Emerging Technologies and Everyday Librarianship
Since the pandemic, libraries have gone through major changes and reworkings. Remote work, online classes, and digital tools became essential for keeping people connected and learning from home during this time and continued to remain since. These are the types of societal shifts that have permanently changed how we think about information and community needs as information professionals. But other new challenges are emerging, specifically shifts in political agendas, book censorship, ongoing budget cuts, and the rapid rise of new technologies. All of these societal shifts are reshaping how libraries have to adapt their role and how librarians have to redefine their role as well. This week’s Module 9: “New Horizons” made me think about how we can adapt to these transformations while still maintaining human connection. Libraries not only have to adapt to technological change but also continue to help their communities adjust alongside us.
As mentioned by Stephen in Module 9’s lecture video, he highlights the importance of trend spotting, a practice of paying attention to technological, societal, and cultural changes to anticipate future needs of our community. This lecture reminded me that adopting new tools are key ways library professionals but mainly being creative and using the current resources available. As Casey and Savastinuk state in Library 2.0: A Guide to Participatory Library Service, “the library that is flexible, listens to its community, and changes to meet changing demand and demographics will be the library that succeeds” (2007). So with that said, I explored the technology mentioned in The Economist (2022), new breakthroughs are highlighted ranging from new technology in farming, 3D printed homes, quantum computing, wearable health trackers, and solar powered innovations. Collectively, these innovations show me trends such as improving convenience and efficiency while improving our environment, advancing health, and creating more sustainable ways of living. I think a great article that connects with these trends is the “Sit and Surf” article (2023). Libraries in Oklahoma have installed solar powered benches that have Wi-Fi and charging ports. These benches can be added to the outside of libraries giving people more places to utilize free resources. The Horizon Report explains this type of innovation as “emerging practice,” which refers to small, flexible experiments that make digital access more equitable for people. Such efforts show how libraries can adapt new technological ideas to their local spaces.
Although this module focuses on technology, I also want to mention the societal and cultural changes happening alongside it because they are just as important to trend spotting. The 2017 Horizon Report: Library Edition describes these shifts as wicked challenges and complex problems with no single solution (Adams Becker et al., 2017). Information professionals are being asked to innovate while budgets and staffing shrink, to remain neutral in censorship debates, and to keep up with digital tools while facing the risk of burnout or job insecurity. But just like it is important to see into the future and predict trends, we also have to look into the past for societal changes and how libraries have survived wars, recessions, and revolutions before. The infographic below from PressReader (2023) offers great perspective on the many accomplishments and milestones libraries have face while also proving that adaptation to new tech and being creative have always been a major part of librarianship.
Figure 2. The evolution of public libraries to the 21st century: an illustrated timeline (PressReader, 2023).
References
American Libraries Magazine. (2023, May 1). Sit and surf. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2023/05/01/sit-and-surf/
Casey, M. E., & Savastinuk, L. C. (2007). Library 2.0: A guide to participatory library service. Information Today.
New Media Consortium. (2017). NMC Horizon Report: 2017 Library Edition. https://library.educause.edu/resources/2017/8/2017-nmc-horizon-report-library-edition
Pew Research Center. (2021, February 18). Experts say the new normal in 2025 will be far more tech driven, presenting more big challenges. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2021/02/18/experts-say-the-new-normal-in-2025-will-be-far-more-tech-driven-presenting-more-big-challenges/
PressReader. (2023, April 5). The evolution of public libraries to the 21st century: An illustrated timeline [Infographic]. PressReader Blog. https://blog.pressreader.com/libraries-institutions/21st-century-library-evolution-timeline
Stephens, M. (2019). Wholehearted librarianship: Finding hope, inspiration, and balance. ALA Editions.
The Economist. (2022, November 8). What next? 22 emerging technologies to watch in 2022.https://287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/What-next-22-emerging-technologies-to-watch-in-2022-The-Economist.pdf