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Future of Public Libraries Paper
Facilitator of Creativity and Self-Distribution: Key Roles for the Future Public Library
Evan Silverstein
Public Library Service, INFO650
Dr. Agosto
March 15, 2010
Introduction
Digital technology has both challenged the traditional role of the public library and also provided it with exciting new tools and resources. The same technology that is leading to easier information gathering is also providing for easier information creation. The Internet and other digital technology have leveled the playing field for those seeking to learn and create. Not only is information less expensive and easier to obtain, it is also easier to create and distribute. Similar to how public librarians are experts on information gathering, this paper argues they are suited to become experts on information creation and distribution. Many people are versed in the various ways new technology allows them to bypass traditional avenues of creation (e.g. use of inexpensive video editing software on a home computer rather than renting time in an expensive video editing suite) and distribution (e.g. open source publishing, blog platform sites, or video sites as oppose to getting hired by a news agency to publish or televise your reporting), but no profession currently describes itself as an expert in these tools and skills. This paper argues public librarians are most qualified to take on this role and the public library building is best suited to house necessary resources. The public library can become a hub of creators. People are not reliant on large, specialized companies, like publishers, movie studios, or record companies, anymore to create and distribute, but they could benefit from a space that provides access to tools, potential collaborators, a creative community, cohesive programming, and expertise.
To clarify, this paper discusses fully-realized informational and creative works needing specialized tools and resources to create and distribute, such as a novel, short documentary video, recorded song, magazine, blog, or electronic newsletter. The discussion of distribution involves the public library providing access and expertise to distribution tools and resources, not actually distributing the information itself. Although the public library as publisher of these works is an exciting idea, it brings up neutrality issues. It could be argued that by choosing to publish something, the library is putting forth a point-of-view and is therefore no longer neutral.
This paper will attempt to answer the following research question:
· Is aiming to provide resources for information creation – on top of the traditional information gathering resources – a worthwhile direction for public libraries to take in the future?
To examine the feasibility of the vision, this overarching question has been broken down into the following sub-questions:
· How is society (the public which the public library serves) responding to technological advances in terms of information gathering, creativity, and distribution?
· How much facilitation of creativity and distribution is already happening in public libraries? How do traditional public library missions and roles address facilitation of creativity and distribution?
· Would it make more sense to supply the resources for creativity and distribution in a physical or online space?
As this idea is not yet popular in academic or trade literature, this paper attempts to piece together any literature that gives context to any relatable broader conversation happening via the research questions and the public librarian survey. The conclusion, with the context of the literature examined, offers more direct discussion of this author’s vision and recommended research needed as well as other next steps. The future public library that fits the vision discussed in this paper has the following characteristics:
· Specialized work stations dedicated to the creation of fully-realized informational and artistic works of all types of media
· Specialized tools and process to facilitate creators wishing to learn creative skills or do background research on the topics of their work
· Librarians trained to teach skills needed to utilize online tools, software, and physical equipment needed in the creation of informational and artistic works
· Librarians trained to provide instruction on the tools available for self-distribution
· Librarians trained to act as neutral editors for works of patrons
· All staff trained to set up special equipment and problem solve any technical issues
· Workshops taught by librarians or other specialists to teach skills required in the creative or distribution process
· Forum for creators who hope to find collaborators and access to equipment not available in the library
· Special section of the library dedicated to the works created with its resources (this is the extent of the library itself acting as distributor)
· Physical and online space for creators to socialize and discuss ideas
· Special programming and space dedicated to children and teens
Literature Review
How is society responding to technological advances in terms of information gathering, creativity, and distribution?
One of the main influences for this paper is an article by Daniel Pink (2005) published in Wired Magazine called “Revenge of the Right Brain.” Pink argues, “In a world upended by outsourcing, deluged with data, and choked with choices, the abilities that matter most are now closer in spirit to the specialties of the right hemisphere [of the brain]- artistry, empathy, seeing the big picture, and pursuing the transcendent” (p. 1, para. 5). He claims computer automation and outsourcing are fulfilling the brunt of redundant and analytical left-brain tasks. Referring to the outsourcing, Pink claims, “It's not just tech work. Visit India's office parks and you'll see chartered accountants preparing American tax returns, lawyers researching American lawsuits, and radiologists reading CAT scans for US hospitals” (p. 1, para. 10). Additionally, the abundance of choices created by new advances is causing people to search for more meaning and quality, further emphasizing creativity and use of the right side of the brain. He states, “We've progressed from a society of farmers to a society of factory workers to a society of knowledge workers. And now we're progressing yet again-to a society of creators and empathizers, pattern makers, and meaning makers” (p. 2, para. 9). Pink claims we are evolving from the Information Age to what he calls the “Conceptual Age.” Pink believes this change is a return to our more natural, human selves. He writes:
Developing these [creative] abilities won't be easy for everyone. For some, the prospect seems unattainable. Fear not (or at least fear less). The sorts of abilities that now matter most are fundamentally human attributes. After all, back on the savannah, our caveperson ancestors weren't plugging numbers into spreadsheets or debugging code. But they were telling stories, demonstrating empathy, and designing innovations. These abilities have always been part of what it means to be human. It's just that after a few generations in the Information Age, many of our high concept, high touch muscles have atrophied. (p. 2, para. 12)
In a 2008 article entitled “Teaching for Creativity: Towards Sustainable and Replicable Pedagogical Practice,” Erica McWilliam and Shane Dawson also acknowledge the rise of creativity in our society. Even more than Pink, they speak of it in terms of an economic commodity, calling it “creative capital” (p. 634). Their key claim is that creativity can be understood in measurable, controlled ways and is therefore highly teachable using traditional methods. They hope to provide “a framework for systematically orchestrating a ‘creativity-enhancing’ learning environment” (p. 633). The hope is to remove some of the mystique surrounding creative learning, making it more accessible.
