The Library’s Future: A Look at How Librarians and Publishers are Preparing for Tomorrow
Taylor & Francis works diligently to deliver timely solutions to our library customers. One of the ways we’ve stepped up our game in providing better solutions is by better understanding the challenges libraries are facing in a time where the industry is rapidly advancing in technology, education, and information reform.
To better understand the challenges that libraries are facing, we conduct engagement events, execute polls to obtain market research, and engage directly with librarians at regional, national, and international conferences on a global scale. Below are the results of two engagement activities that were conducted at the 2019 annual Texas Library Association and Carolina Consortia conferences in the US.
“Library of Tomorrow” Q&A
At TLA and the Carolina Consortia meeting, our marketing rep discussed with several librarians what their thoughts, feelings and opinions were on the following two questions:
- “What do you feel the library-publisher collaboration will look like in the “Library of Tomorrow?” What changes do you envision if any?”
- “What skills do you think librarians will need to ensure the continued success of their libraries with advancements in technology?”
The responses to both questions were highly valuable. We combined responses from conversations at both TLA and Carolina Consortia and noticed that the feedback we received touched on the following key themes:
- Communication & Community – Librarians feel it is more critical than ever for libraries and publishers to keep lines of communication and opportunities for collaboration open. The easier and more efficiently we can communicate, the faster we can develop and execute on solutions.
- Value Demonstration – Many librarians feel that improving relationships with publishers in a way that fosters more effortless decision-making relies heavily on communicating the value of each resource. Demonstrating this value would provide librarians more leverage to obtain the funds they need to acquire better resources.
- Expansion of Interactive Resources – In order for resources to continue providing value within an abundance of interactive libraries, the resources themselves must continue becoming more interactive. The more a user can engage and interact with the information they are learning, the more likely that information is to inspire, and educate, and be retained.
- Access to Skill Development – With the growing and rapid advancements in technology, librarians must learn and grow the skills and understanding they have of these changes. Providing access to continued skill development by conducting webinars, trainings, workshops, or any other form of teaching and delivering information to librarians on the specific skills they wish to expand their knowledge of, is highly valued and needed.
“Researcher of the Future” Poll
The “Researcher of The Future” poll was executed to gain insight from librarians on the research-related support being demanded of them by faculty. The poll asks librarians to select the colored token that best represents an area with the fastest increase in demand.
Below is a picture of the poll and a link to an infographic report containing the combined results from both polls.
