Issues, Concerns and Problems on Emerging Trends On

Issues, Concerns and Problems on Emerging Trends on Libraries and Information Services

Academic and research libraries are greatly influenced by the tremendous and most overwhelming changes and development in the creation and access provision of information in all imaginable formats and types. With the ubiquity and easy availability of online sources, information need is just one need easily fulfilled. This is one of the many reasons why it is also quite easy to succumb to the belief that every research question, from the most mundane to the most complicated can be answered by just a few clicks and push. The computer (or the internet for that matter) should be able to respond and give adequate answer to everything! With this fact, staring information professionals in their face, it is now an issue of how to make the library remain an essential component of the academic institutions’ information infrastructure when they are more often now than ever before, is invisible to the users and other stakeholders.

Do Libraries (still) matter?

Relevance is perhaps the biggest challenge facing libraries today. With information easily accessible and can be had for free most of the time, do libraries really still matter? All those exaggerated pronouncements about physical libraries slowly going on extinction did not help at all in coming up with a resounding NO MORE! But according to a White Paper by Ken Chad (2005) it should be a clearly positive YES if only for the reason that libraries continue to provide unique value. What needs to be done for libraries to meet the expectation of the modern world is to create dramatic changes.

Expectations of the modern world clearly include an internet enabled way of life. Now, there is no denying this one! People from practically all walks of life expect to be able to connect somehow. Even if statistics should disagree and that half of the world’s population actually have never even made a single phone call, surfing the net and going on line is simply how the other half lives. This need to go online at anytime and anywhere exposed the limitations of a service available at a physical building, with limited service hours. Most significantly, being able to access information online for free further emphasized the difference between searching and accessing information for a fee and actually getting it with more efficiency for free. These expectations put pressure on libraries to modernize their services and the way they deliver these services.

“Creating Conversations, Connections and Communities” or Library 2.0

Michael Stephens, in his blog ALA TechSource, provided a well stated summary on the changing roles of libraries and librarians:

“It is a given in my world: To remain viable, interesting and relevant libraries should seek methods to get out into the community, engage users with services and conversations, and offer collaborative spaces both online and in beautiful physical buildings. But here’s the other side of the coin: Librarians should embrace the social tools as well on the professional and even personal level. It is the logical first step to put us on the way to Library 2.0.”

Technological advances in the past several years have enabled libraries to create new services that before were not possible. We now have virtual reference services, dynamic OPAC interfaces, downloadable media and remote access to various sources. Social software and the influx of tools such us weblogs, wikis, instant messaging and RSS have also created new services or improve current ones for all types of libraries. These are all included in the basic definition of Library 2.0. This is a description of the on-going user

1 centered change. This is the new model for library service that encourage user participation in the creation of both the physical and the virtual services they want and regular library service evaluation. From a Library 2.0 perspective, librarians and information professionals should think about involving their clienteles in the conversation, consider them as partners, and learn to appreciate their expertise.

Library 2.0 is an offshoot of Web 2.0 which played a significant role in the library’s ability to keep up with the fast changing needs of library users. It is an established fact that many of the services of the library actually do not reach the majority of the population. It was never easy to reach out to this group with physical services because of space and money constraints and no library can possibly carry every item that every user wants or needs. At the most, it is a hit-driven effort, focusing on popular materials that at least a significant number of users have made a request. This shall keep the traditional users satisfied but nonusers might be better served if librarians should consider what is being called the long tail.

Long Tail is a concept introduced by Chris Anderson in an article in Wired (www.snipurl.com/longtail). In here, he provided a thorough discussion on the advantages for online retailers listing large numbers of infrequently requested items. He argued that popular items (bestsellers) may get the most attention and sell well, but the total volume of those that only sell a few each item may well exceed the sales of the most popular items. The concept of long tail has empowered companies like Amazon, Netflix, and eBay. These companies were able to tap the previously underserved segments of the market. Tapping into these markets proved to be highly profitable with 25 to 50 percent of their total sales coming from the long tail. This basically applies to web searching, and also for libraries. Picture the following situation. Although bestsellers circulate at high rates, it is the availability of the many infrequently circulating items that are important to the users. This is an emphasis on the vast amount of less popular items contents that connects with Web 2.0 applications that use APIs (Application Programming Interface) or software used to exchange data with other applications. This helps designers find ways to mash-up data from several sources into a new look, feel and functionality. Just exactly what the libraries now need to be able to provide better service and reach out to nonusers.

