emerging technologies librarians: the answer to libraries' technology needs?

ROLES, COMPETENCIES, & HIRING PRACTICES

Emerging Technologies Librarians

Tara M. Radniecki Engineering Librarian DeLaMare Library University of Nevada, Reno tradniecki@unr.edu twitter.com/tmradniecki

Technology Trends in Libraries QULOC

Queensland University of Technology February 10, 2014

Research Questions

•  What types of libraries are hiring emerging technologies librarians (ETLs)?

•  What are the anticipated responsibilities and required skills

upon hire and do they differ from reality?

•  Do current ETLs feel they have the skills necessary to complete all their responsibilities?

•  Are current ETLs satisfied in their current role?

Methodology

❖  ALA JobLIST ➢ 8/2006 – 10/2012 ➢ 67 job advertisements containing “emerging technologies”

in the position title ➢  67 job advertisements

❖  Surveys ➢  Current Emerging Technologies Librarians ➢  40 surveys

Results

Library Type Number of Ads Percentage Academic/Research 62 92.5%

Public 3 4.5%

Library Cooperative/System 1 1.5%

Special/Corporate 1 1.5%

Library Type Number of Ads Percentage

Academic/Research 31 77.5%

Public 5 12.5%

Special/Corporate 3 7.5%

Library Cooperative/System 1 2.5%

Advertisements

Surveys

Job Duties

Duty # of Ads % of Ads # of Surveys

% of Surveys

Trendspotting & Implementation 48 72% 29 81%

Website Management 30 45% 15 42%

Reference Activities 28 42% 26 72%

Info Literacy & Instruction 26 39% 22 61%

Collaboration – External & Internal 26 39%

Liaison 21 31% 14 39%

Creating Online Learning Materials 18 27%

Technology assessment & evaluation 17 25%

Social Media/Web 2.0/Outreach 17 25% 22 61%

Technology Training 16 24% 22 61%

IT/Systems 14 20% 8 22%

Digital Initiatives 11 16% 11 25%

Skills & Experience: Ads

Skills & Experience # Required % Required # Preferred % Preferred

Social Media/Web 2.0 16 23.9% 5 7.5%

Info Lit/Instruction 14 20.9% 7 10.4%

Work Collaboratively 12 18% - -

Emerging Tech. 11 16.4% 3 4.5%

Programming/ Scripting Languages 11 16.4% 6 9%

Advertisements

Skills & Experience: Surveys

Skills & Experience # Required % Required # Preferred % Preferred

Social Media/Web 2.0 16 23.9% 5 7.5%

Info Lit/Instruction 14 20.9% 7 10.4%

Work Collaboratively 12 18% - -

Emerging Tech. 11 16.4% 3 4.5%

Programming/ Scripting Languages 11 16.4% 6 9%

Advertisements

•  47% of survey participants said they did not feel they had all the skills to succeed.

•  94% of those respondents wanted additional

skills in computer programming & coding.

•  69% wanted skills & knowledge in web

design.

Job Satisfaction

•  “Opportunities to use skills & abilities”3

•  55% felt their skills & knowledge were being used to their full potential

•  45% did not

•  “Communication between employees and senior management” •  59% received adequate administrative support for emerging tech

projects •  41% did not

•  Financial, equipment, staff, training, flexibility, moral support, encouragement of staff buy-in, time for exploration and experimentation

Libraries Considering an ETL

•  Determine all job responsibilities and qualifications prior to listing. •  Do you really need an Emerging Technologies Librarian? •  Do you need a Web Librarian, Systems Librarian, Reference

Librarian, or Digital Initiatives Librarian instead?

•  Include more tech skills regardless of dept •  Coding, web design, etc.

•  Support ETL’s passion

•  More support from administration •  Allow more time for ETL work

Why I quit my job as an Emerging Technology Librarian

And traded it for a work culture that encourages everyone to embrace and practice innovation & technology exploration.!

❖  Financial barriers!❖  Lack of time dedicated to technology!

Necessity of Collaboration!

❖  Requires many parties to complete a project!

❖  Lack of technical skills!

❖  Everyone has too much to do already!

Challenges!

Successful implementation of technology and innovation in an academic library requires mass

adoption. !!

It must infiltrate the library work culture and our very missions if we want our students to embrace it and

learn, create and flourish through it.!

http://youtu.be/RvE0gHhK3ss!

Tod Colegrove Head of DeLaMare Science & Engineering Library!

The reason why we should embrace technology and innovation is not

because a few of us are techies or some like to talk about how forward thinking

they are at conferences.

The reason we should embrace is because technology and innovation allow us to provide our users with

opportunities to:

❖  Customize their learning!

❖  Develop tacit & computational knowledge!

❖  Produce tangibles!

❖  Create communities (online & physical)!

❖  Take risks (in a safe environment)!

~Mitch Resnick!

“Young people today have lots of experience … interacting with new technologies, but a lot less so of creating [or] expressing themselves with new technologies. It's almost as if they

can read but not write.”!

~Catarina Mota!

“Acquiring preemptive knowledge about emerging technologies is the best way to ensure that we have

a say in the making of our future.”!

Libraries embracing the Maker Culture

3D Printing!

Lock-picking Workshops!

Raspberry Pi!

~ Sugata Mitra!

“In nine months, a group of children left alone with a computer in any language will reach the

same standard as an office secretary in the West.” !

The Great Good Place ❖  Neutral Ground!

❖  Leveler!

❖  Conversation!

❖  Accessibility & Accommodation!

❖  The Regulars!

❖  A Low Profile!

❖  Mood is Playful!

❖  A Home away from Home!

Emerging Technologies in DLM

❖  3D Scanner!

❖  Lego Robotics Kits!

❖  AR Drones!

❖  Arduino Inventor Kits!

❖  Raspberry Pi's!

❖  Makey Makey Kits!

❖  3D Printer!

❖  Button Maker!

❖  Sparkfun Kits!

❖  Chromecast!

❖  Razed Hyrda!

❖  Oculus !

❖  Large Format Scanning & Printing!

Whiteboard Walls

Hackathons & Start-upathon

WordCamps

Science Fair

Little Boy Rides

Key Collaborations

❖  Engineering!

❖  Computer Science!

❖  Chemistry!

❖  Psychology!

❖  Art!

❖  Entrepreneurship!

❖  Community Collectives!

❖  Maker/Hacker Communities!

-  Tara Radniecki!-  Engineering Librarian!-  DeLaMare Library - University of Nevada, Reno!-  tradniecki@unr.edu!-  http://about.me/tararadniecki!

“The End.” !