Patron-Driven Library (eBook)

A Practical Guide for Managing Collections and Services in the Digital Age

Dee Ann Allison (Autor)

eBook Download: PDF | EPUB

2013 | 1. Auflage
374 Seiten
Elsevier Science (Verlag)
978-1-78063-402-9 (ISBN)

Infos

Libraries in the USA and globally are undergoing quiet revolution. Libraries are moving away from a philosophy that is collection-centered to one focused on service. Technology is key to that change. The Patron Driven Library explores the way technology has moved the focus from library collections to services, placing the reader at the center of library activities. The book reveals the way library users are changing, and how social networking, web delivery of information, and the uncertain landscape of e-print has energized librarians to adopt technology to meet a different model of the library while preserving core values. Following an introduction, the first part begins with the historical milieu, and moves on to current challenges for financing and acquiring materials, and an exploration of why the millennial generation is transformational. The second part examines how changes in library practice can create a culture for imagining library services in an age of information overflow. The final chapter asks: Whither the library? - Provides a synthesis of current research on the impact of technology on behaviour, and connecting it with library services - Offers examples and practical advice for incorporating technology to meet user expectations and assess services - Suggests management techniques to overcome barriers to change and technology innovation

Dee Ann Allison is a Professor in the University Libraries at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in the USA. With over 30 years' experience in working libraries and over 10 years' experience with information technology, she is best known as an advocate for technology innovation to improve the user experience. Her research includes evaluation of discovery tools, and designing artificial intelligence for use in reference.

Textauszug

2

A culture of technology

Abstract:

While scientists debate the evidence that technology-using behaviors are changing the way the brain functions, there is much evidence that the Millennial Generation has incorporated technology into their lives in a way that greatly exceeds the influence technology has had on past generations and, in so doing, has created a culture of technology. Librarians face new challenges as they adapt to this generation while continuing to serve the interests of less technology-connected users.

Key words

culture

technology

Millennials

technology culture

technological innovation

plugged-in patrons

digital natives

collective intelligence

information literacy

social networking

Culture describes the manner in which humans work and interact, and defines the rules for social interaction. During World War II the role of women changed when they started working in factories as replacements for soldiers. Afterwards, they returned to the tradition of raising children. Their daughters went to school in dresses and sat quietly while the teacher's attention was given to their brothers; after all, the girls were expected to grow up and keep house, while the boys joined the workforce.

In actual fact, the girls did not stay home, they went to work and fought for equal rights, nurturing their daughters in a different culture, and since the 1980s there have been more girls in US colleges than boys. Imagine the world today if the culture of the last thousand years had treated both sexes as equals? How many female Isaac Newtons have been lost? That is the power of culture.

Today a new generation, often called the Millennial Generation, is embracing technology with such force that a new culture of technology has emerged. This culture is defining how people communicate, collaborate and incorporate technology into daily activities. It is demanding more flexibility in the workplace and using technology to bridge family, social and work activities. It equates change with something “better” and is impatient with others who are slow to adopt new technology, or technology that isn't intuitive or reliable. For this generation, technology isn't a tool – it is more like a family member.

Millennials are different

Technology has moved beyond work and entertainment into the area of social interaction. Economics, technology and social factors all play a role in creating the variations that distinguish one generation from another. Although there is overlap between the birth dates associated with each generation, it is the similarities among individuals born in a specific age range that make them different from those who come before and after.

The six named generations are: the Greatest Generation, the Silent Generation, the Baby Boomers, Generation X, Generation Y and Generation Z. The Greatest Generation is composed of people who matured during the Depression and fought in World War II. Members of the Silent Generation, too young to fight in World War II, were influenced by childhood experiences of the Depression. The Baby Boomer generation grew up during the time of affluence after the war, and as teenagers engaged in an antiestablishment counter-culture. They were followed by Generation X, which was raised in two-income families, creating an independent and resourceful generation suspicious of authority. Generation Y, also known as the Millennial Generation, is now coming into adulthood and these young people are the first generation to grow to maturity having never experienced a world without computers. The ubiquitous presence of electronic gadgets has profoundly influenced this generation to the extent they have been called digital natives because of their ability to understand and manipulate technology in an organic way that is unfamiliar to older generations. The Millennials are followed by Generation Z, also called the Internet Generation because of their early exposure to the Internet and the convenience delivered through networks.

