US libraries seeking 21st Century model
How
might libraries best serve their communities? It was a question posed by a BBC
investigation into the scale of library cuts across the UK. In the following
piece, we look to the US for answers.
It is a striking image. Surrounded by books
and cuddly toys, a grandparent holds a baby in front of a video camera.
On screen, the father's prison routine is
broken up with a cherished glimpse of the new arrival.
Rather than a meeting facilitated by the
justice system, this unusual video conference has been organised by the public
library service.
It seems a long way from the traditional
notions of how a library should serve its community. And not everybody will
agree that public money is being spent wisely.
But it is indicative of how libraries in the
US realise they must innovate if they are to remain relevant in the 21st
Century.
Nick Higgins, the director of outreach
services, said there were 105,000 children in New York state with a parent in
prison.
"It may seem like a rare space for a
public library to be in, but if we want to secure our future as an institution
we must continue to find ways to become key stakeholders in conversations on
solutions to our communities' most pressing needs," he said.
"Good public libraries are anchors in
their communities, adept at creatively and thoughtfully responding to and
anticipating the diverse needs found there."
The Telestory also runs Daddy and Me literary
classes in prisons, and hosts family days where children come in and read books
with their parents and make recordings.
It is one of 14 projects funded by the Knight
Foundation, which laid down the gauntlet to libraries earlier this year to come
up with new ideas.
There is no doubt libraries face a moment of
unprecedented change. When BBC News reported the scale of cuts to UK libraries earlier this year, it sparked a
fierce debate.
From some quarters, there was outrage at the
scale of the cuts, but others just shrugged. What is the point of libraries,
they argued, when we can download books straight to our smartphones and access
wi-fi in every coffee shop?
The Knight Foundation is seeking to answer
that question in new ways.
So in Texas, high school students are taking
courses in digital media and journalism at
Dallas Public Library. And in Philadelphia, librarians are helping to open up access to civic data.
Another intriguing project seeks to bring
together librarians and editors of the online encyclopaedia Wikipedia.
They are not natural bedfellows.
Wiki, the internet giant that accounts for
more than 15% of web traffic, has been criticised by professionals, who
question its accuracy as a reference source.
There is a systemic bias towards certain
topics, they argue, and a lack of diversity among its group of volunteer
editors. In the US, for example, an estimated 80% of contributors are male.
And yet the site is a logical starting point
for many people embarking on research, containing more than 40 million articles
in 250 different languages.
Sharon Streams, a director at OCLC, which has
been chosen to run the project, said it was time librarians went beyond their
"four walls".
"Wikipedia is one of the most used
websites in the entire world, so libraries definitely need to be there,"
she said.
"It will be an opportunity for
Wikipedians and library staff to get to know each other as human beings. The
Wikipedia community has a reputation for being a bit crusty and intimidating to
newbies, so this will give them a chance to forge more positive social
connections."
The partnership will work both ways.
Librarians will learn how to create and update content so it meets their
standards, and Wiki users will be encouraged to use libraries to help inform
their content.
Ms Streams said: "The general public has
latched on to a very backward facing perception of the library as a building
full of dusty books, which is understandably not a very compelling image of a
relevant, vibrant institution.
"And frankly, the media has latched on
to and reinforced the old-fashioned and outdated view of what libraries are,
which means the field is also doing a poor job of telling a better and new
story to the folks who could do so much to help amplify how essential libraries
are in today's world."
Resources created during the project will be
published online.
But despite this push towards innovation,
some believe libraries should not stray too far from their primary purpose.
Prof Ajit Pyati, from the Faculty of
Information and Media Studies at the University of Western Ontario, said:
"A cornerstone of the library profession in the information age is the
belief that libraries are essential institutions in providing information
access, particularly for the marginalized.
"While this may be true, some argue that
the most profound role of public libraries is their promotion of reading.
"This type of sentiment may seem
old-fashioned in an information age, but I do find some truth in this argument,
particularly since public libraries promote leisure reading and learning in
spaces that are inclusive of everyone."
Analysis - Have US libraries seen cuts?
Between 2008 and 2013, the number of public
libraries dropped from 9,221 to 9,091, according to the latest data available
from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).
That is a drop of 1.4%, compared to the 8% of
service closure points in the UK between 2010 and 2015.
And there were 145,240 full-time paid staff
in US libraries in 2008, which fell to 137,200 in 2013, a fall of 5.5% - well
below the 25% reduction in British library staff.
But the American Library Association said the
data on public library closures should be treated with caution, as the IMLS had
revised how it counted libraries.
Prof Pyati said libraries were
"perpetually facing budget crises", but he said any attempt to close
services was met with "strong resistance".
In contrast to the UK, there has not been an
influx of volunteers to the sector. Nevertheless, Prof Pyati says there has
been "a steady erosion of professionalism in the field" with
lower-paid library staff taking on duties usually reserved for professionals.
Regards
Pralhad Jadhav
Senior Manager @ Library
Khaitan & Co
No comments:
Post a Comment