Taking Multiculturalism and Diversity into Account in Creating Library Technologies and Services

By Keegan Sulecki

(Sorry for the confusion. I am posting under H's account because my account is having some issues.)

So far this week we have discussed many aspects of multiculturalism and diversity in the library profession. However, the question still remains, after doing our work each day to encourage a diverse staff and a diverse collection of materials, is this enough that we can sit back as librarians and feel satisfied that we have met the needs of all members of our communities? Should we be satisfied with ourselves simply because our conduct is consistent with every patron that we meet face to face? These are important questions to keep in mind as libraries evaluate services and technologies and decide how budgets should be allocated.

In an article in 2006 in Public Libraries, Meagan Albright points out that it is not enough to provide basic services for our diverse groups but to perform outreach to discover the full needs of our communities. Libraries have the potential to serve as a haven for diverse groups by providing a tolerant atmosphere and access to information. While Albright’s article focuses mainly on the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community, the point she makes about being proactive in our services should be a universal outlook as we strive not only to satisfy our regular patrons but to fulfill our obligation to draw attention to libraries and our profession as a resource for all people.

As I did my reading to prepare writing this blog I found consistent statements that research on the information and technology needs of diverse groups is scarce. Nonetheless, the writers do point out specific ways outreach can be carried out and ways current technologies might be reaching out to different communities in ways we might not initially realize. For instance, technology has enabled libraries to provide virtual reference, which allows patrons to ask questions and seek assistance without having to actually travel to the library. On the surface it might look like simple convenience, but it allows distance learning students to ask questions without the expense of time and gas to continue their educations. It also allows individuals with disabilities the opportunity to obtain information that they might not otherwise have access to due to difficulties leaving their homes unassisted.

In an article from The Journal of Academic Librarianship in 2007, virtual reference also enabled the authors to perform a study on the different reference needs of non-traditional Caucasian and African American students. In this study, it was found that African American students were more hesitant in their initial virtual reference correspondence, as if “testing the waters”, but that this group tended to ask more questions by the second or third email and expressed more feeling of gratitude than other students. While the authors’ conclusion is that more research is necessary to truly understand the different needs of these groups this does highlight the need for libraries to perform more outreach to non-traditional students and that perhaps if some African American students seem hesitant in their initial questions, there might be others out there who have let this hesitation prevent them from making any contact at all.

There are many reasons why individuals due to ethnic identity or other characteristic might be reluctant to make the first step in asking for assistance. Feelings of intimidation are not uncommon for any student when seeking help from academic librarians, but this experience might be even more difficult, for example, if the patron is an ESL student trying to communicate in their second language while under stress. It also must be kept in mind that most technological resources that are available are usually in English, putting ESL students at a distinct disadvantage as they are faced with the constant struggle of not only gaining access to information technology, but also of putting it to use when it might be in a language they are not comfortable with.

This fact is an unfortunate one because research does show that minority students are more likely to face difficulties gaining access to information and technology. In an article in Education Libraries 2007, the authors take this fact and use it to challenge librarians to use academic communities as an opportunity to reach out to different multicultural and diversity organizations. Libraries consistently fail to seek out these organizations for collaborations or even just to understand how services can be shaped to better serve the community.

While this is not a comprehensive overview of all of the ways library services can meet the needs of patrons from diverse and multicultural backgrounds, it does point out some of the reasons why settling for the minimum in serving our populations is not satisfactory. In a country that is becoming more dynamic and diverse, and in our goals of staying relevant to our communities, it is our duty to be proactive and question whether our currant standards are allowing our resources to touch as many people as possible. Also, it is key that we not take for granted that we know the needs of our populations, but to use outreach as a tool to see if we are creating that havens of tolerance and opportunity that we should be striving for.

Questions:

• Much of what was discussed was done in the context of academic libraries. Is this as relevant for public libraries?
• What other ways can librarians perform outreach through services or technologies?
• What are some other reasons multicultural individuals or others from diverse groups might be reluctant to seek assistance from library staff?
• What library services have you seen that you feel takes the initiative in meeting the needs of diverse groups?
  

References:
Albright, M. (2006 ). The Public Library's Responsibility to LGBT Communities. Public Libraries, 45(5), 6.

Love, E. (2007). Building Bridges: Cultivating Relationships Between Libraries and Minorities. Education Libraries, 30(1), 7.

Shachaf, P., Snyder, M. (2007). The Relationship Between Cultural Diversity and User Needs in Virtual Reference Services. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 33(3), 7.

Soneda, B. (2005). Diversity: Try Standing In Their Shoes. Alki, 21(2), 2.

How multiculturalism and diversity is implemented in collection development

All libraries should make it a high priority to preserve, collect, and disseminate cultural materials, particularly as they relate to issues of race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, physical or mental ability, and religion.

Diversity in collection development should not be considered special or outreach programs but a fundamental and integral part of the regular library program. Which means that budgeting and funding for these collections should be part of the library’s continuing budget.

