Presentation given at the American Library Association Annual Conference, Anaheim, CA. June 23, 2012.
Speaker: Bohyun Kim, Digital Access Librarian, Florida International University
Speaker: Jason Clark, Head of Digital Access and Web Services, Montana State University Libraries
Speaker: Patrick T. Colegrove, Head, DeLaMare Science & Engineering Library, University of Nevada, Reno
More program details: http://ala12.scheduler.ala.org/m/node/806
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I CAN DO IT ALL BY MYSELF: : Exploring new roles for libraries and mediating technologies in addressing the DIY mindset of library patrons
1. I CAN DO IT ALL BY MYSELF
: Exploring new roles for libraries and
mediating technologies in addressing the
DIY mindset of library patrons
American Library Association Annual Conference.
Anaheim, CA. 2012.
Speakers: Bohyun Kim, Patrick T. Colegrove, Jason Clark.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/marielamuse/7341089880/
2. I CAN DO IT
ALL BY MYSELF – part I.
: Exploring new roles for libraries and mediating technologies in
addressing the DIY mindset of library patrons
Bohyun Kim, Digital Access Librarian
Florida International University Medical Library
http://bohyunkim.net @bohyunkim (Twitter)
http://www.slideshare.net/bohyunkim (Slides)
American Library Association Annual Conference, Anaheim, CA. June 23, 2012.
#ala12 #diy
3. Great Library of Alexandria
- Wikipedia
Libraries,
what has happened to them ?
11. • Information consumers who are
• Smarter
• More empowered
• More independent
• More efficient
• More trained
• More dedicated
• More impatient
• More demanding
We are now…
13. • “According to the ARL statistics, the number
of reference transactions went down by more
than 50-60 % since 1995.”
- Anderson, Rick. 2011. “The Crisis in Research
Librarianship.” Journal of Academic Librarianship 37
(4): 289-290.
Decreasing
reference requests
15. • “Unless current patterns change, by 2020
university libraries will no longer have
circulation desks.”
- Kurt, Will. 2012. “The End of Academic Library
Circulation?” ACRL TechConnect.
http://acrl.ala.org/techconnect/?p=233
User behavior has changed
16. • Ask-an-expert sites (e.g., WikiAnswers) showed the
largest five- year growth—136% increase. The
frequency of use increased as well. The majority of
college students who used these sites did so on an as-
needed basis in 2005; now 30% search for answers at
least monthly.
• College students are asking experts for help; are they
asking librarians? Our survey results indicate that only
a few are using online librarian question services—
10% in 2010 vs. 8% in 2005. The number of academic
libraries offering online reference services increased
more than 10% from 2004 to 2008 (NCES).
- OCLC Report - Perceptions of Libraries 2010, pp.52-54.
Users prefer self-service
even in reference /research
17. • In the era of information scarcity
• Information was hard to find, obtain, access.
• This problem is solved by librarians‟
mediation.
• Libraries identify, acquire, organize, and
provide access to information.
• Mediation by librarians was necessary for
identifying and accessing hard-to-find
information efficiently.
• Great value was created by the mediation
between library patrons and library staff.
Old paradigm
19. But now,
information is abundant.
And we are so much more
capable information
consumers with the Web.
20. • “You‟re pretty good at helping
me, thanks, but I‟d really prefer to do
more things by myself- and by the
way, you don‟t make that very easy for
me.”
- Matthews, Brian. 2011. “Helping patrons help themselves,”
Chronicle of Higher Education Blog Network.
http://chronicle.com/blognetwork/theubiquitouslibrarian/2011/10/13
/are-we-in-the-diy-era-helping-patrons-help-themselves/
DIY – Users’ mindset today
21. • Not unique to library use
• Common phenomenon influenced by the automation of
everyday service that we experience as a consumer.
• WWW + Knowledge = DIY
• Who knows more about how to best print your
digital photo?
You or the person at Walgreens photo service?
• Can you file tax yourself rather than hiring an
accountant?
Yes, and it might be faster and more convenient!
• The line between experts and hobbyists is becoming
more and more blurry.
• Example: Etsy, Flickr, Instagram, etc.
