making the best of small libraries and small budgets
DESCRIPTION
Survival strategies for librarians working in museums with small / difficult spaces and limited budgets. Exploring how we can adapt and thrive in the digital age.TRANSCRIPT
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Making the best of small spaces and small budgets
Caroline Warhurst, LMLAG Conference British Museum, 26 April 2007
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Frank Pick “The test of the goodness of a thing is its fitness for use.
If it fails on this first test no amount of ornamentation or finish will make it any better.”
Frank Pick, speaking in 1916
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He transformed this…
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and this…
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into this…
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and this…
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What are the issues?
• keeping up to date • web benefits – what’s best for me? • money? • difficult spaces – large or small • limited staffing resources
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What to keep in mind “80% of most library visitors use Google to find what they want…Web visitors do not care whether information found is ultimately housed in a museum or library. We need to work together… to make certain that visitors can easily find what they want.”
Ken Hamma, J. Paul Getty Trust
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Another guiding thought “Two thirds of our visitors don’t come for something we have shaped, they are coming to our core assets…They aren’t coming to hear what we want to tell them, they are coming to find what they want to know...Libraries are the ultimate 2.0 content providers. Everything is available.”
Nina Simon www.museumtwo.com
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Issue
• keeping up to date
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Solutions
• sources that work for you • professional organisations • Library 2.0 solutions, free services • stay focussed, avoid ‘wilfing’!
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Some sites I find useful
• http://www.museumtwo.com Museum 2.0
• http://www.ipl.org Internet Public Library
• http://www.bloglines.com Blog service
• http:// www.librarycrunch.com Blog
• http:// www.freepint.com Research site
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Issue
• web and IT benefits – what’s best for me?
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Solutions
• be clear about your service • what do you really need? • go for tried and tested • make full use of simple / free
solutions
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Issue
• money?
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Solutions
• keep up a costed ‘desiderata’ list • power and influence • get what you can afford and build on it • maximise grants and partnerships
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Issue
• difficult spaces – large or small
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Solutions
• clear vision • consultation • audit activities • flexible spaces
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Issue
• limited staffing resources
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Solutions
• prioritise • projects that give double benefits • exploit your unique assets • develop integrated services
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LTM as a case study
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We have all the issues
• small difficult space • money – didn’t have any… • limited staffing resources • web benefits – what’s best for us?
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Update definitely needed..
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• 12,000 items packed into 74 sq metres
• High inaccessible shelving
• Unique material • Dingy, poorly lit
space
Issues
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Bit too cosy..
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You couldn’t browse
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• Storage for 12,000 items
• 239 metres of shelving reduced
• 5 workstations for staff and volunteers
• Dedicated public access point
What did we want
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Stage 1: installed rolling stacks at Acton store, 2005
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Successful bid for ‘end of year’ money.
Refurbish Library as part of Covent Garden
redevelopment
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Packed 350 crates to go to Acton
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Crates fork-lifted into store
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Rolling stacks go in the library.
Room gets a lick of paint, new lights
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the crates return
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New shelves are installed
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The new Library
• Accessible shelving • Compact storage • More study seats • Visitors can browse • Flexible space
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What’s next • Online library catalogue • Wi-fi for visitors and
Museum staff • Re-purpose digital
resources • Review customer services
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Final thoughts “The biggest challenges with ICT have almost nothing to do with technology. They are really about what it means for your museum, how it is likely to change the way you work and how you will ensure that you get the best out of your investment of time money and effort.”
Nick Poole, Director of MDA
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Adapt and thrive in the digital age • have a clear vision unique to you • customer-centred approach • Library 2.0 options, right for you • use all your assets (IT, human, space)
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Thank you