The Library and the Environment

Certified Public Library Administrator Programpresented by

Jim McPeak and George Needham

Our agenda• Welcome and introductions• Environmental scanning• Discussion of the local environment• The Tree County Library case study• Data gathering• Data application• Scanning your community• Bringing it all together

So what’s the big deal?

“It is not necessary

to change. Survival is optional.”

W. Edwards Deming

The environment• What we mean in this

context• What we will not be

addressing

An introduction to scanning• What is

environmental scanning?

• Who does it?• When is a good time

to start?• Where should we be

looking?• And the fifth W…

Why bother?

You’re looking for what everyone else

has seen, but no one else

has thought about.

Or…

The OCLC Environmental Scan

The landscapes• Social• Economic• Technology• Research and Learning• Libraries

Dominant trends

Dominant trends

Dominant trends

Dominant trends

Library self-service

Library disaggregation

Library re-aggregation

Collaboration

“Collaboration is an unnatural act

committed by non-consenting

adults.”

Robert MartinFormer Director of IMLS

How does this play out in libraries?

The library paradigm shift

From…

Book custodian One medium Own collection Just in case In-sourcing Local reach You go to library

To...

Service-oriented info provider

Multiple media

Library without walls

Just in time

Outsourcing

Global reach

The library comes to you

Credit: Julie S. Sabaratnam

The Attention/Resources Balance

Self-service

Self-Service

Travel agents

Insurance agents

Neighborhood pharmacists

And librarians

The decline and fall of the expert

What did we want to know?

Our respondents• 96% have visited a public library• 57% use a library several times a year

or more• 72% overall hold a library card• 90% of students have cards

How you would rate information available from each source?

Search engines 88%

Libraries 79%

Bookstores 77%

Online bookstores 58%

Online libraries 46%

What sources have you actually used?

Google 71%

Yahoo 64%

MSN Search 48%

Ask Jeeves 46%

AltaVista, Lycos (tie) 28%

Netscape 26%

Library Web Site 21%

Online librarian/“Ask a Librarian” 5%

Comparing libraries to search engines

Attributes LibrariesSearch Engines

Trustworthy/credible sources 60% 40%

Accurate, quality information 56% 44%

Comparing libraries to search engines

Attributes LibrariesSearch Engines

Trustworthy/credible sources 60% 40%

Accurate, quality information 56% 44%

Reliable/always available 28% 72%

Cost-effective 25% 75%

Easy to use 15% 85%

Convenient 11% 89%

Fast 8% 92%

Trustworthiness of information

Information from libraries is…

Less trustworthy than informationfrom search engines

9%

More trustworthy than information from search engines

21%

NO DIFFERENCE in trustworthiness 70%

Comparing librarians to search engines

Assistance from librarian was…

Much better 20%

Better 24%

NO DIFFERENCE 43%

Worse 9%

Much worse 3%

The love-hate continuum

Kathy Sierra on the “Creating Passionate Users” blog http://headrush.typepad.com/creating_passionate_users/2006/01/death_by_riskav.html

A new report…

What type of online activities have you done in the past 12 months?

General public respondents (US Only, except as noted)

Browsed for info on a search engine 86%

Browsed for or purchased books (ALL) 56%

Sent or received instant messages (ALL) 51%

Used a social media site, such as YouTube 32%

Used a social networking site, such as Facebook 37%

Used a library web site (ALL) 20%

How important is it for your library to keep the following information private?

General public respondents

Personal information (address, phone number) 75%

Information requested from librarian online 49%

Information requested from librarian in person 49%

Items borrowed from library in person 46%

Items borrowed from library online 46%

How important is it for your library to keep the following information private?

College student respondents

Personal information (address, phone number) 66%

Information requested from librarian online 39%

Information requested from librarian in person 39%

Items borrowed from library in person 39%

Items borrowed from library online 36%

Why use a social networking site?

General public respondents who’ve used social networking sites

My friends use the same site 66%

The site is fun 42%

To network or to meet new people 37%

To be part of a community 28%

The site is useful 28%

To document and share my personal experiences 22%

To self-publish 18%

“When you’re riding a dead horse, the best strategy is to dismount…”

Roles for the library% agreeing or completely agreeing that this is a library’s

role

A place to learn 85%

A place to read 81%

Make needed info freely available 80%

Support literacy 78%

Provide research support 77%

Provide internet access 73%

Promote kids’ learning/development 73%

Provide free info for less fortunate 71%

Place to get books/videos/music 70%

Disruptive technologies

User Centric Libraries

“We have a long history of librarians defining good service to the user. Now we have the user

defining good service, and expecting us to deliver it!”

Berndt DugallUniversity of Frankfort

What are they telling us?

“Stop making it feel like church!”

Wrapping Up

“Where would you go for information on nutrition?”

Consult a professional source 56%

Look it up in a book 18%

Ask a friend/family member 9%

Consult a magazine 8%

Consult a library 1%

The Public Library Inquiry, 1947-50

What they wanted then…

Take the plunge!

“Nothing is built on stone;all is built

on sand, butwe must build as if the sand were stone.”

Jorge Luis Borges

Thanks!• Your presenters:

– Jim McPeak (peakers@oh.rr.com)– George Needham (needhamg@oclc.org)

Stakeholders ChecklistThis following lists are NOT complete.

There are many other possible stakeholders, such as school officials, leaders of local colleges and

universities, and other cultural heritage groups.

Internal Stakeholders• The Board• The Staff• Friends of the Library

External Stakeholders• Government Officials

– Get to them through their constituents– Users = Voters– “How does it affect my office?”

• Media– Get to the editorial board– Bloggers– Posting to local message boards

• Business community– “What’s in it for me?”– Library as community selling point– Quicker access for business community

Stakeholders: Friends• Start attending their meetings• Get their input --- solicit their interests• What are their wishes?• Make Friends feel needed: that’s when

they’re most effective

Stakeholders: The Board• Pitch this as a legacy• They’re more powerful than staff in local

government• Know constituency better• Representative of other facets of the

community• Use their networks to extend your own

Stakeholders: Staff• Data supporting change• Reinforce public convenience (self-service)• Mission statement to support self-service?

Language such as “Provide” or “Self-sufficient information seekers”

• Demonstrate change: Hands-on experience• Connect staff to staff in other libraries that have

survived the changes• Provide a forum for expressing concerns

Stakeholders: Business Community• Join Rotary Club: great networking• Chamber of Commerce• Target business/library resources to develop relationships• Target mailings to specific audiences• Cooperative efforts with other non-profits• Vendors as sponsors of events• Technical training for small businesses• Links between library and business sites• Connect with Realtors: loaned art to decorate vacant

houses!

Stakeholders: The media• Public service announcements, event ads• News releases• Local access TV• School announcements/newsletters• Host a media wine and dine• Formal/informal communications – keep lines open even when you

don’t need anything• Connect to new audiences through MySpace, YouTube• E-mail bloggers within your community• Private receptions, such as those with authors• Reciprocal links with media sites• Post photos of library events on Flickr

Stakeholders: Government• Give something in return for their support –

visibility. Make a big deal, even when it isn’t!• Attend local government meetings• Mail them library cards• Attend NYLA Lobby Day• Host a Legislative Breakfast• Invite local civic groups to meet at the library• ALA Locally Adaptable READ posters: Use NYLA’s

for state “Assembly Critters” and Senators