Value of Libraries - Knowledge Cafe - Library value versus it is all free on Google

ISSUE:  Library value versus it is all free on Google

v  Somebody usually library provides access to all that is “free”.

v  Who make sure such services work but the library staff?

v  Prove worth by document delivery data.

v  Aggregators have taken over lots of library functions.

v  How to assess quality of Google info.

v  What about preservation everything is not there forever on the internet.

v  What about what is not accessible via Google.

v  Librarians teach effective searching and show what exists that search on Google do not find or know about.

v  Digital divide access for everyone is not there.

v  People overestimate their own information literacy.

v  Library has real people who know who to assist not machine voices or websites.

v  Who select the subscriptions and negotiates for services.

v  Need to understand information needs of the business or organisations.

v  Focus on the skillset not the place not just individual skillsets but the combined skillset of the library staff.

Value of Libraries - Knowledge Cafe - Invisibility of librarian skillset

ISSUE:  Invisibility of librarian skillset

(eg Google Scholar can access articles if library pays subscriptions)

v  Appreciate access –outcome but no recognition of skills that enabled that access

v  Librarianship skills but sold as KM, database, research etc.

v  Rebrand not simply librarianship but KM, database, info, and research

v  Testimonials from people who can quantify/qualify your skillset and demonstrate to other users and potential users their value.

v  Empowerment of clients =training.

Value and solutions

v  Hour with librarian saves hours and hour of library clients’ time

v  Brand access to all electronic and other services as from library

v  Tagging information and embedded into searching with library service branding so users realise skills by making your skillset more visible to users

v  Liaison librarians’ role to interact with users

v  Embed liaison librarian in other areas to promote skills as well as to better understand clients’ needs

v  Recruit a variety of personality types and age groups into library team so different staff can relate to different client groups and sell the library.

v  “Your library service” as distinctive brand.

Value of Libraries - Knowledge Cafe - National approach to research into the value of librarians (all sectors)

ISSUE:  National approach to research into the value of librarians (all sectors)

v  taking in account sectoral variations

v  Peak bodies through ALIA

v  Consortia approach

v  Services rather than sectors (similar to new approach that Australian councils now uses)(

v  Layered approach

v  Longitudinal studies

Is this idea a step too far?

Value of Libraries - Knowledge Cafe - Demonstrating value to organisation / community

ISSUE:  Demonstrating value to organisation / community (original notes are in the form of a mind map)

v  Showing value in an ongoing way – before the threat of closure

o   Impact of not having the library

v  Overcoming stereotypes

v  Linking with organisational / community goals & values

o   Statistics

§  Salaries of professionals in other areas vs. Research staff in libraries

§  Costing

§  Subscription services

o   Highlighting library contribution to major projects – how library work translates to outcome

§  Use of [internal media] & storytelling – tailoring to audience – anecdotes for senior managers (strategic drivers)

§  Executive buy-in

§  Relationship management

§  “Ownership of the library”

§  Targeting services to decision makers

§  How many ministenides {?} (other people keep their statistics)

v  Highlight staff not just resources

v  Training

o   Improving Digital literacy – impact on projects

v  Efficient ways to record & repeat statistics

o   Tools & ways to measure – Templates, EBL

o   Qualitative

v  Understanding of floor space, physicality, physical space vs. digital prescience

o   Space as vulnerable – could this communicate how library is valued or viewed in organisation?            

§  Usability & access – location & how this impacts on usage by demographics

o   Antidote to open plan offices – Explore non library uses

§  “Hook in walls” to link with other services

§  Book clubs / fiction exchange

§  Work-life balance as a quite space.

§  Stress

§  Quiet room or meeting space

o   Accessibility for online material

v  Freelancers Community centre linking people with interests [public libraries as places to meet, build interests or bo quiet!]  vs Business refuge – “vulnerability” or no stupid questions

Value of Libraries - Knowledge Cafe - Why we need to demonstrate our value

ISSUE:  Why we need to demonstrate our value

v  Survival

v  Sharing budgets

v  Justification of existence

v  Demonstrate difference to bottom line

v  Where you value add

v  Accountable for the budgets / inputs

v  Demonstrating relevance to the mission of the organisation

v  Being proactive

v  Competition for resources

v  Should be in the position of “selling solutions” not services

v  Reporting about libraries that have closed then what

v  Declining or closed library stories & outcomes ie Broadband, Treasury, Transport, Medicare, Res Energy & Tourism

v  DIMIA / DIAL

v  Approx 10 libraries in the last 2 yrs

v  People are too much of an overheads

v  Staff / people are undervalued

v  Outsourcing

v  Rochester study – on benefits of lib in the org.

