Measuring & Improving Library Value Conference, Sydney, November 2012

Many of you attended the Valuing  libraries symposium here in Canberra in May 2012 and found the sessions interesting and useful. This symposium was lead by Roxanne Missingham who now heads the  Australian National University Libraries network. Roxanne recently went to  a conference on Measuring and improving library value, held in Sydney on 27 and 28 November 2012, this conference pulled together some fascinating presentations on challenges for libraries, particularly academic libraries, to be relevant and demonstrate value in the twenty first century.

Roxanne presented an interesting paper

  
Measuring & evaluating return on investment :



Roxanne has written up her impressions of the conference which should be of interest to all of us justifying why our libraries exist and what value we bring to our parent agency

Peter Rathjen, Vice-Chancellor, University of Tasmania opened the conference with a range of provocative thoughts on universities, information, libraries and relevance.  He noted the importance of trends in research – particularly the strengthening of cross disciplinary in the last decade. Provocatively he suggested that if we thought about what are the great libraries there are none in Australia.


Significant concepts explored were:·         prestige·         Collections including wider community access·         Space·         KNOWLEDGE
Libraries were encouraged to evaluate their contribution against these aspects.
The environment is characterised by changing resources. There has been an evolution from books and scholarly journals to a demand for organisational contribution and knowledge skills. He noted that changing behaviour of researchers meant they were no longer using libraries physically as part of their research mission
He saw a renaissance for libraries in their roles of supporting e repositories and contributing to access for the community including access to research outputs through repositories
Mapping the Library he proposed an evaluation as follows:

key assets	Research	Teaching
Prestige	++	+
Space	-	+++
Collections	+++	(+)
Workforce	++	+++

He suggested that disciplinary differences may be significant.
In moving to a world full of data intensive equipment, data and information will be the key assets for research programs. There will need to be an investment at a new scale. The nation will require national approaches, broad access protocols, and physical access.  We all will need to think internationally.  Universities will have value in maintaining data that is not available internationally; the world will come to you because of these strengths. This will be a key aspect in attracting funding.

At the University of Tasmania a program to collect data across the island through broadband to achieve value and insights to give new answers has been developed, It requires very significant funding to achieve systems to set up data collection, manage and develop analytic reports.
Key issues for academic libraries include:·         measuring·         bibliometrics and usage.·         segmentation is the key  disciplinary level research vs. teaching·         a voice for the broad research community.·         Knowledge insights
There is a strong need to connect to senior management including Vice Chancellors and Research offices (including on issues such as infrastructure, bibliometrics, ranking strategies, IT Data management).


To discover more check out Roxanne's blog entry on the conference

http://roxannemissingham.blogspot.com.au/2012/12/measuring-improving-library-value.html

Karna O'Dea

Active ALIA Convenor

Where is the Grey literature- it’s a grey grey world

On 10^th October a community from across the nation will come together to look at the issue of grey literature under the theme of enhancing the transparency and accessibility of informally published research and information.  I encourage you to attend to discuss the demise of government publications and the effect of this on transparency of government policy and decision making, amongst other issues.

There will be many presentations on a range of grey literature issues.

  My presentation will focus on government publications.

So what is happening with government publishing? A few key points:

·         Government publications have reduced by approximately 50% in the past decade

·         90% of government publications are online, around 10% are not (Australian National Audit Office on online availability of government documents tabled in the Parliament)

·         Analysing the online publications of an agency produced in 2001 reveals that approximately a third are “digital dust”

·         Dynamic data, which used to be published permanently in print, is now overwritten and historic material is no longer available

·         Finding publications is onerous and exhausting.

·         Rights management is complex and confusing for anyone seeking to reuse materials. The gamut of Creative commons licences and Crown Copyright are used – we do not yet have truly open access.

All in all there is much to discuss and seek change in to delivery on the government’s promise of open and transparent policy and decision making. Do come along for a challenging and stimulating conversation!

http://eidos.org.au/v2/documents/grey_lit/GreyLiterature_NCS_2012_Brochure.pdf

Roxanne Missingham
ANU

International council of archives congress 2012

Most of us are aware of how librarianship and records management along with strategic information management is converging in this digital age.

I was thrilled to discover the full range of full textpapers of the recent International council on Archives Congress held on Brisbane on 20-24 August 2012. I recommend you all have a good look as many of the trends, issues and opportunities are the same in this sector as they are in ours especially in electronic librarianship and the use of social media. The US chief archivist, David Ferriero gave the keynote address and advertised the conference on Radio national when he was interviewed by Fran Kelly.

Karna O'Dea

Active ALIA Convenor

Recordings of Valuing libraries symposium on YouTube

Many of you were fortunate enough to attend  the Valuing libraries symposium at University House on  31 May 2012.

