information about subscriptions and CopyrightCopyright ©2010 ©2010 American American Library Library Association Association individual issues for purchase, call the ALA Customer AllAll Rights Rights Reserved. Reserved. Service Center at 1-800-545-2433 and press 5 for assistance, or visit www.alatechsource.org. Table of Contents Chapter 1—VoIP Demystified 5 Why VoIP? 5 The Library Hype Cycle 6 Learning to Fail 6 A Lesson in Layers 6 You Asked for It 7 Unequal Access: Phone and Broadband 7 Laying the Groundwork 8 VoIP Defined 8 Three Types of VoIP 8 Rates of Adoption 9 Quality, Stability, and Security 9 Notes 10 Chapter 2—IP Phones, Software VoIP, and Integrated and Mobile VoIP 11 Type 1: IP Phones 11 User Experience 11 Infrastructure and Benefits 11 Quality, Security, and Stability 12 Carriers 12 Type 2: Software VoIP 12 Audio/Visual Externals 13 Classes of Software VoIP 13 Quality, Security, and Stability 16 Type 3: Mobile and Integrated VoIP 16 Mobility and Adaptation 16 Adoption (and Resistance) 17 Benefits and Issues of Mobile VoIP 17 Integrated VoIP 17 ReportsLibrary Technology Notes 18 Chapter 3—VoIP in Professional Communication, Collaboration, and Development 20 Workplace Telephony 20 Flexible Work and Distance Collaboration 21 Recruiting and Interviewing 21 www.alatechsource.org Virtual Participation 22 Online Learning and Development 23 Notes 24 July 2010 July 3 Hope, Hype, and VoIP: Riding the Library Technology Cycle Char Booth Table of Contents, continued Chapter 4—VoIP in Reference, User Services, and Instruction 25 VoIP Reference 25 Video Kiosks 27 International Services 27 Virtual Participation and Community Building 28 Distance Learning and Instruction 29 Content Creation and Archiving 29 Conclusion 30 Notes 30 Chapter 5—Video Kiosk as Hype Cycle 32 Technology Trigger 32 Peak of Inflated Expectations 34 Trough of Disillusionment 34 Slope of Enlightenment 35 Plateau of Productivity 36 Notes 36 Chapter 6—Lessons for Library Innovation 38 Analyzing the Kiosk Experience 38 Knowledge Sharing 38 Organizational Culture 39 Rationalizing Expectations 40 Video Reference 40 Consolidating the Streams with Universal Communicators 41 Fidelity, Social Presence, and User Preference 41 The Uncanny Valley 42 Learning from History 42 Notes 43 Chapter 7—Knowledge Sharing and the Next-Generation Network 44 From Hype Cycle to Innovation Trajectory 44 From Disruption to Diversification 45 In Closing: Knowledge Sharing Leads to Hype Cycle Productivity 46 Notes 46 Chapter 1 VoIP Demystified Abstract VoIP tools come in many configurations and have been applied with great diversity in libraries. This chapter outlines the technical foundation and adoption patterns of online voice and video calling, and explores how VoIP provides insight into the library technology cycle on a broader scale. Why VoIP? In a 2007 Librarian in Black post, Sarah Houghton-Jan described Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) as “not a really sexy technology.”1 In terms of the bleeding-edge con- Library Technology ReportsLibrary Technology cepts Library Technology Reports tends to focus on, I’d have to agree. Web voice and video are old news: Skype’s international popularity is established, voice and video chat proliferate in social media, embedded webcams are com- monplace, and many organizations have made the transi- tion to IP phones in offices and classrooms. The rise of mobile technology is another nail in VoIP’s nonsexy coffin: international cell subscriptions continue to skyrocket and have already far outstripped landline and Web phones.2 www.alatechsource.org Bearing this in mind, you might be wondering why I’ve chosen VoIP as the subject of this report. When Web calling tools began to emerge several years ago, I took on the de facto role of video reference evangelist. I predicted that applications like Skype could transform how librar- ians provided public services over the Web. I imagined video consultations and kiosks that could increase ser- vice point efficiency and humanize the virtual reference 2010 July experience. When I worked at Ohio University between 2006 and 2008, my colleagues and I built an interest- Figure 1 ing, innovative, and frequently hilarious proof-of-concept Hilarity ensues. 5 Hope, Hype, and VoIP: Riding the Library Technology Cycle Char Booth video kiosk using Skype and a couple of webcams (figure 1). After about two highly instructive years of opera- tion, we (they, actually—by this time I had relocated to California) shut the kiosk down. The Library Hype