Winds Of Change This is a heady and frustrating time in the history of the academic library. Many things about our jobs, our workplace, and the way we relate to one another are changing so fast it has become hard to keep up. Every person has an opinion as to the positive and negative aspects of the ever-changing face of the academic library. What follows are the frank, passionate, and well-considered responses of three library employees (Wendy Blake, Robbie Giles, and Susan Heitstuman) to some, hopefully, broad-based questions on, among others, topics of change in the library, employee relationships, and the future of the library. - Mark Jacobs Wendy Blake is Library Technician II in the Technical Services Division at Holland Library and has ten years of library service. Robbie Giles is Reserves Technician for Holland Library and has ten years of library service. Susan Heitstuman is Library Specialist I in Collection Development for the Owen Science and Engineering Library and has thirteen years of library service. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1. What has been the most important and fundamental change in the way academic libraries serve their patrons? WB: The Internet, hands down, has initiated the most sweeping changes. It's changed where and how people like to request and find information and it's changed how they expect information to be packaged and delivered. Although almost everyone still comes to the library in person at some point, many find it preferable to use online resources without moving from wherever they happen to be. If they do come to the library, they've often developed a list of things they want to check out or copy before they leave their own computer--much like they'd create a grocery list before heading to the supermarket. And, they expect to be able to whip through the aisles and check out at much the same pace as at their local grocery.          More importantly, the Internet has put us in a competitive environment that hadn't existed before. In the past, it was the library or the bookstore (depending on how deep your pockets were and how often you thought you'd want to read whatever it was you were after) that people depended upon for information. Now the library is competing with commercial entities and non-profit organizations; all the average Joes and Janes of all ages on the Web; governments and municipalities; and anybody else who has managed to put up a Web page or start a mailing list. Folks see no reason to trudge to the library and approach an intimidating librarian when they can compare products from home to see what best suits their needs or put a quick question out on their e-mail to find out how to do something new.          As a library, our biggest challenge is to become more approachable and easier to access remotely. Once that's in place, we will have to work very hard to remind people that there is still a lot of critical information that hasn't made it to the Net. We will have to work even harder to convince them that they can actually save time by coming to us for information. Libraries provide the distinct advantage of having professionals check the information for quality and organize it for easy access, as opposed to trusting a computer algorithm to select from a worldwide database that contains hoaxes, jokes, and outdated data mixed in with the accurate information. RG: We have evolved from a 'just in case' to a 'just in time' set of services. Libraries have always collected those resources they anticipated might be needed by their patronage. Now online journals, interlibrary loan and other consortial agreements have given our users more choices than any one library can afford to purchase. Libraries have always offered service during certain hours of the day, usually based on available revenues for staffing. Online library catalogs available 24/7 have made accessing the electronic resources of the library an anytime, anywhere occurrence. Implementation of an interactive digital reference service at WSU will allow even greater access by patrons not physically in the building, as they can 'talk' to a real person. SH: The most important and fundamental change in the way Libraries serve patrons has been in the migration from print to electronic materials. Even though print is essential in some cases, the world of electronic materials has allowed us to serve so many more patrons with a wider variety of information than was ever possible before. This is very evident to me in statistical reports I receive and process for online titles. The online uses to full text-material is amazing when compared to print in-house uses. For the most part the electronic world of libraries has not only been an important and fundamental change, but a positive one as well. 2. How have working relationships among library employees changed? Has the change been positive? negative? both? RG: I don't know. Library employees, both librarian and support staff, must work together to assure the goals of the organization are met. Shrinking funding sources quite often mean that departments fight over the resource crumbs. Further division can occur when professional or staff jobs are eliminated. Each camp can feel besieged and an atmosphere of us vs. them can result. If the library management team helps to create a collaborative atmosphere, the working relationships can be improved. Shared vision is one way to get buy-in for doing our jobs well and functioning as a team. SH: Unfortunately I don't feel that our working relationships have changed along with the change in the academic environment. We are still a library of frightened people - afraid to take a risk, afraid of change, afraid that our own comfort zones will be rocked, and afraid to relinquish our territory because someone else might crowd us out, or surpass us. We have formed working groups that spend a lot of time, but solve little because we don't work together for the common good. Until we all buy into the idea that we need to work for what is best for the library system as a whole and get rid of our personal agendas we are never going to have good working relationships. If we could only start to see what is best