Most Engaged Library Users? Also the Most Tech-Savvy!

Another study indicates something counter-intuitive (at least upon first glance) about libraries and technology. It turns out that the most engaged library users are at the same time heavy users of technology. This might not surprise librarians, but it should be a surprise to so many in news media that have been trumpeting the end of or obsolescence of libraries. A recent Pew Internet study indicates 2/3rds of Americans are engaged library users. The core of the report (for me) is this:

“A key theme in these survey findings is that many people see acquiring information as a highly social process in which trusted helpers matter,” Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Research Center’s Internet Project and a main author of the report said.

And many find that librarians have access to networks of information and information sources that complement the research tech-savvy adults can do on their own. I might live to see the day when my opinion is held as truth: That the librarians - the actual people - are any library's most valuable asset. Read the survey results here.

Bravo my fellow librarians! Carry on!

Reading - A Conundrum

The United States has an obsession with reading - and not in a good way. It's really an obsession with who is reading, what those people are reading and for how long. I have the feeling that it is one of those things with which we have become overly concerned. We are focusing on it so intently and picking at it like an itchy scab that it is never going to be fixed.

These are some curious ideas: How Public Libraries Are Solving America's Reading Problem. There is a lot of talk about merchandising and displays, dumping the Dewey Decimal System, etc. I say the ideas are curious because none of these ideas are new. This discussion has been worked over for more than a decade; the article is mostly about merchandising books rather than warehousing them.

HPL is decidedly a warehouse - mainly out of necessity. We have so many items in our collection that we have to use every shelf, every corner and every nook that we can to store them. Heck, we even have an overflow area for items with seasonal interest!

Many of the ideas in the Forbes article linked above would require radical shifts were HPL to try them. Would you be more likely to search for your next great read in a bookstore-like atmosphere rather than our VERY library-like library?

Would you be interested in using a building that had fewer items out for immediate access, but displayed in bookstore-style "subject areas"?

The fact of the matter is that the use of our library has flattened out both in terms of people walking through the door (-3%) and circulation overall (-2%) in 2013. The question is open though as to whether people are reading less, or just reading differently than the ways they used to read. How can the library best serve you in helping to promote reading?

Compelling Arguments

In the ongoing transformation of libraries from information storehouses to community hubs (or whatever other speculative "end result" at which you might want to try and guess), the great fear expressed by many has been that libraries will disappear altogether.

My personal opinion is that public libraries will continue to evolve as they have for the past 180+ years in the United States. Libraries have always been a place to find information. Likewise, they have been a refuge for the resource-poor patron, the self-motivated scholar, the curious and the beginning reader( of all ages). I think libraries will continue to fill these roles even as they add services to cater to the technological whims of the day.

One day the eBook world will settle down and the walled collections of eMaterials that publishers have built will be opened for sharing in some fair and equitable way. I really think that there is a place where consumers, creators, and publishers can all find common ground and be fairly compensated and well-served.

All this rambling and digression to point your attention to this well-written article from the IT trends blog at a company called Laserfiche. To summarize, it presents the argument that paperless should not mean libraryless.. I think this quote is key and is something we're trying to work toward at HPL:"Today, many people use their local library to learn a new language for a new era - the language of technology."

We'll see how well HPL can adjust, but we will continue to grapple with our transformation into a place where patrons can come to get answers to whatever questions they may have. Specifically a place they can come to get answers not found simply in a book or other resource but that may require learning a new tool or building a new skill through interaction with a friendly, knowledgeable staff member.

“Today, many people use their local library to learn a new language for a new era—the language of technology.” - See more at: http://simplicity.laserfiche.com/content/saving-our-public-libraries-paperless-world#sthash.hUvZ0PJV.dpuf

“Today, many people use their local library to learn a new language for a new era—the language of technology.” - See more at: http://simplicity.laserfiche.com/content/saving-our-public-libraries-paperless-world#sthash.hUvZ0PJV.dpuf

 

“Today, many people use their local library to learn a new language for a new era—the language of technology.” - See more at: http://simplicity.laserfiche.com/content/saving-our-public-libraries-paperless-world#sthash.hUvZ0PJV.dpuf

“Today, many people use their local library to learn a new language for a new era—the language of technology.” - See more at: http://simplicity.laserfiche.com/content/saving-our-public-libraries-paperless-world#sthash.hUvZ0PJV.dpuf

“Today, many people use their local library to learn a new language for a new era—the language of technology.” - See more at: http://simplicity.laserfiche.com/content/saving-our-public-libraries-paperless-world#sthash.hUvZ0PJV.dpuf