The Future of Libraries: Are we already there ?

Blog entry No. 3

After studying the certificate 4 in Library and Information services for some months now, questions that have constantly popped up have been: What will happen to libraries in the future? How will they change? Will librarians be needed? 
I still feel like I don't have many answers to these questions, and set about to find a blog or interview with real librarians who are witnessing the change in libraries. I found this interview interesting because it starts off with the librarians talking about their own experiences as children visiting libraries, and then talks about the present where they are working in modern and technologically advanced libraries, which are described as  'centerpieces of urban redevelopment', a description which, for me, is accurate for libraries of the future.

In the interview, instead of pondering about how libraries will change in the future, the librarians seem to regard the 'future' as being now, with libraries apparently already being built as environmentally-friendly and sustainable buildings with cafes and even kitchens with chefs in some cases. It seems that the modern libraries being described are continuing the original aim of having a quiet 'space'to learn, but with much more on offer in terms of technology and facilities. Libraries are also described as if they are the epicenter of a place's culture, representing the people that live around it, and the heritage behind it. Another thing that was mentioned, which until now I have never even considered before, is how libraries can help people who are lonely, confused, not of an English speaking background, or simply older and at a loss for what to do next. I found this paragraph particularly relevant to what the purpose of a library should be, and what it should continue to do in the future:

'I think we need to understand that what we do is we connect people and information, and sometimes you're going to be more focusing on connecting information to information so that people can get to it, which is kind of the cataloguing side of it. Sometimes you've going to be focusing more on connecting people to people, which is the peer support that you're talking about, so that they can gain their information. Sometimes it will be the stamp in the book, the people and the information, but I think that it's no different to what we've been teaching for years and years which is you've got to love and know about people, you've got to love and know about information and the cultural history and find new and different ways to put them together.'

After reading this interview, I felt like my questions had been answered a little more. I think libraries are already in the future, or at least half way through, as they are using technologies such as 'e-readers' and are encouraging learning 'online'. I found this interesting also,

"Some libraries in the eastern states and Queensland are actually lending e-books to their users. We're not doing that. We have a single Kindle which is really a 'try before you buy' but also our way of positioning ourself for our community as something that's an asset when you think about e-books rather than something obsolete that you should bypass."

I think it is important to endorse new ways of reading and learning, instead of acting threatened by these new gadgets. Libraries will change, although, I don't think that it will be as harsh a transition that is being predicted, as libraries have already adapted to cater for the wide use of the internet by installing numerous computers. As for librarians themselves, they will always be needed, otherwise, who would 'run' the library? Give order to the information? Just because people are using technology to learn, more so than picking up a physical book, or look up the answer to a question on 'Google', doesn't mean that they have lost their job, rather, just the nature of their job. In the 'future' librarians will still be connecting people to the information they desire, though, it may be on a computer or a combination of both printed and virtual.

Title: The Future of Libraries
Author: from transcript from tv show 'The Book Show', aired wednesday 30th June 2010.
URL: http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/bookshow/the-future-of-libraries/3032478

Using blogs to promote a library's services

Blog Entry No.2

I was interested to find out how libraries use their blogs to promote themselves and their particular services, as the internet becomes an increasingly useful platform of communication in this technological age. 

So I visited a few library homepages (mainly Frankston City Library and Casey Cardinia) one of which had a link to it's own blog with information about upcoming events such as guest speakers, writing sessions and movie showings, a few bits of local news from around Frankston, and photos. As it is so easy to create and maintain a blog, libraries have definitely taken advantage of this tool. When I was scrolling down the blog, it was easy on the eyes with interesting photos, a welcoming tone of voice in the writing, and I was left with the feeling that the library was happy to give their service, especially as they had gone to a special effort to create and keep the blog going. There was also a link to the Facebook page, Twitter with live 'tweets' as they are 'tweeted', and an option to receive 'RSS feed'. Patrons were also given an opportunity to submit feedback about the library in general, to which the library responds to complaints and gives thanks for positive comments. Overall, I got the impression that libraries were using blogs not only to keep their patrons up to date, but to also create a personality for themselves, and a place where patrons can go to interact and be informed more so than they would just looking at the catalogue on their computer at home.

Author: Darlene Fichter
Date viewed: 15/08/2012
URL: http://www.infotoday.com/mls/nov03/fichter.shtml

Bending the rules?

Blog Entry No. 1

I just read a blog entry named “Do You Bend Rules in Your Library?” which caught my eye as I have always regarded the library as a place that adheres strictly to rules, and without them, would surely cease to function. Though school librarian Jacquie writes about how she received an email from an old student whom she ‘bended the rules’ for by allowing her to come into the library at lunchtime, borrow more books than she should have, and generally indulged in her desire to discover all there was to learn in the school library. In the email, the past student thanked her for allowing her the freedom to do what she wanted in the library, as she was uncomfortable socialising with other students at lunch times, and so sought out the library instead. After reading this I reviewed what I thought the job of a librarian to be, which until now, I thought of as a person who has the duty of helping people find the information they need. I now realise that it is so much more than that. To be a good librarian is to think on your feet, as all library patrons are different and like the student in the email, require varying amounts of attention and help. It is true that librarians help people find information, though I think that librarians must remember that it is this aiding in the finding of information that is the real requirement and even perk of being a librarian, as this will help, enlighten and even inspire a patron. In a way, librarians hold the keys to unlock people’s imaginations through the resources they have. (And it doesn’t hurt to bend a few rules here and there to really help a patron).

URL: http://wanderings.edublogs.org/

Author: Jacquie Henry

Page viewed on 9/8/2012