When a library has scarce resources for multicultural and diverse acquisitions then it should be able to turn to other libraries who can share their materials as a result of the growth of networks and automated systems. However, this has the potential to result in a dependence upon resource sharing rather than building a library’s permanent collection and it could also keep libraries in the limited perspective that no library is likely to be self-sufficient. (Deloach 1983)

A large portion of the multicultural materials available in the United States is published by small or alternative presses and may be undocumented in traditional bibliographic tools or perhaps not included at all in the standard ways librarians research this topic. Therefore, publishers’ catalogs are the major tools used to purchase multicultural and diverse materials. Continuous contact with these distributions gets the library placed on their permanent mailing lists. However, with the aide of technology and the internet, librarians can find a multitude of resources for selecting and disseminating quality works that just a few years ago were nonexistent. For example, The Multicultural Review (mcreview.com) is regarded as one of the top journals in its field. This organization describes themselves as, “the only publication of our type that is solely dedicated to reviews of a better understanding of diversity. We focus on differences in ethnicity, race, spirituality, religion, disability, and language.”

According to Joseph Bruchac, Abenaki storyteller, publisher, and children's book author, the first step in determining a quality addition to a well balanced multicultural and diverse collection is to check the book’s authenticity. He writes, “Sometimes books are written by people who imagine a world they've never lived. As a result, we get books full of factual errors, stereotyping, and pictures that are not helpful to anyone.”

So how can you discern a book’s cultural authenticity? Bruchac says, “Look at the sources cited and the acknowledgements made by the author. It's important to get a clear and detailed citation - if that's missing, be suspicious. If you come across a story that is described generically as "an African story," for example, instead of being tied to a specific tribe or region, you should question its authenticity. Unfortunately, even today, we see books with pictures of other cultures that are the equivalent of Italians wearing kilts and speaking with German accents.”

Do’s and Don’ts of Building Ethnic Collections

1. Look for materials that show that an individual belongs, not just to one group, but to many groups; age, sex and economic, social, geographical, cultural, and ethnic factors are all at work. This is part of a continuous multiethnic process.

2. Avoid materials that build or reinforce stereotypes, and look for those that give an understanding of both the general unifying threads of ethnic groups and the dynamic diversity of group cultures and experiences

3. Don’t build ethnic collections as a sop to protesting groups; include these materials because they are intellectually valid, socially necessary, and permanently relevant. The ALA Library Bill of Rights speaks clearly on this matter. You should be anticipating needs of both users and nonusers, who may be more attracted to the library if they believe material relevant to them can be found there.

4. Try to make your collections include all groups, as far as this is feasible and within the general policy of our library. There should be clear guidelines on ethnic collecting written into your collections policy statement.

5. Don’t feel that the gathering of ethnic materials is someone else’s responsibility. All librarians have a responsibility to develop an ethnically literate future citizenry


Building and strengthening a library’s collection of multicultural and diversity materials begins with making a few assessments. (Diaz, J. 1994)

· Support from management
· Assess the demographic makeup of the campus or community
· Review current collection development policies and evaluate current holdings
· Decide how to fund the purchase of these materials
· Assess curricular needs
· Development guidelines for evaluating materials
· Look for sources that list major authors and works

In addition,talk with other librarians to figure out specific areas they view as needing the most attention. Solicit input from faculty teaching courses in multicultural studies, and contact campus or community organizations that represent potential target groups.

And finally, it’s not enough to purchase and house extensive collections if few people know they exist. So the library’s multicultural and diverse collection needs promotion. A strong exhibits program makes a powerful visual statement about the content and scope of the library’s collection and also attracts new readers by promoting information of interest and relevance to a range of ethnic and racial backgrounds.


Questions to consider:

1. Is it realistic to expect all libraries to be self-sufficient when it comes to multicultural and diverse collections?

2. Why is the evaluation of nonprint materials just as critical for collection development as printed sources?

3. Why should ethnic associations give vigorous support to libraries?




Works cited:

Deloach, M. & Josey, E. Ethnic Collections in Libraries. Neal-Schuman Publishers. 1983

Bruchac, J. How to Build a Multicultural Library. Retrieved April 10th, 2008, from http://www.nea.org/readacross/multi/buildlibrary.html

Diaz, J. Collection Development in Multicultural Studies. Neal-Schuman Publishers. 1994


Multicultural and Diversity Resources:

Lee and Low Books
http://www.leeandlow.com/home/index.html

Multicultural Review
http://www.mcreview.com/

Multicultural Web Sites, Diversity & Ethnic Studies http://www.public.iastate.edu/~savega/multicul.htm

Central Michigan University Libraries’ Diversity Resources Project http://www.lib.cmich.edu/departments/reference/diversity/youngadult.htm

Developing a diverse library staff.

Society as a whole has become quite intertwined, and often intermingled, within the last decade or so. Despite the increasing growth of minority populations in the U.S., libraries across the country are lacking qualified, diverse staff to match and serve that population. The issue is, however, a top priority in the information community.

