What business are we in?
Value added services, core business and
national library performance
Dr Judith Broady-Preston
(copyright retained)
Director of Research, Department of Information Studies,
Aberystwyth University, UK
Email: jbp@aber.ac.uk
and
Wendy Swain, Postgraduate Student, Aberystwyth University UK
Email: wendy.swain@daff.gov.au
Presentation to “Proving Value in Challenging Times”, 9th
Northumbria International Conference on Performance
Measurement in Libraries and Information Services, University of
York, 22-25 August 2011
Outline
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Context and background
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doom and gloom or hope?
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What business are we in?
Research Project, 2010-2011
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Design, methodology and approach
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A typical National library?
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Definitions
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Core business and purpose
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Value and worth
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Customers, purpose and Value
Where are we now? Reflections and future projects
Doom and gloom?
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“if libraries didn’t exist, they would not be invented now”
(Fintan O’Toole, quoted in the Presidential Address, AGM, Library Association of Ireland, 9/03/2006)
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“it is clearly the case that the public view of libraries is that they are
no longer relevant in a digital age”
(O’Connor, Library Management, 2006).
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“The library service is nearing a crisis point after suffering years of
funding cuts, deskilling of the workforce and recent threats of
outsourcing”
(Unison General Secretary Dave Prentis, The Telegraph 29 June 2011)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/booknews/3757567/Library-service-nearing-crisis-point.html
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‘“My sister reads a lot of books but she wastes a lot of money buying
them and then never looking at them again. Is there sort of, like, a
video rental place for books?”’ Do we need to, like, sort of, worry
about the profession’s image when the real world has got as bad as
this?’
(Swaffield, L. (2008) Media watching, Library + Information Update, 7 (4), p.48)
Hope on the horizon?
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“The closure of so many libraries and the slashing of budgets is certainly a
bleak prospect, but I am inclined to be optimistic. Alongside the death of
the library (a worldwide phenomenon) there are grounds for hope
(Robert McCrum, The Guardian, 12 May 2011
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2011/may/12/libraries-crisis-literary-culture-thriving)

“2011 has been a dismal year for the UK's embattled libraries, but help is
now finally at hand. The 208,000 members of the Women's Institute have
thrown their weight behind the campaign to save them”
(Alison Flood, The Guardian, 10 June 2011 http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/jun/10/women-s-institutebattle-save-libraries
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“ librarians need to embrace positively the challenges of creating and
sustaining relationships based on active partnership with their
customers…moving beyond merely ascertaining need and providing for
[it]…into a two-way collaborative relationship reliant on purposeful and
relevant communication strategies”
(Broady-Preston, Felice and Marshall, 2006) [cf ‘the embedded librarian’ May 2011]
Context and Background
What business are we in?
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Confusion re: purpose
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Contextual question
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Core vs ‘value-added’ or peripheral?
Generic vs sector specific
National Libraries: why?
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Body of research in academic and public library sector
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Allows for wider applicability – essentially academic AND public
library
Research Project 2010-2011
Questions and foci
1.
Contemporary purpose of National Libraries
2.
Distinguishing between core business and value added services in
the National Library context, including an assessment of how such
judgements are derived
3.
The use made of core and value added services in the strategic
planning process to facilitate achievement of library purpose
4.
To what extent do national libraries perceive as important
demonstrating achieving purpose, worth and value to stakeholders.
Design, Methodology and
Approach
Collective case study
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Qualitative interpretative
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aim = examine social phenomena and understand social behaviour in
context
Focus on ‘small, smart libraries’
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IFLA informal network begun 2006. Countries which are
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Politically, educationally, socially, technologically advanced, [but]...are
relatively small on the world stage (NLS, 2010)
Purpose = Networking and information sharing; addressing issues
common concern and identifying solutions
Core cases
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individual AND integrated/comparative analysis
UK = Geography/convenience/language
National Libraries Wales (NLW) and Scotland (NLS) NOT British Library
Design, Methodology and
Approach cont...
Data Collection and analysis
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2010: all 3 UK national libraries published new strategic vision and
plans
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Semi-structured interviews senior managers
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Focus groups
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Purposive sampling
 ‘Librarians’
 ‘Library assistants’
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Survey instruments piloted
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Analysis
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Data coded, classified and cross-checked
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Themed schedules
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Aberystwyth University research ethics guidelines
‘A typical National Library’?