DIY mindset - background
23. • Avoiding contact with the library staff unless
necessary
• Using an alternative to traditional library services
• Giving up on time-consuming procedures
• Prefers self-service
• Practicing „Satisfice‟
• Wanting to learn by doing, not by sitting and
listening
• Appreciation for tools that help them do the
things that they want to do by themselves
(e.g. LibX)
DIY user behavior at libraries
24. • Self-checkout machines
• Drive-through windows
• Vending machines with books and DVDs
• Self-registration for library cards
• Self-scheduling group study room and computer
use
• Self-pickup of holds
• Self-directed printing
• Self-service course reserves management by
faculty
• Convenience and empowerment for patrons
• Staff efficiency for libraries
Moving in the right direction…
25. But our main message
is unchanged.
“Come to the Library !”
“Talk to Librarians !”
26. • „Ask a Librarian‟
• Reference desk
• Classroom instruction
• Literature search
• Library workshop
“ Let us help you.”
(=Go through us/ gatekeeping)
27. • Attractions to draw more people to the
library?
• E-book readers, Starbucks, 3D printer…
• Improve the library‟s physical space?
• Create more contact opportunities online?
• Ask a Librarian, Text a Librarian!
• Embedded into the curriculum
• Librarian presence in the LMS
• More classroom instruction
Still operating
in the old paradigm
28. • Help is less and less sought out where
information is abundant.
• “Can I just figure thist out by myself?”
• ”Do I have time for this?”
• “Is this something I must go through?”
• “Can I do it later?”
• “It sounds boring… ”
Lukewarm responses …
29. • Interaction-oriented service is likely to to be received
poorly because patrons are less likely to initiate it.
• Librarians‟ mediation or assistance is often not
necessary for library patrons identifying and accessing
information.
• And if any information system requires human
mediation or instruction, that may well make a patron
think that the system is inefficient.
• Users expect efficient systems that allow them to
serve themselves to meet their information needs.
Kim (2011b).
In spite of our best intentions
30. Why?
Because now,
what is precious and scarce
is
information
people’s time and attention.
31. • “I don‟t think education is about centralized
instruction anymore; rather, it is the process
establishing oneself as a node in a broad
network of distributed creativity.”
- Ito, Joichi. 2011. “In an Open-Source Society, Innovating by the
Seat of our Pants.” The New York Times.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/06/science/joichi-ito-
innovating-by-the-seat-of-our-pants.html?_r=1
Learning is changing…
33. Library as a warehouse
Passive help center (Kim, 2011a)
34. Be where people are.
Be sought after; don’t run after.
Photo from Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamescridland/613445810/
35. Circulate books & journals.
Look up things that are had to find.
Help then when asked
Teach them proper research resources & methods.
Old paradigm: no longer relevant
36. Let’s show beautiful and
awesome things instead.
Photo from Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/10422334@N08/4548288966/
42. • Part II (Tod): How can libraries respond to
the changing user behavior and expectations
to draw in and energize the users of the
physical library space ?
• Part III (Jason): How to leverage technology
to create opportunities for mediation and dis-
mediation opportunities that the library users
online would welcome ?
Examples: physical /virtual
44. • Anderson, Rick. 2011. “The Crisis in Research Librarianship.” Journal
of Academic Librarianship 37 (4): 289-290.
• Dempsey, Beth. 2010. "Do-It-Yourself Libraries." Library Journal
135, no. 12: 24-28.
• Harvard Library Open Data, http://openmetadata.lib.harvard.edu/
• Hoppenfeld, Jared, and Wendi Arant-Kasper. 2010. "Do-It-Yourself
for Course Reserves: A Student-Driven Service in an Academic
Library." Journal Of Interlibrary Loan, Document Delivery &
Electronic Reserves 20, no. 5: 353-361.
