21 st Century Libraries: The Challenges and Opportunities

1. 21st Century Libraries:The Challenges and Opportunities Roberta A. Stevens American Library Association President-Elect

2. 21st Century LibrariesThe Role of Library Associations in the 21st Century

3. The 20th Century • Individuals generally held 1 or 2 jobs during their working career • Job expertise was often in a single field • Job competition occurred at a local level • The world’s economy was dominated by manufacturing and agriculture • Work was routine and “hands-on” • The organizational structure was hierarchical and top-down • Education meant pursuing formal degrees

4. The 21st Century • We will hold numerous jobs in our lifetimes • A mastery of expertise in several or more rapidly changing fields is expected • The competition for jobs is global • Work is less routine and requires flexibility, adaptability and technological and interactive skills • The organizational culture is multifaceted, that is, bottom-up, top-down and side-to-side • Education is self-directed and lifelong

5. Libraries: Preparing for the21st Century Global Economy • By guiding individuals in the development of: • Information, communications and technological literacy skills • Critical thinking • Problem solving • By nurturing: • Creativity and innovation • Collaboration and cross-disciplinary thinking

6. Libraries Are Strategically Placed to Fulfill a National Imperative • By providing accessibility to knowledge and search strategies for obtaining information and by instructing users in how to analyze its value • By integrating 21st century skill development in the resources and services they provide • By developing powerful qualitative and quantitative messages that demonstrate the impact on the lives of their users and the success of their communities • By utilizing sophisticated advocacy techniques

7. Challenges for Libraries of the 21st Century • A global recession and decreased funding from public and private-sector sources • Increasing pressure to demonstrate the return on the investment (ROI) in facilities, staffing, collections and databases • The consolidation of the marketplace allowing providers to drive up prices • An expectation of 24/7, customized and personalized service • The proliferation of sources of information with everyone a content creator

8. “A Perfect Storm” • Escalating costs • Shrinking financial support • Increased demands for service • Surging usage

9. The Library as a Place and Physical Structure: Are We Prepared for the 21st Century? • Over the next quarter century, libraries must: • Rebuild and remodel their facilities for digital resources and different ways of doing research and learning • Shift from being constructed around library operations to being centered on how people learn, use information and participate in the life of their community • Address increased expectations about the library’s appearance, functionality and convenience

10. Key Concepts in Library Design • Spaces for solitary users and groups working together (collaborative study rooms) • Ample seating and electrical outlets, wireless access, signage, maps and directories, lockers, coffee shops or cafes • An information desk near the entrance • Teaching and learning centers with sophisticated technological resources

11. Library Designs • Create a customer-driven library by researching the needs of your current and potential customers and by involving them in the design of your library’s spaces and services • Recognize and reconfigure your library to reflect the collaborative style of young people today and the lifelong learning needs of older people (different styles of use by different generations of users)

12. The Library Workforce: Do We Have Staff with 21st Century Skills? • In addition to the library’s core competencies and values: preserving the human record, access to knowledge, intellectual freedom and the right to privacy… • We must have skills in strategic planning, budgeting and the management of human resources and projects • The ability to communicate with a wide variety of audiences • The blending of traditional and technological skills combined with flexibility, ability to anticipate change and to fearlessly alter services to address changes

13. Impact of the Global Recession • Delays in retirements have meant new and younger staff with vital 21st century skill sets cannot be hired: • The “blended” librarians knowledgeable in print and online tools • Librarians who envision library services of the future and have the skills to implement new service delivery models • Librarians who communicate with a similarly new generation of users

14. A Different Generation with Different Expectations • A focus on completion rather than process • An expectation of the open flow of information rather than a tightly controlled flow • A career path based on learning, growth and challenge • A work-life balance, which is considered more important than anything else, including money

15. The Challenge of Transforming 20th into 21st Century Libraries • New or revamped buildings that are customer and content-driven • A combination of tangible and digital collections • New technologies and new service models with 24/7 instant access and matching convenience and speed in information delivery • Technologically expert staff • Organizational structures that keep 21st century staff • Collaborative partnerships in the local or academic community to increase the reach and sphere of influence

16. Library Leaders of the 21st Century • Take a visible role in the issues of their local community or academic campus • Aggressively market the library as the center – the heart and mind – of the community or campus • Build support for the library’s long-standing and critical role in providing instruction in information literacy, a key skill in today’s world • Research the needs of current and potential users and involve them in the design of spaces and services • Have libraries reflecting the collaborative learning style of young people and the lifelong learning needs of older people • Understanding how to use social networking tools to reach their audiences

17. 21st Century Library Associations: Ensuring the Future of Libraries and Librarianship • The American Library Association (ALA) is the voice of America’s libraries and the millions of people who depend on them • The top priorities for ALA’s members are advocacy for libraries and access to information and training for professional growth

18. The American Library Association Advancing Advocacy • Advocacy is goal #1 of the strategic plan • Advocacy includes: • Support for research and evaluation to provide evidence of the impact of libraries • The mobilization and sustainment of grassroots advocacy for libraries and library funding at the local, state and federal levels • Collaborations to secure legislation favorable to libraries

19. ALA Supports Advocacy for Libraries and Librarianship • Through: • The ALA Office for Library Advocacy • The “Advocacy University” on ALA’s website (with a wealth of toolkits with tips, techniques and data for “making the case”) • The ALA Washington Office that keeps members up to date on legislative developments • The ALA online Legislative Action Center for sending customized messages to legislators

20. Be an Advocate for Your Library • Share your vision of the library’s role in the community with clarity and passion • Frame the messages for the target audiences • Use the data to provide evidence of the value and impact of your library (the ROI) • Provide examples and tell stories that illustrate your points • Cultivate relationships with funders, administrators, faculty, students, users, politicians and so forth • Know how to deal with opposition and controversy and answer tough questions

21. The American Library Association Advancing Its Members’ Expertise • Through: • Conferences with networking opportunities, programs, exhibitors • Publications • Webinars and e-learning courses (examples: “The Anywhere Library: A Primer for the Mobile Web,” “Creating iGoogle Gadgets for Your Library Users,” “Superpower Your Browser: Open Source Research Tools”) • ALA Connect

22. Libraries Are Needed Now More Than Ever • As community technology centers offering technology training as well as workshops on a wide variety of topics, including resume-writing, job searching and interviewing skills • For free access to computers and the Internet, including job databases, related online resources and online applications • As “first responders” in times of natural and economic distress, delivering a wide range of essential E-government services

23. Our challenge is to ensure we have or are planning for the facilities, services and staff of the future and that we are building support with those controlling the financial means for ensuring we meet the needs of the 21st century.