Bright futures: getting a sense of direction

Professor Di MartinDean of Learning & Information Services

University of Hertfordshire, UK

Libraries of the XXI century: will we survive?Lodz, 19-21 June 2006

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Presentation overview

• identify some trends and signposts

• interpret what these may mean for the future development of libraries and librarians

• comment on how we might influence our future success

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A century ago

Detroit, USA 19081st Ford Model T assembled15 million sold in next 19

years

Massive social changeChanged expectations Mobile citizensEffect on towns

Section title

Now – a century later

Internet and personal technology

Massive social changeChanged expectationsDigital citizens

Effect on communications & information

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20 year timeline

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Old model

Library

Externalproviders

Externalproviders

Users

Externalproviders

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New model

Library

Users

Other providers

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The digital environment is already the norm

What does this mean for libraries and librarians?• Understanding our users

• Collections

• Study facilities

• Services

• Management, staffing and skills, business processes

What distinctive value-added services do our users expect from the ‘new’ library?

• Focus on people not the technology

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Getting to know the digital citizen?

• Anytime (24/7), anywhere

• Easy immediacy

• Integration

• Personalisation

• Presentation

• Security & privacy

• Consumer with entitlements

• Non-linear approach

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Understanding our users

• Going beyond satisfaction surveys

• Market research

• Customer relationshipmanagement

• Data mining & statistical analysis

• Business intelligence

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Collections 1(A wealth of knowledge & information)

• Mainly digital - e-journals now+ rapid change to e-books and other digital sourcesover the next 5 years

• Open access and free information

• Continuing growth

• Format variety eg blogs, wikis, email, learning objects, moving image

• Wider range of content eg personal, corporate, community information

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Collections 2

• Virtual collections- diverse multiple ‘holding’ locations- no ownership, no local control

- identifying authoritative sources

• Metadata standards

• New collection and content policies – ‘collection’ rationale

• Different supply chains (cf music industry)

• Library system capabilities

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Collections – who creates the mash-up?

• Select, package and deliver

• Personalisation to match to user needs

• Integration with learning and research environments

• Librarian or user or partnerships or third parties?

(A ‘mash-up’ - uses content from more than one source to create a completely new service)

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Study facilities(A place for learning and research)

• Why will users go to a physical location?

• Holistic approach (cf Seven Eleven Japan)

• Social inter-action- working together- noise, food and drink- other activities (eg tai chi)

• Learning space design (cf JISC project)

• Continuum with teaching room, home, workplace,

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Services 1Access, availability, support, advice for users

Lending Servicesreplaced with: (cf Amazon)

• self-service

• easy immediate on-line access route

• on-line ‘shopping’ cart

• personal portal utilities and usage record

• special offers

• delivery to user of sources only available as print?

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Services 2

Reader ServicesWill you see your users?

• on-line help, wikis, blogsnews, hints & tips

• customised help • discussion threads • constant updating• internet chat sessions• face to face meetings

What will you use the face-to-face meeting with users for?What terminology will you use?

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So is the future library something different?

NO and YES

The core concepts are the same

• understanding our users

• collections

• study facilities

• user services

• information literacy

It’s not what we do – but how we do it that needs to change!

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Staff roles and skills

• Information management

• Customer relationship management & market research

• Marketing & PR skills

• Understanding of learning teaching and research environments

• Collaboration, partnership, team-working skills

• Technological skills

• Legal issues, rights management, negotiation, contract management skills

• Flexibility and initiative

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Management challenges

• Organisational structures and working patterns

• New staff roles

• Revise policies

• Business process re-engineering

• Building partnerships and alliances

• Revise values, KPIs and critical success factors

• Putting users first

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Will we survive? Yes

• Use your expertise• Be an entrepreneur• Know your customers• Take the opportunities