In her 2008 article “Deconstructing the Library: Reconceptualizing Collections, Spaces, and Services,” Sarah Pritchard explains this changing mind set is a result of new technology and relates it to the traditional and changing structure of libraries. In a portion of the article that insightfully states why libraries need to change, she writes:
The library as an interface was a set of physical and intellectual systems set up to await the users, one massive and passive array of information. The digital environment, however, has transformed the passive sense of a building with books, which was in effect an information monopoly over which the user had little control, into an environment where the user has numerous choices, and the librarians themselves have numerous choices as to how to procure, deliver, and archive information. A single fixed system, either physical or bibliographic, will not work in the face of the flood of available content; moreover, users expect to be able to interact in a dynamic way with information, creating and reshaping the information and the organizing systems as their needs and mental models evolve. (p. 221)
Again, an evolved user who is more active and creative is the cause for change. The way people interact with information and what they seek from it have progressed. People have the capacity and therefore the need to create. The literature is recognizing this and providing a framework for institutions like the public library to begin to support what can be abstract and therefore daunting ideas.
How much facilitation of creativity and distribution is already happening in public libraries? How do traditional public library missions and roles address facilitation of creativity and distribution?
The only document that formally states the current purpose of public libraries as a whole is the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) “Public Library Manifesto.” The Manifesto was put together in 1949 through a partnership with the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA). It underwent revisions in 1979, 1994, and most recently in 1998 (McCook, 2004, p. 266). The Manifesto mainly reinforces the recognizable, traditional goals of the public library (“well-informed citizen”) but also declares two key goals are: “providing opportunities for personal creative development” and “stimulating the imagination and creativity of children and young people” (“Missions of the Public Library” section). It also asks that “collections and services include all types of appropriate media and modern technologies” and states “material must reflect current trends and the evolution of society” (“The Public Library” section).
Perhaps more useful, however, in understanding what the public library is actually currently used for is Denise Agosto’s (2007) article “Why Do Teens Use Libraries? Results of a Public Library Use Survey.” Agosto examines writings of other public library experts, past surveys of the public, statements by the Public Library Association (PLA), as well as her own survey of teen public library users and concludes the current main roles of the public library are: “information gateway,” “social interaction/entertainment space,” and “beneficial physical environment” (pp. 59-61). The emphasis of the physical environment of the public library, especially as a place for interaction, is important for the vision of the future public library as a place for facilitating creativity since it promotes collaboration, provides a sense of community, and allows access to specialized tools not available online. This idea will be discussed more in depth in the “online versus face-to-face” section of this paper.
There are a few examples in the literature of public libraries acting as facilitators of creativity and distribution. A yearly science fiction and fantasy magazine called E.T. was published out of the Mesa Public Library in Arizona starting in 1978. The magazine was put together entirely by local teens and had a cover price of $1.25 (which helped cover production costs, costs that would not have existed had the magazine been published online) (Williams, 1987). In 2002, the St. Paul Public Library published a collection of short stories written by citizens of St. Paul about life in the city. The program succeeded by collaborating with community partners, who provided publicity, production resources, and grants (Kuebler, 2003). In 2006, Heather Pritchard, a librarian at the Lexington (Ky.) Public Library, started a creative writing workshop for young adults at the library. In her account of the experiences, she stresses how important it was for the young adults to have some sense of direction and validation to develop their creativity (Pritchard, 2008). During the 2007 ALA Conference, Walt Crawford spoke about the public library helping local citizens get published. He noted a few public library systems around the country that were already taking on this role and stated the “tools are good enough that it’s becoming practical.” He spoke of local publishing as “a key role for libraries in the world of citizen content” (Brown, 2007, p. 22).
However, it is academic libraries that continue to lead the way in facilitating information creation and distribution as seen through their history of publishing. In their presentation at the 2004 VALA conference entitled “The Library as Digitorium: New Modes of Information Creation, Distribution and Access,” Cathrine Harboe-Ree, Michele Sabto, and Andrew Treloar give a history of academic libraries as places of information creation. They write, “Libraries have always been creators or publishers of scholarly information. In ancient and medieval times the library, or scriptorium, was the centre of creation of information.” They explain that more recently the creative role of academic libraries has been in the areas of bibliographic access and control, although some libraries have published material from rare books and manuscripts collections. Reflecting on the creative role of academic libraries in the future, they write, “Digital technology, combined with library expertise in bibliographic control, distribution, and access, has provided new opportunities for libraries to create, or publish, a wider range of material in support of teaching, learning and research” (para. 2). Their vision could also apply to public librarians who also have current expertise in bibliographic control, distribution, and access.
In 2008, a survey of 80 research university libraries in the U.S. revealed that 65 percent have delivered publishing services or were planning to develop them. A 2007 Association of Research Libraries (ARL) survey of its member libraries showed 88 percent of those libraries providing publishing services published peer-reviewed journals (Jingeng, 2009, p. 371).
The popular model of the Information Commons in academic library settings is also at the forefront of promoting creativity and distribution in libraries. Universities are supplying equipment and physical space to create and collaborate. In the article “Conceptualizing an Information Commons,” which helped define the shared characteristics of iCommons, Donald Beagle (1999) writes: