[A while back, I had been asked to write up some answers to follow-up questions after a job interview. I spent a lot of time on my answers and think they are good enough to share. I'll start with the first one.]
Q: What issues do you see public libraries needing to address in the coming years?
Nothing they are not already dealing with. The following issues already exist:
Apathy of citizenship, Apathy towards education, Declining interest in traditional library services, Pervasive Internet access
Let’s address them in reverse order.
Pervasive Internet access creates two problems for libraries: patrons do not need the library’s computers so much anymore (large computer labs were a significant investment for libraries in the recent past) and having all the information on the Internet at their disposal fools many people into
thinking they are experts at finding information on the Internet.
The first is not a huge problem; computers are definitely large investments, but they need to be weeded just like any library resources and we can slowly shrink computer labs to fit the current local need. How much should we shrink them? It depends on how much personnel each library can
dedicate to promoting computer use.
It might seem counter-intuitive to propose encouraging patrons to use computers more if computers are part of the problem, but the solution in part is to encourage smart computer use. High school librarian Wayne Grimm was quoted as saying: “It became clear quite quickly that an investment in stuff, in boxes that plug in, is not really going to pay off with a lot of learning or classroom innovation unless there’s somebody to guide that process…”1
This ties in with the larger problem -- the common belief that if people can find things themselves on the Internet, then they do not need librarians to do it for them. Many are not aware of how many sources are available to answer their questions. And worse, many are unable to properly distinguish
authoritative sources from alternate sources, or have forgotten the need for authoritative sources at all, preferring faster results (and leading to the rise of fake news).
One solution to this is to impose ourselves into self-serve reference transactions in the library as often as possible, and another is to establish relationships with patrons so that they are comfortable always coming to you with their questions. We still miss a lot of people, particularly those who never come to the library at all anymore.
Declining interest in traditional library services is reflected in declining circulation numbers at
libraries. Some libraries “solve” this by changing how they circulate items -- automatically renewing items and counting each renewal as a checkout. Some libraries “solve” this by over-weeding their collections.
Smart libraries do not panic, understanding that circulation is not the only important criteria for inclusion in a library. Maybe people just like to see familiar elements in a library -- lots of books, dictionaries sitting out, librarians sitting at desks (even if they do not want to ask them anything). This is all part of the library experience, that those who still come to the library expect.
It is for those who do not still come to the library that we mix the new in with the traditional, attempting to find something fresh to offer that will excite and bring back those we have lost.
Sometimes librarians are too quick to jump into a fad in the hopes that it will pan out; much ink was spilled over inserting libraries into Second Life (one article boldly claimed Second Life was
going to “take over the Internet” by 2012).2 While others are fighting hard to make sure Makerspaces do not become just another fad.3 Can new library services bring them back? It depends on the interests of the community, and how much commitment the library shows in backing them.
Apathy towards education is sadly a real thing in today’s culture, and its causes are diverse and deep-seeded. Some say it has to do with how testing has replaced learning in schools, and that this goes back to the 1980s.4 Apathy, as a public danger, goes all the way back to Plato, who said: “The price of apathy towards public affairs is to be ruled by evil men.” Unfortunately, politicians have long known how to weaponize apathy, to turn public support away from things they wish to defund.5
Regardless of the cause, many people today avoid anything that seems too educational. Educational speakers often draw much smaller numbers in libraries than more fun-oriented programs. Many libraries have responded by pushing extra entertainment value from the library, like showing popular
entertainment films instead of (or more often than) documentaries. While it is important to keep engaging with our communities, we cannot lose sight of how a primary mission of the library is to educate. And so balance must always be struck between fun and learning in the library, or pursuing
clever programming that mixes the two.
Apathy of citizenship is a different danger, often one of our own making. As we sit at home on our computers (as I am, ironically, doing right this moment as I type this), we are not out in the community volunteering our services, donating our time or money, or even meeting our neighbors. We are not going to our public libraries. When I talk to my online “pen” pal in Belgium, I may feel more global, but I have not actually gone anywhere.
And so this comes back around to pervasive Internet access. Our online worlds become bubbles that
people are loathe to leave. “In 1998, Carnegie Mellon researchers warned that the internet could make us into hermits.”6
Being of our own making, this is perhaps the most insidious and difficult to combat of all four issues. Libraries counter it by putting more of their services online -- chat-based reference, making databases accessible from home, recording programs so people can watch them after the fact. People can now use a library without ever encountering a librarian.
But I have already talked about how dangerous trying to navigate this information age can be for unskilled people without a librarian’s help. We need to reach out to people who are using these virtual services and talk to them about if their needs are really being met.
__________
1 Berdik, Chris. “Come for the Computers, Stay for the Books: Libraries are rebooting to
become tech hubs for schools.” June 21, 2017. https://slate.com/technology/2017/06/libraries
-are-becoming-tech-hubs-for-schools.html
2 Sheridan, Bill. “Second Life: Fad or Phenomenon?” October 25, 2007. https://www.macpa.org/second-life-fad/
3 Fleming, Laura. “Makerspaces, a Passing Trend?”July 16, 2018. https://worlds-of-learning.com/2018/07/16/dont-let-makerspaces-be-a-passing-trend/
4 Tita, Charles. “Student Apathy on the Rise.” November 19, 2010. http://www.seenmagazine.us/Articles/Article-Detail/articleid/1067/student-apathy-on-the-rise
5 Kwak, James. “Why Is the GOP Suddenly Turning against College?”March 12, 2012.
https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2012/03/why-is-the-gop-suddenly-turning-again
st-college/254337/
6 Smiley, Lauren. “The Shut-In Economy.” March 25, 2015. https://medium.com/matter/the-shut-in-economy-ec3ec1294816
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