10 Tips

10 Tips for Tracking Trends: Libraries can stay relevant to their users by strategically riding the waves of societal trends by Elisabeth Doucett
Source: American Libraries, June/July 2010 Issue

Step 1: Identify potential sources of information for societal and library trend tracking.
Step 2: Develop a method for regularly reviewing those resources.
Step 3: Search social networking sites.
Step 4: Review each idea that you pulled out of your research, considering potential implications for your library.
Step 5: Leave your idea list in a file until you start the same process the next week.
Step 6: When you identify the ideas that you want to pursue for your library, get together with some of your fellow librarians to help you review the ideas and find the good and bad about them.
Step 7: Put the ideas back in the file and let them sit for another week.
Step 8: Once a month, pull out one idea that has gone through steps 1–7.
Step 9: Approval.
Step 10: Turned down.