Monthly Archives: February 2021

The costs of non-access: why we should talk about the impacts of not investing in libraries

A lot of advocacy for libraries focuses on showing the return that our institutions provide on investment. Through this, we work to demonstrate that however much governments or other funders spend, the value created by the presence and work of libraries is more.

These arguments can be very helpful at times when governments need to take decisions, by building the case for choosing a new, renovated, expanded or enhanced library.

What we tend to do less is explore what are the costs of not acting. In other words, what are government and societies missing out on, if they do not allocate resources to the library? What harms can this cause to the achievement of wider social, economic and cultural goals?

This reflection is likely to help in developing arguments in the coming months and years. We have difficult times ahead – and already with us in many cases. Those who are currently not facing challenges are likely to do so when stimulus packages come to an end, and austerity hits, at least in many countries.

It seems more likely that the choice facing funders will not be where to spend new money, but rather how to allocate reductions in budgets. In this situation, the goal then is how to cause the least pain.

From the point of view of our institutions, it will be necessary to be able to show that cuts to library staff and services should never be an easy option.

Fortunately, a lot of the time, this can simply require ‘flipping’ existing arguments for libraries.

A case for a literacy programme that increases reading confidence and performance can also be presented as an avoidance of cost – without the library’s intervention, participants would be less likely to read, both reducing demand for books, and leaving them less able to cope with information around them.

In this situation, there would be harm both to the individual, who would be deprived of possibilities to discover new opportunities, participate in the cultural life of the community or engage in civic and political life. This community in turn loses out by having members who are less able to become involved and active. And the economy loses out when people are not able to realise their potential, with bookshops and others in particular suffering from a smaller reading population.

Similarly, an argument for having a space to welcome local community groups can also be phrased in terms of the cost of not having such a space. Forcing groups to meet in private or commercial spaces may exclude individuals, or simply make these sorts of meetings impractical.

This would have a negative effect on community cohesion and civic engagement. When not all people feel comfortable joining groups, then opportunities to build social cohesion and inclusion are lost. Local civil society does not reflect the wider population, and so loses impact. And of course, if groups which may not be able to afford private space are unable to meet, the community as a whole risks being poorer.

Provision of internet access and internet-enabled devices offers another example. The costs of non-access to the internet through public centres such as libraries will, for some people, mean significantly reduced possibilities to get online, for others it may mean none at all. There are also impacts in terms of losing a key part of the digital skills infrastructure.

For individuals, the negative effects include a lack of access to eGovernment services, to information about jobs and business opportunities, and to a growing share of culture and information in general. When skills cannot be provided, the risks of under-use (and even mis-use) of the internet grow. eCommerce also suffers from there being fewer customers.

So many other library activities can also be argued for in this way. In doing so, it is important to make sure you are working on the basis of reasonable evidence, for example surveys of what users would miss.

Clearly, such arguments should be used carefully. It is important not to end up looking excessively negative, or ‘crying wolf’ – i.e. claiming things that are unlikely or hard to believe. Furthermore, while concern about harm is a powerful motivator, so too is a friendly face and a positive approach.

Nonetheless, an ability to talk about the harm caused by not investing in libraries is an important part of any advocacy toolkit.

The 10-Minute International Librarian #39: Seek diverse viewpoints

IFLA works to build a strong and united global library field.

But this doesn’t mean that it should be uniform. We benefit hugely from our diversity, and all the different experiences and perspectives this brings.

It allows us not only to find new solutions to existing problems, but also to identify areas for action that we might not have been aware of previously.

By doing this, we can improve our ability to power literate, informed and participatory societies.

There is some great work already taking place both at the national level, and within IFLA, notably in the Section on Libraries Serving Multicultural Populations.

This helps us both to think about how libraries themselves can serve diverse user groups, and how we can build diversity within our own profession.

So for our 39th 10-Minute International Librarian Exercise, seek diverse viewpoints.

Identify a key processes or decision points, and think about how you could ensure you are open to this.

Who could offer you new ideas, but is not currently being heard? What is holding them back? What can you do about it?

Think about the way you are seeking ideas, and how you can make additional steps where needed.

Of course, putting your ideas into action will take more than 10 minutes. It will be a learning process. But it is important to start!

There are lots of resources out there on how to do this better – share your suggestions below.

