This document discusses how changes in technology present both opportunities and threats for reference services. It notes that users now access information anytime, anywhere through mobile devices and social media. While search engines and online question answering services could threaten reference services, they could also be opportunities if librarians adapt. The document suggests librarians conduct environmental scans to understand trends, identify new roles like developing digital experiences, and emphasize skills like change management and collaboration in LIS education to ensure continued relevance in a changing information landscape. The constant is that reference services must continually evolve while maintaining core values of helping users.

1. Change:
Opportunity or Threat for Reference
Services in the Digital Age
Eileen G. Abels
The iSchool at Drexel
LIDA June 2012
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2. The only constant is change,
continuing change, inevitable
change, that is the dominant factor in
society today. No sensible decision can be
made any longer without taking into
account not only the world as it is, but the
world as it will be.
Attributed to Isaac Asimov
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3. Change
• 24 X 7, anywhere, any time
• Self-serve
• Social Media
• Mobile devices and apps
• Ubiquitous computing
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4. Over time, search and email are most popular online activities
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5. Progression of Information Technology
Technology Years to reach a market audience of 50
million
Radio 38 years
Television 13 years
Internet 4 years
iPod 3 years
Facebook 2 years
Consider software apps – with tens of millions of users
within weeks.
Did you know? ( Shift Happens). You Tube Video researched by Karl Frisch.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUMf7FWGdCw
Are Smart Phones Spreading Faster than Any Technology in Human History? Technology Review.
May 19, 2012.
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6. New ways of doing old things (1)
“Browsing the Web While Browsing the Aisles” NYT Saturday
March 10, 2012
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7. New ways of doing old things (2)
“The Second Screen, Trying to Complement the First.” NYT Sunday
March 4, 2012
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8. New ways of doing old things (3)
“YouTube Subtracts Racy and Raucous to Add a Teaching Tool”
NYT March 10, 2012 8

9. New ways of doing old things (4)
Providing Reference Services
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10. Is finding new ways of doing
old things enough?
“There are big changes and we have to position ourselves”
“As computing changes, Hewlett Packard Struggles to Follow.” NYT May 24, 2012
“What we really need right now are
breakthrough, paradigm-shifting, transformative and
disruptive ideas.”
“Facing the Future. A white paper to inspire library entrepreneurialism” by Brian Mathews, Associate Dean for
Learning & Outreach at Virginia Tech
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11. The world as it will be….
The only constant is change, continuing
change, inevitable change, that is the
dominant factor in society today. No
sensible decision can be made any
longer without taking into account
not only the world as it is, but the
world as it will be.
— Attributed to Isaac Asimov
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12. How can we predict
how the world will be?
• Conduct an environmental scan
– Assess internal strengths and weaknesses of an
organization or unit within an organization in
relation to external opportunities and threats it
faces.
– Why scan the environment?
• Take advantage of opportunities by building on
strengths and at the same time minimize or overcome
internal weaknesses to avoid threats
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13. How to conduct an
environmental scan?
• Two phases of an environmental scan:
– Phase 1: Conduct an internal audit or assessment
to determine strengths and weaknesses
– Phase 2: Perform an external scan to identify
opportunities and threats.
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14. Phase I: Internal Audit or
Assessment
• Mission and Vision
• Constituencies (with a focus on users)
• Inputs
– Salaries; Staff; Resources; Equipment; Physical plant
• Present strategies
– Numbers
• Services, databases, hours of operation, hits on a
website, questions answered
– Impact or value?
• Contribution to the success of the user
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15. Phase II: External
Environmental Scan
1. Identify purpose, participants, and time
commitments.
2. Identify topics for scanning.
Adapted from: Bryson, J.M. Strategic Planning for Public and
Nonprofit Organizations. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1989, 242-
244.
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16. Environmental Scanning for
Reference Services: Suggested
Topics to Monitor
• Information Users
• Information Resources
• Information Technology
• Competitors
• Other
– Economy
– Government Regulations
– Politics 16

