Re-Visioning / Strategic Planning Task Force Forum 1 Trends and Statistics

Are libraries really changing that much? Let’s look and see how libraries have changed over the past dozen years.

PC’s in the Library National, June 1994 –Library catalogs accessed mostly through dumb terminals. Some libraries have single purpose PC’s in a few locations. National, June 2006 –Every library has many PC’s scattered around the building, performing many functions

PC’s in the Library UNCG, June 1994 –8 PC’s for CD-ROM database use only –2 in Documents for GovDocs use only UNCG, June 2006 –93 PC’s that do , catalog search, web search, databases, ebooks, ereserves, etc –140 PC’s in the Superlab that offer access to additional applications

The Web National, June 1994 –Web is virtually unknown –Netscape Navigator introduced April 1994 –Few libraries have web sites or even recognize the web as a viable medium National, June 2006 –Libraries as we know them can not function without the web –For many students the web (and not the Library) is the first choice and first stop when looking for information

The Web UNCG, June 1994 –Almost no one in the Library had heard of the web UNCG, June 2006 –Many library resources and services are web accessible. –The OPAC is web based. –The Library support web pages for academic units across campus –60% of UNCG respondents use Google or Yahoo daily. 20% use library web resources daily. (1993 LibQual)

Remote Access National, June 1994 –For most libraries, the only resource available outside the building is the library catalog National, June 2006 –Most users assume that almost everything is remotely accessible

Remote Access UNCG, June 1994 –Catalog only –Very small percentage of total use was remote UNCG, June 2006 –ebooks, ejournals, databases, finding aids, digital libraries, online renewals, reference questions, etc. –83% of database and web use is from outside the library

Journals National, June 1994 –Only a few experimental ejournals were available –Getting an article is a hassle National, June 2006 –Most libraries have shrunk their print subscriptions and greatly expanded electronic access –Many steps for obtaining an article are eliminated and simplified because of online full text and link resolvers

Journals UNCG, June 1994 –About 5000 print subscriptions –No ejournal subscriptions or full text –Printed serials list UNCG, June 2006 –About 4200 current print subscriptions –28,884 ejournals –Journal Finder used at thirty schools

Books National, June 1994 –Only a few experimental ebooks were available –Libraries associated primarily with printed books. –Circulation has been climbing steadily for years. National, June 2006 –Most libraries have ebooks –Total circulation of print materials is static or declining at most academic libraries. ARL’s down 1% total and 12% initial circ,

Books UNCG, June 1994 –No ebooks –Total recorded print circulation 388,859 for 93/94 UNCG, June 2006 –About 400,000 ebooks –Total recorded print circulation 228,428 for 02/03

Reserves National, June 1994 –Paper only –No remote access National, June 2006 –Nearly exclusively electronic –Linked from syllabi and other class related sites

Reserves UNCG, June 1994 –Paper only –No remote access –55,765 uses in 93/94 UNCG, June 2006 –Nearly exclusively electronic –Linked from Blackboard and other class related sites –109,902 uses in 02/03

Public Service Questions National, June 1994 –Primary point of interaction between user and a wide range of library services and resources –Usage had climbed fairly steadily for years National, June 2006 –Replaced by the web as the primary point of interaction between users and a wide range of library –In most academic libraries there has been a moderate to significant decline in public service questions. Reference transactions down 34% at ARL’s from

Public Service Questions UNCG, June 1994 –4 major service points –112,722 questions in 93/94 –No virtual services National, June 2006 –2 major service points –63,031 questions in 04/05 –Multiple virtual services

Catalog National, June 1994 –By far the most popular resource in most libraries. –Does not include e-resources National, June 2006 –One of many electronic resources and services. Ejournals, computer labs, databases, and other resources may rival it in popularity. –Includes a wider range of formats.

Catalog UNCG, June 1994 –OPAC runs on VT. Not linked to other resources. UNCG, June 2006 –OPAC accessed via web browser. Links to web, Journal Finder, book reviews, etc. –Includes a wider range of formats. –One of several popular electronic services. –Some tech services processes automated (EDI).

Patrons UNCG and Nationally, June 1994 –Mostly willing to come to the Library physically –Will deal with difficult library environments because there is no viable alternative UNCG and Nationally, June 2006 –Prefer to work online and not visit the library –Want to be empowered; don’t want to have to ask questions –Expect immediate response/access –Prefer Google to the Library

The next dozen years Many of the changes we have seen over the past dozen years will continue and some will accelerate. We will also see many additional issues, including –an increased emphasis on DE –wireless –laptop requirement –further improvements to Web searching –huge, free book repositories online (GooglePrint) –free and Open Access journals –institutional repositories –emphasis on collaborative projects –ebook hardware improvements –portable devices (MP3, cell phones, Blackberries, etc) –content, not containers –significant retirements

The Strategic Planning Task Force What does the library need to do in order to adjust to all of these changes? As demands for services, content, and formats change, should we be changing the way library resources are allocated? If some traditional library services are in decline, should we be looking for ways to expand our roles in order to stay relevant?

Reading Statistics Look for multiyear trends, not one year anomalies Statistics rarely tell the whole story Look for correlations between local and national trends Apples and oranges (Ex. Search vs. session) Percentages and absolute numbers Departments are multi-functional; no one should be judged by any single statistic

UNCG Statistics What’s available? What else do we need?

Some National Statistics ARL Public Service StatisticsStatistics UVA StatsStats ASERL Stats (no time series)Stats

“Changing a Cultural Icon” Providing Quality Learning Spaces –Info Commons –Learning support services – Advising, writing, tutoring, etc –More comfortable sating, task lighting, drink policy, etc. Creating Metadata –More formats and types of resources –Portals and tools (Blackboard, bookmarklets) Offering Virtual Reference Services –IM, , virtual ref Teaching Information Literacy –Incorporated into Library Instruction Choosing Resources and Managing Resource Licenses –Carolina Consortium, NC LIVE, ejournals Collecting and Digitizing Archived Material –Womens’ Vets, Civil Rights, etc. Maintaining Digital Repositories –IR

The next dozen years ?