Launch of IFLA Trend Report in Singapore, Aug 19, 2013

Trend Report @ World Library & Information Congress (Session 93: Plenary session):

• Trend 1: New technologies will both expand and limit who has access to information

Questions posed by the IFLA Trend Report include:

1. When information is so easy to share – can anyone really own it?
2. “You don't have permission to access that”: Will your Internet stop at the border?
3. The world's information at your fingertips – but what can you do with it?

• Trend 2: Online Education will democratise and disrupt global learning

Questions worth considering:

1. If online education is free, then how much is it really worth?
2. If we’re learning together but studying alone – will online education change the face of learning forever?
3. Will you ever need to remember anything ever again?

• Trend 3: the boundaries of privacy and data protection will be redefined

Questions worth considering:

1.  What are the resulting impacts on privacy, and protection of our personal information?
2. Who’s profiting from your personal information?
3. Does your government know more about you than you do?
4. Who’s to be trusted more: your government or your search engine? Or neither?

• Trend 4: Hyper-connected societies will listen to and empower new voices and groups

Questions worth considering:

1. What impact will hyper-connected societies have on traditional political parties?

• Trend 5: The global information economy will be transformed by new technologies

Questions worth considering:

1. When your phone, your car and your wristwatch know where you are at all times – who runs your life?
2. Ymmärrätkö minua? Will automated translation lead to greater multi-cultural understanding?
3. Will individuals and businesses be able to be economically active from anywhere in the world?