Quality, Not Quantity, Fosters Engagement

“The most highly engaged library users [tend] to be the biggest technology users” (Shirvell, 2014). Wait. What? Apparently, technology and the Internet are not killing the library.  Perhaps, the love of technology has driven the desire to consume more information.

The Challenge:

As the pool of technological resources grows, libraries must recognize that their patrons are accustomed to using technology to improve experience.  However, as we all know, more technology equals higher costs.  Unfortunately, according to ALA, “Twenty-three states report[ed] cuts in state funding for public libraries this year” (2012, p. 6).  While library funding is decreasing in many areas, the average cost of electronic health science journals is increasing at a rate far greater than the CPI (UCSF Library, 2013). So, how can libraries sustain in an era of increased prices and decreased budgets?

Be Selective!

Although patrons desire more options, the old axiom, quality over quantity, still holds true.  In Christopher Harris’ article Give Students a Break (2013), he uses Sheena Iyengar’s succinct jam tasting example to champion the merits of building robust and targeted collections versus simply purchasing resources to expand the collection.

Embrace technology!

While the price of technology is outpacing library budgets, Iyengar’s analogy is encouraging for libraries.  Essentially, it states that libraries do not need to add more resources for the purpose of adding; rather, they must identify their niche and build robust and beneficial collections.

In a world that is being ‘shrunk’ by social media, engaged patrons are savvy enough to identify the resources that they need, it is the responsibility of the modern library to reduce redundancy throughout communities by developing quality collections that add value to the user’s experience.

Provocative Question:
With many communities having only one library, should such communities focus on specific collections and forge agreements with neighboring communities or should they develop collections with a little bit of everything?

References:

(n.d.). 2011 & 2012 Journal cost comparison. UCSF library and center for knowledge management.  Retrieved on October 3, 2014 from http://www.library.ucsf.edu/services/scholpub/journalcosts.

(2012). Executive summary: Public library funding and technology access study 2011-2012. American Libraries Magazine. Retrieved on October 3, 2014 from http://www.ala.org/research/sites/ala.org.research/files/content/initiatives/plftas/2011_2012/plftas12_execsummary.pdf.

Harris, Christopher. (2012, June 2012). Give students a break: Four strategies to combat information overload. The digital shift. Retrieved on October 3, 2012 from http://www.thedigitalshift.com/2013/06/opinion/the-next-big-thing/less-is-more-presenting-fewer-the-next-big-thing/.

Shirvell, Bridget. (2014, March 13). Turns out most engaged library users are also biggest tech users. PBS Newshour. Retrieved on October 3, 2014 from http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/study-finds-public-libraries-vital-part-american-culture/.