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Using Magic-Like Muti-Touch Tables in Libraries

Librarians who are looking for high-tech, wow-factor ways to excite and engage customers should check out what’s happening in the area of multi-touch tables. A session by two Dutch librarians showed off how they are using the tables now and what new applications they’re building into the next generation.

Multi-Touch Table Presentation

Jaap van de Geer (R) and Erik Boekesteijn (L) of DOK Lab in Delft, Netherlands, have been working with programming colleague Koen Rotteveel to create new ways for people to use these surfaces. Multi-touch tables act like the touch-screen or your iPads or smart phones, except they are larger & more functional. Already in DOK, the library concept center, they’ve been using multi-touch tables for projects like one with the Cultural Heritage Center of Delft, where they’ve taken 25,000 pictures that were “hidden away in a dusty archive” and put the digital versions in the table for people to explore. Here’s a video that shows how it works, although Koen has created many more advances since this time.

Jaap told the crowd, “We strongly believe in entrepreneurial libraries.” Projects like this one, which was developed for DOK and is now being offered for sale to other organizations, prove that librarians can be developers.

Video blog, blogs & Ustream channel @ #IL2009

Thank you so much Elise Brown for your wonderful contributions to covering the Internet Librarian 2009 conference through your vlog!  Don Hawkins did an earlier in depth story about Elise.  I was just checking out your coverage of Monday — terrific!  And did you see all the posts from bloggers here at the conference?  One of the most popular ways the conference is being covered is via Ustream channel by Erik Beokesteijn and Jaap van der Geer. Last night’s Rockin’ Battledecks was watched live by many who were not at the conference and they had lots of comments.  I’m sure even more people will watch the archived version.   And of course, the Twitter feed you find by searching #IL2009, is amazing.  Thanks so much to all for your coverage of the conference!  Great buzz.

Live Streaming from CIL

You have to hand it to our Dutch friends, Erik Boekesteijn and Jaap Van de Geer.  Not only are they Information Today authors and speakers as well as Library Journal Movers & Shakers for 2009, but they continue to push the envelope.  This year, while Erik is interviewing Paul Hodergraber of the New York Public Library in CIL’s Tuesday morning keynote presentation [for more info see earlier post], Jaap will be live streaming the event.  So if you can’t be with us here in DC where the sun is shining and the cherry blossoms are in full splendor, check out the live feed of tomorrow’s keynote from your computer.  There is a link to the right of this post — under Links, click on CILLive. Enjoy and let us know how it works and how you like it.

Jane Dysart, CIL Conference Program Chair