Value of Libraries - Knowledge Cafe - How to make ourselves visible – marketing & worth

ISSUE:  How to make ourselves visible – marketing & worth

v  How to demonstrate $ value

v  Uni’s have Facility Liaison Librarians

o   Talk to academics, PGR’s, conduct training

v  Reference Desk

v  Social Media

v  How to engage with UG’s?

o   Perception lib is ‘boring place’

v  Introduce training in areas within gov libs

o   Realization now – ‘there is more than Google’

v  Get away from putting posters on board

v  Problem – how to get ‘quiet librarians’ to have confidence to engage with client group

v  If you promote, do you have support staff for nec. Follow-up services?

v  Negotiate so ALL libraries can offer some level of access to resources

o   Role of National, State & Uni libraries

o   More dominant role of ALIA required

o   Librarians need to be harder negotiators

§  Librarians need training in negotiation, advocacy, marketing & financial planning

v  Look at what is asked for in recruiting

o   Issue – this may be easier in large libraries that allow for specialization

v  Libraries don’t resource marketing activities

o   Conflict between marketing role & other job activities

v  Marketing should be embedded in everyone’s role

v  Training in marketing required

v  Problem with naming – library / knowledge centre / resource centre

v  Set up game environment

o   Use google & eresources

o   Clients see worth of eresources

v  Recognise your client groups – their different expectations

v  Targeted marketing

v  Attend functions in your organisation – visibility!

v  Vary your marketing

v  Marketing never ends – it is ongoing

v  “Elevator engagement”

v  Make sure library staff go to the canteen – engage

Value of Libraries - Knowledge Cafe - How to lobby / communicate with non-stakeholder management

ISSUE:  How to lobby / communicate with non-stakeholder management

v  Develop champions / educate upwards about value, w?? Benefits, outputs etc.

v  Time cost / savings                

o   Efficient research

o   Cost difference between library & other staff

o   Cost saving of shared services

o   Examples of Saving & time saved

v  What meaningful stats should you keep / share

o   Make sure you demonstrate the value outside the library

§  Qualitative results outcomes

v  Be a knowledge base

o   Encourage sharing to avoid “reinventing the wheel”

v  Advocacy as part of Strategic Plan

o   Pre-plan for change in attitude

o   Network

o   Word of mouth

v  Communicate the positivity of being a library

o   Quality information

o   Training

o   Consistency

v  Marketing

o   Not just upwards

o   How can you help all user groups

Value of Libraries - Knowledge Cafe

And now what you have been waiting for ...

... Notes from the knowledge cafe!

Issues include:

·         How to lobby / communicate with non-stakeholder management

·         How to make ourselves visible – marketing &worth

·         Why we need to demonstrate our value

·         Demonstrating value to organisation / community

·         National approach to research into the value of librarians (all sectors)

·         Invisibility of librarian skillset

·         Library value versus it is all free on Google

Each topic has it’s own post so please feel free to add comments.

Thankyou to everyone who was an issue owner.

Value of Libraries Symposium

All right – here we have a link to the introduction slides from Roxanne ...

http://www.slideshare.net/roxannemissingham/value-of-libraries-symposium-intro-slides

... as well as the link to Go8 study ...

http://www.slideshare.net/roxannemissingham/value-of-libraries-anu-outsell-persentation

... and John Murrell’s presentation (including the presentation transcript)...

http://www.slideshare.net/roxannemissingham/murrell-value-of-libraries-canberra-31512

...and more to come!!

Value of Libraries Symposium

Hi Everyone and Welcome to the Value of Libraries Symposium,

Over the next week, starting today, we will be posting questions to think about (and discuss), reviews of as well as links to additional information on this topic links.

And the links that you might want to look at today are ...

... from Roxanne Missingham and Helena Zobec - Go8 Outsell Presentation

http://www.slideshare.net/roxannemissingham/value-of-libraries-anu-outsell-persentation

... from Mylee Joseph,  – ‘Enriching Communities: The value of public libraries in New South Wales’

www.sl.nsw.gov.au/services/public_libraries/publications/docs/enriching_communities.pdf

... from John Murrell – ‘Dollars, Sense and Public Libraries: The landmark study of the socio-economic value of Victorian public libraries’

http://www.plvn.net.au/sites/default/files/20110318%20SL_PublicReport_LoRes_FINAL_0.pdf
http://www.plvn.net.au/sites/default/files/DSPL_TechRep_pt1_FINAL_0.pdf
http://www.plvn.net.au/sites/default/files/DSPL_TechRep_pt2_FINAL_0.pdf

... from Kym Holden - Federal Librarians Are Trending and Are Future Ready!

http://futureready365.sla.org/12/27/federal-librarians-are-trending-and-are-future-ready/\

                    -  FLICC Competencies for Federal Librarians

http://www.loc.gov/flicc/publications/Lib_Compt/2011/2011Competencies.pdf

                    - ALIA Special Libraries Survey Report

http://www.alia.org.au/governance/committees/special.libraries/ALIA_SPECIAL_LIBRARIES_REPORT_FA.pdf

Our other speakers today include:

·         Professor Ian Chubb, AC, Chief Scientist

       ·         Vanessa Little

·         Rozanne Frost

·         Former Senator Dr John Tierney OAM

Thankyou and we hope you enjoy this event.

ALIA ACT & Symposium Organisers.