17. Phase II: External
Environmental Scan
1.Identify purpose, participants, and time
commitments.
2.Identify topics for scanning.
3.Identify resources for scanning activity.
Adapted from: Bryson, J.M. Strategic Planning for Public and
Nonprofit Organizations. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1989, 242-
244.
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18. Environmental Scan for
Reference Services: Sources
to Scan
• Research Studies and Reports
– New Media Consortium
– PEW Internet and American Life Project
• News
– New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Chronicle of Higher
Education
• Magazines
– Technology Review
• People/experts/colleagues
– Through Blogs, Twitter; Conversations, Email
• Associations: ALA, ALISE, ASIST, SLA
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19. Phase II: External
Environmental Scan
1. Identify purpose, participants, and time commitments.
2. Identify topics for scanning.
3. Identify resources for scanning activity.
4. Carry out scanning activities.
5. Analyze and interpret the strategic importance of issues and trends.
6. Select issues and trends for further action.
7. Report and disseminate results.
Adapted from: Bryson, J.M. Strategic Planning for Public and Nonprofit Organizations. San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1989, 242-244.
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20. SWOT Matrix
STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES
OPPORTUNITIES THREATS
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21. Search Engines?
Opportunity or Threat?
“For most people, in most situations, Google is
fine. How do you beat free, easy, quick, and
good enough?”
Joe Janes. What Does It Take to Be Good at Reference in the Age of Google? PLA
Presentation, March 28, 2008 .
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22. Online Q&A Services
Opportunity or Threat?
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23. Social Media:
Opportunity or Threat?
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24. Adopting New Technologies
• Adopting the new technologies:
– Planning a Facebook page: Laggard
– Offering text reference: Late majority
– Building visualization services: Early adoptor
– Experimenting with 3D: Innovative
Source: Brian Mathews
• New Technologies to Watch
– Near term: mobile apps and tablets
– Mid term: game based learning and learning analytics
– Long term: gesture based learning and the Internet of Things
Source: Horizon Report 2012
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25. Coming Full Circle
• Are Travel Agents Back? (NYT Sunday April 22, 2012)
– A new breed of travel agents have emerged:
• tech savvy
• specialized
• collaborative
• comfortable with information on demand –
– respond to clients around the clock through text, e-
mail, cellphone and Twitter
• Create travel blogs
– Must “set themselves apart from the Web by offering
special experiences that customers can’t easily get on
their own” p. 6
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26. Librarians Creating New
Positions (1)
• Digital User Experience
– University of Texas at San Antonio Libraries “seeks
innovative, energetic, user-oriented candidates”
• Developing user-centered websites, learning
modules, and other applications that intuitively deliver
digital collections
• Qualifications: Masters in Human Computer
Interaction, Information Science, Information
Systems, Engineering, Communication, Sociology, Anthr
opology, Cognitive Psychology, Human Factors or
related field.
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27. Creating New Positions (2)
• Digital User Services Librarian
– Rutgers University
– New position, responsible for coordinating the
implementation of new electronic products and
services to enhance our digital users’ experience
– Master’s degree from an ALA accredited library or
information science program
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28. Creating New Positions (3)
• Mathews’ review of ARL positions:
– Ever changing environments
– Evolving program of research services
– Changing user preferences
– Librarians who are:
• Nimble
• Adaptive
• Flexible
• Receptive to and fostering new ideas.
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29. Tips for librarians:
How to deal with change?
• Know your users
– Get user feedback
• Select new technologies that make sense for you
– Evaluate the technologies first as they relate to your needs
• When you offer a service, make sure that it is adaptable
to change
– Iterative approach to service development – continue to
test and change
• Go beyond finding new ways of offering services you
currently offer
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30. What does this mean for LIS
education?
• Educate
– for the future not the present
– the reflective professional
• Some topics to emphasize
– Change management
– Assessment
– Design thinking
– Collaboration
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31. Change is constant
And some things are constant
“One of the best means of making a
library popular is to mingle freely with
its users, and help them in every way.”
[Green, Samuel. The Desirableness of Establishing Personal Intercourse and Relationships
between Librarians and Readers. American Library Journal. November 1876. pp. 74-81]
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32. Questions, Discussion & Ideas
Contact me:
Eileen G. Abels, Ph.D.
ega26@drexel.edu
@profeileenabels (on Twitter)
Acknowledgement:
Many thanks to Lily Rozaklis, Doctoral Candidate, The iSchool at Drexel
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