Innovative steps need to be adopted by London's public libraries to maintain relevance among an increasingly discerning Google generation (Margaret Hodge, the Culture Secretary).
Okay, last I checked, discerning meant showing insight; to recognize or identify as separate and distinct. How the fuck does using Google for every fucking thing make one discerning? It makes one a lazy motherfucker in my book.
Teens do exactly what they are told, they use Google because everybody does. That's why religious cults and military services love them. They have tons of energy and no direction. Every teen has an iPod and every kid drinks Red Bull. Teens are so afraid of screwing up and doing something stupid that they do what every other kid does.
What libraries need to do is create more jobs for teens (but not just any teen). We need to follow the same strategies as a business. Who is the first person you see at the front desk of a restaurant? The youngest, prettiest girl they could find in the place. Go to Outback Steakhouse or the Cheesecake Factory and check out who they put up front; it's not the ugly girl. So libraries need to hire more attractive teens to work as host and hostess. "Hi, welcome to the library. The new DVDs are over there and if you need a computer, just go over to that desk and someone will help you." The attractive teens won't shelve books, but they can help patrons carry their books to the checkout desk and help with the photocopier. But mostly they're visible and make the library look like a cool place to hang out.
And getting back to the original story, here's a quote that symbolizes why I love to watch British movies:
"Indeed, I would put it to you, if you don’t innovate you will decline. So you've got to prioritise investment in new services if you want to secure a long-term future," Hodge said.
Don't you just love the way she speaks? Wouldn't you accept that demotion from that Wisconsin library director if she put it like that: "I put it to you, due to innovative investment and changing library priorities, you've got the sack."
So the more accurate headline, like the one from The TimesOnline, Public libraries told to innovate or die out, needs to read, Libraries need to adapt to lazy-ass mofos to survive. There, that's better.