The ALA has the Office for Diversity. There are three main diversity services provided by the office: 1) the ALA Spectrum Initiative, a scholarship opportunity which allows people of minorities to seek a Masters in Library Science; 2) the ALA Diversity Fair, which promotes multiculturalism within the field during the ALA’s annual conference; 3) the Cultural Diversity Grant, which makes it possible for libraries to put on diversity programs (Gandhi, 2000). Many individual libraries have put their own diversity plans into effect, which may include “cultural diversity awareness or cross-cultural training of library staff, multicultural student internships, and outreach programs” (Gandhi, 2000).

Although ideas on how to recruit and retain diverse librarians are being shared and improved upon, statistics show that not much practical progress has been made in the last few years (Peterson, 2007). There are actually a couple of different theories on why that is.

It has been suggested that diversity standards are unrealistic. Many statistics on library staff diversity are based on the U.S. Census, which provides statistics on the entire U.S. population. “Instead, we should be looking at two different bases for comparison: the racial and ethnic composition of the adult population (persons age 25 and over) and the subset of that population possessing an appropriate level of educational attainment (a graduate degree for librarians or a high school diploma for library assistants)” (Lance, 2005).

And studies show people of minority are pursuing higher education. “In the 1997-98 academic year 30,097 African Americans graduated with Master's degrees, and yet only 221 of them were in the field of library science. For Hispanics the number was even lower, 90 library science degrees out of 16,215 Master's degrees awarded. These numbers held true for Asian/Pacific Islanders and American Indians as well. Of the 21,088 Asian/Pacific Islanders who graduated with Master's degrees, only 138 received it in library science, and out of 2,049 Master's degrees awarded to American Indians only 27 were in library science” (Gandhi, 2000). The same article goes on to purpose that minorities are more interested in the fields of education, business, and health, on account of four factors: visibility, salaries, job growth, and power and influence.

Perhaps the reason these graduates chose other career paths stems from the lack of entry-level positions available. Many experienced librarians have chosen to hold off on retirement, effectively freezing the number of new positions available (Report, 2006). Also, many duties generally performed only by librarians are now being assigned to support staff (Peterson, 2007). On a related note, there is criticism on the lack of a “ladder” per say, in advancement within the library profession in part due to less-than-desireable salaries (Bonnette, 2004).

And for those minorities who do get into library positions? Many find they face more challenges than the average librarian. Dubbed as “Tokens,” these librarians are often hired to deal specifically with a diverse patron base, or to satisfy diversity standards within the library. Because of the ill-conceived reasons for hire, many “are also expected to be experts on their social category and hold positions on committees, task forces, and the like as a representative of their social type” (Fisher, 2003). Their workloads are often double what their un-minority counterparts carry. “The tokenism dynamic can adversely affect the processes of an organization; moreover, it can diminish or negate the hard work put into diversity efforts by encouraging resentment, alienation, and frustration with the organization for both token and dominant members of a staff.”

“Based on U.S. Census data, more than one quarter of all librarians with a master's degree will reach the age of 65 by 2009. A 2000 survey published in Library Journal indicates that 40% of library directors intend to retire by 2009” (Berry, 2002). Perhaps with more information, a better working knowledge of how to effectively impose diversity plans, and the opportunity to make a substantial leap in diversity statistics, we will see change in the future.

Works Cited:

Berry, J. W. (2002). Addressing the Recruitment and Diversity Crisis. American Libraries , v. 33 (no2), p. 7.

Bonnette, A. E. (Summer 2004). Mentoring Minority Librarians up the Career Ladder. Library Administration & Management , v. 18 (no3), p. 134-9.

Fisher, E. E. (Winter 2003). Trust, Teamwork, and Tokenism: Another Perspective on Diversity in Libraries. Library Administration & Management , v. 17 (no1), p. 21-7.

Gandhi, S. (Spr/Fall 2000). Cultural Diversity and Libraries: Reaching the Goal. Current Studies in Librarianship ,v. 24 (no1/2), p. 55-65.

Lance, K. C. (2005). Racial and Ethnic Diversity of U.S. Library Workers. American Libraries , v. 36 (no5), p. 41-3.

Peterson, T. Y. (2007). Achieving racial and ethnic diversity among academic and research librarians: The recruitment, retention, and advancement of librarians of color--A white paper. College & Research Libraries News , v. 68 (no9), p. 562-5.

Report Confirms Need for Continued Diversity Efforts. (2006). American Libraries , v. 37 (no10), p. 4.

Why is multiculturalism and diversity important to the library profession ?

“In essence, multiculturalism equates with the respect shown to the varied cultures and ethnic groups which have built the United States and which continue today to contribute to its richness and diversity.”

Milton J. Gold

The library offers a space for education, socialization and debates, a unique forum, which is open to the public, free from economic, and comercial interest and the access to materials, free of charge for the general public.

The United States has historically been a destination for emigrants. The greatest wave of immigrants was between 1820 and 1954. ”The majority of Americans today are the descendents of pioneering ancestors from that period”(Coan P. M.). In the early twentieth century a surge in immigration was from primarily Eastern Europe, Greece, Italy and Asia. Eric Novotni discussess in his article about the role of libraries and librarians - who were very creative to smooth the path at that time to” Americanize” immigrants.

