Reflecting on the Future of Academic and Public Libraries

by Peter Hernon (Editor), Joseph R. Matthews (Editor)

Overview

Academic and public libraries are much different today than they were even 15 years ago. With even bigger changes on the horizon, what lies in store? This volume offers ideas to academic and public librarians about the future of library services. Editors Hernon and Matthews invite a raft of contributors to step back and envision the type of future library that will generate excitement and enthusiasm among users and stakeholders. Anyone interested in the future of libraries, especially library managers, will be engaged and stimulated as the contributorsExamine the current state of the library, summarizing existing literature on the topic to sketch in historical backgroundProject into the future, using SWOT analysis, environmental scans, and other techniques to posit how library infrastructure (such as staff, collections, technology, and facilities) can adapt in the decades aheadConstruct potential scenarios that library leaders can use to forge paths for their own institutionsThe collection of knowledge and practical wisdom in this book will help academic and public libraries find ways to honor their missions while planning for the broader institutional changes already underway.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780838996027
Publisher:	American Library Association
Publication date:	01/08/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	242
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Peter Hernon is a professor emeritus at Simmons College, Boston, and was the principal (and founding) faculty member for the doctoral program, Managerial Leadership in the Information Professions. He received his PhD degree from Indiana University, Bloomington, and was the 2008 recipient of the Association of College and Research Libraries’ award for Academic/Research Librarian of the Year, the founding editor of Government Information Quarterly, and past editor-in- chief of The Journal of Academic Librarianship. He is the coeditor of Library & Information Science Research and has taught, conducted workshops, and delivered addresses in eleven countries outside the United States. He is the author or co-author of 57 books, including the award-winning Federal Information Policies in the 1980s (1985) and Viewing Library Metrics from Different Perspectives (2009).

Joseph R. Matthews is a consultant specializing in strategic planning, assessment, evaluation of library services, customer service, use of performance measures, and the balanced scorecard. He was an instructor at the San Jose State University School of Library and Information Science. He is author of The Customer-Focused Library, The Evaluation and Measurement of Library Services, Scorecards for Results, Strategic Planning and Management for Managers, and Measuring for Results, and the coauthor (with Peter Hernon) of Listening to the Customer, among other books.

Table of Contents

List of Figures, Tables, and Text Boxes ix

Preface xi

1 Change-Major to Minor 1

Fundamental Change 3

Some Important Trends 6

Creating the Library Compass 12

Concluding Thoughts 14

2 Building a Path to the Future 17

Environmental Scanning Reports 21

Concluding Thoughts 36

3 Transforming the Future 39

Impetus 40

Identifying Trends 41

Building Scenarios 43

Transformation 46

Concluding Thoughts 49

4 Related Literature 51

Scenario Planning 52

Some Key Writings 54

Use of Scenarios in General 56

Writings Relevant to Academic Libraries 57

Writings Relevant to Public Libraries 61

Concluding Thoughts 72

5 Future Views of Academic Libraries 79

Higher Education 82

Trends in Academic Libraries 84

Unfamiliarity with Libraries and the Role of Librarians 86

Exploring the Use of Different Scenarios 87

Six Academic Library Scenarios 89

Extending the Scenarios beyond Fifteen Years 96

Concluding Thoughts 99

6 Perspectives on Trends and Scenarios: Academic Libraries 105

Scholarly Communication and Liberal Arts College Libraries Richard Fyffe 106

Scholarly Communication and the Role of the Liberal Arts College Library Diane J. Graves 114

Toward Building an Embedded Academic Library: The Case of Shaping Drexel University Libraries Spaces Danuta A. Nitecki 120

Revisiting the Scenarios through Space Planning Robert E. Dugan 125

Concluding Thoughts 136

7 Future Views of Public Libraries 141

Public Library Association Planning Process 142

Scenarios and Public Libraries 144

Out-of-the-Box Thinking 151

Concluding Thoughts 153

8 Perspectives on Trends and Scenarios: Public Libraries 157

Scenario 1 The "Status Quo" Library 161

Scenario 2 The Community "Living Room" 163

Scenario 3 The "Electronic" Library 164

Scenario 4 The "Happening Place" Library 165

Comments on the Scenarios 167

Concluding Thoughts 176

9 Preparing for the Future: Some Final Thoughts 179

Leadership 181

Staff Abilities for the Present and Future 182

Currents in Scenario Development 183

Privatizing Libraries 185

Libraries Merely Trying to Keep Up 186

Revisiting Space Planning 187

Issues of Importance to the Broader Organization 188

Concept of Scenarios Revisited 196

Concluding Thoughts 197

Appendix A The Use of Scenarios in the Pierce County Library System Neel Parikh 203

Appendix B The Anythink Revolution Pam Sandlian-Smith 211

About the Authors 221

Index 225