Different yet similar?
National Library Purpose:
Safeguarding and providing access to national heritage
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Legal deposit

the act of depositing published material in designated libraries. Publishers
and distributors in the [UK] and Ireland have a legal obligation to deposit
material in the 6 legal deposit libraries (ALDL, 2011, online)
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Hargreaves Review 2011
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Google books 2011
Leadership and advice
Harnessing technology – early adopters?
Customers of ‘all ages and all walks of life’
Wales and Scotland
Legal deposit
Est. Wales (1907); Scotland (1925)
Unique situation Wales – not in capital city but Aberystwyth. Bi-lingual legal
requirement
Definitions
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Research study definitions:
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Core business – activities and services fundamental to the
library’s existence
Value added services - additional activities or services that the
library carries out in order to add value to their operations
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Useful?
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Difficulties in classification – not as obvious as it seems!
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Notion of “value” – whose perspective?
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Stakeholders
Past, present or future?
Judgements effectively made by SMT, “Board” (Council or Court) and Government
Relationship to performance measurement, accountability and decision
making
Core Business
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Translates as purpose
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‘What business are we in’ OR ‘stick to the knitting’
Strategic + legal
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Individual libraries = unique
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Governments exert substantial influence – need for
continuous demonstration efficiency and effectiveness
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Strategy formulation = complex as is management and
control. Possible conflict?
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the National Library of Scotland is a charity as well as ...a NonDepartmental Public Body...which means the Trustees have to act in
the interests of the charity but the Scottish Government tends to
want to control the bodies that it funds...so there can be some
tension about who really controls the library, is it the Board of
Trustees of the funders? (NLS, SMT.3)
Core Business
Why is the organisation in existence?
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Reason vs roles/functions
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‘Fit’ with contemporary societal perspectives
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Not changing purpose but changing delivery to retain
contemporary relevance
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Divergent views?
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Strategically, slight change of emphasis –e.g. NLW specifically refers to
preservation whilst not stated explicitly in NLS’ Vision and mission
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All staff distinguished between core and supporting services as defined in
Charters
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Non-SMT staff able to define traditional core strategic functions from
current strategies – i.e. collection, preservation and access. BUT – no
specific reference to developing the organisation or building relationships
Value and Worth
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Perception and interpretation
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“value added services” = term not employed
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relationship to accountability – dilettantism and unfavourable
perception by key stakeholders
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Shop and café = ‘ancillary services’ (Green, 2008, 3)
Demonstrating value – performance measurement
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Links to demonstrable core business + strong justification
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Fundamental to continuing viability – need to add value to attract
and retain customers
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Meeting expectations – providing the common place
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Is ‘visitor centre’ activity now core? Blurring of boundaries
Role of competition? Commercial rivals
Customers, purpose and value
“the people who interact with any library service are the reason for
the organization’s existence. Therefore their needs and desires
should drive the service” (Hernon & Altman, 2010, 3)
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Users vs non-users – unique role of the national library
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Use and relationship to value
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Physical vs virtual access – geographic barriers
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‘visitor centre’ experience – widening access and use – purpose, formats
and social perceptions
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image
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Widening concept of customers – beyond the national
Tensions?
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Traditional library roles vs changing user needs and expectations
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Preservation, collation and access
Where are we now?
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One of wider Aberystwyth group of studies viz value, impact,
meaning and identity
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“pervasive human desire to identify with the social system of which we are a part”
(Rousseau, 1998)
Identity: need and search for “fit” – (Pratt 1998) NB values and culture match
Macro vs micro response - Social Identity Theory (SIT) (Tajfel 1972)
professional (group) identity rests on shared meaning and understanding
Meaning in relation to identity - Constructed reality
More research needed:
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Understanding of purpose, value and worth in relation to concepts of
contemporary profession and professional meaning and identity
Explore in greater depth concepts of strategic planning and
performance measurement in relation to defining core and ancillary
service delivery
Relationship between, and impact of economic retrenchment and
change on relative purpose and staff engagement
Finally…
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Hopefully a starting point for further discussion/debate
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Thank-you for listening – happy to answer questions either now or in
the future
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Contact – jbp@aber.ac.uk