1 Academic Libraries

2 Excerpts from: “Trends in U.S. Academic Libraries” Paula Kaufman, University Librarian University of Illinois, Urbana/Champaign

3 Trends in U.S. Higher Education Growing gap between private and public universities Economic conditions driving lower support from states Rapidly rising energy costs put pressure on available funds More ethnic and racial diversity Undergraduate research

4 More Trends Global competition for students reducing number of international students going to U.S. interdisciplinarity Online learning continues to grow Demands for accountability

5 Academic Leadership University leaders have short tenures (typically less than 5 years) No university administrator has taken a leadership role in speaking to these issues nationally or internationally

6 20 th Century Academic Librarianship Built collections of tangible materials Developed mediating systems of access and service Served all disciplines with similar tools Served all disciplines in generally the same ways on most campuses

7 What Will It Mean For Libraries When: Tradition collides with digital promises and digital realities? New generations of students have grown up in world of digitally-enabled power and control? Boundaries of time and place no longer exist? Scholars work in new collaborative forms? New genres, formats, scholarly communication models emerge? Financial pressures grow stronger? Public policies create more restrictive environments? Organizational cultures remain unsuited for change?

8 What’s Not Changing Faculty and Student Needs Content All formats Global Expert Assistance Copyright and Intellectual Property Barriers Need to Communicate Better With Users Need for More: Professionals Space Time Money

9 What’s Changing Almost Everything Around Us – Remember when libraries just did tangible media? Digital Content Born digital Digitized by Others Digitized by Us Institutional Repositories E-Science Non-Library Resources Google WikiPedia

10 More Changes Digital tools Not limited to those provided by the library Social Networking Among Undergrads – and Others New Technology Applications OPAC Front Ends Federated Searching INSTANT MESSAGE US

11 Academic Libraries’ Defining Characteristics Yesterday: collections Today: collections, content, expertise Tomorrow: Special collections Expertise Digital content Diffused services Divergent – very few are alike Collaborative; changing relationships

12 Today and Tomorrow Demands for Simplicity in searching complex data bases (the Google one search box model) Everything anywhere, any time – mostly digital Electrical outlets Study/social physical spaces Original resources (special collections) Curation of data sets, evidentiary materials Anxiety Reassurance about the centrality of the Library’s role – but need to convince University administration and potential supporters

13 New Models From the commercial sector: From carbon to silicon Amazon Variety, convenience, conglomeration Search technology providers Convenience, individualization Major portal firms Localization, content re-purposing

14 New Models From instruction to teaching From Reference to help Adapt new technologies quickly (IM) Research commons Not bound by place or time From library as place to place as library Diffused and infused Every library will be different

15 ACRL’s 10 Top Assumptions for Future of Academic Libraries and Librarians 1. Increased emphasis on digitizing collections, preserving digital archives, and improving methods of data storage, retrieval, curation and service. 2. Skill set for librarians will continue to evolve in response to changing needs and expectations of users. Professional background of library staff will become increasingly diverse in support of expanded service programs and administrative needs.

16 Top 10 Assumptions 3. Students and faculty will continue to demand access to library resources and services – especially in digital formats and as a feature of social computing. 4. Debates about intellectual property will become increasingly common. 5. Evolution of information technology will shape practice of scholarly inquiry and daily routine of students and faculty. Demands for technology-related services and technology- rich user environments will continue to grow.

17 Top 10 Assumptions 6. Higher education will be increasingly viewed as a business, with calls for accountability and quantitative measures of library contributions to the teaching, research, and service missions of the university. 7. Students will increasingly view themselves as ‘customers’ of the academic library and will demand high-quality facilities, resources, and services attuned to their needs.

18 Top 10 Assumptions 8. Online learning will continue to expand and libraries will gear resources and services for delivery to a distributed academic community. 9. Demands for free public access to data collected and research completed as part of publicly funded research programs will continue to grow. 10. Protection of privacy and support for intellectual freedom will continue to be defining issues for academic libraries and librarians.

