Library a Victim of Its Own Success
As many of you know, I came to this library about a year ago and went about bringing it into the 20th century. In that we year converted from a card catalog system to an online catalog, got three other hospitals within the hospital system (who were using card catalogs) to join us and have a union catalog for our hospital system region. Where we once had no online journals I added access approximately 200 online journals. We had 1-2 pages on the intranet which I beefed up (as much as possible) to serve as the online door to the library and included links to medical podcasts as well as other online databases and resources.
We still have a long way to go. I working on selecting an OpenURL resolver (either Serials Solutions or Ebsco) and I am investigating and revamping our antiquated Table of Contents Service. I would like to use Athens to help provide off campus access to resources, and I would like to explore wireless resources and services when the hospital goes wireless.
Things are moving along, and I couldn't be happier with the way my little library has grown and evolved. So imagine my surprise when I heard somebody mention, "Now that the library has everything online, why do we need the people?"
Deep breaths, deep calming breaths, count to 10.... nevermind that... count to 100, try to focus and see more than just red. I did my best not scream like a howler monkey and calmly explained the importance of the library as a place and the staff. For example, even though the library added online acess to many full text journals, we have seen a 130% increase in our ILL and copy services compared to this time last year.
Of course imagine the tirade I went on when I got home, thankfully my husband suggested a dinner out, a margarita, and a babysitter.
After I calmed down, it got me thinking how much MORE work I need to do to prove how valuable the library and library staff are. I wasn't hiding in my office while I was working on improving the library, I was "out there" showing people how to use the new resources what cool new things we can do for them. But still it goes to show you that there are always those people who think they don't need us now that "it is all online anyway." We just have to try do more education and more outreach hopefully touching them while we are at it.
2 Comments:
Sometimes when people ask those questions that enrage us, they really are just asking questions. I don't know the specifics of your situation in the case that you describe, but I've come to realize that often when I get a similar question from a faculty member, they actually are assuming that I have an answer -- they just don't know what it is. Why DO we still need the building? What ARE the library staff spending their time doing now that we have so much online? The fact that they're asking the questions doesn't always mean that they've already come to the conclusion that they don't need us -- which doesn't, of course, mean that we don't still have to work really hard to explain why they do.
I always say:
...the same reason we still need lawyers, although legally you are entitled to represent yourself.
...the same reason we still need accountants, although most people file taxes themselves with one simple form anyway.
...the same reason we eat out at restaurants, even though most of us are perfectly capable of fixing our own PB&J sandwich when hungry
Even IF it is all online (which you and I know isn't true), that doesn't mean users have time, energy or desire to search for themselves. I'll gladly search the literature for you, at a fraction of the time, a fraction of the cost and a fraction of the stress of you doing it yourself.
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