Since 1950 Spanish-speaking immigrants from Latin America and the Caribbean have been on increase, and forecasted for 24.4% of the U.S. population by 2050. (Paul T. Jaegar).

Even though Hispanic population is the second largest ethnic population,

they are “the most underrepresented group among librarians.”(Jaegar & Franklin). Over 9% of the adult population is Hispanic; but only just over 3% of librarians are Hispanic. As Lance suggests “…if librarianship as a profession wishes to become more representative of the Hispanic community the most effective strategies for pursuing that goal will be ones that increase the odds that Hispanic Americans will pursue graduate education generally.”

Kyung-Sun Kim in her article “ Recruiting and Retaining Students of Color for LIS Schools” consulted a report of the Association for Library and Information Science Education (2003)- only 11.3% are students of color (African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans) while 73.6% are whites.

In her work, “The face behind the Reference Desk: Diversifying Academic Librarianship”, Anne Marie Hansen pointed out that ” …there is still much work to be done to ensure an accepted and welcomed diversity in librarianship”.

Through her study, A.M. Hansen shows that despite many efforts done by ALA and other organizations, still are bariers that keep this imbalance to exist, making difficult for potential aspiring librarians to actually choose Librarian path as a profession:

- Advanced degree required (a Master degree from an acredited ALA institution)

- Cost of higher education continues to increase -“many are finding difficult to obtain an undergraduate degree, much less a Master’s degree”

- Geographical limitations (only 10 out of 57 ALA –acredited library schools offer their program completely online.

Also, students from outside the United States whose English is their second language are required to take (an academic level) The Test of English as a Foreign Language Test (TOEFL).

S.R. Balderrama who became first Diversity Officer of ALA.states that “diversity allows us to strech outside of one’s perimeters without losing one’s self”

Kyung-Sun Kim conducted a study supported by ALA Diversity Research Grant, showed how important is to have more librarians of color “so that all users, regardless of their ethnic and cultural background, can see authority figures (such as librarians, teachers) who will look like them, and also that the users feel comfortable … that they are in a place that is right for them”. Also she found that “ethnic diversity is important because it enriches a society by offering all citizens more opportunities to experience, learn, and understand one another”.

The world is smaller than 10-20 years ago, and is getting even smaller by every passing year. The main reason is the informational boom from than last 10 years: internet access, cell phones, video conferences, wireless networks, wikis, blogs, real time info sharing 24/7.

All that exposed us to too much more cultural diversity than ever. Unites State, among many other countries in the world, has the big advantage of a very divers population thanks to the immigration programs that exists in the past and present, and large historical minoritie groups. All this advantage however was not really used or understood enough in the past in regard of Library engagement level.

ALA and all other organizations related with Librarian field recognize the fact that there is a gap between what we have at this point, and what we could have had if the many minorities in our country would have been involved more in this process of managing the information at the Library as institution level.

Now that the need is clear spell out and also that the potential people are at arms reach it is necessary to take clear steps in the direction of increasing the number and role of minorities in our Libraries.

Unfortunately it can not happened over night, or just by wishing it: clear programs need to be developed, founds assigned, time table set for completion and measurable ways to evaluate the progress.

Without that, we will just contemplate another statistic every year that will show the gap increasing.

References and works cited:

Coan, P.M. Ellis Island Interviews: In Their Own Words. New York. 1997

Novotny Eric. Library Services to Immigrants: The Debate in the Library Literature, 1900-1920, and a Chicago Case Study. SOURCE: Reference & User Services Quarterly 42, no4 (Summ 2003), p. 342-52

Paul T. Jaeger and Renee E. Franklin. The virtuous Circle: Increasing Diversity in LIS Faculties to Create More Inclusive Library Services and Outreach. Education Libraries v.30 no 1 (Summer 2007) p. 20-6.

Lance, Keith Curry. Racial and Ethnic Diversity of U.S. Library Workers. American Libraries 36 no5 41-3 May 2005.

Kim, K., & Sin, S. Recruiting and Retaining Students of Color in LIS Programs. Journal of Education for Library and Information Science, 47(2), p.81-85.

Kim, K.S. Diversity Research: Ethnic & Cultural Diversity in Library & Information Studies. Retrieved April 11, 2008 from http://slisweb.lis.wisc.edu/~kskim/diversity.html

Hansen, A. M. The Face Behind the Reference Desk: Diversifying Academic Librarianship. Nov. 30, 2004. Retrieved on April 11, 2008 from: http://mingo.info-science.uiowa.edu/~hansen/foundationspaper.pdf

