The Rationale for Non-Book Materials in Libraries, Part V

In her article, "Step away from the machine: A Look at Our Collective Past," University at Buffalo media librarian Lori Widzinski makes the case that librarians have had to make significant upgrades about media formats in the past and that we need to look to issues of those times to understand the gravity of the decisions that librarians face in their profession today. Then, as now, non-book media were envisioned as necessary tools to shape the educational goals of the future. According to a 2000 academic library survey that Widzinski cites, "63 percent of these collections cited instructional support as being their founding principle" (p.359). Widzinski also makes reference to previous format changes that stirred great controversy among library practitioners in the library field. In the past 100 years, librarians have progressed from lantern slides to 35mm color slides to the digital image in order to visually present information. In quoting one resource, Widzinski relates that "our profession encountered a transition fifty years ago similar to the one we are experiencing today" (2010, p. 360).
But beyond recognizing that history is repeating itself, it is imperative for librarians to acquiesce that to do nothing is to risk obsolescence.

As noted by John Vallier, "many users, students, and faculty alike, have expectations" about the availability of digital media that originated "in the home-use and Internet sectors and don't translate to the educational market" (2010, p. 388). Unless the library community actively counters the cultural assumption that the death of the physical format of digital media is a harbinger of the media center's irrelevance., "we could be eradicated in the early stages if we are not a player" (Vallier, 2010, p. 381). So, the best defense for libraries and librarians as participants and not casualties of the digital revolution is to promote non-book materials, embrace transliteracy, and prepare for the reality that certain kinds of learning formats, such as textbooks, will not survive as the printed books we know them to be today. As Stephen Abram proposed in his recent lecture, "What does a book look like when there is no compromise on two dimensions?" (SLABuffalo, 2010).

SLABuffalo. (2010, Nov. 21). Stephen Abram at UB [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-gSNn17Z64.

Widzinski, L. (2010). "Step away from the machine": A look at our collective past. Library Trends, 58(3), 358-77.

Vallier, J. (2010). Twenty-first century academic media center: Killer app or chindogu? Library Trends, 58(3), 378-90.

The Rationale for Non-Book Materials in Libraries, Part III

In recent years, organizations that are integral to information delivery for most people have made swift changes about the dissemination of crucial data. Certain government agencies no longer issue print application forms for services. Some banks only issue account statements or updates by e-mail or text message. Particular health insurance plans require members to use their company Web sites for basic customers service. There is a widespread assumption in some business environments that "most people are computer literate and therefore we can make these sweeping changes without too much backlash," And yet, despite this assertion, there is a significant population who are not "technologically savvy," and there is not adequate training, supervision or support available to help them (Newman, 2010). At the same time, if people could be assisted in the acquisition of technological sophistication, non-book or non-print tools could be the catalysts to provide a better environment for learning. Consider the importance of these statistics as described by librarian and transliteracy advocate, Stephen Abram, in a Nov. 18, 2010, presentation at the State University of New York at Buffalo:

• Only 20 percent of people acquire new knowledge well with reading/writing of text as their dominant learning style.

• 80 percent of library users like to work independently.

• The dominant audience for video games is not teenage boys. It is college-age women and young mothers.

• 75 percent of online distance education students are single mothers (SLABuffalo, 2010).

Based on figures such as these, a different picture of who the core 21st century library patron is begins to emerge. The greatest potential for increasing library patronage lies with determining how best to serve young, motivated women who need visually-driven information delivery systems that can be integrated easily into their lifestyles. In addition to examining circulation metrics, librarianship as a profession needs to understand the psychological underpinnings of what patrons do with information, and why they are doing it. (SLABuffalo, 2010). Information professionals at all levels can better serve their patrons by improving the quality of the answer to the questions they will receive. The Internet can handle the who, what, and where questions of the world. It's the how and why questions that require real research skills. Examples of "how and why" questions include consumer health, do-it-yourself activities, genealogy, technology skills, and job and career searches. By providing access and instructions for non-book materials, librarians can manage a variety of learning styles, offer people some independence, and "improve the quality of the question" for their patrons (SLABuffalo, 2010; Abram, 2010). For some libraries, the future is already here and they have proven results to demonstrate that non-book materials plus an emphasis on transliteracy can best serve the patron and confirm the value of libraries.

Abram, S. (2010). Getting our game on: Library futures [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from http://stephenslighthouse.com/

Newman, B.L. (2010). Libraries and transliteracy. [PowerPoint slides}. Retrieved from http://librarianbyday.net/transliteracy/transliteracy-slideshows-and-videos/

SLABuffalo. (2010, Nov. 21). Stephen Abram at UB [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-gSNn17Z64.

Bobbie L. Newman's presentation on Libraries and Transliteracy

Stephen Abram's Web site

Stephen Abram's UB lecture on YouTube

The Rationale for Non-Book Materials in Libraries, Part I

For centuries, one of the core services of libraries and librarians has been the instruction of patrons on the necessary skills of textual literacy, the ability to read and write in a particular language. In order to interact with and contribute to one's society, people need to be literate. However, the evolution of communication technologies that has taken place in the last 15 years has significantly altered the environment in which we learn and share knowledge. It is no longer enough to focus solely on the ability to read and write text. Technology has changed our world dramatically and library patrons need libraries to change as well. If librarians continue to only promote textual literacy, they are failing their patrons. In order to best serve patrons, libraries and librarians need to move from just textual literacy to transliteracy. Libraries need to assume the task of ensuring that all people are transliterate. A strong emphasis on non-book materials, programs and services will position libraries as the social institution that provides the access and training for acquiring the skills of transliteracy (Newman, 2010).

Newman, B.L. (2010). Libraries and transliteracy. [PowerPoint slides}. Retrieved from http://librarianbyday.net/transliteracy/transliteracy-slideshows-and-videos/

Bobbie L. Newman's presentation on Libraries and Transliteracy