Month: November 2023

Public libraries are constantly looking for ways to improve and upgrade their environment to attract patrons locally or those who live out of the area. Following Laura Cole in the TED video (2016), there are four points that I would like to explore: the accessibility of the library, the perception of changing from a static to a fluid and dynamic library, the role of librarians from preserver to cultivator, and not just being a custodian of books but instead having the active role of a navigator.

The accessibility of libraries largely depends on the geographic location and the general population mix. For example, if the general population is older and mainly retirees, then the environment should incorporate multipurpose spaces with a balance of physical and digital resources. This is to ensure that the library can cater for all patrons (Shoham & Klain-Gabbay, 2019). However, there are budget constraints, and the allocation of funding requires careful consideration.

I have seen a pop-up library in many suburbs. This is the initiative of the local council to attract patrons from the local community, and it is one of the perceptions of changing from static to fluid and dynamic libraries. There are also other ideas that, in the digital space, a fluid library encourages memory efficiency with shared libraries in RAM instead of a single storage point (Audunson et al., 2019).

The last two points are the perceived role of librarians within the 21^st century, from a preserver to a cultivator, and from a custodian of books to the active role of a navigator. There are many roles that librarians are required to play as experts; however, the perception of librarians is required to change in order to embrace the ever-changing platform and environments (Chigwada, 2021).

I believe librarians are mediators of information. Therefore, the need to improve and update knowledge with the current trends of technology is inevitable.

References:

Audunson, R., Aabø, S., Blomgren, R., Evjen, S., Jochumsen, H., Larsen, H., … & Koizumi, M. (2019). Public libraries as an infrastructure for a sustainable public sphere: A comprehensive review of research. Journal of Documentation, 75(4), 773-790 https://doi.org/10.1108/JD-10-2018-0157

Chigwada, J. P. (2021). Librarian skillsets in the 21st century: The changing role of librarians in the digital era. In Research Anthology on Collaboration, Digital Services, and Resource Management for the Sustainability of Libraries (pp. 60-73). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-7998-8051-6.ch004

Cole, L. (2016). BiblioTech as the re-imagined public library: Where will it find you? [Video file]. YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnYDl66YfQ0

Shoham, S., & Klain-Gabbay, L. (2019). The academic library: Structure, space, physical and virtual use. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 45(5), 102053. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2019.102053

Shutterstock. (n.d.). Bibliothéque royalty-free images [Stock image]. https://www.shutterstock.com/search/biblioth%C3%A9que

The information environment that we are now living in is inevitably changing, upgrading, and creating new applications. It is a complicated task for organisations like the government, libraries, education, and corporations to keep up with the fast-paced, ever-changing digital platforms (Cascio & Montealegre, 2016).

With the continuously changing technology that we live with, which we cannot avoid, security in organisations are required to factor in extra budget for many areas, such as ongoing training and upgrading infrastructure and equipment. For organisations to seek to employ appropriate and qualified professionals to train their staff in the use and etiquette to meet the company’s technological needs, closing the gap between the younger and older generation’s skills and perception of using technologies are part of the cost (Eason, 2001).

There are always constant version updates and requirements to migrate to new systems. The upgrades and application migrations are an endless investment. Seeking new ways to provide and conduct business is also another trend. The current working-from-home model also poses another issue for organisations to manage staff for security issues when they are using their own internet and inadequate infrastructure. The logistical issue is that companies require someone to ensure staff are motivated and working as per company guidelines, arrange measurements and new policies required to be set up, and receive staff consent. On top of these extra challenges, the claims for overwork and monitoring well-being makes it harder to build trust with staff (Al-Shammari et al., 2023).

Due to changes in technologies and platforms in an organisation, setting up new policies and rules on how to access and conduct everyday business on internal and external websites could add another constraint to the organisation. The data that travels and is stored in the cloud poses another security issue and keeping it safe and secure within the organisation becomes another challenging and exigent task. The cost of keeping the firewall secure is rendered useless if the user lacks the knowledge to protect against hackers, who can find new ways to get information from organisations and sell it to other criminals on the dark web (Martínez-Caro et al., 2020).

The future of academic librarian roles will be evolving, not only to incorporate even more digital services and online resources, but also because the general community expects them to be experts in the field. Hence, continuing to upskill by following close to technology trends and keeping up with the digital world is a necessity (Evans & Baker, 2011).

References:

Al-Shammari, M., Aziz, W. A., & Jasimuddin, S. M. (2023). Emerging trends in innovation management and entrepreneurship development in the 21st century: issues, challenges, and opportunities. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1145727. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1145727

Cascio, W. F., & Montealegre, R. (2016). How technology is changing work and organizations. Annual review of organizational psychology and organizational behavior, 3, 349-375. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-041015-062352

Eason, K. (2001). Changing perspectives on the organizational consequences of information technology. Behaviour & information technology, 20(5), 323-328. https://doi.org/10.1080/01449290110083585

Evans, W., & Baker, D. (Eds.). (2011). Libraries and society: role, responsibility and future in an age of change. Elsevier. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/CSUAU/detail.action?docID=1584455

Martínez-Caro, E., Cegarra-Navarro, J. G., & Alfonso-Ruiz, F. J. (2020). Digital technologies and firm performance: The role of digital organisational culture. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 154, 119962. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2020.119962

Shutterstock. (n.d.). Technology Vector royalty-free images [Stock image]. https://www.shutterstock.com/search/technology-vector