PEW Research : Future of Libraries

The Pew Internet & American Life Project as a nonprofit "fact tank" continues to provide valuable information for the library community. It is the "go to" authoritative source on the evolution of the internet and data (mainly through surveys) on how Americans use the internet and how this activity affects their lives.

Here are some recent reports which provide an insight into the future of libraries in a digital world:

• Books, libraries, and the changing digital landscape. In this presentation, internet researcher Kathryn Zickuhr draws on data from the Pew Research Center’s nationally representative surveys and rich qualitative material to explore not only how libraries are dealing with the changing technological environment, but also the larger context of Americans’ reading and library habits, and what they expect from libraries in the future.
• The New Library Patron. Lee Rainie, Director of the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project, discusses the Project’s new research about library patrons and non-patrons: who they are, what their information needs are, what kind of technology they use, and how libraries can meet the varying needs of their patrons.
• Reading, writing, and research in the digital age. Research associate Kathryn Zickuhr draws on data from the Pew Research Center’s nationally representative surveys, as well as rich qualitative material to explore not only how libraries, schools, museums, and other organizations are dealing with the changing technological environment, but also the larger context of how Americans find, consume, and share information in the digital age.
• Library Services in the Digital Age. The internet has already had a major impact on how people find and access information, and now the rising popularity of e-books is helping transform Americans’ reading habits. In this changing landscape, public libraries are trying to adjust their services to these new realities while still serving the needs of patrons who rely on more traditional resources. This PEWsurvey finds that many library patrons are eager to see libraries’ digital services expand, yet also feel that print books remain important in the digital age.

"Americans ages 16-29 are heavy technology users, including in using computers and internet at libraries. At the same time, most still read and borrow printed books, and value a mix of traditional and technological library services".

Read more details in the latest PEW report titled Younger Americans’ Library Habits and Expectations.

Part 1: A portrait of younger Americans’ reading habits and technology use
Part 2: Libraries in younger Americans’ lives and communities
Part 3: Library patrons’ activities and expectations
Part 4: New services and innovations

New Research Article From Project Info Literacy: “What Information Competencies Matter in Today’s Workplace?*

“Here’s a new full text article by Project Information Literacy researchers.

It appears in the latest issue (Vol 37, No 114 (2013)) of Library and Information Research.

Title

What information competencies matter in today’s workplace?

Authors

Alison J. Head
Director of Project Information Literacy (PIL,
Fellow at the Harvard University‟s Berkman Center for Internet and Society
Affiliate Associate Professor, University of Washington
Michele Van Hoeck
PIL researcher and the Instruction Coordinator at California Maritime Academy Library
Jordan Eschler
PIL ResearcherDoctoral Student, U. of Washington Information School
Sean Fullerton
PIL ResearcherDoctoral Student, U. of Washington Information School

Abstract

This is a qualitative study about the information competencies that employers seek in university graduates and the skills which graduates demonstrate when they enter the workplace. Included are findings from interviews with 23 US employers and focus groups with a total of 33 recent graduates from four US colleges and universities. Employers said they recruited graduates for their online searching skills but once graduates joined the workplace they rarely used the traditional, low-tech research competencies that their employers also needed. Graduates said that they used skills from university for evaluating and managing published content; yet most graduates still needed to develop adaptive strategies to save time and work more efficiently. A preliminary model compares information problems in the university with those of the workplace. Opportunities are identified for preparing students to succeed beyond the academy in the workplaces of today and tomorrow.

The article lists the following opportunities for Academic Librarians to assist students with Information Literacy Skills:

1. Reconfigure team-based assignments. Teamwork has become more prevalent in course assignments in recent decades, but according to employers recent graduates are not comfortable conducting collaborative research. A possible explanation may lie in the fact that undergraduate project groups are made up of a set number of student peers, while workplace teams include more experienced colleagues, even supervisors. Furthermore, in the workplace one must often identify and seek out an expert as a new information-need arises. Research assignments could include more „team-oriented scaffolding‟, such as small group brainstorming or discussion questions. Students could be encouraged to meet in groups with seasoned advisors, such as subject-specialist librarians.

 

2. Revise library reference services. The emerging consultation model of reference may be a better approximation of the workplace research environment. Traditional library reference service could be viewed as encouraging students to use people as sources. Yet, the drop-in reference desk, staffed by an information arbiter and generalist, is not found in most workplaces. In a scheduled consultation, by contrast, academic librarians can address higher-level competencies such as refining research questions and iterative, contextual exploration of sources. In this way, they can function as informal and occasional members of a student‟s research team.

 

3. Work with academic staff to develop research assignments that include the use of people as sources. To fill the competency gaps identified by this study, instruction librarians could focus additional effort on those ACRL learning outcomes that emphasize the social components of research.3 For example, instruction librarians can teach undergraduates how to identify a needed expertise and locate potential experts.

 

 4. Incorporate social media into research assignments. Instructors can set up online social spaces for project teams to brainstorm, plan, share sources, and synthesize work. There is no shortage of free tools for collaborative research work: Zotero, Mendeley, Google Docs, and Diigo are popular and robust. These tools make the iterative nature of research more explicit and transparent. Annotated bibliographies posted on the Zotero cloud show the contributions of each team member; peer review of paper drafts can be submitted via Google Docs.

 

5. Go beyond coursework. One final solution emerged from the graduate focus groups, in which a participant described the value of managing a performing group on campus, which included a variety of challenging research tasks. Increased participation in such extracurricular activities may expose „near graduates‟ to the multifaceted challenges that they can expect to find in the workplace. Academic librarians could explore outreach to extracurricular groups to strengthen the information literacy learning opportunities already present in these activities.

