A talk delivered by Brian Gambles at the Anybook Oxford Libraries Conference 2015 - Adapting for the Future: Developing Our Professions and Services, 21st July 2015.

1. The Library of Birmingham: Future City, Future Library
Anybook Oxford Libraries Conference, July 2015

2. The Library at Night
– Alberto Manguel
“During the day, the library is a realm of order. Down and across the lettered passages I
move with visible purpose, summoning books to my attention according to their allotted
rank and file. The structure of the place is visible: a maze of straight lines, not to
become lost in but for finding, a logical sequence, an obedient geography and a
memorable hierarchy. But at night the atmosphere changes. One book calls to another
unexpectedly, creating alliances across different cultures and centuries. If the library in
the morning suggests an echo of the severe and reasonably wishful order of the world,
the library at night seems to rejoice in the world’s essential joyful muddle.”

3. La Biblioteca
del Bosque –
Miguel Angel
Blanco
a constantly growing compilation of discoveries, of revelations,
of invocations, of spells, of ritual ceremonies, kept ALIVE in the
box-books that make up my Forest’s Library.

4. a little history…

5. Birmingham: The City and its people
 Location, Resources and Creativity
 Birthplace of the Industrial Revolution
 The ‘city of a thousand trades’

6. Birmingham: second city, many identities, a young city

7. But, a major city has challenges
• Above average
unemployment (young
people, long term,
concentrated)
• Skills and qualifications
deficit
• High levels of functional
illiteracy
• Poor health outcomes
• Poor graduate retention
• Challenging image
domestically

8. Which a library can satisfy…
• Social capital and
community engagement
• Social, economic and
health outcomes
• Creativity, innovation
and inspiration
• Grounded in
– Partnership working
– A clear strategy for digital
– A more business-like
approach
– A transformed service
offer
– Relationship management

9. "Twenty years from now you
will be more disappointed by
the things you didn't do than
by the ones you did do.”

10. Image, Identity and Confidence
A compelling image, a landmark for the city – a new Brand
A part of the mix of attractions
Contribution to civic pride and identity
A city that values culture – a reason to live here – Big City Culture

11. “We shall leave this city more beautiful
than we found it”
Pledge of Allegiance , Ancient Athenians

12. “I think when I look back at the @LibraryofBham
opening, the thing I'll remember is how happy
everyone seems today”

14. What is a library in the 21st century?
A knowledge hub…a social learning
hub…a cultural exchange…an
empowerment centre
A new partnership with business,
colleges, universities, voluntary sector,
creative industries, cultural and arts
organisations, writers, performers,
schools, the community…
Connecting people to people, people to
ideas, ideas to ideas…co-producing
services and events…a community
space
Library, Archive, Visitor attraction,
Event space, corporate venue, social
meeting space, business meeting
space…

15. The Public Library is public realm
Cafe
Wi-fi
Retail
Gardens
Foyer
Theatre
Meeting Rooms

16. Engagement with
community
Events
Staff Roles and
Culture
Digital Strategy
The City
Customer
Experience
Perceptions of
a library
What did we change and how?
Services and
operating
models

17. Library of Birmingham
Community Engagement

18. Library Community
Ambassadors

19. Transaction Transformation
Information Learning
Delivery Engagement
Resource
Recovery
Resource
Discovery

20. Wisdom
Knowledge
Learning
Information
Data

21. Case Study:
Business and Learning
From Business Information
to social outcomes
– Entrepreneurship
• Skills development
• Business support
• Growth
– Work Readiness
• Work related life skills
– Employability
• Basic skills
• Ability to secure a job

22. Library-delivered
Programmes
• Beginner's Guide to Business Information
• How to Write a Business Plan: The 10 Questions
You Need to ask
• Science and technology information for the
business user
• Introducing copyright
• Research for New Businesses
• Beginner's guide to intellectual property
• Introducing Social Media for Small Business
• Introducing patents searching
• Sole trading – the basics
• Introducing registered designs searching
• Young Entrepreneurs Club
22

23. Entrepreneur in
Residence• Act as an Ambassador for LoB
Business & Learning
• Launch/Attend Global
Entrepreneurs Week –
November 2014 – attend as a
Guest Speaker as the LoB
Entrepreneur in Residence.
• Be available to run advice
surgeries or workshops on a
quarterly basis to those
starting a business.
• To participate and advise on
potential areas for service
delivery to support the
business community.
• Be available to support
Business & Learning/Library
of Birmingham initiatives as
appropriate
• To commit to being the
Entrepreneur in Residence for
a 12 month period.
23
An extraordinarily entertaining man,
Simon Topman is the world's greatest
living authority on whistles. Author of
the standard work, "Collecting Police
Whistles and Similar Types”…