Library 2.0 is a library that is everywhere. It is a library that is present at the point of need, one that is visible on a wide range of devices. It should be able to provide integrated services beyond the physical collection and is more than a “library without walls” (portals, Virtual Learning Environment, e-commerce). There should be no barriers to managing resources and making them available at the point of need. This should provide for use and re-use of resources by making them more widely exposed and allowing for greater user participation in its creation and utilization. It is the library that invites participation and facilitates and encourages this culture of participation through Web 2.0 tools which include wikis, blogs, RSS or the read/write web. Information resources available through the web should give libraries added leverage to work on their value added services. Encouraging end user participation through the opportunities created by web 2.0 tools are just the perfect antecedents to issuing a new invitation for them to go back to the library and see for themselves its new offerings and how they can actually be part of making it alive and prosperous.

Print and e-journals

Libraries should review existing policies with regard to retaining retrospective journals. The reallocation of library budgets from print to electronic and the changing

2 research practices of users should be considered as factors when making decision on whether to continue maintaining the print format. There is also that option to having them digitized or microfilmed. But even these options will have its setbacks and considerations. In the field of health sciences for example, studies indicate that recent material is accessed more frequently than older material, with a significant drop in use of materials greater than 15 years old. This finding should indicate that it is possible to eliminate much older issues of a print journal without fear that will have a large impact on the needs of researchers. (Kaplan et al. 2006). There is a shift in the idea of what a library is. There is a major cultural change in the way users perceive the library. From a users perspective e-journals is about access, and physical libraries are all about ownership. Users would definitely desire remote electronic access and they come to the libraries less frequent. There is also a resulting significant change in the use patterns of print journal collections when electronic journals are introduced. Users greatly preferred using electronic information resources over the more traditional print sources. In terms of making decisions on whether to continue subscribing to print journals, findings revealed that most libraries will decide on dropping the print format if and when electronic format is made available. Another major concern is the physical building and library space. There is also a need to consider the economic factors of maintaining and housing these print journals, including shelving costs and staffing. Many libraries have undergone many changes with regard to the issue of physical building and dealing with growing print collections and the pressure from users to provide research and study space.

Digital Preservation: Issues and Concerns

The belief that digitization is the answer to a long time dilemma for libraries with matters concerning preservation is becoming another major concern. The number one question here is “will the electronic files stand the test of time?” What about the issues of:

 storage media and file format  technology infrastructure and network security  organizational stability  financial sustainability  administration and accountability

For the last three factors, nothing can be done if the library cannot get the support from those in the higher levels of the organization. Basic to any attempt of managing digital files is the recognition of the fact that maintenance is always cheaper than recovery or re- creation of these files. It used to be that fire and water are the only two great threats to libraries. Now, they have been joined by other, more insidious threats to include: file format obsolescence, catastrophic system failure, … or simple neglect! If the worst happens, a disaster recovery plan will make all the difference in the outcome. This disaster recovery plan should be part of the library’s overall planning. Library managers should know where to seek assistance and expert advice on data recovery. Back-ups are very important and redundancy is A-OK!

How to deal with file formats:

 inventory all files and make a listing of formats  migrate older materials to newer versions  try to limit the number of files being supported  watch the technology market for news affecting file formats (new standards and product updates)

3 Network Security

Library managers easily get overwhelmed by the mere thought of being responsible for securing both the physical collection and the online network of the library. The best thing to do perhaps is take a deep breath and ask the following questions: “What exactly is in my control?” “What can I do to protect my systems?” Systems librarians should have the courage and the wisdom to accept that they cannot protect everything but they should have the “courage to change the things they can” so goes one very popular life’s teachings!

Security breaches are real and there is no 100% fool proof protection. To be an effective systems librarian, security vulnerabilities must be understood. It should be a proactive approach in problem solution. Think risk management NOT risk control. More time should be spent protecting crucial information and less time on information that is less valuable to users. Aside from system vulnerabilities, other security concerns include viruses, spy wares, password security and persistence of valuable data.

