the future—my take
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The Future—My Take. Or, Random Musings from the Chairlift. “The Times, They Are A’Changing . . .”. Today’s students live a life shaped by technological innovations Undergraduates immediately go online often with a general web search. So Does an Earlier Generation. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
The Future—My TakeThe Future—My Take
Or, Random Musings from the Chairlift . . .
““The Times, They Are The Times, They Are A’ChangingA’Changing. . .”. . .”
Today’s students live a life shaped by technological innovations
Undergraduates immediately go online often with a general web search
So Does an Earlier So Does an Earlier GenerationGeneration
“’I live on the Internet,’ General Powell said. He cited his favorite site: www.refdesk.com. . . . The reference site is so comprehensive, General Powell said, he has thrown out all his encyclopedias and dictionaries.”
--New York Times, 1/26/01
We Have New ClientelesWe Have New ClientelesDistributed learnersAlumniNon-affiliated users of locally-created
digital collections
Changing Emphases within Changing Emphases within Research LibrariesResearch Libraries
Commitment to the digital libraryCommitment to alumniCommitment to collaboration Lower value placed on traditional services
Access to More and More of Access to More and More of Our Resources is DigitalOur Resources is Digital
Digital collections have broken the constraints of time and space
Users of electronic resources continue to need assistance
Reference assistance should also break the constraints of time and space
In-Person Transactions are In-Person Transactions are DroppingDropping
Reference Desk Transactions
0
20000
40000
60000
80000
100000
Year
This is Not Just a Cornell This is Not Just a Cornell PhenomenonPhenomenon
We’re No Longer the Only We’re No Longer the Only Game in TownGame in Town
AskJeeves receives over 4,000,000 queries per day
Remember Colin Powell!
Our ChallengeOur Challenge
We must use traditional strengths and values to build new programs and services
We must create a new paradigm wherein we no longer define ourselves, our professional roles, and our services solely—or chiefly —in terms of “the desk”
VisionVision
Users will have digital access to high quality reference services anytime from anywhere
Reference service will be a key component of the digital library
Digital reference should be “High Tech and High Touch”
Guiding ValuesGuiding Values
The core values which have informed our services and programs for years must inform our new services and programs
Traditional View of ReferenceTraditional View of Reference
Librarian and Library are the centers of the universe
Users come to the desk in the library for service
Desk hours reflect library needsUsers come to the library for instruction
A New View of ReferenceA New View of Reference
Users are the center of the universeServices revolve around usersReference services are available digitally
and physicallyReference services are synchronous and
asynchronousReference service hours meet users’ needs
We Take Instruction to Our We Take Instruction to Our UsersUsers
Library instruction is presented on the webLibrary instruction is presented in wired
classroomsWe create a mobile, wireless lab for use in
non-wired classroomsLibrary instruction is presented in the
library
We Must Continue to be We Must Continue to be Willing to Experiment and to Willing to Experiment and to
Take Risks!Take Risks!
Create New Reference Create New Reference Services, Programs, and Services, Programs, and
Models of ServiceModels of Service
Expand and Enhance Digital Expand and Enhance Digital InstructionInstruction
We Must Continue to Grow We Must Continue to Grow Professionally and Develop Professionally and Develop
New SkillsNew Skills
Three Years OutThree Years Out
More time spent on digital referenceHarder to define primary clienteleLonger hours of service {24/7 model}Streaming media services to remote users
And If We Don’t Make These And If We Don’t Make These Changes?Changes?
We will become increasingly irrelevant to our users
We will lose administrative and institutional credibility
We will likely lose staff and resources through reallocation
We will be marginalized and eventually reorganized out of existence
A state without the means of some change is without the means of its conservation.
--Edmund Burke