25. New self-service
technologies, e.g.
book issue and
return kiosks and
Information Points
Digital Content
Delivery: Web,
Mobile & In-
Building
Multi-screen digital
galleries, feature
interactive devices
and Marketing &
Events screens
Vocera – staff
hands-free
communication
What we did… Technology
25

26. Games:
Foto Fortunes
People’s Archive
Information
Overlord
Virtual Library in
Second Life
Apps:
Dozens and Trails
What we did… Technology
26

27. 27

29. A service to enhance metadata for photography archives
• Builds on existing archive level data
• Uses keywords & categories to describe exactly what’s in an image enabling
discovery and commercialisation
• Enables a blend of local human interaction and technology to add metadata and
emotional judgement data to images
Cost effective metadata generation
• Can deliver enhanced metadata for about 10% of the cost of traditional methods
• Is fully scalable using a local solution that can be replicated world-wide
• Produces metadata in a consistent format through a semantic tree that Google
can interpret
• Further enhances descriptive data and emotional data through on-going searches
Enhanced metadata generation
A service for image archives

30. Initial Metadata
Original Filename: wk-a7-99
Title:
wk-a7-99
Caption:
Repair works on Aston High Street
Photographed in August 1953. Original print
number 6984. The photograph shows the bed
of the River Rea. wk-a7-99
New Metadata
Original Filename: wk-a7-99.jpg
New Title: Repair works on Aston High Street, Aston
New Description:
View of roadworks on Aston High Street. Photographed in August
1953. Original print number 6984. The photograph shows the bed of
the River Rea
New Keywords:
horizontal, outdoors, day, photography, black and white image,
incidental, people, architecture, building, historic house, house, city,
suburb, 20th century, C20th, 1953, 1930s, housing, landscape, road,
street, high street, retail building, shop, public works, urban areas,
construction, roadworks, building site, equipment, building material,
river, canal, trench, digging, fence
Building/Street: High Street
District/Suburb: Aston
City: Birmingham
County: West Midlands
Country: England
Type of Building: Workplace
Categories: Transport, Industrial
People: Adult, Men
Date: 1953
This picture looks: Historic
This picture shows: Achievement, Progress,
Science /
Engineering, Work life

31. • Event rich
• Co-production environment
• Experiential learning

35. The challenge
35
“I’m passionate about
‘my resources’ and the
way ‘I’ provide access to
them.”
But it could also mean…
Everyone is up for change when it’s just a concept in the distant future,
but not when it’s close by!
“I’m passionate
about learning
and knowledge.”
It could mean…
People who work in Libraries have a sense of purpose and will often say that
they are ‘passionate’ about the service… but what does that really mean?

36. Staff Roles
• A facilitator of people-centred knowledge
exchange networks
• A knowledge host
• An enabler of connection and collaboration for
communities of interest
• An interventionist
• A deliverer of results and outcomes
• A coach
• A facilitator of learning
• An encourager and motivator
• A creative reading enthusiast
• A creator of content
• A specialist

37. 37
Making change happen
Change is
hard, but
stagnation
is fatal…
Recognise
that
change
needs to
happen
Leadership
needs to
be ‘hungry’
for change
Challenge
the status
quo
Culture
change is
critical
Be clear
about what
needs to
change

38. Is change for everyone?
38
The 20:60:20 Rule
On Board
Opposed
Can be influenced
either way
Work with them
Leave alone!
Work on them

39. • 2.4m visitors (Top Ten UK Destination)
• Over 90% of visitors rate each aspect of Library
as good or excellent
Overall rating Revisit Advocacy
Success?
94%
• Customer Survey validating vision for the library
• Multiple award winning
• Popular ownership – pride in their library

40. Borrow books, films, music, other items
Use reference materials on premises
Archive and heritage research
To study
Learning and job search help
No reason - just passing, spontaneous visit
Use computers, go online, access WiFi
See an exhibition
Explore/ visit/ enjoy the building
Original reason(s) for Visiting the Library
Attend event, lecture, performance, workshop
A place to meet (friends, family, business)
Use the Café
Access business services
For my children to use the Library
Attend private event or function
Use Library shop
Other
370,614
297,523
75,492
615,586
80,116
260,532
478,295
25,164
521,420
38,858
50,328
25,164
25,164
15,542
25,164
2,898
32,011
# annual
visits
30%
tourism
88% single reason

42. A formula for sustainable success?
• Advocacy and influence
• Engagement and co-production
• Partnership
• Volunteering
• Innovation and change
• Digital Strategy for a physical
world
• Commercial income, fundraising,
sponsorship
• Popular and critical acclaim
• Delivery of strategic outcomes
• The lessons of stagnation
and decline, 2015

44. brian.gambles@libraryofbirminghamtrust.org.uk