Good luck!

 

This idea relates to the IFLA Strategy! 4.3 Increase, diversify and engage our membership.

As we publish more ideas, you will be able to view these using the #10MinuteInternationalLibrarian tag on this blog, and of course on IFLA’s Ideas Store! Do also share your ideas in the comments box.

Introducing: the 10-Minute Digital Librarian

Following on from previous IFLA series – the 10-Minute Library Advocate, and the ongoing 10-Minute International Librarian – we are happy today to launch a new one – the 10-Minute Digital Librarian.

Just like the other series, this will focus on actions you can take which do not necessarily require much time or effort, but can help you learn and discover new tools and ways of doing things.

Every two weeks, a new post will appear, with the ideas presented coming together to form mini-series of activities around different aspects of digital in libraries. It will be inspired, to a large extent, by the 23 Things series that has already proved popular in the library field.

Of course, at the moment, so much of the work of libraries, where it has been able to continue, is taking place digitally.

As individuals, as a wider sector, we have seen rapid take-up of digital tools, and learning about how to use them, around the world, across the full range of library types.

This work has helped both to provide pre-existing services in new ways, and to deliver a new offer to library users. Through this, libraries have arguably expanded further the ways in which they can fulfil their wider missions.

We hope, through this series, to share some of the lessons of this shift, and help more members of the field make best use of what technology offers.

See you for our first exercise in a couple of weeks!

 

Follow our series in future using the #10MinuteDigitalLibrarian tag.

The 10-Minute International Librarian #38: Define an achievable short-term goal

Previously in our 10-Minute International Librarian series, we have focused on long-term visions (exercise 27) and values (exercise 34).

These are important if we are to maintain focus, and help us take strategic decisions.

Yet these can often seem far off, and may not be particularly useful in making choices day to day.

That’s why it is important to match your long-term goals with ideas for what you can do in the coming weeks or months.

So for our 38th 10-Minute International Librarian exercise, define an achievable short-term goal.

Think what the first step you need to take is in order to meet your long-term objectives.

You may even want to work backwards, defining what conditions need to be in place, and how you can achieve this.

For example, to update your offer of training to users, you may need to carry out an assessment of needs. To do this, you may need to find ways to connect more strongly with the community.

Similarly, you may need to build up connections with potential partners. But to do this, it will be important to know what capacity you have already, and what you can offer.

Each of these can be a short-term goal.

Importantly, be realistic about what you can achieve with the time and resources you have. Ideally, you should be able to turn a big task into a series of actions that you can complete relatively simply, without losing sight of the end goal.

Good luck!

 

This idea relates to the IFLA Strategy! 3.3 Empower the field at the national and regional levels.

As we publish more ideas, you will be able to view these using the #10MinuteInternationalLibrarian tag on this blog, and of course on IFLA’s Ideas Store! Do also share your ideas in the comments box.

The 10-Minute International Librarian #37: Think of a learning resource you can create

We all have knowledge and experience that we can share, just as we all have things to learn from others.

If you completed our 31st 10-Minute International Librarian exercise, you will already have thought about what it is that you can offer.

Of course, effective sharing of knowledge can be as much about the way you do it – your technique – as the knowledge itself.

So it’s worth thinking about the way in which you present what you want to share, so that you are as effective as possible.

And in particular in times that digital tools are the main – even the only – way of teaching and learning, developing materials that can work well online is more and more important.

So for our 37th 10-Minute International Librarian exercise, think of a learning resource you can create.

It doesn’t need to be complicated or long. Indeed, the simpler you can make it, the better!

Think about how you can lead the learner through the process, step-by-step. Bear in mind that they may not have much time, or brain-space to be able to deal with large amounts of information.

Think about your own learning style, and those of people you know. What will work best for them.

Of course, actually creating a resource will take more than 10 minutes. But if you are able to do this, you can then share it on a website or Open Educational Resources learning platform!

Share your best experiences of learning resources – or links to resources you have created yourself! – in the comments section below.

Good luck!

 

This idea relates to the IFLA Strategy! Key Initiative 3.4: Provide targeted learning and professional development.

You can view all of our ideas using the #10MinuteInternationalLibrarian tag on this blog, and of course on IFLA’s Ideas Store! Do also share your ideas in the comments box.