What business leaders and tech entrepreneurs can learn from public librarians
The internet revolution has left many large public and private institutions in the dust. With one shining exception, public libraries.
In the late ’90s public libraries seemed primed to be a major casualty of the internet revolution. They were large buildings filled with information in analog formats.
However, just the opposite has happened. Public libraries have not only survived but become more relevant and important to communities. In 1996, there were 8,946 public libraries in the U.S. In 2016, that number had increased to 9,047. Visits to public libraries has also steadily increased since 1996.
Analyzing how public libraries stayed relevant through the internet revolution, right up to today, is truly fascinating.
To understand why public libraries thrive in 2018, let’s to take a trip down memory lane, all the way back to 1998.
In 1998, the daily newspaper landed on most everybody’s driveway early in the morning. It was heavy. Filled with a thick classifieds section, pages of local news, and lots of ads. People relied on local TV news to see video of what was happening in the world.
Visiting a Borders bookstore was a feast for the senses. Immersed in tall bookshelves, thousands of CDs in long boxes and brand-new DVD technology, people socialized in large bookstores to see and be seen. Friday night involved a visit to Blockbuster Video for a prolonged argument about which movie to rent.
While everyone was looking in the paper to see what time Titanic was playing, the tide already was turning for the information industry.
The migration of entertainment and information to the internet was well underway in 1998. The shift to digital media ravaged large retailers, record companies, media outlets and advertising as we knew it. Those that failed to adapt are gone (think Borders Books and Blockbuster Video). Many that survived now operate as a shell of their former selves (think of any daily newspaper in the U.S.).
Fast forward back to 2019: Current business jargon is filled with fun new words to describe how tech companies build and deploy technology. I will use 2019 jargon to describe how public libraries were ahead of and have thrived through the internet revolution. Each section is titled with a shiny, techy buzzword.
Early Adopters
New technology has a reliable adoption model that’s often displayed as a bell curve. From left to right, the bell curve consists of: innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority and laggards. If you bought an iPhone in 2007, you’re an early adopter. Still have a flip phone? You’re a laggard.
In 1998, most public libraries already had staff with the words “digital” in their title. Public librarians were ahead of most private industry in understanding how the internet revolution would affect how we access information.
Public librarians were knee-deep in moving their own collections online and connecting to valuable resources through dial-up internet by 1998. This early effort made public libraries immensely valuable to communities and they have never lost their edge.
Librarians were some of the earliest adopters of internet technology, and they still adopt technology faster than most industries.
Shared Economy
Public librarians had a strong national community and a culture of cooperation long before the internet was deployed. The first meeting of the American Library Association was in 1876. From the start, these meetings featured sharing best practices and cooperation.
The internet allowed librarians to do what they had always done, collaborate and share. The internet simply made doing so faster and more efficient.
Nowadays, we call this a “shared economy”. The concept that sharing information and resources can save people time and money. Working across political and geographic boundaries, public librarians shared their electronic resources and best practices to build information networks. This practice continues today.
Iterative Development
Of all the current buzzwords, “iterative development” is one of the most painfully overused.
It basically means that you take a complex digital product—like an app–and build it in stages. The idea is to actively seek input from users at every stage –responding to feedback to inform future development. The goal is not wasting resources building something that nobody wants or can use.
Librarians were doing “iterative development” long before it was a buzz word. They just call it “listening”. Public librarians, especially those who have the word “programs” in their title, are trained for iterative development.
You will see librarians take a new idea and implement it over time. They roll out a basic form of the idea, review how it went, make adjustments for future success and repeat this process—for entire careers.
Universal Usability
Libraries are places where you can reliably see a true cross-section of a community. Kids who attend tuition pre-school browse the stacks alongside kids whose families are on food stamps. Refugee families attend story time with people who had ancestors on the Mayflower. Programs for senior citizens occur at the same time as a STEM activity for middle schoolers.
Modern techies call this “Universal Usability”. The goal with universal usability is making electronic services available on many technology platforms and by people of all ability levels.
The way libraries attain universal usability within their programs and facilities is no accident. It’s the result of what libraries do intuitively. In thousands of Library staff meetings every week, the question that is asked, and answered is: “How can we serve . . .”
Librarians thoughtfully explore what a specific demographic group needs and find ways to fill it. Whether it be internet access to people who cannot afford it, workshops for new parents, teen reading clubs, maker activities for third-graders, adult book clubs and so much more.
Human Computer Interaction
The concept of “Human Computer Interaction” refers to how people work with machines and software. The goal is to find the right balance of human and mechanical inputs for a specific application.
The temptation to solve every challenge at the library with technology is powerful. To the great benefit of library patrons all over the world, public librarians have a keen sense to know if a technology will dilute or enhance their efforts.
An example is the circulation desk. Almost all public libraries have automated checkout. The ideal way a technologist would view automated checkout is for a patron to visit the library, browse and checkout books without interacting with another human—very efficient.
Librarians have a different view of automated checkout. They know that a person-to-person interaction at the library is vital to their mission. They place staff at the circulation kiosk or desk to interact with patrons regarding their experience.
The automated checkout adds efficiency to the process–allowing library staff to carry out a highly valuable person-to-person experience.
Libraries use technology to enhance, not replace, the efforts of humans.
Most seasoned library professionals have vast experience with tech. This experience is invaluable in knowing how to strike right the balance between human and technological resources.
Conclusion
Public libraries are relevant in 2018 and will continue to thrive because they readily employ best practices of developing, deploying and adapting services to communities. Tech and business leaders are discovering and labeling these practices with new buzzwords.
No reasonable person can discount the value of libraries to communities. This is not an accident. It’s the result of continuous, thoughtful progress regarding the role of technology in information delivery.
High-flying techies would do well to visit a public library, talk to a librarian and see what they’re doing to ensure continued relevancy. Chances are, the public librarian is years ahead!