How Many Libraries Do We Need?

Abstract

According to the American Library Association, there are 119,000 libraries in the United States. But how many do we need? In this vision session report, Arizona State University Librarian James J. O'Donnell addresses this question through the lenses of discovery tools, usability, and marketing strategy. He also addresses the need for a more global and collaborative approach to collection building in libraries. This deliberately provocative talk provides several different ways to think about the answer to the title question-and several answers.

Controlled Digital Lending

“…Furthermore, by negating distance as a barrier, researchers that use libraries to support their work can do so more efficiently (Wu, 2016). With regard to special collections, O'Donnell and Regan (2017) maintain that usage has hitherto been exclusive. They write that “historically, access to information was discriminatory because there were only limited copies of a text and they had to be in particular places.…”

“…In addition to distance, a barrier to access for a growing number of community members is the physical format itself. Unless materials are accessible in digital form, many patrons are either unwilling or unable to use them (Kahle, 2017; O'Donnell & Regan, 2017). Not only does Wu (2011) acknowledge that students prefer digital over print, but they note that a similar tendency is evident with faculty as well.…”

“…Collaborative efforts among libraries have the potential to compound the benefits that result from preserving physical items. In the opinion of O'Donnell and Regan (2017), “if we begin to think collaboratively, and begin to think of one collection instead of thousands of collections, we can make better decisions, save money, preserve our print heritage better, and serve our users better” (p. 45). Collaboration in this sense may be properly understood to entail work at scale, a concept that Wilkin (2015) defines:

Work at scale involves the consolidation of efforts in a sphere that cuts across institutions, for example through geographic, peer, or even broader alliances.

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“…Wu (2016) writes that “the digitization of printed materials and inclusion of their texts in a discovery platform ensure a level playing field for a search of all resources, regardless of their original formats” (p. 3). Taking into consideration both the risk of information distortion as well as the tendency of patrons to explore digital sources before considering print (Kahle, 2017; O'Donnell & Regan, 2017; Wu, 2011), one can appreciate the need to provide users with the broadest and most varied access to information. Contemplating these factors, Wu (2011) asserts that “society's perception of reality shifts to reflect only the information easily available.…”