by Mare Parker-O’Toole, Adult Services Librarian
Medfield Public Library
Convergence is a phenomenon that is quietly overtaking many of the activities and devices that are common (or becoming common) in our daily lives. When I was a kid we had a red telephone. It had a phone number (Li)nden 5- 2992. In those days phones were phones and phone numbers were named after trees. Both things were pretty stable and somehow comforting.
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Things have changed. One can no longer rely on a phone being a phone. The phone that I have on my belt is also a movie theatre, an audio book, a book I can read visually, a video camera, a still camera, and a way to play games. My phone can look up information on the world-wide-web, send and receive messages both leisurely and instant, play my favorite symphony, allow me to compose music, buy music and listen to music. And that is just the beginning.
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Instant gratification is another trend that is becoming ever-present. It now takes only a couple of keystrokes on one of our convergence devices (Smart phone, Blackberry, I-Pod etc.) to book a flight, order dinner, find a restaurant, buy a book, or borrow a book from the library.
Libraries are beginning to capitalize on this new social phenomenon. You can choose a pin number (personal identification number) for your library card and go virtually to the Minuteman Library Network Catalog (www.mln.lib.ma.us/) and order books—from home—at 3 in the morning. If what you want is not available locally there is also a Virtual Catalog (www.mln.lib.ma.us/virtcat.htm) that will search all of the libraries in Massachusetts for what you need.
Need a different format? Going on vacation and forget to stop by the library to pick up an audio book? From the online library catalog you can use a service called Overdrive to download audio books to your computer, burn them onto a CD or transfer them to your convergence device to read or to listen.
Trying to finish that research paper in the middle of the night? Never fear! You can get to databases with full-text articles from scholarly journals, magazines, and newspapers as well as complete E-books (electronic books) with searchable text. It is an insomniacs’ dream. You can apply (online) to the Boston Public Library for an E-Card (www.bpl.org/general/circulation/ecards.htm) which opens up even more avenues to information.
If this sounds daunting, remember that the library is staffed by people who are trained to help you get the information and resources that you need. Don’t hesitate to ask for assistance. It’s a brave new world out there and the folks at the library are eagerly waiting to help you navigate it. You can’t beat the cost; it’s all provided for free!