for the organization and stop seeing each other as a threat. I have witnessed some retaliatory behavior that has not had a positive effect and only serves to make others suspicious. However, on the positive side.... I must feel that we at least are making progress because I agreed to be interviewed and dare to say what I think without the sky falling. When we learn to respect each others' opinions, even if we disagree, we may have a chance to change this environment. WB: I think that the changes have been positive, but there hasn't been enough change to put much of a dent in the baseline negativity we've been wallowing in for decades. On the positive side, there is more opportunity to speak out now than there was before our mid-90's reorganization, and some increase in the opportunities for non-administrators to provide leadership. Unfortunately, in many key quarters the right to speak does not include the right to be taken seriously. Also, many people had been so conditioned to be silent followers that they never found the courage to speak or lead. Many of those who did express themselves and did try to lead got retaliated against, stonewalled, and even ridiculed -- never to try again. We've outlined a very positive set of values, but implementing them will take more training in leadership, risk-taking and assertiveness skills for every employee and constant, honest assessment of our attitudes and actions using those values as a measure. I think that there are a lot of positive opportunities in our current reorganization efforts, and I hope that those opportunities are realized. Despite this hope, I expect that old habits will continue to defy our official values and working agreements. We've got a long way to go--I hope I live to see us well on our way. 3. How has the patronage of the academic library changed? their skills? their expectations and demands? SH: I don't work directly with the patronage, but I do help provide the materials they use. I think they have become far more demanding than previously, but I also think that is because there is far more demand upon them and far more information and services available to them to demand. Their needs have become a little different. There is a wealth of information at their fingertips, but they need for it to be accurate and accessible and, because of the changing academic environment, they need it NOW. Their skills are hard for me to assess because I don't have the opportunity to witness them first hand. From my viewpoint, I think many of them are developing skills at a faster rate than we can provide service. They are eager for anything new (but also easy) and they expect us, as the professionals, to provide it. They are also very bright and challenge us every day to do better. I think we need to see that as an opportunity for growth, personal as well as academic. WB: The novelty of computers and copiers in the library has worn off, and as our patrons become more comfortable with electronic technology and services it seems that they have higher expectations regarding efficiency and equipment maintenance. Now they are more likely to get frustrated when the book isn't where the computer says it was or the copiers don't work. Electronic resources have changed the expected format of information. I think most of us have heard the anecdote about the student who encountered a printed encyclopedia and was amazed that someone had bothered to print the whole CD. But people really are starting to expect that any information they find should also be in electronic format so they can send it to their e-mail address. It's changed expectations about the speed of information delivery. Even I can remember when most thought that only waiting a week or two for an interlibrary loan was quite good service, and getting something in two or three days was rather a miracle. Now, anything more than a day will likely elicit a disappointed sigh or worse. RG: The patron comes "knowing" how to use the computer, but not necessarily the online catalog. Increasingly, our patrons expect to access the actual resources online. For some, coming to the library is a time commitment they would rather bypass. The feelings may not have changed on the part of the patron, but the necessity of going to the library has lessened with the availability of online resources. 4. How has the regard of the library as an institution altered? Will academic libraries continue to be supported without regard to their ability to generate revenue? Should they be? WB: I don't think that people's respect for libraries has changed much, but I do think that competition from Internet resources will result in decreased use of libraries if we don't improve our visibility. As much as people respect libraries, they may let them fade away if libraries don't learn to successfully compete with the ease and immediacy of the Internet.          Naturally, I think that libraries should be generously and unconditionally supported. Whether they actually will be supported depends on who is doing the regarding. Researchers and students will always value their library's services, and will likely always be pushing for more than can actually be provided. They would agree that the libraries should be fully supported, but may not be in a very good position to make it happen. University administrators tend to treat libraries as recruitment tools, so libraries will always receive some basic funding. However, any library that aspires to true excellence will either need to be fortunate enough to be located in a world-class environment that continues to place a very high value on information services, or they will need to develop their own support systems through grants and donations. We're in that last category, despite our pretentious slogan. There's a great lot of work ahead for our new development officer, and for that work to be successful every employee will need to find out how they can help, rather than expecting this one person to magically do it all. RG: For many patrons (and some university administrative types) the Internet is seen as a cheap replacement for the campus library. WSU Libraries need to show the value of a strong library