Information Scotland

The Journal of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals in Scotland

December 2004 Volume 2 (6)

President's perspective

We have the will – so let's do it

Moira Methven ends her Presidential year with a heartfelt plea for spreading the message about our inviting and welcoming libraries.

Traditionally, in the final article the outgoing President looks back over the year, reflects on some of the highlights, does a bit of name dropping perhaps, and talks about what he/she has learned from the experience. Well, I'll come on to that but first I'd like to talk about a couple of concerns I have. If you have regularly read these articles (surely one or two of you have) you will know how I feel about the need for libraries to lose the traditional image, learn from the commercial sector, and be much more radical about selling themselves. Of late we have been hearing a lot about how people want to buy books, to own books, rather than borrow them but I don't believe that's true. People may want to buy some books but they don't want to buy every book. And if people are buying books I've no doubt they will borrow them as well. The reverse is also true. If bookshops have more appeal than libraries then we have to correct that. We have to re-brand ourselves and sell ourselves. In the September issue of Update a letter from Neil Simmons in Huntingdon proposes a national TV advertising campaign. I believe this would be a worthwhile investment. A lot of people don't know what libraries now offer. We know that library promotions inside libraries work well; reader development initiatives have shown that. We now need to attract the people who don't visit a library and the only way to do that is by advertising outwith the library. We have been saying we need to attract non-library users for as long as public libraries have existed. And incidentally, in the first national survey of its kind, CIPFA are working with local authorities to find out just what it is people want from their local libraries. Questionnaires will be sent out across the country until CIPFA have received 1,000 responses. The results on their own will be a powerful tool for us, providing hard evidence of where we should be going. However, I think it will be a missed opportunity for individual authorities if we don't adapt the questionnaire and carry out our own local surveys, and use the CIPFA results as a benchmark for our own performances. It is increasingly important that our aims and objectives for libraries are evidence-based.

Neither Ottakars nor Waterstones advertise on television. Business for them must be fine. I can guarantee though that if libraries were attracting these bookshops' customers as they are supposedly attracting our borrowers then we would pretty soon be watching their TV advertising campaigns as they attempted to win back their sales. They wouldn't look at plummeting sales figures month after month, year after year or read report after report on their imminent demise before they put time, effort and money into reversing the trend.

Libraries must do more to make themselves more attractive and eye catching. Statistics from Opening the Book show that 75% of all fiction borrowed is chosen randomly. That means that our libraries are largely geared for the 25% of fiction borrowers who are looking for something in particular and know where to find it. We must do more for the 75% who are browsers and who spend on average 5 - 10 minutes in the library before leaving, (again, statistics from Opening the Book) and that's why reader development is so important. New from Opening the Book is an online training programme aimed at developing frontline staff's skills. Through seven modules of less than 20 minutes each, the aim is to offer staff an understanding of reader-centred work and to get practice in being involved in it. Reader development initiatives can make the whole library visit experience much more pleasurable, satisfying, and fun. We still need to get the non-library users through the door though and that's where advertising comes in. If we can make our libraries sound like a good idea and a great place to go and at the same time make them look inviting and welcoming then I don't see how we can lose. It needs time, effort, and money, and the will to do it. Let's do it.

In October the publication of the Cultural Commission's Interim Report (www.culturalcommission.org.uk) gave plenty to mull over – and hints perhaps of controversy to come. What emerges strongly from the Report however is the frustration felt across all sectors at a serious lack of funding for marketing and public relations activity. To raise our profile we do need adequately funded marketing and that, at last, is being recognised. In the meantime, all reader development initiatives are good PR.

Now for the traditional bit. This has been an interesting year for me. My duties have taken me north, south, east and west and I met more individuals and groups than I normally would in the course of a year. I can honestly tell you I have been impressed with those I have met and with what I have seen. Despite anxieties about, for example, the Framework of Qualifications, subscriptions, and negative press reporting, I found a largely positive and motivated group of people and I certainly end this Presidential year more optimistic for the future of our profession than I did at the start. Many of you are completely unfazed by change or even by the pace of change.

For me the greatest benefit of the office of President has been that I very quickly had a good overview of what is happening in all areas of our profession, not just in my own field. There is just so much going on. So many initiatives, so many developments, so many improvements, so much looking ahead, so much co-operating. No branch of our profession is standing still. There is progress everywhere. If you want a snapshot of some of the developments and initiatives taking place have a look in the SLIC annual review.

My own mentions of one or two books I've read and enjoyed recently has been my own small contribution to reader development. So try David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas. It was shortlisted for the Man Booker. It's superb and possibly the best book I have read this year.

Taking my place as President is Alistair Johnston from Dumfries and Galloway. I know he will do a good job and I wish him well and look forward to hearing what he has to say.

Information Scotland Vol. 2 (6) December 2005

Information Scotland is delivered online by the SAPIENS electronic publishing service based at the Centre for Digital Library Research. SLAINTE (Scottish libraries across the Internet) offers further information about librarianship and information management in Scotland.

Last updated: 1 February 2005