Special Libraries 2006 Change and Challenges in the Digital Environment Bruce Rosenstein/USA TODAY May 15, 2006

New Models For Special Libraries Virtual Libraries Embedded Librarians Distributed access of databases Ask a librarian/virtual reference Organizers of competitive intelligence

Why Are Special Libraries Being Closed? Failure at the basics of the profession Lack of trust on the part of patrons and funders Tunnel vision/closed thinking (theirs and ours) Institutions can close or drastically change their libraries at a moment's notice

What Can You Do Better Than Your Patrons? The users of special libraries often like doing their own research…. But can they do it better than librarians? Should they be doing their own research? Earn your respect: don’t worry about the “image of the profession” Ask yourself: Why am I on the payroll?

Going Beyond Google Where do books fit into our research in the Google age? Must have command of a variety of online and printed resources Be creative in finding information Need for targeted research Become a catalyst for new knowledge

Marketing is a Must All libraries and librarians must market their services Think of creative, tasteful marketing opportunities Explore partnerships with other organizations Make sure patrons are aware that you can make their work easier and more effective

The Curious Incident of the One Person Library… Special libraries are one of the few institutions with a tradition of the lone professional expected to do everything How can this be accomplished without being consumed by “busy work”?

Outsourcing: Friend or Foe? Special libraries have been outsourcing – and being outsourced -- long before most people knew what it was Especially the case in government libraries

What Makes a Special Library Great? Wide representation of online resources The best print resources (under the circumstances)…print is not a growth area Librarians who are knowledgeable, creative, committed to continuous learning Librarians who display emotional intelligence Librarians who thrive in an information- rich, time-poor environment

Final thoughts… Everyone, and every institution, is threatened these days. Libraries and librarians are no different Learn more about special libraries at Attend the SLA annual conference in Baltimore next month