developing libraries for the 21st century

A Research Study

“…are vital to empowering their communities and meeting the information needs of the [country].”

As stated by Shakil Ahmed Khalil in a 2009 article, “The commodity in which they deal still remains the same, i.e. information. The commodity has not changed. Only the container in which it comes in has changed.”

Khalil goes on to state, “What matters is the lack of human and material resources that are needed to manage this change and also the enormity and rapidity of technological onslaught. In this situation, librarians in developing countries in particular find themselves at the crossroads.

The acquisition of reliable information is now recognized to be vitally important and of great value.

Information is power and it enhances the chance for people to enjoy fulfilling lives and contribute to society.

…denies people these opportunities.

…should provide high quality services that meet the information needs of the community.

…should support formal and informal education.

…should be made up of collections of information and cultural materials in a variety of formats, including access to resources of other libraries.

…should provide widespread, integrated, systematic and equitable access to learning resources and skills.

…should be a country’s landscape in communities of all sizes.

…supports good citizenship by developing informed and thoughtful citizens who are renewing and revitalizing our communities.

…should provide widespread, integrated, systematic and equitable access to learning resources and skills. All citizens should know how and where to find information.

…should be based on 4 pillars:1. learning to live together2. learning to know

3. learning to do, and 4. learning to be.

◦Questionnaire Submitted via email (Survey Monkey)

to 650 librarians and/or teachers of library science

523 responded USA, Bahrain, China, Yemen, Oman,

Turkey, Mexico, Canada, Belgium, Egypt, South America, Ireland, Italy, Germany, India, Sweden, Hong Kong, South Africa, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar

What 3 issues do you believe are most important in

bringing libraries into the 21st

century?

Although answers varied widely from the 523 respondents…

1. Funding/Budget2. Technology/Technical Support3. Public Relations/Public

Perception

Where should funding come from?◦ Government◦ Residents of Country◦ Individual Communities◦ Involved Individuals

What should funding be used for?◦ Staff◦ Print materials◦ Non print materials◦ Technology◦ Technical support◦ Professional development/Training◦ Community involvement

What kinds of technologies/technical support should libraries have?◦ Computers◦ Networking◦ Software◦ 24/7 technical support

Who and how should provide training and technical support for these technologies?◦ Library staff◦ Outsourced individuals◦ Individually◦ In small groups◦ In large groups◦ For numerous libraries at one time

What “people skills” should be associated with these technologies?◦ Coaches◦ Teachers of lifelong learning◦ Patience and understanding

How do we actually use these technologies to deliver access to resources and services?◦ “Ask a Librarian”◦ Connectivity to other libraries/resources◦ Connectivity to other countries/resources◦ Trained personnel in information literacy◦ Trained personnel to create lifelong learners

How should community needs assessments be developed, gathered and used?◦ Questionnaires, surveys, word of mouth◦ Meetings◦ Individually, face-to-face◦ Randomly◦ To develop library collections◦ To purchase technologies◦ To create informed citizens

How can libraries provide relevance and meaning to the particular communities served?◦ Meeting the needs of specific communities◦ Creating informed, educated citizens◦ Developing lifelong learners

Why and how do we teach information literacy skills?◦ [access, use and evaluate all types of information]

To create lifelong learners To create citizens ready for today’s technological

workforce To create informed citizens Individually In groups In libraries In schools

How can libraries establish and convey added value to their communities?◦ Collections◦ Access to information◦ Access to technologies◦ Training

Why and how should libraries change public perception?◦ We have the wrong/old image◦ We don’t let them know what we offer◦ We need informed, information literate citizens

ready to work in the technological, global society we live in

◦ Talking to others◦ Via the government◦ Via community gatherings◦ Via marketing

It is very important that librarians and their governing bodies determine what their priorities are and develop services based on those priorities.

How do we teach people to cope with change?◦ Show them how change makes things

better/easier◦ Be willing to change yourself◦ Demonstrate and coach

Information itself is a raw material. What is most vital is knowing how to use

information effectively to transform our world into one that is productive and supportive both to individuals and to the common good.

We must become a “world of learners”—individuals, families and communities engaged in learning in our schools and colleges, libraries, museums, archives, workplaces and our own homes.

In the 21st century, libraries will inevitably face knowledge management.

In a knowledge economy, management refers to effectively identifying, acquiring, developing, resolving, using, storing and sharing knowledge to create an approach to transforming tacit and explicit knowledge.

Knowledge management in libraries should be focused on effective research and development of knowledge, creation of knowledge bases, exchange and sharing of knowledge between library staff, training library staff, and speeding up explicit processing of the implicit knowledge.

The objective of knowledge management in libraries is to promote knowledge innovation.

Knowledge innovation is the core of the knowledge economy society.

Knowledge acquisition is the starting point of knowledge management in libraries.

Knowledge innovation management in libraries refers to the management of the production, diffusion and transfer of knowledge.

To once again quote Shakil Ahmed Khalil (2009), “A culture of cooperation and networking has hardly flourished in [Pakistan]. Most of the institutions operate in isolation. Even the most primitive form of cooperation does not exist in many areas.”

Increasing technological and social changes impact how all individuals and groups cooperate.

What do I give? What do I get? Challenges in Cooperation

◦ Geographic◦ Cultural◦ Organizational◦ Financial

More and more libraries are banding together using technology to creatively share interests and materials.

Rely on innovation and creative application of new technologies.

The most valued employees are those who continue to learn, who are able to think for themselves, apply problem-solving skills and adapt rapidly.

High-quality learning supports good citizenship, as well as developing informed and thoughtful citizens.

What is the capacity of libraries to address lifelong learning needs?

Who are the other players in meeting these needs?

How does one define a “learning community” and/or a “learning society?”

How can we assure inclusion in a new learning society?

Who else should consider these questions?

ریدلنگ. آنن درDr. Ann RiedlingAssociate ProfessorUSF, SJSU, UMUC in USAariedling@gmail.com(502) 876-0891