Beginning with the Millennial Generation the number of years between generations appears to be growing smaller (see Table 2.1). Some factor is, or some factors are, influencing people so dramatically as to create differences that are reducing the time between generations. This trend seems to match the increasing speed of technology penetration within society, so it is not surprising that the Millennial Generation is taking the lead in a cultural revolution that includes technology. This generation uses technology whenever and wherever they want and they are as likely to send a text message at 2.00 a.m. as 2.00 p.m. They blend work, home and social lives into a seamless continuum, and technology is the glue that holds it together. They reject traditional classrooms and don't like being cooped up in an office. They also want to be judged on their performance, not on predictable office hours (Tapscott, 2009). They are comfortable figuring out new technology and love customizing their gadgets with wallpapers, ring tones and apps to notify them of updates from social media sites. Social networking enables this generation to collaborate in a manner that keeps them connected 24 hours a day. They collaborate through chat rooms, blogs, instant messaging and multi-user games, and they share everything from personal insights to challenges at work.

Table 2.1

Generational timeline

As confident as Millennials are in their technology culture, there are hidden dangers in their openness. Notifications come at all times of the day and night, and can be seen by others as interruptions. Living in a technology culture that is always on can result in a loss of freedom because of expectations that a person will always respond immediately. Further, there is nowhere to hide when technology is constantly updating a person's GPS location, turning privacy into an illusion. Privacy is a concern that deters many older generations from embracing the technology culture. They are worried about the amount of personal information available to the public and about how it is being used. E-book vendors are collecting a large amount of information on their users; everything from the average length of time it takes to read a book to how people browse is being collected without the knowledge of readers (Alter, 2012: 1). Although much of this information is gathered in order to analyze use for future publications, librarians see this data as an intrusion into personal space.

Older generations which have adopted aspects of this culture have not integrated information technology into their “DNA” as the Millennials seem to have done. Neurobiologists are just beginning to explore the effects early exposure to technology is having on brain development (Prensky, 2001). An experiment was undertaken by Gary Small using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to determine whether prior experience with technology influenced brain function. Those with prior experience of searching the web activated different parts of the brain than those with no experience. This experiment involved a small sample of 24 subjects aged 55–78, and “despite such limitations, our findings point to an association between routine Internet searching and neural circuitry activation in middle-aged and older adults”(Small et al., 2009: 125).

It will be interesting to see if this experiment can be replicated, but the possibility that exposure to instant answers and web search results is altering brain functions is startling. If our thought patterns are being modified by experience with technology as is suggested, then it is important to understand those changes. Otherwise, the more we rely on search engines as our guide, the more our intelligence will be shaped by technology. The filtering of information by search engines must be questioned through a process of critical thinking.

This is the new frontier for literacy, and it is an opportunity for librarians to renew the spirit of the White House conferences. Twentieth-century librarians must help readers interpret information and discover the significance of the research. This is something search engines can't do, and is often masked behind large result sets.

Millennials as plugged-in patrons

Millennials are plugged-in patrons, born into the technology culture; they bring different perspectives about the library that librarians can use to improve services. Millennials like participation and they expect their voices to make a difference. They make ideal participants in focus groups where they can mingle with peers, bounce ideas around and provide opinions on library operations. However, they are not likely to wait patiently for improvements so librarians need to be prepared to move quickly when a particular direction is apparent.

Not only are Millennials willing to provide input, but they will do so without being asked. As a consequence, librarians should be listening on social networking sites for their brand name in order to monitor what people are saying about their library. Best practices developed for commerce can be adapted to the public sector to provide a model for a new emphasis on the user experience in library services.

Librarians should not underestimate the important part Millennials can play in fund-raising. Research indicates that this is a...

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 30.9.2013
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Geisteswissenschaften ► Sprach- / Literaturwissenschaft
• Themenwelt: Sozialwissenschaften ► Kommunikation / Medien ► Buchhandel / Bibliothekswesen
• Themenwelt: Wirtschaft ► Betriebswirtschaft / Management ► Unternehmensführung / Management
• Themenwelt: Wirtschaft ► Betriebswirtschaft / Management ► Wirtschaftsinformatik
• ISBN-10: 1-78063-402-1 / 1780634021
• ISBN-13: 978-1-78063-402-9 / 9781780634029