 

Direct Link to Full Text Article (31 pages; PDF)”

Launch of Digital Public Library of America

The Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) is a large-scale, collaborative project with the goal of  creating "a unique and consolidated digital library platform, ensuring America’s cultural and scientific record is free and publicly accessible online through a single access point, available anytime and anywhere.” The new platform delivers digital collections found in American archives, libraries, museums, and cultural heritage institutions to students, teachers, scholars, and the public.

In addition to performing as a one stop search engine to disparate collections, the portal also includes special features such as a dynamic map, a timeline that allows users to visually browse by year or decade, a feature to browse items by subject, and an app library that provides access to applications and tools created by external developers using DPLA’s open data. Noteworthy contributors include the Library of Congress, HathiTrust, and the Internet Archive. The project wasofficially launched in April 2013.

Library 2.013 Conference

Here is the official call for presentation proposals for the Library 2.013 Worldwide Virtual Conference, October 18 - 19, 2013 (in some time zones the conference will conclude on the 20th):

This fully online, participatory conference presents a unique opportunity to showcase the excellent research and work that done every day, with a focus on peer-to-peer presentations. How does your library manage digital collections? Is your library mobile friendly? Do you have a story to tell about maker spaces? Your participation as a presenter can help to steer the global conversation about the future of libraries.

Everyone is welcome to submit a presentation proposal and participate in this free event. There are no registration fees and no travel requirements. The entire conference will be held online via web conferencing, with presentations held in multiple languages and scheduled around the clock over the course of the two days.

The Library 2.013 Worldwide Virtual Conference presentations will cover eight subject strands, addressing a wide variety of timely topics, such as MOOCs, e-books, maker spaces, mobile services, embedded librarians, green libraries, and more! Doctoral students will also have their own strand for presenting their research. Plus, there will be a new strand dedicated to virtual library tours.

The Library 2.013 Conference Strands:

• Digital Services, Preservation, and Access
• Emerging Technologies and Trends
• Learning Commons (for school libraries and/or academic libraries)
• Management of Libraries and Information Centers in the 21st Century
• User Centered Services and Models
• Library and Information Professionals – Evolving Roles and Opportunities
• Doctoral Student Research
• Library and Information Center “Tours”

To view examples of presentation topics for each subject strand, click here. Your presentation does not have to fit into the conference strands to be considered – the strands exist for the convenience of those interested in finding particular themes.

Proposal acceptances will be communicated on a first-come, first-served basis starting June 15. If your proposal is accepted, you will be provided with the ability to schedule a presentation time that is convenient to your time zone and work schedule. Early proposal submission and acceptance will give you the most flexibility for scheduling your presentation. The deadline to submit presentation proposals is September 30.

Click Here to Submit a Proposal

The Library 2.013 Worldwide Virtual Conference is our third installment of the Library 2.0 conference series, sponsored again by founding partner San Jose State University School of Library and Information Science. Last year’s Library 2.012 conference featured 150 fully online presentations given by scholars and information professionals worldwide. If you missed any of the presentations, you can still accessrecordings of the presentations. A wealth of information was also shared during the inaugural Library 2.011 conference, and a list of those recordings can be found here.

For more information about the conference and how you can get involved as a partner, sponsor, volunteer, and advisory board member, please visit: http://library2013.com.

Please do share this call for proposals with your colleagues and friends. We look forward to receiving your presentation proposals!

Original Blog post can be found at: StateTech Magazine

Here are six library related blogs that you should subscribe to if you wish to keep up to date with new technologies in libraries.

TechSoup for Libraries

This blog is part of a larger network of IT resources and funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. This particular blog focuses keenly on the most current technology issues facing libraries. For example, recent posts covered responsive web design, how technology can empower people with disabilities and tips for improving digital literacy.
Visit the blog: http://www.techsoupforlibraries.org/blog

Denver Public Library Technology Blog

Denver’s public library is more than 120 years old, but it’s still on the cutting edge of information technology. It offers technology classes to Denver residents, and a staff member recently blogged about improvements to the library’s Wi-Fi. This blog is great for librarians who are looking for fresh ideas and technologists who want to find out what industry leaders are up to.
Read the blog: http://denverlibrary.org/category/blog-categories/technology-blog

Disruptive Library Technology Jester

Run by Peter E. Murray, a technologist and a librarian trained in systems analysis, the Disruptive Library Technology Jester blog has a tagline that sums up the site perfectly: “We're disrupted, we're librarians, and we're not going to take it anymore.” This blog is an enormously valuable resource for the 21st-century librarian.
Read the blog: http://dltj.org

ALA TechSource Blog

The American Library Association is probably the single best resource for librarians in the country, and their technology-specific blog measures up. Five authors contribute on a regular basis, creating a diverse and well-rounded source of modern solutions for today’s problems.
Read the blog: http://www.alatechsource.org/blog

American Libraries Magazine

This blog is published by the American Library Association and is a fabulous resource for experienced librarians and casual enthusiasts alike. The site isn’t updated daily, but it does highlight some of the most interesting and important news in the library community.
Read the blog: http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/news

Free Range Librarian

Blogger and librarian K.G. Schneider spent time writing for ALA TechSource and served as the Internet Librarian columnist for American Libraries. She writes with energy, and, although not every post is focused on library technology, her musings are worth your time if you are at all interested in the future of libraries. Read the blog: http://freerangelibrarian.com

Other Blogs:

• Code4Lib
• The Digital Shift
• Walking Paper
• Matthew Reidsma
• Library as Incubator Project
• New York Public Library Labs
• The Ides
• Special Projects Library Action Team (SPLAT)
• Pasadena City College's Student Library Technology Blog
• LibraryTechTalk
• Tame The Web
• Phil Bradley's Blog
• iLibrarian