[Web4lib] At Session on the Future of Libraries, a Sense of Urgency

[B.G. Sloan]

Chris Kiess said:

"I would not, however, agree that libraries do not need change or will survive given their current course."

I didn't say libraries don't need to change...of course they need to evolve to survive. I was just saying that the article made the panel discussion seem like a tired old rehash of the "change or die" spiel that has been a centerpiece of many library conferences and gatherings over the past 10-15 years.

Chris Kiess also said:

"ILL's are great, but who wants to wait 3 days for a book if you can drive across town in 30 minutes and get it? Libraries should become more connected - more of a network."

I agree, who wants to wait 3 days for a book? But I didn't say anything about ILL. I was talking about reciprocal borrowing...where you go to a nearby library and use your home library's card to borrow items. In some parts of the country (e.g., Illinois) this sort of service has been around for 20+ years. Sure, it could be adopted more widely. But my point is that it sounds a little odd to me when some futurists tout something that libraries should do in the future, when a fair number of libraries have been doing it for a long time.

And I agree with Chris's contention that libraries "should become more connected - more of a network." My point is that many libraries are already doing this. Once again, Illinois is a good example, with that state's nine regional library systems and CARLI (a statewide academic library network). All of those networks go back 25+ years.

Bernie Sloan
Sora Associates

--- On Tue, 7/1/08, Christopher Kiess <clkiess at gmail.com> wrote:

I would concur this is a poorly written article and the focus seems to be a bit skewed. I would not, however, agree that libraries do not need change or will survive given their current course. We do have to "think bigger" and become more ubiquitous. 10 years ago, people had to come to the library for more information. Today they use the web.

ILL's are great, but who wants to wait 3 days for a book if you can drive across town in 30 minutes and get it? Libraries should become more connected - more of a network. The web has moved towards a social networking model, but libraries continue to have their own OPAC's and there own individual presence. Google books is changing that to a certain extent.

The best quote in here is from Griffiths who talks about librarians working beyond the library. That is our future - using the skills we currently have and applying them to different fields. For example, Information Architecture is a field that has a foundation in our profession. It has applications far beyond the library.

Perhaps we are changing. But, is there a perception we are changing or are we still stuck fighting our stereotypes?

Chris Kiess
Information & Knowledge Specialist
Columbus Regional Hospital