Now the sessions are now available for you and others who missed out  to view

The recordings are now available for you to view

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tlh06j5Ono

Opening keynote Professor Ian Chubb, Chief Scientist

Value in Australia's Group of 8 University Libraries: an external study 
Roxanne Missingham and Helena Zobec, Library, Australian National University

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5g_lo1TSig

NSW Public Library studies 
Mylee Joseph, State Library of New South Wales 

Victorian public libraries
John Murrell, West Gippsland Regional Library

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOiUvHUQGcU

Creating a truly community value oriented service
Vanessa Little, Director, Libraries ACT 

Libraries in a knowledge workplace
Ms Rozanne Frost, First Assistant Secretary, Chief Information Officer Division, Department of Finance and Deregulation 

Surviving in time of ambiguity
Ms Kym Holden, Library Director, Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTRObq_8IEQ

Advocacy and library values: presenting your best case
Keynote: 
Former Senator Dr John Tierney AM

Karna O’Dea

Active ALIA convenor

Active ALIA Winter Dinner 2012

About twenty two librarians gathered at the Scholar restaurant in Dickson for our Winter dinner on Thursday 28 June 2012. The restaurant is aptly named as we had some intellectual conversation and librarians are suppose to be the guardians of scholarship. What I enjoy about the annual dinner is catching with range of librarians from a variety of library sectors. By coming together we get to focus on common issues and challenges. The function room at the Scholar restaurant was small enough to make the meal an intimate occasion and the Chinese banquet covered all tastes

At mid dinner, Vanessa Little, Director of Libraries ACT rose to tell us of her vision and direction for ALIS during her term as president. Vanessa spoke of the challenges that are facing the Association and the need of members to advocate both for their libraries sand their profession. She thanked Sue Hutley for leaving the association in a good financial position under her stewardship as the former CEO. I was interested to hear of Vanessa’ changing and expanding roles in the ACT government as one of the manager of the new arboretum and how she has encouraged her staff to learn about and become involved in the needs of the Canberra community. Libraries ACT can been seen to be making a positive difference in the life of the Canberra community. The talk capped off for me an interesting evening



 I also want to thank Gaik Khong who organised the dinner very ably and ensured the rest of us had a good evening in a pleasant venue.

 Karna O’Dea Active ALIA convener

Ingrid Parent, (President of IFLA) lecture on Libraries at the digital crossroads in a global context

I

Ingrid Parent, President of IFLA, gave a very stimulating address on 5 July night to a packed audience of over 80 librarians, students and ACT community members. She emphasized that libraries play many roles that benefit individuals, communities and society in general. As an advocate in her role at IFLA,  she urges us that to realize our full potential, libraries must provide inclusive and transformative services, innovate and forge new collaborative alliances.  Her four themes are inclusion, transformation, innovation and convergence. A recording of her talk will shortly be available on ANU news http://news.anu.edu.au/

Valuing Libraries - Additional Resources - Blog of Links (US)

Stephen’s Lighthouse Blog – My Postings on the Value of Libraries

From the blog … “Here are the links to the value and impact of libraries postings that I wrote this week all in one place. Please feel free to share.” [April 7^th, 2010]

Our thoughts … This contains links to lists (divided by subject) of additional reports and resources which includes sections on Public Libraries, School Libraries, Academic and College Libraries, and Special Libraries.  All of them are have a strong North American focus.  For those with patience and a fair amount of spare time.

Valuing Libraries - Additional Resources - Report (UK)

The Value of Libraries for Research and Researchers – report from Research Libraries UK and the Research Information Network.

From the Executive Summary ... “This report presents the findings of a systematic study of the value of the services that libraries in the UK provide to researchers, and of the contributions that libraries from a wide range of institutions make to institutional research performance. The aim was to identify the key characteristics of library provision to support research in successful UK universities and departments.

The approach comprised two main elements: quantitative analysis of statistics – from SCONUL, HESA, and the RAE, along with bibliometric data - to investigate correlations between the characteristics and behaviours of libraries in 67 UK HE institutions, and the research performance of those institutions; and gathering and analysing a large tranche of qualitative information from nine institutions with a range of characteristics.”

Our thoughts ...The most interesting thing about this report is the in the visual diagram (map) that clearly shows how libraries can and do positively impact on Higher Education Institutions.  This diagram is used to as a basis to demonstrate how ten major library behaviours and characteristics affect and/or benefit Institutions.  It is also interesting that the focus is on qualitative responses backed up by quantative data.  This is a thought provoking report with ideas that can be transposed to other library environments as well as an excellent demonstration to show the value of libraries.

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