LIS 701

I’m not surprised either by the findings of this report, since these are basically the things people say when I tell them I’m in library school. “What for? Aren’t libraries obsolete?” they say. The bottom line is that libraries need to be able to offer users something they’re interested in. The report indicates that with the rise of the internet, people read less and less. If “books” are the library brand, then it follows that no one will be interested in the library anymore. The overhaul needed is a rebranding—the library needs an updated image. Ranganathan’s core principle of “every reader his/her book” needs to be rethought and applied. If we look at these statistics, it could be inferred that the library primarily serves people seeking print materials (that is what people perceive as the library’s primary purpose, and in practice, that is its primary use). The stats also imply that print materials are not what the majority of the community seeks. Thus—even if the library offers other things—it is almost exclusively serving a minority sector of the population. Using Ranganathan’s terminology, it is serving those “readers” whose “books” are books (or print materials). What about the “readers” whose “books” are Manga, obscure German horror films, or hipster music blogs?

The thing is, the library does often offer these things, but the users are painfully unaware of them. That is what kills me the most—the stats about the lack of use and awareness of online resources offered by a library. Resources like databases can be such a great wealth of knowledge, and they are just so incredibly wasted. Sure, they’re wasted because people don’t look for them—but why would they? The library to most is a place for books. We need to find a way to really promote these materials and teach our patrons how to use them effectively. Funnily enough, I was going to suggest featuring them on library homepages, but this would clearly not be very helpful, since fewer and fewer people are visiting them. How about on blogs, Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter? They are not only more visible, but also more accessible and more user-friendly for the most part.

After reading this I am not surprised at most of the information but am a little surprised at a some of the information. A lot of people are excited that I am in library school and think that the future of libraries is the place to be. However, these people may not fully understand the capacity of a library and a librarian or they may not even use the library. As a college student and even as a grad student (at a different school) I was not always encouraged to use the library. My professors suggested it but they never really focused on where we were getting our information from, so long as it was cited and it was pertinent. I feel that professors can do a lot to not only suggest but support the use of the library and its many resources. If professors required that students actually used the library for their sources, sought out the help of a librarian as a starting point, or used the online database made available by the library then students might begin to understand all the possibilities of their libraries. More specific libraries such as law libraries or art libraries have resources available to students as well as current members of their profession. I also believe that social networking tools such as Facebook, Twitter, and Linked In which are used to socially and sometimes professionally connect lawyers and artists, for example, can be used to promote the validity and importance of the library. Beginning with programs in grade school for children we can advertise the importance of libraries and all of the unique things they offer. If children are interested that will get their parents interested and interest is the first step in increasing popularity.

I do not believe that libraries will have to change their list of values, per say. It would be closer to say that libraries will have to rearrange the order of their list of values, or maybe just add to it. Access to information will forever be a core library value. Providing a safe place to read, research, or just hang out will always be important. And let’s not forget—libraries won’t survive without valuing customer service above much else (for example, no librarian will allow two teenagers to sit and neck on a couch in the middle of the library for fear of hurting their feelings. All the other customers will thank them for a job well done when the two are back in their own, separate, seats). Customer service is the value that supports all the others, and makes a library such a great environment.
However, in order to maintain this high level of customer service, libraries must learn also to value that which their CUSTOMERS value. For instance, as the Free Range Librarian mentioned, as much as we librarians may or may not like it (Shhh!), many customers value their cell phones and treat them as extensions of their own bodies. When they come to the library to get amazing access to information and great customer service, they expect to be allowed to pull out a cell-phone without getting in trouble. Why not allow muted cell phones, and ask that customers simply go outside to take or make a call? This is not, technically, a change in a library value; realistically, it is simply a shifting in a currently held library value that allows for changing times and customer satisfaction, which is the goal of customer service-focused organizations.
If it is true that libraries are undervalued and under-used, and the study shows that they obviously are, at least to some extent, then there will have to be a change somewhere. Marketing and advertising of new programs and resources are of course helpful, along with the provision of resources patrons have come to expect with the changing of the times. Access to the Internet, with little filtering or blocks. Inclusion of sources such as comic books or video games should be considered. The possibility of renting out laptops to allow for more comfortable research or Internet access, or even access of wireless connections for personal laptops. These are some of the things I believe libraries could add, and by doing so could reinstate themselves into the minds of patrons as valuable sources and reestablish themselves as a place and not just providers of information. It will all just take time, and a shifted consciousness in the institution of the library as a whole.