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Purpose — To assess how cell phone technology might impact the collection of travel data in the future.

Design/methodology/approach — Two different types of cell phone enabled studies are considered. First, we examine how the text feature of phones can be used for person-to-person surveys, and second, we explore an aggregate level survey enabled by an anonymous and passive GPS trace.

Findings — This study explores the types of travel information that are likely to be inferred from text surveys and cell phone traces. It recognizes that a passive GPS trace might change the level of measurement and the inferences we make about travel behaviors.

Research limitations/implications — The study is prospective. It anticipates that over the next 10–15 years cell phone tracking technology will improve, as well as the speed and capability of algorithms for post-processing the information.

Practical implications — Cell phone enabled studies may provide a new tool and new level of measurement, as traditional survey response rates decline, and it becomes more difficult and expensive to conduct conventional travel surveys. The capacity of cell phones for travel survey work is improving, but it is not fully realizable today (2012).

Originality/value — This study provides a context to understand how the technology of the cell phone might be integrated with more traditional travel surveys to streamline data collection, and produce new types of spatial detection, measurement, and tracking.

The research reported here takes a complementary approach to the direct user/consumer studies, by measuring experts’ perceptions of the likely impact of new interactive media (NIM) on different product markets. This has two benefits. First, it provides a different (and, arguably, better‐informed) perspective on consumers’ likely future response to NIM from the perspective obtained by direct consumer research. Second, the perceptions of these and other experts will strongly influence firms’ investment in NIM and their applications, which will in turn strongly influence the impact on consumers.

The purpose of this paper is to report on a small, exploratory research project focusing on librarian and parent/caregiver opinions of, and reactions to, the use of digital media and technology in public library storytimes for preschool children in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Telephone interviews with librarians and an online survey of parent/caregivers were undertaken.

The research found a mixed response to digital storytimes. Those who had not attended or presented digital storytime sessions were largely opposed to the practice, while those who had participated in a storytime using digital media generally held more positive views. Key concerns were focused on the amount of screentime young children should have and a lack of human interaction. Supporters appreciated the introduction of some basic digital literacy skills and the variety that technology could bring to storytime sessions.

Both samples were small and self-selecting. The use of an online survey meant a bias in the sample toward those with access to appropriate information communication technology as well as a self-selection bias.

The paper suggests some developments in practice and approach if librarians are going to play the role of media mentors in their communities.

This is the first study focusing on the development of digital storytimes in Aotearoa New Zealand and adds to knowledge and understanding of key stakeholder views of the inclusion of digital media and technology in public library programming for young children.

We argue for a broadened approach to brokerage by distinguishing between brokerage emphasizing a particular structural pattern in which two otherwise disconnected alters are connected through a third party (“brokerage structure”) and the social behavior of third parties (“brokerage process”). We explore a processual view of brokerage by examining three fundamental strategic orientations toward brokerage: conduit, tertius gaudens, and tertius iungens that occur in many different forms and combinations. This processual view is especially relevant in increasingly complex and dynamic environments where brokerage behavior is highly varied, intense, and purposeful, and has theoretical implications for studying multiplexity, heterogeneity, and brokerage intensity.