The Convergence Transformation of Libraries

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The Convergence Transformation of Libraries

• Thoughts on the transformation of libraries in
  response to the emergence of ubiquitous access to
  electronically available information resources
• Richard W Meyer
• 14 May 2009

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Who is this Presenter?

• Forty-one years experience in special and
  academic libraries
• Thirty-eight years as a library technology
  manager
• Academic background in chemistry, economics and
  library science
• For added information see
• http//www.library.gatech.edu/research_help/librar
  ians/meyer.html

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Background

• Strategic goals revision in year 2000
  precipitated an effort to build a more effective
  library program at Georgia Tech
• Library use by students measured by door count
  had dropped by 5 percent or more per year from
  1990 on
• Several experiments to build joint service areas
  with the computer center and others proved the
  need for a different kind of information and
  study facility
• I intend to share what we learned with you by
  looking at the economic environment and new
  opportunities as experienced at Georgia Tech

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Traditional Library

• Print information is available to only those in
  proximity to the Library
• Provides efficiency for community by joint
  collecting of physical media
• Group of people each with some multiply power
  of collective by shared purchasing of books
• Gain access to more information and most likely
  spend less overall
• Limited scope of physical collection is a problem

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Electronic Library

• All digital information is available to ALL users
  at all times
• 2nd through 100,000,000,000th
• or more digital copies cost zero each
• Rule of economic efficiency in print world
  dissolves
• Result physical collection building is no
  longer a reason to have libraries

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The Technology Myth
What technology does not do completely
eliminate jobs witness, we still have
horses What technology does complicates
jobs opens new opportunities expands and
elevates skill sets because for instance, cars
are more complex than wagons
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The Supermarket (Walmart) Model
Todays Supermarket offers groceries, drugs,
greeting cards, butcher shop, photo developing,
postal service, books, film rentals, and much more

• Therefore it
• Provides transport and search efficiency for
  customers
• Provides economic savings for retailer via
  merged facility maintenance, security and so
  forth

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The New Model

• The transition calls on the Library to evolve
  into a convergence point
• This model needs librarians with elevated
  credentials to collaborate with other academic
  support personnel
• Collaborators include computer center, advising
  office, teaching enhancement staff, media staff,
  tutoring, and other academic components

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Georgia Tech Learning Center
Georgia Tech started with agreement between
library and computer center moved in together
at front door Added teaching enhancement
staff Later added tutoring offices, career
opportunity advisors, writing center and media
services Moved forward in three steps picture
at left is first learning center area
addition Focus mainly on integrating computer
support with information (library) reference
support 24 hours per day
ONE EARLY PIONEER
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Second Phase Expansion

• First implementation with computer center worked
  well, but lacked components
• Second phase shown here
• added more collaboration
• capability, flexible computer
• linking, movable furnishings,
• pull-down electrical
• power cords, special
• lighting and display
• capabilities

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Images of Georgia Tech Library
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GT Library Exterior Entrance
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Immediately Inside Library LWC
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Library West Commons
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LEC Multipurpose Area
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(No Transcript)
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• More photos are available at
• http//library.gatech.edu/

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Georgia Tech Innovations

• Library becomes campus central convergence point
  for academic out-of-class support
• Reference librarians shift from behind the desk
  support to regular visitation in faculty offices
  and meetings
• -- different disciplines have different
  information needs
• -- tools to support them must focus on those
  needs
• -- each discipline shares research in own way
• One kind of librarian cannot meet all kinds of
  academic disciplines

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The Digital Explosion

• SMARTech houses Georgia Tech research in digital
  format, including
• Annual Reports
• Conference Papers
• Electronic Theses and Dissertations
• Learning Objects
• Newsletters
• Pre-Prints/Post-Prints
• Proceedings
• Research Reports
• Simulations
• Technical Reports
• Web Pages
• White papers
• Working Papers

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Digital Collections

• Digitization provides opportunity for cooperation
  between the library and faculty digital file
  creators.
• Librarians provide editing, structuring,
  organizing, access, and preservation
• Libraries are changing from collecting and
  purveying secondary literature to becoming the
  center for creating, promoting, collecting and
  preserving primary resources

From Ivan Gaetz. Collaboration Librarianship
New Light on a Brilliant Concept. Collaborative
Librarianship, 1(1) 1-12 (2009)
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Facing Changes in Librarianship

• Recognize need to go to faculty do not expect
  them to come to you
• Collaborate with faculty on their research agenda
  if possible
• Organize different delivery to different
  disciplines learning how to use one index will
  not necessarily help with another index
• Focus on centralizing services in support of
  students
• Emphasize education and teaching role with
  undergraduates
• Allow for flexibility in use of library facility
• Put user help/reference desk just inside the
  entrance and move circulation elsewhere
• Collaborate with student services offices to
  deliver electronic material to reserve readings
  or to class syllabus

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Staff Training Needed to Face Challenges

• Recognize that writing a paper requires skills in
  information finding, in writing, and in computer
  use
• Develop expertise among librarians with software
  and systems
• Train all public services staff to triage student
  inquiries
• Train computer services and other unit staff in
  basic triage
• Use e-mail to deliver updates to all librarians

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Librarian Credentials Needed Today

• American academic libraries hire two kinds of
  staff professional librarians and non-librarian
  support staff
• All librarians at GT have a BS or BA and a
  masters in library science it is a firm
  standard in the USA
• Most have a second masters at Ga Tech currently,
  chemistry, biology, engineering, mathematics,
  food science, economics, history, political
  science, accounting, art history and English
• Because of large numbers of graduate students
  from China, Ga Tech has two librarians who teach
  library skills in Mandarin

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The End