NextGen Librarian by Robin Lang
A new breed of librarians are graduating from school and looking to make their place in the world of libraries and information technology. These former students are now being called Next Generation Librarians. So what is a Next Generation Librarian and how is he or she changing the perception of libraries? According to Stephen Abram and Judy Luther, in "Born with the Chip", NextGens are born between 1982 and 2002. They have grown up surrounded by technology, using computers on a daily basis, so much so that has become part of our DNA. It is about 81 million strong (34). However, another author, Rachel Singer Gordon, disagrees. In her article, "Generational Journeys", she makes the point that all NEW librarians are not necessarily YOUNG librarians. Many current LIS graduates are older adults beginning a second or third career. She says, "NextGens do, though tend to share age-related commonalities in outlook and experience that are not necessarily common to all new librarians but do affect their reactions to these issues and connection to the profession" (Singer-Gordon, 2005). While we are not all of the same generation and have the same experiences, we are able to share a common interest, which is in our case, librarianship. Stephen Abrams and Judy Luther have acknowledged nine commonalities of the NextGen Librarian that sets them apart from other generations: format agnostic, nomadic, multitasking, experimental, collaborative, integrated, principled, adaptive and finally direct (34-37). It is essential for current librarians to adopt as least some of these aspects into the workplace, not just for new librarians but also for younger patrons.
It is important for libraries to change in order to survive this technology driven world. Libraries need to fit into the Next Generations need for on the spot information, access, and sharing and also mesh that with their workflow (Bannwart, 2007). For instance, libraries lacking wireless capabilities will become irrelevant in our society, unable to compete with corporations like Starbucks and Panera Bread. "The new library 2.0 environment is one that librarians are, by their very nature, well equipped to learn. If librarians do not learn this environment, the Googles of the World surely will and library users will be served, though perhaps not well, by them" (Bannwart, 2007). Susan Bannwart, points out those young adult patrons encompass about 25% of libraries users and growing and yet they are falling by the wayside in libraries. Preteens and teens are in libraries looking for homework/research help, personal information, career/college guidance, reading and entertainment. This is a huge portion of our client base that we are virtually ignoring. Librarians need to pull young adults back into the libraries using technologies that are commonplace for them, such as with through websites, youth organizations, and schools (47).
Works Cited
Abrams, S. J. (2004). Born with the Chip. Library Journal , 34-37.
Bannwart, S. (2007). Reference and Information Services for the Next Generation. Indiana Libraries , 46-48.
Singer-Gordon, R. (2005). Generational Journeys. Library Journal , 42.
And, special bonus post!
In Brief - The Digital Divide
For all this talk about what libraries can do with technology and how they must evolve to serve their increasingly web-savvy patrons, there are still many people who need their libraries, but who don’t have computers at home, email accounts, or even perhaps have never been on the internet. This so called "digital divide" is evident along the lines of economic class, race, and age. A recent editorial lays bare the specifics of this division. "As the statistics show, the digital divide is alive and well in America. Access to a computer at home is affected by race and income: The higher the family income, the greater chance that the student has a computer at home. White non-Hispanics have a higher percentage of home computer ownership than blacks or Hispanics." (Metcalf, 2007). In contrast to the most avid users of new technologies who tend to be young people who have regular and frequent access to computers whether at home or at school, many people simply have not had the time or the opportunities in their lives to learn computer skills and gain familiarity with basic technology, (Carvin, 2006). These people won't necessarily benefit from their libraries' forays into technology and social networking without assistance. Many libraries do more than simply offer one-time assistance with specific tasks by putting on regular classes and workshops that start at the most basic level of computer skills so that members of their communities can gain familiarity with technology. More than simply using technology to enhance how their patrons access information, libraries are also helping their patrons to understand and use the tools of the information age. This is essential because as libraries look to the future and plan on integrating social network tools into their information practices, they must also take care to not leave behind library users who haven't yet made the leap over the digital divide.
Questions to Consider:
Many of us as future librarians have been thrust into a new world of technology as we learn about the goals and practices of libraries in the information age. How do you think our experiences as we learn about the somewhat bewildering digital world can help us to better understand our patrons who are intimidated by technology?
How do you think libraries should respond to patrons who haven't embraced computers and new technology such as social networking? Should they be encouraged to take advantage of any available programs to learn more about things like email and blogs? Or is it okay for libraries keep one foot on either side of the digital divide and serve patrons who aren't into the technological side of things in the more traditional ways? Do libraries have to make themselves over completely?
Sources/Further Reading
Carvin, A. (March 2006). "The Gap." School Library Journal. 52(3), 70-72.
Metcalf, D. (February 2007)."Reducing the Digital Divide." American Libraries, 38(2) 29.
Peterson, E. (Winter, 2006). "Do People Want to Jump the Digital Divide? Exploring Digital Strategies. PNLA Quarterly. 70(2) 4, 17-18.
Yu, L. (2006). "Understanding information inequality: Making sense of the literature of the information and digital divides." Journal of Librarianship and Information Science. 38; 229.
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9 comments:
This post asked "How do you think libraries should respond to patrons who haven't embraced computers and new technology such as social networking?"
Having worked at several different libraries I have seen both sets of patrons - those who are next-gen users and the traditional (often older) users who are wary of technology and prefer books to modern media (internet, DVDs, etc). I think the answer to your question is necessarily subjective - before making decisions as to which sort of patrons to serve (tech savvy vs. not) the library should do an analysis of what sort of community they serve. In other words, if the library has a large percentage of older, tech-way users, then obviously they should not jump to keep on top of every single technological innovation. If the main patron base is young (and wealthy enough to afford modern technologies), then the library should focus a larger part of its outreach on technology. That said, even a library that serves a primarily older, traditional patron needs to account for the fact that in 10 or 20 years that base will be dead or dying, and plan accordingly for the changing demographic they serve.