Multi-Culturalism and Diversity....Welcome to Group Six's Blog

Welcome to Group Six’s blog. For the next five days we will explore mulitculturalism and diversity and the impact that these two ideas have on librarianship today and in the future. As the impact librarians have on each other as professionals as well as within the communities they work, it becomes increasingly important that librarians remain on the cutting edge. Not only is it important to keep up to date on the newest technology and educational ideas, but also ways in which entire communities can become involved and make use of libraries and their programs. In order to do this librarians must understand how multi-culturalism and diversity affect communities and libraries and also how as a profession librarians can make libraries a place where people of all races, genders and ethnic backgrounds feel welcome.
As defined by Webster’s dictionary, multi-culturalism means of or relating to, reflecting or adapted to diverse cultures. Diversity is defined as the condition of being diverse; variety, especially the inclusion of diverse people (as people of different races or cultures) in a group or organization. These two terms encompass an entire world that librarians must learn about and embrace in order to expand their profession. Not only are these ideas important to the profession when it comes to libraries, but also in regards to students in Library Science programs. More and more often students in all levels of education are exploring the world in order to gain understanding of cultures different from theirs. As librarians, we cannot afford to be any different. Cultural proficiency becomes of utmost importance as students explore the global landscape (Abilock).
As we as future librarians look into the future of our profession there is much to be examined. There are many questions that we need to ask ourselves, the most important of which is what will we do to embrace ideas of diversity and multi-culturalism? “ It would seem that we majority white educators who are library media teachers have the task of providing an education for our majority nonwhite students. But we have an equal responsibility to prepare our white students to become good citizens in the culturally and linguistically diverse world they are inheriting. Will they respond?
With fear of and misconceptions about "strangers," or will they respond with knowledge, understanding, and compassion? The answer to that question lies in how actively
We pursue instruction to deal with all diversity issues as we teach our students each and every day.” (Schuckett)

Questions for discussion:
What areas or opportunity do you see in libraries to embrace multi-culturalism and diversity?

To what extent do you believe that librarians can actually affect how communities except diversity and multi-culturalism?

Resources consulted and cited:

Abilock, D. Educating Students for Cross-Cultural Proficiency. Knowledge Quest v. 35 no. 2 (November/December 2006) p. 10-13

Schuckett, S. Diversity: Do You Walk the Talk?. CSLA Journal v. 31 no. 1 (Fall 2007) p. 17-18
Jaeger, P. T., et. al., The Virtuous Circle: Increasing Diversity in LIS Faculties to Create More Inclusive Library Services and Outreach. Education Libraries v. 30 no. 1 (Summer 2007) p. 20-6

Technology and How It Affects The Traditional Mission of Libraries

According to the American Library Association Bill of Rights, "Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves." The "other library resources" of this statement has definitely evolved through time.

I remember, as a kid, my local library seemed to have everything (bear in mind this was the early- to mid-1980's). I would go and not just check out books, but mini-filmstrip projectors and filmstrips, a record or two, a VHS tape, or a children's book-and-cassette combination.

Nowadays, everything seems to be going in the digital age, and most libraries (save for a few small-town ones I've visited over the years) have adjusted to new demands quite well. Where there were once microfiche and small filmstrip projectors (which people could 'listen' to filmstrips to on headphones), there are now large amounts of computers so people can either do research or play a game to relax. In addition to VHS tapes, there are DVD's, and CD's have replaced other forms of recorded music, and some libraries even loan out computer games (or hold video game nights to attract a younger crowd). Many libraries also have wireless internet connections as well.

This has altered the mission statements of many libraries, but not drastically. Rather, the mission remains the same, but envelops the new forms of technology that have evolved over time.

For example, this one from the West Hurley Public Library: "The mission of the West Hurley Public Library is to collect, preserve, and make available library materials in print and in electronic formats to serve the recreational, informational, educational, and leisure needs of the chartered community. The West Hurley Public Library is committed to supporting a lifelong enjoyment of reading and learning," or this one from the Evanston Public Library in Illinois, "The mission of the Evanston Public Library is to promote the development of independent, self-confident, and literate citizens through the provision of open access to cultural, intellectual, and informational resources.-Evanston Public Library, 703 Orrington Avenue, Evanston, Illinois 60201, http://www.epl.org/library/library.html".

So has the advent of technology changed the original mission of libraries? Somewhat, but for the most part, it's usually all for the better, since there are now faster, more efficient ways to gain the information that patrons desire, which is, more times than not, always a good thing, and most public libraries have done a good job in keeping up with the times while maintaining the retention of their original mission.

RESOURCES CITED:

http://midhudson.org/department/member_information/missions.htm

http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/statementspols/statementsif/librarybillrights.cfm

Acquisitions and Technology in the Library

With the digital age in full swing, it’s no surprise that library acquisitions are focusing on digital materials instead of physical ones. More and more, libraries are collecting e-books, online journals and databases, and subscriptions to websites. As Arthur Sale of the University of Tasmania points out, “the English meaning of "acquisition" is already corrupted: generally journal budgets are not expended to acquire materials but mostly to obtain a license to view.” (Sale, 2007) These days, digital acquisitions are moving past journals to include all kinds of materials in digital form, as well as unconventional “acquisitions” related to web 2.0.

