The library as the centre of the
community
Justine Hyde
Director, Library Services and Experience
@justine_hyde
School Libraries Victoria Forum,
Melbourne, 16 May 2014
"A library in the middle of a community is
a cross between an emergency exit, a
life raft and a festival. They are
cathedrals of the mind; hospitals of the
soul; theme parks of the imagination."
Caitlin Moran, ’Libraries: Cathedrals of Our Souls’
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/caitlin-moran/libraries-cathedrals-of-o_b_2103362.html
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@justine_hyde
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@justine_hyde
Value of public libraries to their communities
• public libraries play an important role in giving
everyone a chance to succeed (95%)
• public libraries are important because they promote
literacy and a love of reading (95%)
• public libraries improve the quality of life in a
community (94%)
• public libraries provide many services people would
have a hard time finding elsewhere (81%)
Pew Research Centre (2013) ‘How Americans Value Public Libraries in Their Communities’
http://libraries.pewinternet.org/2013/12/11/libraries-in-communities/
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@justine_hyde
The ties that bind us
“…libraries are about freedom. Freedom to
read, freedom of ideas, freedom of
communication. They are about
education… about entertainment, about
making safe spaces, and about access to
information… It's a place with librarians in
it.”
Neil Gaiman, ‘Why our future depends on libraries, reading and daydreaming’
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/oct/15/neil-gaiman-future-libraries-readingdaydreaming
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@justine_hyde
21st Century challenges for libraries
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•
•
•
•
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•
The status of the global economy
Trends in business environment
Governments’ policy reforms and priorities
Consumer and customer preferences
Competitors (traditional and emerging)
New and emerging technologies
Relationships and partnerships including
vendors
• Costs and budgets
Adapted from ‘Trends in the Library and Information Services Sector:
Information Brief’, Robert McEntyre & Associates Pty Limited, March 2013
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@justine_hyde
Responses to 21st Century challenges
Place and
Space
Collections
and Content
Community
Engagement
• Refurbishing facilities
• Investment in digital infrastructure
• Large scale digitisation programs
• Optimisation of content for multiple
platforms and devices
• Digital reform advocacy
• Greater outreach and consultation
• Reviewing the role and relevance of the
library in the society
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@justine_hyde
Typical library responses to 21st Century
challenges
Access
Collaboration
People and
capabilities
Sustainable
finances
• Reduced opening hours but increased
‘digital access’
• New service models
• Increased collaboration and
partnerships
• ‘Digital library’ skills and capabilities
• Increasing ‘service’ culture
• Reduced services/ new service models
• Increased user-pays
• Increased focus on philanthropy and
public-private partnerships
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@justine_hyde
The Victorian Public
Libraries 2030 Report
www.plvn.net.au
Victorian Public Libraries
2030
Strategic Framework
June 2013
@justine_hyde
Opportunities in 2030
Community wants & needs emerging from
future social trends
Opportunities for public libraries
A drive to explore & develop creative interests
Become vibrant creativity hubs, facilitating
communal creative development & expression
Opportunities to partner & share with others, both
as individuals & as organisations
Become co-working hubs, bringing people &
organisations together to collaborate creatively,
socially & professionally
Lifelong mental engagement, stimulation & care
Become the community’s brain gymnasium
Continuous acquisition of new knowledge & skills
to participate fully in a rapidly changing
environment
Provide community learning programs that support
21st-century literacies
Stable & trusted relationships with people & places
of common interest
Become the community agora – a meeting place
for people to gather, share & learn
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@justine_hyde
Transforming the State Library of Victoria
Staff of the Melbourne Public Library, ca1896-98 State Library of Victoria
@justine_hyde
Transforming the State Library of Victoria
@justine_hyde
How we developed our vision and strategy
Strategic insight
Community
feedback
Staff
feedback
Segment
analysis
Public library
context
A unique and
compelling vision,
strategy and set
of priorities for the
State Library of
Victoria
The Act &
stakeholder input
Best practice
SLV
capabilities
Unique Assets of
The SLV
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@justine_hyde
Evolution of the State Library of Victoria vision
FROM …
… TO
Victorians will have
ready access to a
comprehensive
collection of Victorian
documentary material
Enable community
and to worldwide
learning, connection, and
information resources
creativity
to enrich their cultural,
Enable access & research
educational, social and
Maintain
economic
livescultural heritage
A place where all
Victorians can Discover,
Learn, Create and
Connect
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A cultural and heritage
hub for Victorians
A leader in the discovery
of information, enabling
the generation of new
knowledge and ideas
@justine_hyde
Motivations for Library use
Seek knowledge, ideas
and enlightenment
DISCOVER
Advance through
specialised
knowledge
MASTER
Connect
SOLVE
Find answers,
solve problems,
do things
Learn
Inspire creative
thought
INSPIRE
REVIVE
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Pause, relax,
reflect and
recharge
@justine_hyde
Market segments
Culture
seeker
Young
learner
Tertiary
student
DISCOVER
Researcher
MASTER
Enthusiast
Connect
SOLVE
Learn
Information
seeker
Facilities
user
Contributor
INSPIRE
REVIVE
Lounger
Creative
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@justine_hyde
What would students like at the State Library?
• more books for children, music
materials, historical content,
paintings, statues
• apps
• a bank of iPads
• a holiday club
• sports activities
• robotics and science activities
• competitions and plays
• children’s spaces
• resident magician
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@justine_hyde
7 building blocks supporting our strategy
Community
Engagement
Collections and
Content
Place and Space
Access
Collaboration
People and capabilities
Sustainable financials and funding
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@justine_hyde
Digital strategy – shift in thinking
From
To
Viewing
Interacting
Transactional service interactions
Ongoing relationship –based interactions
Passive consumption
Active contribution & ownership
Displaying the content
Telling the story
Collection-driven content
Consumer – driven events
100% perfect - slow to market
70% right - faster to market
Guardians & providers
Enablers
Quiet and considered
Dynamic & energetic
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@justine_hyde
Redesigning our service model
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@justine_hyde
Our service design principles
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•
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The collection is at the heart of the library
The library is a place for everyone
Make the entire collection accessible to the public
Services should be available physically and digitally
Connect customers with the right expertise at their point
of need
• Empower customers to serve themselves and others
• Actively monitor and measure customer interactions and
adjust our services
• Charge for our services where appropriate, and charge
appropriately for our services
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