Information Scotland

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

February 2009 Volume 7(1)

Like something almost being said...

Out of the past

There’s nothing wrong with tradition but we must accept change for the better, say Kathleen Menzies and Richard Fallis, particularly in some information environments.

There are those who insist that modern libraries are inferior to libraries of the past. These people deserve to be listened to if only because it is right to question the need for change. Evolution and advancement are impossible if we have no sense of what wise moves and right choices have already been made.

The problem may be that many people still worship the idea of ‘The Public Library’ – the institution created in the image of Carnegie and others. These people see, and celebrate, The Library as a creation that came into the world perfectly formed and therefore requiring no alteration or justification. This overlooks the fact that Carnegie, albeit with one eye on self-aggrandisement, bequeathed his libraries to a society that had evolved to a point where libraries were necessary. Libraries were a formal, moneyed response to an organic, and fluid, social situation.
We should also remember what professionals working in special sectors take for granted: that libraries serving the public are not limited to those in the high street.

Bear with us while we paint a little scenario – imagine:
You pace a hospital corridor, awaiting news of a sick relative. A doctor finally comes up to you.
“Good news,” she says, “we’re getting closer to a diagnosis. But first, I have something to ask. One of our consultants is fairly sure he remembers hearing about a case very like this one a few years ago in Canada. If he’s right, it could take us a step closer to beginning treatment. Unfortunately the doctor involved in that case is on leave, so we can’t reach him. There are a few things we need to confirm, so we’re going to have to rely on the hospital librarians to try and find the information for us.”
You nod cautiously. “So, what’s the problem?”
“Well, we have two libraries in the hospital and it’s our policy to find out which one relatives would rather we use.”
“Okay, so what’s the difference?”
“The first one is beautiful. It has two colour-coded wings, one red, the other blue. The desks are made of Regency oak, each one with a hand-carved chair and brass study lamp. The librarian at the enquiry desk, Sheena, is wonderful. She began as a volunteer many years ago, mending old fiction books. She keeps track of everything in a big leather-bound book, using an old card catalogue. There aren’t any computers. You really should see it. We’ve got books and articles from over 100 years ago.

“The second library has a lot of IT including broadband. Current research is available electronically and only the most recent publications are shelved. The librarians there are great but they don’t have the same sense of history that Sheena has; they’re always thinking ahead. A lot of our physicians and support staff do their research in online communities now, so we’ve had to move with the times. In fact, we could probably try and get in touch with the Canadian consultant on his Blackberry. What’s your preference?”
“Please,” you say, “just go to whichever library gives you the best information, most quickly!”
“In that case,” the doctor says, “I’ll bypass Sheena, and go straight to the second library…”

Okay, the above scenario is melodramatic and not very likely to take place. And, of course, there are more subtle and nuanced questions to be asked, which have been explored in research undertaken by one of your authors, among others.1 How knowledgeable are the librarians at each of the libraries, how computer-literate are the staff? Do they prefer using printed materials? How can good training and management practices be implemented in a technology-driven environment? To what extent can IT systems be relied upon, and what contingencies should be put in place to ensure that service delivery is not compromised by any technical failures?

These are challenging questions to answer, but that’s no reason to throw up our hands and cry that traditional library methods and services ain’t broke, so why fix them? It is crucial to remember that libraries and librarians are intermediaries; they sit between valuable information and people who can make use of and act upon the knowledge gained from that information. This is especially time-critical in the context of a hospital library, where there is no room for harking back to halcyon days. As Carnegie, knew only too well, there are no halcyon days.

Die-hard traditionalists should consider changing their mindsets, and viewing technology as a critical instrument that allows librarians and the professionals served by libraries to do everything they have always done, only better, while giving library staff extra time and energy to do more, paving the way for libraries of the future.

References
Fallis (2007). ‘Tradition vs. Modernisation in Hospital Libraries.’ SHINE Journal. Volume 52, June 2007, p.9-12. ;

Kostagiolis, P.A. & Zimeras, S. (2008). ‘Enhancement of Hospital Libraries and Information Services Through an E-Support System for Lifelong Learning Quality Methodologies and Tools.’ International Journal of Education and Information Technologies. Issue 2, Volume 2, 2008.

Kathleen Menzies is a Research Assistant at the Centre for Digital Library Research. kmenzies@cis.strath.ac.uk Richard Fallis is an Assistant Librarian within NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde. richard.fallis@ggc.scot.nhs.uk

Information Scotland Vol. 7(1) February 2009

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: 27-Mar-2009