As many of us are back at work, its time to consider what the New Year is going to bring to our libraries. And as VALA 2012 is fast approaching, its only appropriate that we look at tech trends.

Mashable recently listed its 5 Tech Trends to Watch in 2012.  They are:

• Augmented reality
• Micro-payment economy
• Rise of the ultra-book
• Social/digital inclusion
• Mobile chip wars

Although not all of these will directly relate to libraries and their service, it is still useful to know what is happening on the technological landscape.

The trends that I see for already see for our library this year are:

• Mobile technologies – both expanding our options for users of them and using them more in our libraries for services – this includes doing more with QR Codes
• Discovery layers – we are launching ours in February
• Social technologies – embedding the library even more out in the online social sphere
• Technology diversity – possibly getting more diverse hardware for borrowers to use, already loaded with more specialist software than the usual standard offerings of Office and Internet

What do you see as the tech trends for your library in 2012? Will any of Mashable’s suggested tech trends be something that your library will be pursuing?

Interestingly, one of the commenter’s on the Mashable post listed the one thing that will affect everyone in some way or another this year. The biggest trend will likely be something that no-one has even heard of yet.  How true!

Happy New Year to all!