Module 6, Task 6: Choose one of the resources above and write a 400 word analysis that addresses the following issues: What is the potential for the future of an organisation you are familiar with? What impact might the future have on us as information professionals?
Cox’s (2020) article, ‘Changed, changed utterly,’ describes the accurate predictions of the post-pandemic library environment and operations that are considered as the new “norm” for libraries today. The pandemic has provided libraries with evidence-based research on how effectively public libraries can perform under different circumstances to meet their community requirements. In response to the abrupt shutdown orders, libraries had to reconsider their purpose to the community to comply with the social distancing practices. Although librarians were not considered ‘essential workers’, the community turned to them for welfare support services, demonstrating their importance to society’s social infrastructure in a crisis. The library services did not change their strategic priorities of library services but rather sharpened their focus to offer services that could meet the changing requirements and discover new services that could broaden their community reach to those who were vulnerable (Peachey, 2020, p. 37). For example, Sydney Northern Beaches public library continue to provide a home library services to serve the elderly within the community, transforming their role to be social support workers. Also, another initiative, has come from Central Coast libraries who have invested in have invested in smart self-service book lockers for users, such as office workers, to access collections outside operating hours (Collins, 2023). Other libraries have introduced to expand their opening times to become adaptable to new lifestyles that have emerged from the pandemic, meeting the demands of a 24/7 economy (Skatssoon, 2020).
Northern Beaches (2021, April 28)
Other than creating more access points to information, Richards (2021) describes that digital literacy will be an issue, and what will be critical to the information profession will be how they can use the technology to educate their users. The pandemic has brought forth the rise of electronic and open access; users had less contact with the outside world, so they have become dependent on it as a source of information. The new source of discovery of information has been sourced from the search engine monopolies such as Google. This dependency on technology and people quickly ‘Googling’ for information has changed their information-seeking behaviours and considering the significant lifestyle impacts that have brough forth with the pandemic, it has formed new expectations in the post-pandemic era. CISCO (2020) reported that 77% of digital natives expect a personalised digital experience. Considering, that more people want a personalised experience, the future of libraries and their roles as distributors of information may need to consider the service business model that these current content aggregators have developed to customise information needs more appropriate to their patrons (Richards, 2021).
421 words
References:
CISCO. (2020). Customer experience in 2020. CISCO. https://www.cisco.com/c/dam/en/us/solutions/collateral/digital-transformation/customer-experience/cx2020-whitepaper.pdf
Collins, T. (2023, March). New lockers for after hours library use. Coast Community News. https://coastcommunitynews.com.au/central-coast/news/2023/03/new-lockers-for-after-hours-library-use/
Cox, C. (2020). Changed, changed utterly. Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2020/06/05/academic-libraries-will-change-significant-ways-result-pandemic-opinion
Northern Beaches. (2021, April). Home library service. [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/V7D-F0kUeiI?si=RwU1dMVnSmxZwobX
Peachey, J. (2020). Making a difference: Libraries, lockdown and looking ahead. Carnegie UK Trust. https://carnegieuktrust.org.uk/publications/making-a-difference-libraries-lockdown-and-looking-ahead/
Richards, J. (2021, April). The future of libraries in a post COVID world [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/TCxA0aeSJtQ?si=_rPwyvyZTSW_Skdj
Skatssoon, J. (2023, March). Council to operate 24/7 library. Government News. https://www.governmentnews.com.au/council-to-operate-24-7-library/
I know you haven’t posted your thoughts yet…but I totally luv the pic!