what’s in it for me? the impact of technology on library service development john cox deputy...
TRANSCRIPT
What’s in IT for me?The impact of technology on library
service development
John Cox
Deputy Librarian
National University of Ireland, Galway
A Talk of Two Halves
• IT and libraries…friend or foe?
• IT and me…just good friends
IT and Me: We go back a long way…
Br. J. Acad Librarianship, 1987
1991
IT and Me:Still chasing the same goals…
• 1980s: Tutored Video Instruction
• Distance education focus
• Latter-day VLE
“We are optimistic that TVI will allow either better quality teaching or saving of staff input” (1987)
TVI in Action…
IT and Me: Luck…
IT and Me: Judgement (occasionally)…
IT and Me: Misjudgement…
The End of CDThe End of CD--ROM?ROM?
John CoxJohn Cox
Medical LibraryMedical Library
Royal Free Hospital School of MedicineRoyal Free Hospital School of Medicine
March 1993….
IT and Me: The Good…
Managing Information, 1995
IT and Me: The Bad…
Extroversion Introversion?
IT and Me: The Ugly…
OM NI Pro ject Organization
Project Assurance TeamB us iness Assurance Coordinator
U ser A ssurance C oord inatorT echnical Assurance Coordinator
Stage Manager
Project Manager
Project BoardE xecutive
S enior U serS enior T echnica l
IT and Me: Career progression…
• Marketable skills
• Project management
• Overview - IT applies to all areas
• Maybe seen as a “visionary”?
• Good “package” overall
• Creates positive perception
IT and Libraries: User Disconnection…
To whom do you most commonly direct enquiries for information relating to your research? (please tick one only):
1,4001,2001,0008006004002000
Library Information Desk Staff
Nobody
Subject Librarian
Other
37.7 % of 3,177
32.6 % of 3,177
19.1 % of 3,177
10.5 % of 3,177
IT and Libraries:Global Competition…
IT and Libraries:Skills Devaluation…
Confirmation from OCLC…
http://www.oclc.org/reports/2005perceptions.htm
Taking on Google et al.
• Integrating Library IT staff
• Marketing image
• Adding value
• Competitive systems
• Search expertise
Library Technologists: a breed apart?
“After reading this chapter you can at least get a gist of what your IT colleagues are
talking about and can explain in their words what you need from technology”
Library Technologists: powerbrokers?
“it is questionable whether the model of concentrating systems support and development in a
single discrete unit of the library will endure…..It may be that systems staff will need to work within,
rather than separately from, service teams ” (Cox, 1998)
E-Learning support
EndNote Software
Portal Access
InstitutionalRepositories
The Library Brand…
A “cooler” image…
Adding Value to Google…
Meeting Google …
Survey Comment
“I feel the need for a unified access to online resources (e.g. unified search engine, Google-type)”
Beating Google…
Search Expertise …
“Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a subject ourselves, or we know where we can find information upon it”
(Samuel Johnson, 1775)
“The Irish are a fair people; - they never speak well of each other”
(Samuel Johnson, 1775)