Evaluating the New Webscale Platforms and Their Impact on Librarianship

Carl GrantAssociate Dean, Knowledge Services & Chief Technology Officer

May 14, 2013ABES ConferenceMontpeilier, France

The Agenda

• The current situation in U.S. libraries.• What’s the path forward for librarians?• Revisiting the mission of librarianship.• How we should select & use Library Service

Platforms.• Conclusion.• Q & A

Source: ARL Statistics, Association of Research Libraries, Washington, DC

U.S. Academic Libraries

U.S. Academic Libraries

U.S. Labor Market

Source: http://blog.oup.com/2011/06/librarian-census/

U.S. Labor Market

Source: http://blog.oup.com/2011/06/librarian-census/

Cost of Higher EducationArticle in “The Economist”, Dec 1-7, 2012: “Not what it used to be”.

In North America…

• Cost has risen 5x rate of inflation since 1983• Graduation rate within six years – 57%• “Additional value has not been created to

match the extra spending.”• Literacy declined. “Only 25% are deemed

proficient in using printed and written information to function in society to achieve one’s goals and to develop one’s knowledge and potential.”

PC Magazine, January 1, 2013“Gartner’s Top 10 Tech-Trends for 2013” Some key trends for libraries:

• Mobile Devices & Applications• Internet of Things. • Hybrid IT and Cloud Computing. • Strategic Big Data.• Actionable Analytics. • In Memory Computing.

Changing Technology

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/08/02/conventional-online-universities-consider-strategic-response-moocs

Per “The Economist”, Dec 1-7, 2012:• In 2011 about 6M American

students took at least one online course in the autumn term. Around 30% of all college students are learning online—up from less than 10% in 2002”.

• MOOC’s are part of trend towards the unbundling of higher education….

MOOC’s (Massive Open Online Course)

We’re constantly connected to the Web. The result?

• Twitter - messages in 140 characters• Average length of 12 billion videos – 4 minutes

• All about smaller, shorter, quicker…..

Our attention span

Source: http://hothardware.com/News/Intel-Announces-New-Z670-For-Tablets/

Growth of Tablet Computing

Source: http://www.digitalbuzzblog.com/2011-mobile-statistics-stats-facts-marketing-infographic/

What’s the path forward for

Librarians?

Then it's time to think BIGGER.

Creative Commons License:

“The MISSION of LIBRARIANS is to IMPROVE SOCIETY through FACILITATING KNOWLEDGE creation in their COMMUNITIES”

R. David Lankes

L'Atlas du Nouveau bibliothéconomie

“The library’s functions and programs derive from the conviction that [information is] a powerful, indispensible agent for bringing enlightenment, new knowledge, encouragement and inspiration to every member of the community. … The quickest and easiest access to the world’s best thought is through the library.” Wheeler and Goldhor, 1962

How do we turn our mission into deliverables?

Cloud Computing

We’ve built a LOT of silos.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulstarr/

ILS of the past…

The Power of CommunityImage Source: http://www.autism-community.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/community.jpg

Community created metadataExamples

Such as the Alma Community Zone from

Community created metadataGo from this… To this…

API’sHTML5

Web Services (REST)

In 1993, there were over 50 offerings in the market.

As we enter 2013, there are 24…

The New Library Services Platforms3 Cloud-Computing, 1 OSS/SaaS, 3 SaaS Updates

Open Skies

The mission of librarianship...

We’re chasing too many ideas.

OMG! It’s “almost” like Google?!? NO it’s NOT! It’s BETTER than Google!

The mission and vision of librarianship...

We need – a focus.

We need – a brand & we

need differentiation

In 2005, libraries had a negligible hold (1%) on users at least starting their information search at the library website. By 2010, it had evaporated and was zero (0%).

Discovery will happen in these places:

Discovery - Today

“While discovery and exploration may move elsewhere, such external delivery environments may link to the library environment for location and fulfillment.”

Lorcan Dempsey, OCLC

How about – A discovery system that’s a knowledge creation platform? Where users can

access existing knowledge, and easily launch into creating new knowledge?

Conclusion

• The current situation in libraries requires us to refocus on our members/users & their needs.

• Librarians are NOT the same as our technology. We offer differentiating value. Technology allows us to extend and scale our value across the Web.

• New library service platforms offers us a path forward.

• Libraries/Librarianship is about lifelong learning and knowledge creation.

Carl GrantAssociate Dean for Knowledge Services &

Chief Technology Officer  

     M: +1-540-449-2418

E:  carl.grant@ou.eduTwitter:  carl_grant

Blog: http://thoughts.care-affiliates.com