I definitely think that our experiences learning about technology provide some insight into what patrons who find technology intimidating. I don’t consider myself extremely technologically savvy myself, even though I would be considered a NextGen and did grow up using a computer. I joke sometimes that the only way I know how to solve a computer problem is to turn the computer off then back on. In taking 6080 and learning about some of the Web 2.0 tools in this class, I have been just a little bit intimidated at times. I do believe that this feeling gives me a little bit of a taste for what a patron might go through learning about technology, especially if they didn’t grow up with it like I did. I think that it might make me just a little bit more understanding of what they are going through.
As far as how to deal with these patrons, I think that Josh is correct that knowing your patron base is important. As we talked about in class in regards to Australia’s library system and young people, in order to best serve your patrons you need to know who they are. I think that librarians need to find a balance that works for their patron base. They need help these patrons learn about the new technology and still continue to provide more traditional services. I don’t think libraries have to make themselves over completely, because they shouldn’t be using these new services to replace the old, but to enhance them. The old fashioned way can still work, and not all the new technologies and formats will be useful for your library. As Michael Stephens points out in the article “Exploring Web 2.0 and Libraries”, some of these technologies may be useful for your library and others may not. All of them, however, merit some time investigating or experimenting to understand how the tools might fit into library services.” (Stephens 2006). What is important that the librarian try out these tools, and figure out the best way to use them to benefit their particular patron base.
Works Cited
Stephens, Michael. "Exploring Web 2.0 and Libraries." Library Technology Reports, July-August 2006: 8-14.
Kelly I like your comment about using this technology to enhance rather then completely change rather. Knowing our client base and catering to those needs through classes, tutorials, one-on-one sessions.
I'm actually really excited about being a "Next Gen" Librarian. I agree with Kelly in that we should use those resources to enhance rather than fundamentally change the library. In a lot of ways, what our job will be is to ensure our patrons of that, and to integrate technology as seamlessly as possible into our workplaces. Have any current librarians heard dismay expressed over replacing card catalogs with searchable databases? I would be surprised if too many people said yes, and I would like to see the rest of the integration be similar.
I would like to see blogs with postings of new library materials and classes, and wikis where patrons can review or comment on what they have read. It should supplement rather supplant anything currently offered, and be offered slowly rather than all at once. I would also like to see "introduction" classes for any new technologies.
Inequality among Americans is easy to see by the numbers. Someone's economic situation indicates, to a large extent, what they have access to in life. Not the least of which is technology, the ever more important conveyor of information. DaVinci Metcalf makes this point in his article "Reducing the Digital Divide." He displays through statistics that race and economic situation is a great predictor of how much access someone has to technology.
The "have" and "have not" situation has acute effects on the Nextgen librarian both from the side of prospective patrons and in learning the profession. A Nextgen Librarian first has to take the proper curriculum, which challenges the limits of anyone's technological familiarity. Lisp students may be overcoming their own access issues as the diverse student body of Wayne state can illustrate. This might make the Nextgen librarian from a more modest background more valuable to a library. They have overcome the most to become tech savvy. Who would be better than that to pass on information to patrons who are attempting the same task. The Nextgen librarian may be one of the greatest tools in correcting the digital divide because of their unique experience of being on both sides.
Source: Metcalf, D. (February 2007)."Reducing the Digital Divide." American Libraries, 38(2) 29.
i like the question that was posed about whether it is okay or not to keep one foot on each side of the digital divide. do we really have to choose? If for the time being we straddle the fence out of necessity, isn't that okay? As long as the patrons we are serving are satisfied? I don't believe you can ever completely cut off the traditional purpose of the library-that archaic stereotypical perception of what a library really is-the true core of what library science is all about. However, I realize that with the changing world, a lot of that will be lost over the years. I think Josh made an excellent point about how the "traditional" patrons will be dead or dying in the next 20 years or so. But with the death of the traditional patron and near extinction of the traditional idea of the library, won't the next gen visions of the library already be becoming an afterthought as well? The world most certainly will be changing in the meantime and the next gen librarians will start being ushered out the door and replaced by whatever type of librarian comes next. Won't we need to keep a foot on each side then as well? I think keeping a foot on each side keeps the profession centered with the focus remaining on meeting the needs of patrons, traditional, next gen, or whatever should happen to come next.
Absolutely we should keep one foot on both sides of the digital divide. We are pretty much all in agreement that it is imperative to keep up with changing times, especially concerning the next generation. However, there are a lot of people young and old who will always love to check out a book and take it home and turn the pages. Of course, these days after we do that we can look up tons of literary analysis, reviews, and online discussions instantly when we are done. To me, that's one example of the importance, or maybe even joy, in balancing out "traditional" libraries and NextGen.
I think "keeping a foot on both sides" is the most desirable and practical thing to do. This is particularly true in public libraries, where more people come to read for pleasure than research. I can not really imagine a time when the majority of patrons are going to prefer reading the latest (generate random author) novel from a computer screen. Maybe I am wrong about that, but I think the fiction book is in no real danger of becoming extinct any time soon.
Likewise, any serious academic library or archive is going to want to hold on to all sorts to books, pamphlets and other physical documents, even if digitized copies are also created.
In the end, its really about options... and providing as many practical and useful avenues as possible for the patron to seek out whatever it is they need.
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