19 Our Dirty Little Secrets (oops, Myths) Hidden collections (myth: everything is accessible) Tendency to invest in trendy things (we know what we’re doing) Cherish large print collections (are unique) Lots of duplicates Way too expensive to maintain Shocking lack of awareness among users about services the library already offers (they love all we do) We don’t really understand how space is used

20 Hidden Collections Hidden = not accessible through any finding mechanism or accessible only in local, often idiosyncratic, data bases. These can include: Special Collections Archives Rare books and other rare materials Nontraditional formats (e.g., newspapers) Vertical files Backlogs of traditional materials Electronic resources, often part of licensed ‘packages’

21 Space Differing views of ideal research space Solitary, groups, grad students, collaboratories Use varies by discipline and by role (faculty, student) Increased expectation to access physical collections and tools for thinking in new ways Different visions across disciplines for role of serendipitous browsing Learning/information commons Scholars commons Collaborative interdisciplinary connections

22 OCLC 2005 Environmental Report Infosphere rich in content and context, that was easy to use, ubiquitous and integrated, designed to become woven into the fabric of people’s lives; people looking for answers, meaning and authoritative, trustable results

23 What Does This Mean For Us? Leadership (everywhere) Instruction, instruction, instruction Students Faculty (scholarly communication issues) Recruiting and retaining the best professionals Include professional development (continuous learning) Advocacy, lobbying – on and off campus Demonstrating the Library’s value to campus

24 One Last Prediction Academic libraries will endure and become increasingly important to the academic enterprise.

25 Excerpts from “How Academic Libraries Help Faculty Teach & Students Learn” Keith Curry Lance Don Dickenson Library Research Service Colorado State Library University of Denver 2008

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31 Excerpts from “The Future of Librarians in the Workforce: Status of Academic Libraries” Presented by Jose-Marie Griffiths and Donald King, School of Information and Library Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill At ALA Annual Conference, June 27, 2008 Anaheim, CA

32 Number of American Academic Libraries NCES 2000—3, —3, —3,889 American Libraries Directory —3, —3,749

33 Number of Academic Librarians with MLS NCES (full time librarians) 2000—25, —25, —25, —26,015 Survey headcount = 29,019 Average number of Academic Librarians with MLS per library in 2007 = 7.74

34 Future Need of New Academic Librarians Current29,019-- Remaining--20,48014,954 Expected Number --33,03937,593 Required Need--12,55922,639

35 Age, Gender, Race Slightly more of the academic librarians who are under 30 or aged 30 to 45 are male. Academic librarians over 45 tend to be female. Overall, 74.3% are female. 91.8% are White, 4.4% Black or African American, 2.6% Asian, 2% Latino

36 Department Not organized by dept12.5% Reference, Research, Instruction37.4% Other10.4% Tech services (incl. cataloging)13.6% Administration8.6% Special collections (incl. archives) 3.3% Systems3.1% Acquisitions & development4.6% User services (incl. circulation)6.5%

37 Salary Survey (n=691) <$40, % $40,000 – $49, % $50,000 – $79, % $75,000 - $99,9997.6% >$100,0002.2%

38 Other non-monetary fringe benefits Flexible hours Comp time Formal recognition/awards Home internet access Job sharing Laptop Cell phones Adoption assistance Child care Attendance professional meetings Evening classes External workshops Sabbaticals Tuition reimbursement

39 Degrees held (n=1,377) PhD or equivalent4.2% MLS46.8% MS, MA17% BS, BA44.5% Other6.4%39

40 Age when MLS earned Under % % 30-34%19% 35 and over28.2%

41 “If you had the opportunity to choose your career over again, would you still choose librarianship?” (n=802) Definitely36.4% Probably36.7% Unsure16.3% Probably not8.6% Definitely not2.0%

42 Important competencies Knowledge of electronic materials Ability to select and evaluate materials Collection management skills Knowledge of print materials Knowledge of cataloging principles Database search skills Reference skills Web content skills

43 Important competencies, cont’d Management skills Leadership skills Knowledge of workstations and systems Website development skills Positive attitude toward users and colleagues Oral communication skills Writing skills

44 Important competencies, cont’d Presentation skills

45 ACRL Association of College & Research Libraries /index.cfm