[Web4lib] Re: Future of libraries

Mon Jul 7 17:49:05 EDT 2008

All right everyone. I'm going to play the Devil's advocate since I am one of
those who set this train in motion. I've heard a lot of claims that
libraries are changing and that we "are doing this or that."

First, I want to delineate between the library and the librarian. They are
two separate elements and I often hear librarians identify themselves with
the library.  Libraries can only change if librarians change them. Libraries
are the tool and librarians are the experts who use the tool – like a
sculptor with chisel and hammer.

For centuries, librarians have been responsible for the acquisition,
organization and dissemination of information. That is no longer so. The
internet has changed that. While I might agree that libraries (and
librarians) will continue to exist well into the future, my question is one
of usefulness and whether they will flourish as they once did. Will they
thrive?

I take issue with the claim that libraries have changed and they are
changing. I ask: how so? Let's examine this claim. I propose the following:

-          Librarians have not changed and they have simply reacted with the
changing times; that is not true change

-          Libraries as a physical space have not changed with the exception
of adding computer clusters and varying media to keep pace with the times
(Did it take an MLS to make that change? How progressive!)

-          Librarians essentially "missed the boat" with the advent of the
Internet. We play very small roles on the Internet and IT/IS graduates
(people who actually were progressive in their educations) snatched those
roles (though there are a number of us working on taxonomies, intranets and
in special libraries supporting those causes – the future)

-          The MLS is slowly becoming obsolete with cataloging being
outsourced, reference services being filled with non-MLS graduates and fewer
jobs for the MLS (to some extent, academic libraries are the exception to
this rule)

-          Our OPACs and digital libraries are largely useless since we
cannot market or sell them and, ironically, their search functionality is
essentially a joke. (See:
http://www.techsource.ala.org/blog/2006/03/how-opacs-suck-part-1-relevance-rank-or-the-lack-of-it.html
)

-          Finally, anytime this subject comes up, twenty librarians jump up
and shout about how many changes they have made.

So, tell me: What exactly are all of those changes and how did the MLS
support them? Because I would propose libraries aren't really that different
and the changes we have made did not require some special skill or education
that gives us cause for our ritualistic "self-celebration" we love so much
in this profession. Tell me – why are we so great and what changes have we
made? I honestly hope someone can prove me wrong.

Signed,

Devil's Advocate

C.L. Kiess, B.A., M.L.S.
Information & Knowledge Specialist
Columbus Regional Hospital
Library & Knowledge Services

On Mon, Jul 7, 2008 at 5:05 PM, Bill Drew <dreww at tc3.edu> wrote:

> I wasn't singling out any one individual.  I was just commenting on the
> general thread of the discussion.
>
> Bill Drew
>
> >>> "B.G. Sloan" <bgsloan2 at yahoo.com> 7/7/2008 4:56 PM >>>
>
> Bill,
>
> I don't know if you are including any of my posts on the ALA "futures"
> panel discussion in your "handwringing about all of our handwringing
> about the future of libraries" comment. If you are, that's not what I
> was doing.
>
> I was simply saying I was getting tired of the futurists' old "change
> or die" spiel. The futurists sometimes act as if libraries are not
> changing. Libraries are changing, although some are changing more/less
> than others.
>
> Bernie Sloan
> Sora Associates
>
>
> --- On Mon, 7/7/08, Bill Drew <dreww at tc3.edu> wrote:
>
> > From: Bill Drew <dreww at tc3.edu>
> > Subject: [Web4lib] Re: Future of libraries
> > To: "Chris Strauber" <cstrauber at gmail.com>, "Dan Lester"
> <dan at riverofdata.com>
> > Cc: web4lib at webjunction.org
> > Date: Monday, July 7, 2008, 10:14 AM
> > It has been interesting to read all of the handwringing
> > about all of our
> > handwringing about the future of libraries.  It is a major
> > part of being
> > a librarian to always being forward looking and discussing
> > the future.
> > Why whine about that?  It makes no sense.  The only
> > constant in our
> > profession for the last 50 years has been change.  Just
> > deal with it and
> > move on.  Change is why I enjoy being a librarian.
> >
> > Bill Drew
> >
> > -----------------------------------------
> > Wilfred (Bill) Drew, M.S., B.S., A.S.
> > Assistant Professor
> > Librarian, Systems and Tech Services
> > Tompkins Cortland Community College  (TC3) Library:
> > http://www.tc3.edu/library/
> > Dryden, N.Y. 13053-0139
> > E-mail: dreww at tc3.edu
> > Phone: 607-844-8222 ext.4406
> > AOL Instant Messenger:BillDrew4
> > Online Identity: http://claimID.com/billdrew
> > StrengthsQuest: Ideation, Input, Learner, Activator,
> > Communication
> > http://www.facebook.com/people/Bill_Drew/
> >
> >
> >
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>
>
>
>
>
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-- 
C.L. Kiess, B.A., M.L.S.
Information & Knowledge Specialist
Columbus Regional Hospital
Library & Knowledge Services