as an institutional resource. We need to aggressively seek other sources of funding, so we can continue to provide quality services. The State of Washington has been generous to WSU, but the demands of other state agencies and services will continue to compete with our funding needs. SH: I don't think the library gets the respect, nor the support that we have earned. The libraries have been taken for granted. We have provided such good service and materials that people forget what it takes to do that. Additionally, we have provided more and more with less and less and it is just taken for granted that we will always be here. I am not sure if libraries will continue to receive support based on their worthiness alone. I absolutely feel that they should be. I think it is the university's responsibility to support the libraries completely because the Library is the heart of the university. However, what should be is not always what will be. Therefore, I think we need to investigate every possibility to further our own cause and find alternate or supplemental means of support in every way we can. 5. In these more competitive times, what steps must the academic library take to promote its work? to show its lasting value to its constituency? RG: Be proactive with teaching faculty. Show that the library is a partner to them. Help develop teaching and study resources with the faculty. Aggressively court the students. They have to come for English 101 library instruction. Let's get them in here at other times for library orientations and instructions. Have sessions for students who hate to use the library. Start out in the CUB and find out what keeps them from using the library. Have sessions geared toward maximizing use of the resources from outside the library. Do a library for dummies series to demystify the library.          I would like to see WSU Libraries be the "state" library for the people of Washington through the extension agencies. We have extension agencies throughout the state we could use as 'branch' libraries. Offer digital reference and access to past WSU cooperative extension publications. Work with cooperative Extension to provide access to some online databases for all state citizens. Winners attract attention. We aren't UW. And UW is not the people's university, WSU is the land grant institution for this state. SH: I really don't have an answer for this question. But, I hope our new development person does. I think some of the answer lies in getting the administration of the university to recognize our value. WB: We need to learn to replace our rather passive customer service practices with a more outgoing, engaging form of serving the public. For example, employees who are on duty need to be easily identifiable so that they can be recognized and approached even if they are not behind a desk or counter. Every employee needs to be taught basic service skills and should also know who to send patrons to for more specialized assistance. Everyone can start asking people if they found everything they wanted, and if the machines they needed were working properly. Signage needs to anticipate frequently asked questions and problems and either provide the answer or direct patrons to the right source. We need to develop a sense of humor and we need to take advantage of opportunities to educate in entertaining ways.          We also need to shed our low profile cocoons and become high profile butterflies. The library should reach out into the community and become an integral part of its culture, perhaps by participating in current community events and creating new ones. We should invite the community in and demonstrate what we have to offer. We should show off all the outrageous, amazing things that people have discovered, created, and written about through the ages. We can encourage and assist people in expressing their own interests. "Looking for a good time? Visit the library." Combine this with aggressive support for research and instruction by training liaisons to investigate needs and push research and teaching solutions to the various departments. In short-better market research, followed by targeted marketing. 6. Will the academic library of the future be an archive or an information node? both? Will its main purpose be storage and preservation of materials, or access? both? SH: I doubt that the library of the future will ever be only an archive. It will probably not look like the model does now, but I think there will always be some need for many of the services that we now provide, including print materials. I also believe much of the focus will be towards electronic formats, rather than print. As we move in that direction I will not be surprised to see some new wave overtake that, too. As a library we need to be open to different formats for success. I think the library of the future may be both, but never completely one or the other. WB: Of course, the academic library of the future should be both an archive for preserving and storing materials and a trusted information node for providing information to remote users and accessing information stored elsewhere. Unfortunately, only the most extravagantly funded libraries will be able to do this. The rest, the majority, will have to make a choice between the certain short-term rewards of becoming an information node and the very uncertain long-term service of properly archiving the achievements, discoveries, and disappointments of our society. Here at WSU, we've already chosen-we are going to focus on being an information node and do what we can to take advantage of archival opportunities. I hope that choice is still rewarding in 50 or 100 years. I hope that we don't end up giving up on archiving altogether. RG: Both. Our value as a research institution will rely heavily on both types of activities. As our general users seek new information in a variety of ways, both print and electronic, the historical scholar will need access to 'vintage' materials to see where and how we were in the past.          By tailoring what we provide and what we archive to our mission, we will be preparing for the future. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~