Technology Change And The Academic Library

Massive technological change has been impacting universities and university libraries in recent years. Such change has manifested in technological developments impacting all areas of academic library activity, including systems, services, collections, the physical library environment, marketing, and support for university teaching, learning, research, and administration. Many books and papers have examined these changes from a technical perspective. However, there is little substantive reflection on what technological change means, and how best to get out in front of it, for the academic library. Technology, Change and the Academic Library systematically reflects on technological innovation, the successes, failures and lessons learned, the nature, process and culture of change, and key aspects including impacts on library staff and users, roles and responsibilities, and skills and capabilities. The book takes an international perspective on the massive change currently affecting academic libraries. The title gives an overview and literature review, considers technological innovation and change management, future technologies and future change, and provides information on further reading. Case studies describe the rationale, aims, and objectives for particular technological innovations, and consider methods, outcomes, and recommendations for the future. Finally, the book reflects back on how technological change can best be wrought in academic libraries. Gives library managers and librarians insight into how best to identify, plan, and implement technological innovation Provides a wide-ranging overview, literature review, and a series of reflective case studies on technological innovation in libraries Emphasises current trends, lessons, and critical issues for putting technological innovation into place Offers an international perspective on technological innovation in the academic library Uses a critical methodology to reflect on what works, what does not, and how managers can apply lessons from real cases worldwide

"Institutions of higher education and academic libraries are not the traditional organizations they once were. They are subject to a variety of forces, including shifting and changing populations, technological changes, public demands for affordability and accountability, and changing approaches to research and learning. Academic libraries can no longer establish their excellence and ground their missions, visions, and strategic directions using the old means and methods. Leading Change in Academic Libraries is a collection of 20 change stories authored by academic librarians from different types of four-year institutions. Librarians tell the story firsthand of how they managed major change in processes, functions, services, programs, or overall organizations using John Kotter's Eight-Stage Process of Creating Major Change as a framework for examining change at their institutions, measuring their successes and areas for improvement, and determining progress. In five sections--strategic planning, reorganization, culture change, new roles, and technological change--chapters discuss tackling common challenges such as fear, anxiety, change fatigue, complacency, unexpected changes of leadership, vacancies, and resistance; look at the results of their tactics; and provide effective practices they found. Each section ends with a thorough analysis of the stories within and the most effective tips for leading that kind of change. Leading Change in Academic Libraries can help you establish flexible, nimble, and collaborative decision-making processes, and facilitate the transition from legacy collections-based libraries to forward-looking service-based libraries"--from the ALA website.

Academic libraries are in the midst of significant disruption. Academic librarians and university administrators know they need to change, but are not sure how. Bits and pieces of what needs to happen are clear, but the whole picture is hard to grasp. Reimagining the Academic Library paints a simple straightforward picture of the changes affecting academic libraries and what academic librarians need to do to respond to the changes would help to guide future library practice. The aim is to explain where academic libraries need to go and how to get there in a book that can be read in a weekend. David Lewis provides a readable survey of the current state of academic library practice and proposes where academic libraries need to go in the future to provide value to their campuses. His primary focus is on collections as this is the area with the greatest opportunity for change and is the driver of most library cost. Lewis provides an accessible framework for thinking about how library practice needs to adjust in the digital environment. The book will be useful not only to academic librarians, but also for librarians to share with presidents and provosts who a concise source for understanding where and how to focus their expenditures on libraries.

"Applying Library Values to Emerging Technology: Decision-Making in the Age of Open Access, Maker Spaces, and the Ever-Changing Library offers a wide range of perspectives on how to interpret and apply library values in the context of emerging technologies. Authors include academic librarians, public librarians, and professors, and contributors from the Library Freedom Project, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the Free Ebook Foundation, Creative Commons, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the Tor Project, the Center for Information Policy Research, and the Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education. Divided into two sections--Contemplating Library Values and Applying Library Values--and using the ALA's Core Values of Librarianship as the primary reference point, chapters emphasize the underlying frameworks that guide librarian practice and capture practical, real-world applications that can ideally serve as a starting point for other librarians encountering similar issues, even if the specific technology or set of values may differ"--website description.

Innovations in library services are rapidly developing within numerous areas including building design, program and event planning, patron experience and engagement, literacy program development, and administration and management. To ensure these changes are implemented and considered successfully, a closer look at the challenges, trends, and practices of these innovations is crucial. Technological Advancements in Library Service Innovation examines the recent activities of successful and groundbreaking research and practices around the world surrounding library service innovation and presents various forward-thinking initiatives. It also provides an overview of libraries’ successful experiences, identifies emerging global themes and trends, and offers guidance to library practitioners on how to pursue the recent trends in their own library environment. Covering topics such as technology adoption and organizational structures, this book is ideal for library professionals, researchers, academicians, instructors, and students.