What does this mean for librarians? Many librarians are probably a bit nervous that, for instance, patrons can access a plethora of information on the web without having to consult with a person at a reference desk. They also may be uncomfortable with the overwhelming thoughts of collection development in a digital world. How do you develop your collection with so much information available free and online through blogs, wikis, and web 2.0 in general? Roy Tennant of Library Journal advises us to embrace these challenges instead of fear them. For instance, he suggests we familiarize ourselves with something called metadata harvesting. (Tennant, 2005) This technique would use searching software to search materials inside databases, thus going beyond what Google or other common search engines can retrieve. Tennant also recommends that librarians become knowledgeable about the content of websites that are relevant to their specific patrons. That way, we can make personalized suggestions, provide links on our sites, and direct the patron to the information they need on the internet. It is not traditional, but these are some of the evolving new practices of collection development. Patrons can access whatever they want on the web, and we can help them discern between reliable scholarly sources and everything else.

In a report prepared for the Library of Congress, Karen Calhoun of Cornell University explores the future of collection development in regards to advancing technology, mostly for research libraries. She seems to have a bleaker take on the matter than Tennant does, and writes that “the catalog represents a shrinking proportion of the universe of scholarly information.” (Calhoun, 2006). This means that, increasingly, people are going about research themselves without ever looking for things in the library. Luckily she offers a lot of suggestions to prevent libraries from falling behind in providing information. Among her ideas are to link databases of scholarly materials between libraries and build discipline-based pools of information. Her biggest emphasis also seems to be on digitizing as many collections as possible. This may upset many of the “traditional” librarians, but it seems to be a necessary direction for collection development.

In our future careers as librarians, we will probably deal with a combination of digital and physical acquisitions, with an increasing inequality between the amounts of both. Here are some questions to consider:

Does free user access to information via web 2.0 compromise the integrity of the information? How can we as librarians ensure our patrons are receiving quality content?

Will e-books and digital downloads eventually take the place of the physical form of a book as we know it now?

WORKS CITED:
Calhoun, Karen. The Changing Nature of the Catalog and its Integration with Other Discovery Tools. Prepared for the Library of Congress. March 17, 2006. http://www.loc.gov/catdir/calhoun-report-final.pdf

Sale, Arthur. A Challenge for the Library Acquisition Budget. D-Lib Magazine May/June 2007 Volume 13 Number 5/6. http://www.dlib.org/dlib/may07/sale/05sale.html

Tennant, Roy. Digital Libraries: Collection Development Today. Library Journal, 5/15/2005. http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA601028.html

Technology and the conditions of Library Staff

It is clear so far that technology has a big impact on what goes on within a library. It also has strong effect on what it means to work in a library on a daily basis. It affects what the library staff does, how they do it, and how they feel about their jobs. According to a job satisfaction survey done by Library Journal, 49% of the academic librarians surveyed said their jobs changed because of technology (Albanese, 2008). It is clear that technology is having an effect on the conditions of library staff in many ways.

Technology could be seen to make the lives of library staff a little less stressful. For instance, with the online catalog and internet patrons can answer certain questions themselves thus freeing some of the librarian’s time. It can also make it easier to do some routine library tasks, such as check out books. Automation of services will definitely effect what librarians are doing each day. Jack Siggins predicts that as services become more automated “new tasks as yet unidentified will replace traditional ones, much in the way online catalogs have greatly reduced the need for catalog card preparation and filing. Changes both in the stock of equipment and in the organization of work will have a direct impact on jobs and staff” (Siggins, 1992).

Being involved in these changes could be both interesting and rewarding for librarians. While some may fear these changes and feel that increased automation will make libraries and librarians irrelevant, others do not. As Amy BeggDeGroff, a director of IT at Howard County Library in Maryland puts it: “We weren't losing a position in information-seeking activity in fact, we were an active player in information seeking.” (BeggDeGroff, 2008) As “active players” in information-seeking, librarians have the ability to learn about and use technology in a way that benefits patrons, and lead the way towards the future of librarianship. Librarians also have the psychologically rewarding task of teaching patrons about new technologies that have the potential to enrich their lives. The rewards that librarians see in their job are certainly apparent in the Library Journal job satisfaction survey in which 70% of academic librarians described themselves as either “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with their jobs. (Albanese, 2008).

At the same time, technology can make librarians’ jobs more psychologically demanding. Librarians are now required to teach people how to use technology, answer technology related questions, and even do troubleshooting when technology isn’t working as it should. This can be difficult if the librarians don’t have training in these areas. BeggDeGroff describes the negative effects of technology at a library she worked at: “Our information desks were becoming overwhelmed with computer questions staff could not answer, since no training had been available prior to the computers' installation” (BeggDeGroff, 2008). As new technologies are developed, it can be a struggle to keep up with them. According to the job satisfaction survey by Library Journal, one third of the academic librarians surveyed said that keeping up with new technologies is their biggest on the job challenge (Albanese, 2008).

