The Caique-Mersey Group: A Library, Information, Radio, Music & Business Service Firm Web Link: https://sites.google/site/linktothecaiquegroup/ Richard Thau: Director/Partner linkedin/pub/richard-thau/14/3b3/469 Joyce Wemer: Partner linkedin/pub/joyce-wemer/1b/9b0/69a PO Box 555 Nottingham, PA 19362 Fostering a Proud Association with The Library Community, The Radio-Broadcasting Community and The Public Service - Community Partnership - Regional Development Sector: Cornerstones of the Political, Economic and Social Fabric of Society The Caique-Mersey Group: 21st Century Librarian/Library Advocates/Radio/Media/Public Service Advocates and Participating Professionals: a) Creative about finding solutions to address the 21st Century library environment; b) An Entrepreneurial Spirit which enables one to re-invent the library to be something more; c) knowing that Assisting the Customer is paramount as the 21st Century customer is not the 20th Century patron; d) Embraces Technology; e) is Business-Like in demeanor and action. One needs to know how to research, conduct formal assessments, strategically partner, problem solve outside the box, and effectively manage, politic, and lead; and f) the most important operational paradigm is to Meet the Needs of the Communities so Served. Notes/ Elements to Share: The trend to reform the structure, form and function of the library is a reality for many progressive change agents and agencies in this day and age. The movement towards a physical library collection to continue to evolve to a digital combined state is real; the trend to expanding the overall digital library collection is apparent; and the real and /or perceived desire and need to demonstrate greater value to the communities so served will take libraries being planned, constructed now, and those being renovated to eliminate shelf space in favor of other space use. Digital creation labs, community use rooms, {theatres, auditoriums, learning galleries, production/business corridors and the like…} and expansions of seating and reading areas are just a few ways that libraries will be finding new uses for their current spaces. The importance of the physical collection will be maintained by most for the foreseeable future. The increase use of new E-reader tools and affiliated resources, along with budgetary challenges set to continue for the foreseeable future, as well as standard constraints of limited library physical space limitations; always a factor for most library operations; will ultimately see the trend of putting fewer physical objects on library shelves. In so doing, it will mean that it will be easier for library administrators/planning personnel to present creative-use agendas that will showcase new library space venue flex-use elements thus creating a positive outcome involving the likely trend of having more vital spaces being made available for the implementation of newer library services, activities and purposes for our changing communities and public….. Libraries are transitioning as dynamic forces are in play in our society and around the world. Though the schism continues to widen somewhat from the perspective of “library-have” and “library have-nots” location to location, community to community, state to state, the sector as a whole continues to show powerful pockets of dynamic progress and growth; creative, innovative, and charismatic are some characteristic descriptors of these libraries located throughout the nation. In my opinion, the successful library of the future will be a hybrid manifestation of two linked types – a key physical location within the heart of the “community” so served and the “electronic-cyber platform” where one will interactively use the library agency and its resources effectively from any remote location. The professional career “librarian” will continue at the core of the library enterprise and the “librarian” will be among the community cornerstone partners within the framework of the general community…… Library sector ‘Librarians and Staffers’ need to secure higher professional compensation levels as They have obtained master’s degrees and higher and/or have secured and bring to the table unique/vital skill-experience sets. Libraries need to be adequately staffed and funded. We need an up-to-date technology infrastructure, solid resources and modern community-centric facilities. Otherwise, all we’re doing is staving off the inevitable. It would be one thing if the libraries closed because people didn’t want them anymore. But that’s not the case. People want them as much as ever. Our leaders’ ignorance and inaction on this issue–their misunderstanding of the stakes, their reluctance to confront fiscal challenges–suggests that librarians and pro-library stakeholders must take the lead in figuring out how we are going to fund our libraries. Libraries should not give up on public funding and governments and funding agencies should not to give up on libraries. Ultimately, the library sector is responsible for developing new funding mechanism streams. This is a fundamentally different problem from advocacy, which has been a going concern in earnest in the library community for a number of years now. It is essential to direct a majority of the attention for innovation and outreach toward the funding side within the sector. For some of our libraries that means ensuring a better financial future by passing a dedicated library tax, establishing new legal requirements for a base level of library service or making it more difficult to close libraries without a vote. In addition, it is essential to bring more of an entrepreneurial operational insight to our libraries. In order to ensure equal access, government will need to continue to be a central pillar for our library funding system. But the rise of an entrepreneurial and problem-solving spirit will invigorate our public libraries. Libraries could then be a government or semi-governmental service flexible enough to pursue an alternative operational structure. A demonstration of vision and innovation on the funding side would be welcomed by officials and viewed with pride by our regional communities.…… Notes: Good sources of Information: A new study by researchers in Queensland, Australia, examines the role of libraries as hotbeds for collaboration, and why people engage — and don’t engage — in the commingling of ideas and experiences these environments are designed to foster….The paper, titled "Library as Co-Working Spaces: Understanding User Motivations and Perceived Barriers to Social Learning," appears in the latest issue of the journal Library Hi Tech. nextcity.org/sharedcity/entry/how-to-fill-a-library-with-people-instead-of-books
Posted on: Sat, 10 Aug 2013 20:17:05 +0000
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