Libraries of all types have undergone significant developments in the last few decades. The rate of change in the academic library, a presence for decades now, has been increasing in the first decade of this century. It is no exaggeration to claim that it is undergoing a top to bottom redefinition. Cataloging and reference remain central to its new role, and the circulation of books is still high though declining. Among the changes is the architecture of the library: when new libraries replace old or where renovation is occurring; the role of technology at every stage and in every library application; the management of serials – selection, shelving and budgeting; and in a gradual but irrevocable move to digital forms, altered allocation of resources including larger portions of the budget diverted to preservation, not only of aging books, a theme in the latter part of the last century, but of digital files – cultural, historical, personal. In brief, the academic library is dramatically different today than it was only ten years ago. And with it, the profession of the academic librarian is also undergoing significant changes. Managing digital resources in all its forms, from telecommunications to storage and access devices, is central to its new roles. Creating, curating and preserving digital information is also key to the new librarianship. And what about services to its clients? Here also we see dramatic change, particularly but not exclusively with guiding library users in the effective use of networked knowledge. Information literacy is a key term and skill in using the new tools of digital literacy: reading and writing, searching and extracting; and the new technologies that drive social networking – the Iphone, Ipad, and Ipod and its many imitators. We can’t expect the redefined academic library to assume its final shape any time soon, if ever, but the transformation is well underway. This series: Creating the 21st-Century Academic Library, will explore this topic from a number of different perspectives. Volume 1, Visionary Leadership and Futures, will begin the discussion by examining some of the new roles and directions academic libraries are taking.

Traditionally, academic librarians have delivered “beck and call” service to educators both in and out of the classroom. However, far from being merely auxiliary to the learning cycle, academic librarians are educators in their own right. If the primary challenge before them is to change how they’re perceived within their institutions, Reale proposes, the key lies in becoming a proactive teacher and collaborator. Offering strategies applicable to many different areas, this book shows how the academic librarian can be an educator in both structured and unstructured spaces on campuses. Blending practice-based evidence with a warm approach, Reale discusses the changing perception of academic librarians, how they are seen and how they see themselves;shows how academic librarians can and should assert their rightful place in the learning cycle;looks at how to match teaching goals with academic librarians’ mission;advocates for the indispensable roles the academic librarian should play, including co-collaborator, one-on-one research consultant, expert-at-large in non-structured spaces such as the dorm or student lounge, and embedded librarian in the classroom; offers talking points for self-advocacy, looking at the many ways academic librarians are making a difference; andexplores activities and programming for engagement and learning. This book will empower and validate academic librarians by demonstrating their indispensable roles as educators.

How are your library and its patrons adjusting to the challenges of the digital age? This essential book examines how digital formats are changing libraries today, from the perspectives of librarians, vendors, and library users. Editor Sul Lee is an internationally recognized leader in library administration and management. The expansion of digital collections has been one of the foremost issues in the library field since the early 1990s, and this book addresses important questions about the impact of the digital age. Questions like: How will scholars and students react to digital formats? How will electronic resources change collection development? Will libraries stop buying print materials in favor of digital resources? Will libraries convert to only digital products or will they have to buy both electronic and print formats? Will academic libraries retain their central role in the university? With chapters from leading academic deans and directors, directors of national organizations of library professionals, and book/serials vendors including Philip Blackwell, CEO of Blackwell Limited, this book explores: digital resources and technology digital books--and what they mean to libraries legislation on copyrights and intellectual property rights in the digital age electronic cooperation between libraries how digital technology can facilitate on-campus research partnerships the extent to which academic libraries are embracing electronic publications

Libraries are experiencing major changes concerning the role of technical services. Technical services librarians also are being challenged about their relevance and role, sometimes revealed by a lack of understanding of the contribution technical services librarians make to building and curating library and archival collections. The threats are real: relocation from central facilities, the dramatic shift to electronic resources, budgetary constraints, and outsourced processing. As a result, technical services departments are reinventing themselves to respond to these and similar challenges while embracing innovative methods and opportunities to advance librarianship in the twenty-first century. Library Technical Services provides case studies that highlight difficult realities, yet embrace exciting opportunities, such as space reclamation, evolving vendor partnerships, metadata, retraining and managing personnel, special collections, and distance education. Written for catalog and metadata librarians and managers of technical services units, this book will inspire and provide practical advice and examples for solving issues many libraries are facing today.

Libraries have historically played a role as a community builder, providing resources and spaces where knowledge can be archived, shared and created. They can also play a pivotal role in fostering the public's understanding of science and scientific processes. From makerspaces to data visualization labs to exhibits, many libraries already delve into scientific explorations and many more could join them. Scientists often need to include "broader impacts" goals in grant proposals, but they might not know where to begin or feel that they do not have the time to devote to public engagement. This is where libraries and librarians can help. Research in science communication also supports tapping into libraries for public engagement with science. Studies show that it is important for scientists to present findings in an apolitical way-not aligning with one solution or one way of thinking and not being seen as an activist (Druckman, 2015; Jamieson & Hardy, 2014). One of the core tenets of librarians and libraries is to present information in a neutral way. Research also shows that Informal conversations about science can have a greater effect on people than reading about it online or hearing about it on the news (Eveland & Cooper, 2013). Again, libraries can play a role in fostering these types of conversations. Given this landscape, this book will demonstrate concrete ways that libraries and librarians can play a role in fostering public engagement with science. In addition to background information on the current landscape of public knowledge and understanding of science, it will also include best practices and case studies of different types of programming and services that libraries can offer. Often libraries do not jump to mind when people think about science education or science literacy, and many librarians do not come from a science background. Literature on science programming and sharing science is largely absent from the library field. This book will help give confidence to librarians that they can participate in engaging the public with science. At the same time, it will provide a conduit to bring informal science educators, communication officers from universities or research organizations who share scientific discoveries with the public, and librarians together to explore ways to align their work to promote scientific literacy for all. Demonstrates concrete ways that libraries and librarians can play a role in fostering public engagement with science Features best practices and case studies of different types of programming and services that libraries can offer Provides a conduit to bring informal science educators, communication officers, and librarians together to explore ways to align their work to promote scientific literacy