Documenting the Global Conversation: Relevancy of Libraries in a Digital World

Heath, F. (2009). Documenting the global conversation: Relevancy of libraries in a digital world. Journal of Library Administration, 49 (5), 519-532.


This review examines Heath’s article Documenting the Global Conversation: Relevancy of Libraries in a Digital World. The article discusses the relevancy and purpose of research libraries in the digital world and the steps that the University of Texas (UT) Libraries have taken in order to survive. Heath, who is director of the UT Libraries, argues that rather than feeling threatened by digital technologies, libraries need to embrace them. The author also considers the impact of these technologies on university libraries. Overall this article has some useful ideas and gives an interesting insight into the steps that UT Libraries are taking to remain relevant in this digital world.

Heath compares research libraries with other information sectors and analyses how these other sectors are responding to advances in technology and difficulties with the global economy. To support the idea that research libraries are being threatened by technological advances, Heath continues by listing a number of disruptive changes impacting on research libraries. He adds that the reader must not be overcome by this pessimism and proceeds to describe strategies the UT Libraries are taking to help them survive.

Heath presents five strategies that the UT Libraries are taking in order to remain relevant. The first involves instruction librarians developing new approaches to increase undergraduate students’ information literacy skills. Student information literacy skills have not increased (Tenopir and Ennis, 2001), and since 1997 more universities have incorporated information literacy skills into their educational requirements (Applegate, 2007). The second strategy is to keep reference librarians important by asking them to help build useful information navigation systems. Moyo (2004) reiterates Heath’s view that for research libraries to remain relevant they need to provide services to patrons by facilitating access and navigation to electronic resources and provide support services that allow for optimal use of information. The third strategy is to keep the number of collections at library branches the same and storing less-used resources in a communal, remote storage facility. This allows library buildings to be used as more of an “interactive meeting space” (p. 528).

The fourth strategy is to continue acquiring and sharing ‘distinctive’ resources to allow the UT to continue to be considered a preeminent university. The UT Libraries will also provide patrons with relevant and vetted resources. UT Libraries’ final strategy involves giving patrons access to search tools on the World Wide Web beyond their own library collections. It also involves working with other university communities in building a federated institutional repository.

The article suggests that research libraries must remain on task if they want to stay relevant. Heath believes that if research libraries continue “doing the things they do best” (p. 526), they will be seen by patrons as an indispensible ally in information seeking.

How convincing though, is Heath’s argument that libraries remain relevant in a digital world? First of all the title of this article is about libraries in general, it does not specify research libraries. This title is misleading as the libraries that Heath discusses are mainly research libraries.

Secondly, Heath mainly talks about libraries at the University of Texas. The author has assumed that all research libraries around the world are similar to the UT Libraries. Applegate states however, that not all academic libraries are alike (p. 176). We also need to consider the evidence that Heath draws on to support his view. There are few figures or actual studies cited about libraries, which means it cannot be relied upon as it is not a true academic study.

A final questionable aspect of this article is that although this author is director of the UT Libraries and has written other academic papers, the fact that it is written in the vernacular and uses rhetorical questions makes it read like a conference paper. The reader is therefore less inclined to take the article seriously. Although this article has some useful information, it lacks original ideas.

Despite these criticisms, Heath’s article still has some value. It is not intended to be a rigorous academic article, but mainly to assist understanding of the strategies UT Libraries use to remain relevant in the future. What this article does add to the literature is to allow the reader an insider’s view of an academic library. It would be interesting if the author now carried out an evidence-based study of how relevant the UT Libraries are at present compared to whether they remain relevant in ten years’ time.

References

Applegate, R. (2007). Whose decline? Which academic libraries are “deserted” in terms of reference transactions? Reference and User Services Quarterly. 48(2), p. 176-189. American Library Association.

Heath, F. (2009). Documenting the global conversation: Relevancy of libraries in a digital world. Journal of Library Administration, 49 (5), 519-532. Retrieved from http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/wjla20

Moyo, L. M. (2004). The virtual patron. Science & Technology Libraries, 30(12), 12-13. Retrieved from http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/WSTL

Tenopir, C., & Ennis, L. A. (2001). Reference services in the new millennium. Online, 25(4), 40. Retrieve from http://www.onlineinc.com/onlinemag

Watson, L. (2010). The future of the library as a place of learning: A personal perspective. New Review of Academic Librarianship, 16(1), 45-56. DOI: 10.1080/13614530903574637

The University of Texas Libraries held a Library Video Contest and asked students to make a short video or animation that the libraries could use to promote their resources and services. This animation is one of the five winning entries.
Thanks Ramona!