• Ito, Joichi. 2011. “In an Open-Source Society, Innovating by the
Seat of our Pants.” The New York Times.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/06/science/joichi-ito-innovating-
by-the-seat-of-our-pants.html
• Kim, Bohyun. 2011a. “Beyond the Middlemen and the Warehouse
Business.” Library Hat.
http://www.bohyunkim.net/blog/archives/1361
References
45. • Kim, Bohyun. 2011b. “Research Librarianship in Crisis: Mediate
When, Where, and How?” ACRLog.
http://acrlog.org/2011/08/01/research-librarianship-in-crisis-
mediate-when-where-and-how
• Kurt, Will. 2012. “The End of Academic Library Circulation?” ACRL
TechConnect. http://acrl.ala.org/techconnect/?p=233
• Matthews, Brian. 2011. “Helping patrons help themselves,”
Chronicle of Higher Education Blog Network.
http://chronicle.com/blognetwork/theubiquitouslibrarian/2011/10/13
/are-we-in-the-diy-era-helping-patrons-help-themselves/
• NYPL Lab, What‟s on the Menu? http://menus.nypl.org/
• NYPL Lab, Direct Me NYC 1940. http://directme.nypl.org/
• OCLC, 2010. OCLC Report - Perceptions of Libraries.
http://www.oclc.org/reports/2010perceptions.htm
• Gorae_bot in Twitter. http://twitter.com/gorae_bot
References (cont…)
46. I CAN DO IT
ALL BY MYSELF – part II.
Exploring new roles for libraries and mediating technologies in
addressing the DIY mindset of library patrons
48.
We simply couldn’t afford
the traditional approach.
1Derived from reports generated June 2, 2012, using the CANID Interactive Reporting System on the University of Nevada, Reno, Institutional Analysis website at
63. Draw in and energize
users of the physical library.
Image credit: rumpleteaser, “Kid in a Candy Store”, , licensed under creative commons Attribution2.0 Generic (CC BY).
Retrieved June1, 2012, from http://www.flickr.com/photos/rumpleteaser/6062575030/sizes/l/in/photostream/
80. Okay, that’s great – for
the people who come in to
the library.
What about everyone else?
81. I CAN DO IT
ALL BY MYSELF – part III.
Exploring new roles for libraries and mediating technologies in
addressing the DIY mindset of library patrons
Jason Clark
Head of Digital Access & Web Services
Montana State University Library
American Library Association Annual Conference, Anaheim, CA. 2012
83. • What about users that don’t come into the
building?
• Libraries are passive
• Users are active
• Building engaging tools and online
experiences
New Paradigm
85. • In economics, disintermediation is the
removal of intermediaries in a supply chain:
"cutting out the middleman".
• en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disintermediation
Disintermediation
86. DIY – “Do It Yourself”
Ian MacKaye, Punk Rocker and DIY Patron Saint
88. • “…recorded their own music, produced
albums and merchandise, distributed their
works and often performed basement shows
in residential homes rather than at traditional
venues to secure freedom in performance.”
• en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DIY_ethic
DIY – “Do It Yourself”
89. • DIY as part of Internet Culture
• Make Magazine
• makezine.com
• Skillshare
• www.skillshare.com
• We work in a medium that facilitates DIY
DIY and the Internet
104. • Data mining social media
• andyburkhardt.com/2010/02/12/ambient-
awareness-in-twitter-for-reference
• andyburkhardt.com/2012/04/25/puppies-in-the-
library-and-social-media
(new) Outreach
112. • Real-time Instruction
• bit.ly/zA9DCf
• americanlibrariesmagazine.org/columns/pra
ctice/guide-side
• "Guide on the Side", a tutorial created for
JSTOR by University of Arizona librarians
(new) Instruction
114. • New job duties, New staffing models
• Realignment of personnel
• Look for public service + tech service
collaborations
• This is a great opportunity!
• We all have some role to play; it just might
be a new role.
Takeaways & Next Steps
Be part of their information ecosystem .Improve patrons’ information (research) workflow.Push out programs and products that draws attention.Be sought after by users; don’t run after them.
You’re looking at essentially all of the open/collaborative study space that existed across the over 22,500 square feet space of the library when I was hired into DLM in 2010.Note the photo was taken mid-day/week during the Spring semester; not unusually empty at the time. =/
# students/# librarians = 3,363:1# courses/# librarians: 1,477We were going to have to do this the old-fashioned way: one person at a time.
We _do_ have a “microkitchen” – left behind when staff relocated onto the public floors.Trust is a powerful thing: toward the end of the semester, a female engineering student told me (gruffly): “Hey – thanks for trusting us enough to let us put our food in there <the fridge>”; my response: “thanks for trusting us not to eat it!”
