Easier material management - at what cost?

Abstract

Intelligent Material Management System, IMMS, was developed in a collaboration between Lyngsoe Systems, a commercial company, and public libraries in Aarhus and Copenhagen, Denmark, with the aim to reduce the time staff spend on managing library materials. The aim of this article is to shed light on what IMMS means for the library practices and hence for the librarian profession. Two research questions will guide the analysis: How do librarians and IMMS interplay at the public library in Copenhagen, Denmark? How does the implementation of IMMS impact the library practices at the branch libraries in Copenhagen, Denmark? With the theoretical lens of practice theory, the article shows how new norms and rules as well as new tools and objects are implemented with IMMS. Librarians need to be able to work with the new objects and tools, the new norms and to create an inspiring library room for library users. Their relation to collection management is changed, and their ability to evaluate materials is not needed in the same way when it comes to selection of titles for the collection. This sometimes creates a tension between the librarian and the system, especially when the librarians’ role in the practice is to perform the decision-making by the algorithm, and not to use their skills to evaluate resources.

Det performative samspil mellem digital infrastruktur og kulturelle arrangementer i den professionelle praksis i danske folkebiblioteker

“…at digitaliseringen af biblioteket var en måde at sikre personalet mere tid til at igangsaette andre aktiviteter, herunder f.eks. netop kulturelle arrangementer (Huvila et al, 2013;Kann-Christensen & Balling, 2011;Liljegren, 2022;Wandi, 2019). Den senere digitalisering af folkebiblioteket gennem implementering af Cicero og IMS er ligeledes blevet begrundet med at det kunne skabe mere tid for personalet til at møde brugerne (Liljegren, 2022).…”

“…netop kulturelle arrangementer (Huvila et al, 2013;Kann-Christensen & Balling, 2011;Liljegren, 2022;Wandi, 2019). Den senere digitalisering af folkebiblioteket gennem implementering af Cicero og IMS er ligeledes blevet begrundet med at det kunne skabe mere tid for personalet til at møde brugerne (Liljegren, 2022). Digitaliseringen som materialitet skulle altså sikre en effektivitet, som muliggjorde andre aktiviteter.…”

“…følgende: Målet med brugen af systemet er dels at gøre samlingen så optimal attraktiv til styrkelse af udlånet og dels at give plads til borgernes ønsker. Som naevnt i artiklen af Liljegren (2022) er det dog også den menneskelige faktor i form af brugerne selv, der via deres lån på biblioteket giver data til Cicerosystemet og som på den måde indvirker på indkøbet (Liljegren, 2022, s.40f).…”