[473] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
Niche the profession?
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Sanjay_Chadha@library.tmc.edu)
Thu Jun 11 12:05:29 1992
Date: Thu, 11 Jun 1992 10:51:22 CDT
Reply-To: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <PACS-L%UHUPVM1.BITNET@RICEVM1.RICE.EDU>
From: Sanjay_Chadha@library.tmc.edu
To: Multiple recipients of list PACS-L <PACS-L%UHUPVM1.BITNET@RICEVM1.RICE.EDU>
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
There seems to be an interesting debate about whether libraries need to
find a niche for themselves or change with market needs. At a recent
workshop that I conducted (MLA & IOLS) on library management techniques
and technology, I had outlined that there are two basic approaches to
marketing
1. Marketing your existing services to new audience. (Perfect for
Public libraries, but we do it too.) This is when we take our existing
resources and market them to non-primary audience eg. Law firms,
contract hospitals etc.
2. Creating new services to meet market needs. (remember when
photocopy services became a necessity? or medline for medical
libraries..)
There is nothing to suggest that these two have to be mutually
exclusive. Libraries (and all organizations) need to do BOTH. ie. you
maximize the return (value in case of libraries) on existing resources
and acquire/create new resources that further the mission of the
institution (be it "knowledge for all" or "make every shareholder a
millionaire").
Also, I am revising the Virtual Library model that I had proposed, and I
would now extend it to physical as well as intellectual resources. Just
like we set aside X amount of our automation $ for gateways to external
catalogs, databases etc., I propose that we set aside a portion of our
budgets for intellectual gateways. eg. Library has a limited staff
DEVOTED to interfacing with other speciality libraries, maintains
relationships with key research facilities and so on (what some people
project all librarians will be doing in the next century, act as
information coordinators). Thus a client will need account/access with
just one convenient (primary) library, and be able to reach out to the
world not just for physical resources, but for expert help as well on
any occasional need that he/she may have. Thus a doctor would get
primary membership in a medical library, but to get a form for CopyRight
application, he should not have to make a trip to law library; the
primary library should be able to get it for him. Same goes for advice
on the form or legal resources to consult. Of course, in disseminating
such second-hand expert advise, we may have to add to to our long-term
agenda a need for clearer liability law on such help/advise, a framework
of expertise that establishes resource people, funding of such resources
through national/local/regional organizations and so on.
There are arguments to counter this such as "library needs to focus on
it's role", "we can't be all things to all people" etc. I am not
advocating that libraries loose their specialities, merely that the
concept of "core collection", stuff EVERY library will carry be expanded
to include an intellectual gateway. Of course there are various
approaches of implementation, on cost basis, for profit,
gratis...Doctor's can have an interest in art too, and they certainly
pay taxes (tax forms). Art students get sick and may need information
on a drug. By reaching into another profession, neither one is giving
up their speciality. Similarily, libraries can provide a more complete
service by accomodating such occasional needs of their clients. Why do
you think supermarkets sell postage stamps or accept utility bills?
They want to be your one staff provider. They are not taking over the
Post system by selling stamps, and they don't spend even 1% of their
resources doing it, but it saves a trip to PO for most shoppers.
Today's professionals are busy. If all libraries can attract more
people even if only to fill their needs through another library's
resources, everyone comes out ahead as the other library will attract
people that really may end up using your resources. Do this process
online on something like Lotus NOTES database, and you can be building a
National Reference resource!
Sanjay R. Chadha
sanjayc@library.tmc.edu
My new agenda: Someday, I will get organized enough to limit my
messages to subject stated at the top!
