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

[McAulay, Elizabeth]

It seems to me that the main point of the session is to shock librarians
into trying new or different things. Many of those things may not be new
or different to many of the librarians, though, and that's maybe where
the session was disappointing, or at least the write-up about it was
disappointing. In part, the creators of the session are trying to sell
an idea by manipulating people's fear. Fear that our life as we know it
will cease to exist -- that we'll be meaningless in the future. Clearly,
that's an exaggeration. 

As a digital librarian, most of the innovations didn't surprise or
concern me. But I would like to emphasize the importance of library as
place. In many different types of libraries, the spaces have always been
a place to do creative and learning activities. I still need those
spaces and I find many others do, too.


Elizabeth "Lisa" McAulay
Librarian for Digital Collection Development
Digital Library Program
UCLA Library
390 Powell Library Building
Box 957201
Los Angeles, CA 90095-7201
(310) 825-7657
email: emcaulay at library.ucla.edu





> -----Original Message-----
> From: web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org [mailto:web4lib-
> bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of B.G. Sloan
> Sent: Wednesday, July 02, 2008 10:25 AM
> To: Christopher Kiess
> Cc: web4lib at webjunction.org
> Subject: Re: [Web4lib] At Session on the Future of Libraries,a Sense
of
> Urgency
> 
> 
> 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
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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