The Library:Facts and

Perceptions

The Public Library……in The New Millennium

Purpose of this presentation

• There are issues of perception around how the public, and politicians see library services,

•Libraries are changing, as as people’s behaviours and expectations,

•Many libraries are in need of major capital improvements,

•Many library boards believe that better understanding will lead to better support for library plans.

Question 1: What images about “library” come to the minds of those who never use them?

Answer: Images of the 19th century.

Library Fiction

In the Internet age, people can access everything they want on-line.

People don’t read any more. They watch movies and TV.

Libraries are simply warehouses for books.

Libraries are just recreation - a luxury.

Libraries are for young kids and the elderly - not key voters.

Library Non-Fiction

In the Internet age, people are more consumers of information than they ever were before.

People of all ages use libraries for a very wide range of reasons - for research, for learning, for entertainment, and of course for borrowing.

Libraries are multi-media, multi-access, multi-lingual facilities that cater to a very diverse user community.

Question 2: What images usually come to mind when most politicians think of “municipal services”?

Answer: Images of (classic) infrastructure.

Lands, buildings, transportation, basic services, safety and protection.

Functions provided by all levels of government!

Question 3: What images usually come to mind when most citizens think of “municipal services”?

Answer: People images - and quality of life programs - community, social, education, recreation and environmental.

Functions almost exclusively delivered by local government.

INFRASTRUCTURE

1.the basic, underlying framework or features of a system or organization.2.the fundamental facilities and systems serving a country, city, or area, as transportation and communication systems, power plants, and schools.3.the military installations of a country.

1)The basic, underlying framework or features of a system or organization.2)The fundamental facilities and systems serving a country, city, or area, as transportation and communication systems, power plants, and schools.3)The military installations of a country. (dictionary.com)

The term infrastructure, used since 1927, refers collectively to the roads, bridges, rail lines, and similar public works required for an industrial economy. The term also applies to the permanent military installations necessary for the defense of a country. People now use infrastructure to refer to any substructure or underlying system. (answers.com)

We need to revisit what we mean by “infrastructure.”

“I know that knowledge and intelligence are not the same thing – but they do live in the same neighborhood.”

A.J. Jacobs

Our libraries are more than an ancillary municipal service. They are part of what makes our community work.

Actionable Decisions

DATA

CONTEXT

ANALYSIS / INFERENCES

Information

Professional Judgement

Intelligence

Decision Packaging

KNOWLEDGE

Better decisions from better information and knowledge

The 2005 OCLC Study

Perceptions of Libraries and Information Resources

•OCLC consults libraries globally to “inform key decision makers in strategic planning for their institutions and communities.”

•OCLC engages Harris Interactive Inc. to study perceptions and preferences for information users to help “build a better understanding of the library ‘brand’.”

•3,348 respondents in Canada, the USA, the UK and 3 other countries generate data with a statistical margin of error of +/- 1.69% at the 95% confidence level.

First (top-of-mind) associations with “Library” (OCLC)

BK - books, I - information, B - building, R - research, M - materials, Ref - reference, E - entertainment

I - information, B - books, Res - research, M - materials, E - entertainment, R - reading, Bl - building

What is the purpose (mission) of the Library? (OCLC)

Implications for Libraries

•Libraries are in transition

•They are consistently viewed in one way, but there is also a great deal of consensus about where they need to be

•Their span of functions - current and envisioned - is very broad

•The role of libraries may be emerging into more intangible areas than it has been traditionally - into:

•information

• knowledge

• intelligence

• and learning

•But there needs to be a place where all this can happen!

Getting There

•There is a stakeholder need for a better appreciation of tomorrow’s (today’s?) library form and function;

•We need to be better informed about the way users look to libraries for their information, knowledge and entertainment planning and,

•How libraries can work more effectively as part of the entire community learning experience.

•Politicians and decision-makers at all levels need to think beyond current models and concepts, and study what is being done by other - more progressive - communities.

•These same officials need to recognize that libraries are not a like-to-do but a must-to-do. They are an element of municipal infrastructure.

What’s Happening in Other Areas

There is much to be learned from other jurisdictions.

Two examples (enclosed) will illustrate.

•On the Bad News Side: Library and Archives Canada, in an effort to balance its budget, has reduced operational hours.

•On the Good News Side: The City of Sunnyvale, California is on a campaign to build a new library. The project is estimated at $108 million, for a population of 133,000. The comments of the existing city council are enclosed. None are opposed a new library, but one is opposed to a purpose-built facility.

Bibliography

Perceptions of Libraries and Information Resources, Online Computer Library Center, Dublin, Ohio, 2005

The Mercury News, Sunnyvale, California

CBC News on line

© D.G. Jones 2013Shibumi.management@gmail.com