Technology can also have a physical impact on librarians. Librarianship typically doesn’t involve a lot of physical activity. Technology can add to this problem by increasing the time librarians spend doing sedentary activities such as sitting at the computer. It can also lead to things such as back problems. As Suzanne DeLong describes it: “Many of the activities librarians do--working at a computer terminal, listening carefully to others, looking at printed materials on a desk or countertop, looking carefully at an object on a shelf or wall poster--are conducive to poor posture in the neck and upper back” (DeLong, 1995). This poor posture can create back problems and neck problems. Sitting at a computer too long can also lead to eye strain. According to an article by Jim Young, up to 80% of computer users report suffering from some eye strain or eye fatigue(Young, 1996). These problems can be helped by making sure to stay active as much as possible, as well as keeping an eye on posture and how close you are sitting to the computer.

It is clear that technology has had a big effect on what librarians do every day. It has had both positive and negative psychological effects on librarians, as well as certain physical effects. Here are some questions to consider:

Has technology overall made librarianship easier or harder? Why?
How is technology going to impact librarians’ day to day activities in the future?
As technology continues to develop, what are some ways we can keep up with it?
What are some ways we can minimize the negative psychological and physical effects of technology, and increase the positive effects?

Works cited
Albanese, A. (2008). Take this job and love it. Library Journal , 2 (133), 36-39.
BeggDeGroff, A. (2008). Using open source to give patrons what they want. Computers in Libraries , 28 (3), 6-10.
DeLong, S. (1995). Don't stick your neck out, librarian. American Libraries , 26 (7), 694-696.
Siggins, J. (1992). Job satisfaction and performance in a changing environment. Library Trends , 41 (2), 299-316.
Young, J. (1996). Your guide to safe computing. Electronic Learning , 16 (2), 42-45.

Technology’s Effects on Intellectual Freedom: Access to Information

In times gone by, before the advent of online data and search engines, libraries had more cut and dried access policies. A patron had access to literally every document within the libraries collection or reach, via ILL. Today, much of a library’s holdings are in the form of online databases or available on the wider internet. However, these increased holdings haven’t come without their own unique problems of implementation.
For many reasons, libraries today have limited access to both online resources. In his article entitled “Cluck, Cluck” Joseph Janes points out a profound effect technology has had on librarians, “The truly icky things it that filters have become the de facto collection managers in this scenario.”[1] Janes is speaking about a particular case in Rochester and Monroe County, New York where the County Executive threatened to pull a library’s funding if the library would not install filtering software. As requested by County Executive Brooks, the library caved and installed filters to prevent access to “all pornographic sites.”[2] It remains to be seen what the computer software will construe to be pornographic. Janes furthers his argument, criticizing the fact that “In effect [County Executive] Brooks is saying she trusts that software- designed by people she neither pays nor represents- more than the library staff or clientele.”[3] Janes specifically dislikes that the internet was considered to be a technology issue rather than a collections development issue. This situation displays the perversion of normal library functioning when filtering devices are put in place.
Michael Gorman, in his article “Technostress and Library Values” makes another good point about the effects of such a voluminous addition to a library’s collection. He argues that databases and the vast resources of the internet are wonderful gifts but that they alter the traditional roles of librarians and patrons. His concern is that the possibilities posed by monitoring or steering patrons by staff or policy can be maligned if not carefully measured. He wrote, “We lack the invaluable control mechanisms of publishers in the world of the net and the web. This means that many of the decisions are shifted to librarians and the end user. Though not necessarily a bad thing, that transfer of responsibility means that librarians must confront intellectual freedom issues far more often than before.”[4] It seems, to paraphrase Gorman, that the same gift of valuable information has come with an increase in the number of influences applied before the patron receives their requested information. Influence from unvetted internet resources, library access policy, and the individual skill and intent of assisting librarians have all increased in a professional interaction.
Contemporary technology has, no doubt, been the single biggest benefit to the mission of library science since the adoption of the public library system in this country. However it poses its own unique problems of implementation. In some cases, technological resources such as databases are held as being separate from collections development issues, as in the case of the Rochester and Monroe County, New York Incident Described by J. Janes. This separation led to real curtailment of use for the patrons. The sheer quantity of information that has recently become available has also affected the roles of librarian and patron as described by M. Gorman. These two authors show that recently technology has made a profound impact on the mission of library science to the point of affecting intellectual freedom of the patron.

Sources:

Gorman, M. (2001). Technostress and Library values, Library Journal, 126, no. 7, 48-
50.

Janes, J. (2007). Cluck, Cluck. American Librarian, 38, no. 9, 49.

[1] Janes, J. (2007). Cluck, Cluck. American Librarian, 38, no. 9, 49.
[2] Ibidem
[3] Ibidem
[4] Gorman, M. (2001). Technostress and Library values, Library Journal, 126, no. 7, 50.

Impact of Technology on Ethics in the Library Profession

As we have all come to realize during the course of this semester, ethics are at the very core of responsible librarianship. There really is no question that ethics permeate every aspect of the library profession. Likewise, we can all be in agreement that technological advances have changed the nature of the library profession. The real question we are faced with is how has technology affected ethics of the library profession? Or has it?