Have/want a coffee shop in your library? We’re not there yet, but…
Image on left: an Arduino-based DIY breathalyzer. Recently added 12 kits; have been unable to get the initial two back into the library!
First out of the printer: a yellow ducky was the print demo.Second out? That turbine blade – the printer was barely out of the box when several teams of senior projects engineering students converged; we were barely able to save their project.Impact: broad, across the CoS & CoE. Makers, including BridgeWire.
Note the mixing of librarians/staff/customers in the snapshot of the mini maker event, top right-hand side. - anecdote, “DLM>KC” buttons appeared the last time I went to the ALA national conference… - anecdote, “Clever Girl”/end-of-semester national merit scholar
Driven exclusively by listening to the crowd. Each one a success – gotta like the hit rate.
Aka crowdsourcing.The previous slides? Not my ideas – and yet a huge library “win”.Ryan Emerson Johnson (“Ryan of Libraria”) – a recent MLIS grad at Syracuse University – points out (“Crowdsourcing and Library 2.0’)by definition “the crowd will always contain more experts than your organization.” Leverage that fact!Listen + implement early & often. Perpetual beta.
We share this in common: the sure knowledge that the library _is_ a very exciting place.How can we draw these kids in and get them “all sugared up” on library resources, learning, and knowledge creation?
Empty walls instant collaboration areas!Note the time progression – team starting at one side works through/around other groups that come and go, making use of at least three whiteboard walls…Expect pushback at the idea of painting whiteboard walls. Two points: the fact that writing on walls is verboten is the value, and 2) it’s paint – if it doesn’t work out, you can simply repaint. - cleanup is trivial; microfiber cloth, dampened with water if needed. - initially 1,000 square feet; not enough. Added another 1,500 this Summer.
Note the continuum: from private, to semi-private, to fully open/public collaboration areas.Would you want to go into a completely private collaboration room with someone you barely know? ;)
Note the continuum: from private, to semi-private, to fully open/public collaboration areas.Would you want to go into a completely private collaboration room with someone you barely know? ;)
A “crime of opportunity”, the atrium display led in relatively short order to a significant donor/community outreach event.So well-received it had to be hosted in the “mother ship” library on campus…
Powerful stuff. If we’re open, allowing ourselves to display vulnerability and have a genuine interest, magic happens.Note that in order to support the learning mission of the library, it is _critical_ that the environment be socially conducive to discussions.
Top right: Wordpress Developers – over a half-dozen were present; adopted Lilli Brant room as the “Developer’s Den”.Cost: zero. (except for being willing to come in and open the library on a day it wouldn’t otherwise be open.)Impact: Computer Sciences & Engineering, Journalism, bloggers across campus and the local community – strong presence from local businesses.Newsletteritem: Reno-Tahoe WordCamp 2011: "Amazing turnout, tons of knowledge, great people"DeLaMare Library was the proud co-host (with the JCSU) of this year's Reno-Tahoe WordCamp which brought 200 people to campus including eight WordPress core developers from as far away as New Zealand. A "WordCamp" is a two-day community-sponsored conference that centers around discussions related to the WordPress blogging/website development platform. By all accounts the event was a great success. DeLaMare was a hotbed of web development activity; check out the recorded sessions and photos.The WordCamp events hosted in DeLaMare yesterday was the second major event hosted in the library this year; roughly similar numbers at any given time as we saw at the "Expressions…" event, but with much less coming/going – gate counts indicated around 121 people, spread across simultaneous tracks on the third and second floors, and in Lilli Brant. Although the event was supposed to wrap by 5pm, they were "so in the zone" I wasn't able to get out of here until nearly 8pm; it's clear we're hitting the mark with part of our core demographi
We need to get over the fear of the “creepy treehouse” already. They’re mentioning it _so_ you can overhear; the test is whether or not you’ll take them up on the offer.Over 88 slices of pie served; an estimated 150 students and faculty.Cost: $45 (Costco)Impact: Predominantly Math and sciences.
Connaway et al; a voice of reason in several foundational articles over the past 5-10 years…The second quote is from an interview with Kickstarter founder; would anyone _seriously_ argue to preserve the status quo?
Segue to Jason A. Clark, Head of Digital Access and Web Services at Montana State University…http://www.lib.montana.edu/~jason/index.php