programs and research the library and the network: a perspective lorcan dempsey oclc arlington...

Programs and Research

The library and the network: a perspective

Lorcan DempseyOCLC

Arlington County Virginia All Staff Day

1 December 2006

Programs and research 2

Credits

Thanks to Joanne Cantrell for the slides reporting the Perceptions report.

Thanks to Alane Wilson and George Needham for some input and a couple of perceptions slides. The self-service grocery picture is George’s.

The perceptions report is at http://www.oclc.org/reports/2005perceptions.htm

Minitex figures from Bill De John.


“Putting the world within reach”Arlington County Department of Libraries

Even the most misfitting childWho's chanced upon the library's worth,Sits with the genius of the EarthAnd turns the key to the whole world.

Ted Hughes‘Hear it again’

New Library:The People's Networkhttp://www.ukoln.ac.uk/services/lic/newlibrary/poem.html


Perceptions


A homeworkinterlude

Eoghan


His view of the library ….

Books Complex/fragmented Low gravitational pull Wants to get to ‘fit for purpose’ material quickly

“Why isn’t the library stuff inWikipedia?”


Books, books, books, rows and rows of books, stacks of books, tables filled with books, people holding

books, people checking out books. Libraries are all about books.

That is what I think and that is what I will always think.

41-year-old from Canada

Books


“I think the public libraries provide a

very good service to the public but with using the computer it

makes it easier for me to find information I would need on the internet without having to leave my home.” 54-year old from Canada


What is the first thing you think of when you think of the library?

0

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Books Information Building(Environment)

Research Materials Reference Entertainment

12%

69%

Q807

69%69%


Total Respondents – Visits to the Public Library

97% 97% 97% 96%

9%

27%31%

42%

2%2%2%2%0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Canada UnitedKingdom

AustraliaSingapore

India

United States

Walk-in Online Never


…is the information you get from library sources more or less trustworthy than information you get from search engines?

9% 10%12%

7%9%

21%18%

28%

22%24%

70%

75%

60%

66%69%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

TotalRespondents

AustraliaSingapore India

Canada United Kingdom United States

Library sources more trustworthy About the same Library sources less trustworthy


Total Respondents - Satisfaction with overall experience provided by librarian vs. search engine

VerySatisfied

Satisfied NeitherSatisfied

nor Dissatisfied

Dissatisfied VeryDissatisfied

48%

60%

36%

30%

11% 7%4% 1% 2%1%

Q665 and 1050


“Lifestyle fit” of information sourcesamong total respondents

0

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Library OnlineLibrary

Bookstore

Fits perfectlywithyour lifestyle

Is agood fit foryour lifestyle

Somewhat fits your lifestyle

Does not fityour lifestyle

OnlineBookstore

Q1345


The Library’s role in the communityamong U.K. respondentsNote: Graph represents those who “Completely agree” or “Agree” with the statements about their library.

75+%

35%

39%

46%

59%

64%

64%

68%

71%

72%

78%

79%

79%

84%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

Supports non-native speakers

I s a place for meetings/ community events

Provides access to electronic information remotely

Provides homework support

Provides free information support to less fortunate

Provides free computer/ I nternet access

I s a place to get books/ videos/ music

Promotes childhood learning and development

Provides research support

Supports literacy

Makes needed information freely available

I s a place to read

I s a place to learn


Remarks:Perceptions

Books and place brand

Library digital resources: Awareness? Fit with lifestyle? Trustworthiness? Satisfaction?

What is distinctive impact?


The network rewritesthe library?


First a comment on users

Library enthusiasts Worker bees Drive in users

Library Place Services

Deff studyhttp://www.deff.dk/content.aspx?itemguid={B8D2E65C-665F-48E7-A60B-5C10762F88E4}

Self image based on …?


Attention

Then Resources scarce, attention abundant

Now Attention scarce, resources abundant

Competition for attention


Then Visible mediation

Now Self service, invisible mediation


Then Figure out what you want. Precise search.

Now Broad and refine.


Then Expertise, place, services: vertically organized around

collections?

Now Expertise, place, services, collections slide away from

each other and are reconfigured ….? Work together powerfully but may also be presented

individually


Expertise

Collections

System/Service

Place

Library


Expertise

Visible Assistance Partners in learning Partners in personal development Youth?

Invisible Fit for purpose information resources Network services


Place

Self service Guided Available for consultancy

Third place Learning place Community fabric At home Youth?


example

Local history – then and now Pamphlets, parish newsletters, local organizations,

papers, …

Local history - now Websites Photographs Flash drive ….


WestervillePublic Library


Services

Self serviceLifestyle

e.g. Audio

Workflow


Change

1. Adding value: synthesise, specialise, mobilise

2. Gravitational pull: the long tail revisited


Adding value


Synthesize - to combine often diverse conceptions into a coherent whole.

Synthesize

Web services

Patron services

Content

Policies

Registries

Forward knowledge

Fulfillment services

Mobilize

Specialize - involve specific knowledge in order to serve a particular purpose; to apply or direct to specific end or use.

Specialize

…

Mobilize - to put into action

Workplace applications - points of need

Profiles

• Local service• Local added value• Local context• Local knowledge

Robin Murray


Synthesise, local


Synthesise, network


Synthesise, regional


Synthesise, network


Synthesise, regional


Synthesise, data


Mobilize, local


Mobilize

Specialize


Specialize, Local


Mobilize, Local

Mobilize


Gravitational pull


URL is the currency of the web


The long tail

Impact?

Systemwide efficiences

Aggregation of supply•Unified discovery•Low transaction costs

Aggregation of demand


Minitex: impact of improved access to discovery and request

“In fiscal year 2004, the Gateway generated 115,696 requests; in fiscal year 2005, the Gateway generated 158,415 requests; and in fiscal year 2006, the Gateway generated 375,198 requests. That FY06 figure is an increase of 224% from FY04!”

(patron and librarian generated requests)

40% for media materials

(Thanks to Bill DeJohn for these figures)


The Tri-College Library Consortium experience

From Library Buildings and the Building of a CollaborativeResearch Collection at the Tri-College Library Consortium (2003)

Rates of Borrowing from Non-Home CampusesPatron’s Campus Pre-Tripod 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001Bryn Mawr 23% 32% 30% 30% 32% 32% 29% 31% Haverford 26% 28% 25% 25% 30% 30% 29% 37%Swarthmore 7% 12% 11% 17% 15% 19% 19% 20%


Attention Where are your users? Adding value: synthesise, specialize, mobilize Getting into the user flow on the network Place, expertise, collections, services

programs and research the library and the network: a perspective lorcan dempsey oclc arlington...

Documents

rows of books

stacks of books

requestin fiscal year

specific knowledge

specific end

impact of improved access

long tail impact

rates of borrowing