We like to talk about new technologies and gadgets, aka media, in terms of their characteristics and uses rather than their anticipated and unanticipated effects. If Marshall McLuhan was correct, and "the medium is the message," then it might be wise to ask, "What is the message of ubiquitous media such as RFID?" and "What effects might these media have within libraries and the informationrnenvironment of everyday life?" Asking these questions prior to their widespread adoption allows us to anticipate, rather than to react to, the effects of these new media.rnHowever, examining the observable effects isn't enough. We must also anticipate side effects: those that come when media bite back. Remember when the cell phone promised us freedom? Now, for many, it means no escape. That's what happens when media bite back. So, with an understanding that the future will never be what it used to be for a culture shaped primarily by print, we consider the effects of ubiquitous media, particularly those induced by RFID within the library and everyday life.
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