Digital Leadership for LibrariesDraft Findings

SCL Seminar, June 2014

Horizon scanning Skills implications

Skills audit Ideas for action

Looking ahead: 5-10 years

• A long time in technology terms• Iphone released in 2007 – now 500m sold,

1.5bn smartphones in total• DARPA driverless vehicle challenge in 2004 – a

complete failure. But this year, Google announced driverless cars had driven 700,000 miles on US roads.

Since we started this work…

• D-Wave launches first commercially available ‘quantum’ computer

• New York public libraries Coursera pilot• Apple planning to announce an iHome operating

system to manage smart home devices• Google makes public its driverless car prototype• Planet Labs announces plans to launch 130 ‘shoebox’

satellites• PWC predicts e-book sales overtake physical book sales

by 2018

Internet

• Internet speeds will continue to increase• Mobile internet improving + cheaper devices =

greater accessibility• Internet transforming from something you ‘go

on’ to something that is ‘just there’• However:– Rural / urban divide will remain– Some people will continue to lack skills– Digital by default will exacerbate these pressures

Software / Hardware

• Computers and machines will have increasing ability to carry out increasingly complex tasks

• MOOCs – will mature and become more mainstream – what role for libraries?

• Big Data – can libraries take advantage of this?• New types of hardware:– 3D printing– Robotics– Raspberry Pi

E-books

• A core group who prefer printed books• However, there is likely to be a general shift

towards e-books due to increasing proliferation of new devices

• Challenge for libraries in negotiating new lending agreements across different publishers and formats

Societal / Economic

• Text / reading will continue to be important but video will become more important as medium of info

• Computing skills will become more important for personal enjoyment and professional success

• Lifelong learning more important in a changing world

• Yet there will continue to be a segment of society that is relatively deprived

Conclusions• Significant technological change• New opportunities: access to learning, streamlining operations,

access to hardware.• But also major challenges – books will not disappear but now part of

a much broader mix of information / entertainment media.• Counter-intuitive: digital reduces the need for physical space – but

physical / local space is what libraries can do best.• Libraries need a vision for how to use digital services and what this

means for the existing service mix.• Digital enables scale – more than ever there are strong practical

reasons for some kind of national-level offer.• We have already seen a number of examples of where libraries are

doing exciting things. A better platform for sharing and building on experiences is needed.

Skills audit

Findings from the Skills Audit• Responses given by 85 SCL members and 133 non-SCL• Average self-rating for all skills questions on our 1 to 5 scale was

3.38 for SCL and 3.25 for non-SCL• Non-SCL respondents rate themselves as more knowledgeable

about technology than SCL group• ….and Non-SCL respondents find digital developments less

challenging personally than SCL, but very high proportion of both groups see technology as exciting

• Very high percentages of SCL members rate themselves as ‘very strong’ on experience of implementing team roles and structures – not so for non-SCL.

• Understanding demand for digital services among those who rarely use library services, seen as a weak-spot across the board.

Findings from the Skills Audit (2)• Strong response around handhelds and tablets from non-SCL

respondents• Large proportion of all respondents see themselves as weaker around

knowledge of MOOCs, self-publishing, and WiFi regulations (although knowledge of WiFi functionality is stronger).

• Also weak response (especially among non-SCL) across the board on knowledge of who in the local community cannot access the internet dues to cost or know-how.

• Non-SCL respondents more confident in using social media and in supporting colleagues to do so.

• On “Do you consider yourself to have a track record for stimulating innovation?” a higher proportion of SCL members than non-SCL felt this was a strength.

• SCL did better in the picture round than non-SCL (contrary to earlier findings around knowledgeability)

12 recommendations

Issue >> Evidence >> Ideas for action

So a big message is that in the midst of the growth of digital, and the fast-changing digital

context, the unique role libraries play is to enable physical and human connections with

these digital technologies…

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 20124,000

4,200

4,400

4,600

4,800

5,000

5,200

5,400

5,600

5,800

Physical visits per 1,000 people (UK)

But there are challenges around connecting with users physically

P is for Purpose

“That as in this institution, special provision has been

made for the working classes, by means of a free lending

library, this meeting cherishes the earnest hope that the books thus made available will prove a

source of pleasure and improvement in the cottages, the garrets, and the cellars of

the poorest of our people.”

(Charles Dickens' speech at the opening ceremony of the Manchester Public Library, September 2nd, 1852)

1 - Horizon scanning

KNOWLEDGE SHARING

2 – Sharing on SCL website

3 - Discussion with SOCITM re PSN

4 - Get organised around LMS renewal

5 - Wifi – compliance awareness

6 - Wifi – a bold national project

7 - Universal Credit – share the learning

8 - E-book lending – who wants to create the next Spotify?

9 - MOOCs – join one yourself!

9(b) - MOOCs – join one yourself!

10 - Computer Science Curriculum – share existing learning

11 - Socio-economic profiling – develop the skills

12 - Hosting groups and community building – develop skills and share

Discussion

Digital Leadership for LibrariesDraft Findings

SCL Seminar, June 2014