Aiming for a World Class Library

Academic and research institutions should take it from modern and successful corporate organizations. With success here being defined as being knowledge centric, with each member able to conduct research and able to make decisions and develop products as a result of those researches. Librarians and other information professionals play the most critical role of being at the core of all these research efforts. Their main task is to work with information, knowledge, and learning, on a full-time basis to see that the successful transfer of information and knowledge are well managed. Knowledge Services is the term used to describe the management practice that provides the theoretical, intellectual, and philosophical foundation on which this success is built. (St. Clair et al. 2003). It is basically a mix of information management, knowledge management, and strategic (performance-centered) learning. Libraries which are geared towards this practice are expected to deliver “world class service” or at the very least a borderless service with the library NOT being merely a place or a physical location but a function able to reach even the remotest of customers. These are libraries that offer specialized, mission specific that are of the highest caliber. Recognizing this specialized role, there is now the need to identify emerging trends in the management of these modern and world class libraries. St. Clair et al (2003). identified these trends to include:

 Understanding the need to manage the library from a holistic perspective and integrating its work into the larger business purpose of the parent organization  Including cross-functional collaboration as a critical feature of the library’s operation  Defining the strategic function of the library within the organization and clearly stating it in the library’s mission statement  Recognizing the library as the central information/knowledge connection for the organization  Libraries operate in a specific environment and providing mission-specific services.  The vision of the library has been established and linked with information management, knowledge management and strategic (performance-based) learning  Giving emphasis on marketing and awareness building among users  Provision of higher value services. Queries received should demand for highly intensive approaches to research and not limited to responding to “simple” queries.

4  Client needs are tracked and monitored on an on-going basis and their satisfaction with the services delivered  New paradigms of service delivery which includes product development and services provided by internal staff or acquired from external vendors. These are recognized as opportunities for enhancing knowledge services for the parent organization  Advocates and users clearly recognize the value of the library and exert efforts to help it get the support it needs.

Well-managed world class libraries have certain characteristics and patterns in the kinds of services and products offered. In terms of services, they are expected to be able to provide a wide range of specialized services including reference and consultation services. Reference services are now broadened to include proactive research service approach. Professional library staff is able to respond to more challenging questions posed by users. Although traditional tasks are still being performed, such as book purchasing and journal subscriptions, more and more libraries are now giving emphasis on the importance of document delivery and acquisitions of technical reports and inter-library loans (ILL).

World class libraries are customer based, giving all due attention to the importance of identifying and proactively communicating with both the active users and non-users. They are able recognize users that are well educated and that they have very high expectations for library and research services. In terms of management, library managers are actively seeking to reduce the amount of time devoted to processing of materials, as opposed to direct interactions with the library users. Much effort is expended to move staff to working directly with the customers. How the organization view the library has become one of the greatest challenges to librarians and information professionals. For some members of the organization, those that are more senior (older) will continue to view it as “fairly traditional and old fashioned” while the more junior and newer members who are more into Web 2.0 tend to forget the library completely. This perception actually just posed another challenge – that is the more popular misconception that everything is freely available on the web.

Financial concerns brought about by the diminishing support and the continuing struggle for continued funding take most of the planning efforts of a library manager. Even the decision with regards to charging for some services as an effort to augment the library finances is not an easy one to make especially if the library is mandated to provide free services as part of its mission specific objectives. For some, “shared system” for charging back for services is an acceptable rule and this should work for services such as extended reference services, external document delivery and some cataloging work. Libraries should also consider changing its mantra to “doing enough with less” instead of “doing more with less.” But even while staff members are being encouraged to accept this philosophy, library clients are not expected to change their expectations as far as library services are concerned. They will naturally refuse to give up or cut back on the services they expect to receive from the library. The frustrations this will cause the library staff and its management is another concern. Library managers should focus on trying to lessen and compensate for this added pressure for the staff.

It is now a generally accepted fact that library is both a place and a gateway. Libraries will continue to house physical collection and at the same is expected to provide access to information from online resources. In terms of physical planning, libraries should be able to provide adequate space for staff, study spaces both for groups and individual, ergonomic furniture, wired study areas and spaces conducive for conducting research, strategic learning and training activities all within the library setting.

5 References:

Casey Michael E. and Laura C. Savastinuk. Library 2.0. Library Journal 131:14 September 1, 2006. Kaplan, Richard, Marilyn Steinberg, Joanne Doucette. Journal of the Medical Library Association 94(4):387 October 2006 St. Clair, Guy and Victoria Harriston, and Thomas A. Pellizzi. Towards World-Class Knowledge Services: Emerging Trends in Specialized Research Libraries Part One: The Management Perspective. Information Outlook 2003. Stephens, Michael. “Social Software for the Rest of Us (or Librarian 2.0),” ALA TechSource Blog. www.techsource.ala.org/blog/2005/11/social-software-for-the-rest-of-us-or- librarian-2.0.html

Lecture delivered at the PAARL National Conference on “Emerging Trends in Libraries and Information Services” at the Covelandia du Labrador on April 26, 2007.