Jan 31 2009
Post #1 – Technological Change in Libraries
I found Stephen Abram’s article, “It’s Not Very Old,” from this week’s readings to be useful in thinking about technology personally and professionally. Having reached adulthood prior to the existence of the World Wide Web, I related to the notion that many of the technological tools we utilize today are quite young. I recall that my undergraduate university library and my first employers did not have websites. My first library position was in an academic library where circulation functions were not even automated. Recently a librarian asked me whether I used a certain on-line resource while I was in undergraduate school. I was taken aback by the question because the resource did not exist during my undergraduate years, as they were prior to the first web-server coming on line! This interaction demonstrates how quickly we forget how young it all is.
Despite the fact that I did not grow up with web technology, I enjoy learning about new technology tools and am a proponent of utilizing them in libraries. In the article, Abram noted that in libraries, it is “taking a while” to adapt aspects of technology due to their relative youth. His comment made me think of all of the commentary about technological change in libraries. Many of those who comment on the subject state that the failure to adapt technology is not simply due to its youth, but rather due to active resistance to technological change.
Having worked in another profession for several years before studying library science, I find it surprising that many librarians have encountered resistance to the implementation of much of the technology we study while in school. I personally have not encountered such resistance among the library staff and managers with whom I have worked since entering the program. Based on the comments in many of the blogs, however, such resistance appears to be fairly common. Just a couple of the many blog posts on this issue can be found at: http://www.davidleeking.com/2007/04/23/how-can-we-change-the-unchangeable-or-davids-rant/
http://librarianidol.blogspot.com/2009/01/how-do-you-make-librarianship-work-for.html.
Interestingly, the issue of libraries and resistance to technology dates back many years. I came across a study published in 1979 that researched this very issue. In Resistance to Technological Innovation in Libraries, the authors of the study sought to determine what factors influenced librarians’ resistance to technology. The study is at http://eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/1f/6c/36.pdf.
It is important to note that the overall study did not find that the majority of librarians involved in the research were in fact resistant. For those that were resistant to technology, one of the factors cited was the fear that technology will replace useful, familiar, and traditional library processes. I find this interesting because I have never been attached to always completing my employment duties in the same, familiar way. I do understand, however, that many people are my opposite in this regard, and this same factor is most likely present in those who resist technological changes in today’s library environment.
One of the other aspects of the study that I found interesting was how the librarians that were interviewed perceived the individuals implementing the technology. These individuals, termed “technologists,” were viewed as completely separate and distinct from the library staff. The “technologists” would apparently not come from within the library when promoting new products and ideas. I found this distinction interesting because the term “technologists” and “librarian” are not mutually exclusive anymore. If an administrator still views the two as completely separate, it could certainly cause some resistance for librarians attempting to promote technological changes.
2 responses so far
WOW! A great synthesis of an important topic. The report via ERIC is a FIND! I saved it to read. Your conclusion is spot on: how blended are our jobs becoming in libraries? I just told my 768 class that any job they get in libraries will be touched by technology and the days of just sitting at a desk with reference books are gone!
While I am on the young side, I do still vaguely remember the days before the internet really took off. I am only 25 and I’ve been playing around with new technology for a while, but I’m always amazed when my 12 year old nephew sends me You Tube videos that he has created. I know I wasn’t doing that at 12. It is hard to imagine that Google is really only just 10 years old.
Regarding the resistance to change, I work in the corporate world right now and we have been on this year long path to updating our methods of collecting data on the products we purchase. Some of my older collegues nearing retirement are very vocal about not wanting to learn new technology. I recently had to train someone with this mind set and I tried to bring it back to terms she would understand from a pre-internet, complex database time. I think it helped a bit to go slow and show this person that it really was easier to do it this way… but change is always a bit scary.