Demonstrate proficiency in the use of current information and communication technologies, and other related technologies, as they affect the resources and uses of libraries and other types of information providing entities.
Libraries have been deeply affected by the changes driven by technology. Three decades ago the Library of today would have been almost unimaginable. In many ways this advancement in technology has been highly disruptive of the status quo. Among the greatest challenges for libraries has been not only to keep pace change, but to interact with it in a proactive rather than reactive way. The speed of advancement and widespread budget woes have both made this an increasingly difficult proposition. Nonetheless, as the wider culture adopts new devices and new modes of communication to ignore the shift is to ensure institutional doom.
Key to the proactive approach to technology in libraries is the understanding that technology and all it entails need not be a burden of cost and expertise; rather it can be a boon to efficiency and in many cases save libraries money or free staff time for less mundane tasks. The web and, moreover, social media offer a vehicle for libraries to promote their services in unprecedented ways. The rise of open source programs can give libraries access to programs that would have otherwise been very costly in their proprietary forms. Texting and instant messaging offer new avenues for reference services. If as a profession librarians look to technology for its benefits rather than its flaws, a better outlook is certain to arise from this view.
While certain aspects of technological change are threatening to the profession as it appears today, the fears of this uncertain future must be allayed. Notably e-books have been the bane of public libraries in recent years, due to restrictive formats, services and selections, as well as, a fear that they may undermine the core functions of the library. A proactive approach must be utilized, so that libraries can work hard to negotiate from whatever platform they have to demonstrate their importance as a core market for publishers to be ignored at their own detriment. Moreover we must look to technologies like e-books for what they offer, in this case a more social often more convenient way of enjoying reading. As libraries have always been the social center of reading, built upon the idea of convenience, why should we shy away from the inevitable future, whatever it has in store.
Evidence
My experience in libraries from the very beginning has been intertwined with technology. In my first and second positions I was tasked with networking and maintaining public and staff computers. Ensuring the continuing operation of the library's continued offering of popular internet and computer services. In my current position I have pushed my current Library forward into new territories, arguing for and establishing the library’s presence on Facebook. This task included adapting and writing policy for social media. This push onto Facebook was also instrumental in pushing the entire County toward including social media in their public relations platform.
Recently I was invited to the CALIFA Vendor Fair in Santa Clara to present on the topic of commercial ILS futures. This presentation was paired with a similar Open Source futures presentation. The presentation looked at some of the technical pros and cons of recent and proposed developments in integrated library systems, also touching upon overlays and discovery software that can improve upon the look and feel of the online catalog experience. The presentation focused on the pragmatic improvements that new platforms may offer libraries while acknowledging the slow pace of development within this specialized field when compared to the pace of the larger technology environment.
In LIBR 210, Reference Information Services, I analyzed an alternative or supplemental reference source operated through the listserv Operation Wombat. This listserv allows for the crowd sourcing of particularly difficult reference questions, taking advantage of the eclectic expertise of the subscribers. I found this service highly effective in achieving answers to complex questions, though I did have many criticisms of its protocol. This essay, demonstrative of my grasp of technology tools as positive aids to perform core tasks better, focuses on one reference inquiry and the resulting responses.
In LIBR 200, Information & Society, I completed a discussion post that analyzes the comparisons between the current information revolution and the advent of the printing press, noting the social and professional impacts of the new information environment that current cataloging and indexing schemes are unprepared to systematize. This post shows an understanding of the wider impacts of information proliferation and the changing library technology landscape.