The question of how technology has influenced ethics in the library profession is a very complex one. Not only do you have a general debate between opposing sides as to whether or not technology has had a significant impact on ethics, but you also have consider all the different areas that are affected by the advancement of technology, such as right to access, patron privacy issues, internet use, material selection, etc. It is a tangled web that leaves your head spinning.
Richard Hauptman is a firm believer that technology has not had an impact on the ethics of librarianship. In his article “Technological Implementations and Ethical Failures,” he makes the argument that “it is obvious that the discovery and applications of new technologies change the ways in which we accomplish things. But universal human values remain amazingly constant. Thus, despite the pleas of scholars such as Hans Jonas (1982) or Duncan Langford (1999), who insist that recent technologies are so different in kind from their forebears that we require new ethics to cope with them, we can continue to apply traditional ethical principles and considerations to contemporary situations and realize positive results” (Hauptman, 2001). Don Fallis, though less assertive than Hauptman about the impact of technology, recognizes too, that it’s not so much a matter of technology changing the ethical model, but rather adapting to the changes and focusing more on the preexisting ethical dilemmas in general. He does recognize that some of the ethical issues faced by librarians are as a result of changing technology, but in general he believes that “even those ethical dilemmas that do involve new information technology (e.g. whether to use internet filters) are clearly special cases of much broader issues in information ethics (e.g. intellectual freedom). Thus, even for twenty-first century library professionals, the ethics of information technology is only a small part of information ethics” (Fallis, 2007).

On the other hand, there are those that feel technology has had an impact on the ethics of librarianship. New challenges caused by technology require librarians to adapt and perhaps revise old ethical standards. The evolution of the virtual library became uncharted territory for librarians. Jan T. Orick believes that “the information revolution and the pervasive thinking that everything is available on the Web have created new challenges to these traditional professional ethics” (Orick, 2000). So not only are librarians faced with the traditional ethical conflicts, they now have new challenges associated with the technological side of the profession, such as filtering, providing dependable access to electronic resources, maintaining anonymity of patrons using electronic resources, issues regarding licensing, and protecting the integrity of the information that the library provides via the electronic resources.

One of the major areas technology creates challenges is with access. Orick feels that the explosion of information that is found on the internet directly challenges the traditional American Library Association code of ethics that we have all become familiar with. Now librarians are faced with ethical dilemmas regarding filtering software or restrictive policies regarding the internet use. The Internet has also forced librarians into the role of “gatekeeper.” K. Coyle notes that “most libraries don’t select hard core porn, but it will be part of their offerings when they link to the Internet (Cottrell, 1999). Librarians, in part, have to assume responsibility for the information obtained by the electronic resources their library provides. The goal is always to provide the best information to patrons, but how can a library do that when there are so many less than quality resources available at the click of a mouse? “The globalization of information has led to a lack of control of the quality of content” (Orick, 2000). On the other hand though, applying filters and abiding by Internet policies directly challenges the upheld ethic that librarians must provide equal access to all users.

Internet use and protecting patron privacy tie in very closely with the issue of access and the challenges librarians face. Protecting patrons privacy is clearly not a new concept, but have technological advancements and internet use changed the way in which librarians effectively deal with these challenges? According to Janet Cottrell, “privacy and confidentiality have always been crucial issues in librarianship, but technology may exacerbate risks to privacy and confidentiality, resulting in new responsibilities (Cottrell, 1999). Though librarians do their best to ensure patron’s privacy is not compromised, Cottrell points out that librarians cannot “hand hold” a patron through their entire Internet usage. Patrons might put themselves at risk by entering personal information in the computer-an act that even librarians cannot control. There is no guarantee that this information is kept confidential given the nature of the Internet. Similarly, a patron’s privacy can be compromised when other patrons in the library simply walk past the computer being used! It is crucial that librarians educate the patrons in privacy issues and smart computer usage, however, at some point the patrons do need to be held accountable. Regardless, this does create new challenges for a librarian as we strive to meet the needs, yet protect privacy, of our patrons.

The question I ask of you then is the very question I started with. Have technological advancements created new ethical challenges for those in the library profession? Or are the preexisting ethical dilemmas still at the core of librarianship regardless of the format of resources librarians now use? If you believe technology has significantly altered ethics of the profession, what area do you believe is affected the most? (i.e. patron privacy, access, collection development, etc).


Work cited:

Cottrell, J. R. Ethics in an age of changing technology: familiar territory or new frontiers?. Library Hi Tech v. 17 no. 1 (1999) p. 107-13.

Fallis, D. Information ethics for twenty-first century library professionals [Bibliographical essay]. Library Hi Tech v. 25 no. 1 (2007) p. 23-36.

Hauptman, R. Technological implementations and ethical failures. Library Trends v. 49 no. 3 (Winter 2001) p. 433-40.

Orick, J. T. The virtual library: changing roles and ethical challenges for librarians [presented at the symposium Ethics of Electronic Information in the 21st Century, Memphis, Tennessee]. International Information & Library Review v. 32 no. 3/4 (September/December 2000) p. 313-24.