"Paul M. Gherman" <[email protected]> said:
I think with increased electronic information whether free or commercial, the eventual costly infrastructure of libraries as we know them today will decrease as will the current number of staff working in libraries.
I agree with what most of Paul said, but I must take exception to his assertion above. It concerns me to hear this idea put forward, since while there is little or no evidence to support it, the consequences of believing it can be dire. That is, if faculty and administrators believe that digital content and services reduces the need of the library for staff, building space, and monetary support, then libraries will receive less support. That's fine if what Paul states is true, but it can be catastrophic if it isn't, as I believe. Let's take a look at recent history. When libraries automated many of their internal procedures over the last several decades (cataloging, circulation, etc.), the "costly infrastructure" did not decrease, and in many cases it increased. Staff What happened in many cases was that staff that were no longer needed to catalog books were needed to staff burgeoning systems offices that were required to install and maintain the systems that we were now dependent upon. For example, I was a reference and collection development librarian before being sucked into the waiting jaws of library systems. There are many others like me. Building Space This is one of the more prevalent and potentially disastrous myths regarding the digital future for libraries. Within our own university, there is talk of no new library buildings, as if print books died overnight and only the librarians didn't notice. Digital books are the exception, not the norm, and there remain serious issues regarding accessibility (in some situations e-books are *less* accessible than p-books) and preservation. Even if you believe computers are the future and books are not, do you realize how much space computers require? To offer students the same level of access to digital collections as we currently do to print collections, you will need floors and floors (yes, physical buildings) of computers. And no, we are not yet requiring every student to purchase a laptop and they would still need a spot to put it besides their lap. Budget Digital content is expensive. Period. Don't ever expect to pay all that much less than you pay for the paper copy, since the publisher believes the added value of full-text searching, etc. justifies the cost. Sure, there are deals to be had, but don't expect them to be the norm. If *any* of the libraries at your institutions have required less collection money due to the availability of digital content, please let me know. I need to talk to them. Equipment Libraries formerly functioned with very little in the way of equipment. Even within my relatively short professional life, a few electric typewriters (not anywhere near one per person), a collection of book carts, a few photocopiers, and an odd assortment of other devices were all we needed. Now everyone (and I mean everyone) needs not only their own computer, but also one that is replaced on a regular cycle. Our users need computers too. We also often have our own machine rooms with servers, routers, hubs, uninterruptable power supplies, backup devices, and fire suppression equipment. Throw in the odd assortment of printers and scanners and you realize that in order to provide a higher level of service, we now demand more infrastructure, not less. I agree with Paul that there are serious changes ahead, and ones that some of us welcome and are working to implement, while others hang back and in some cases oppose. When these changes come, we will see increased service to our clientele through more content available when, where, and how our users want it. But all of this will come at a cost greater than, not less than, our current needs. I speak for no one but myself. Thanks, Roy Tennant
