The Future of Libraries
At the recent ALA Annual Conference in Las Vegas, I attended a panel discussion about the future of libraries. The panelists were ALA President (and Jean Stapleton doppelganger) Barbara K. Stripling, Chattanooga Public Library director Corinne Hill, Westlake High School librarian Carolyn Foote, Bay Area Community College of Marin’s library director Pearl Ly, and the director of ALA’s Center for the Future of Libraries, Miguel Figueroa. With the changes we’ve experienced at Metro over the past few months, in addition to the changes coming later this year, I was quite interested to hear the panel’s perspective on the “future” of libraries.
The consensus was that turbulence is the new normal. Libraries have always survived because we have always adapted. Change and transition can be messy so we must have a stomach for it. In spite of changes like advances in technology or reductions in funding, changes that can threaten the perception and very existence of libraries, we have adapted and found ways to thrive.
Libraries are constantly working to show our communities that we’re more than just books and book warehouses. We provide literacy services, access to technology and the Internet, research assistance, readers’ advisory, physical and virtual reference services, educational and leisure programming, and much more, all for FREE, but if our stakeholders don’t know what we do, how can we be held accountable and how can we expect them to support us in times of need?
Take risks. See what works and what doesn’t. Fail fast and fail cheap. Be in a constant state of innovation.
Libraries thrive through collaborative leadership. The best member of a team might not be the one who makes the most money. Building teams of staff who span multiple levels of the organization creates ownership and buy in, both of which are catalysts for embracing change. A humanistic approach is required for development and growth.
I thought it was a great session and as we look forward to a new website, new ILS, and new executive director, change and transition will soon be upon us, affecting all levels of our organization. It’s up to us, both individually and as an organization, to decide how we’re going to adapt to this turbulence.
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Comments
Great post and at such a perfect time. As an emerging professional in this field, I have made it a point to embrace change at every turn. I like to think that it keeps me on my toes and as agile as possible for the next bump.
It's great to see that we are having these discussions and embracing the future.
"Building teams of staff who span multiple levels of the organization creates ownership and buy in, both of which are catalysts for embracing change"
I think this is the key to success!
Thanks for a great article.
Thanks Tim. Really great thoughts as always.
"...but if our stakeholders don’t know what we do, how can we be held accountable and how can we expect them to support us in times of need?"
This is constantly a frustration for me. I am always baffled when friends and family are surprised when I tell them what they can get at their local library. "I'll have to check that out," they say. But don't! As a lifelong library junkie, I just don't get it.
Perhaps we should offer free bacon with every 5 books checked out. =)
I'm pretty sure that slipping a "bac-mark" in every book would increase circulation 1000%...as well as discards due to the grease.
It is SO frustrating. I have friends who actually pay to read Consumer Reports. They buy magazines and ebooks and audiobooks and patterns. I try and try and TRY to tell them that if they JUST put on pants for ONE hour and go get a library card, all this stuff would be FREE. The Hobbies & Crafts database alone has about 14 million downloadable patterns and instructions and templates and recipes for anything a person could ever want to do. My friends could be saving SO much money.
These are intelligent people and they agree that it all sounds fantastic and they seem to grasp that they've already paid for access to all of it via property tax, but they just can't make that final mental connection that would get them to go get a library card and it's like beating my head against the wall!!! /endrant
Maybe one day we'll have a way for them to get a card online that only allows for access to our electronic materials so we win in adding another library user & they win by staying sans pants.
How hard would it be to tie an e-card to an OG&E account number or something similar for proof of residence?
(Assuming the board won't approve Pantsless Night or Bathrobe Wednesdays)