Making your mark:survival techniques for

librarians

By Lesley Robinson

ASL Annual Seminar 22 February 2011

www.lesleyrobinson.co.uk

2018: the BlackBerry

2020: copyright

2022: blogging

2049: physical newspapers

2050: GoogleRef: Peter Watson: Extinction timeline in “Future Files”

Extinction timeline

19th century

20th century

2019

Libraries:

Disruptive innovation

Business models are changing

More risks are being taken

So what does all this mean for libraries?

Disruption

Yes….

What do users want….?

Community

Ease of use

Personalisation

Fast solutions

How should librarians respond to all this?

“All this disruption and development alters how we access and organise information”.

“The library of the future will be a platform for participation and collaboration, with users increasingly sharing information amongst themselves, as well as drawing on the library’s resources”.

Charles Leadbetter. “We Think”. The future is us”. 2008

Gatekeeper Collaborator

Online searcher Trainer

Custodian of collections Facilitator

Service provider Information advisors

Information gatherer Problem solver

Library process Business process

Inward looking Networker

Old New

Librarians: old and new

Vital skills

Strong customer focus

Good communicator

Interpreter of services

Information broker

Marketing

Networking

Presentation skills

Understanding technologySeeing the bigger picture

Innovation/solutions focus

Influencing Project management

Mind your mindset to be ‘future ready’