Heath, F. (2009) ‘Documenting the Global Conversation: Relevancy of Libraries in a Digital World’, Journal of Library Administration, 49: 5, 519 – 532
Heath’s article discusses the changing world of digital content and information access and control and the negative effects being felt by libraries, in particular research and university libraries. His own position of being vice provost and director of University of Texas (UT) Libraries is apparent in this article, referring exclusively to how UT is coping with the inevitable change in the way students are obtaining information by using the Web as an emerging power source for research and study, as opposed to the institution of the Library and its resources.
Three points are listed which are integral to his argument; that knowledge is increasing exponentionally; web applications and services facilitate self discovery and research, ‘freeing’ students from the ‘grasp’ of the library; financial limitations have direct effects on university modernisation (2009 p.520)
The article focuses intently on how internet usage is negatively affecting information and entertainment providers such as news, music and publishing. The author’s pessimism of the world’s growing acceptance, reliance and preference of some new technologies to provide more and better information is palpable. The language used to describe the web such as ‘culprit’; ‘overrun(ing)’; ‘render irrelevant’; ‘dyspepsia’ (2009 p.524) are all indicators of the author’s negative reactions to the Web’s integration and increasing presence into society, including the Library. Heath reports on a UT’s conferences’ conclusions foreseeing disruptive impacts on University libraries such as: ‘unable to respond to pace and scale of scholarly inquiry’; ‘library online catalog...waste bin’ and that ‘self reliance is the aspiration of every scholar; the reference desk...a point of failure’ and happy to joke about ‘resting easy’ at the expiration date of libraries (2009 p.525). The strength of his argument against research libraries ‘surviving’ the disruption caused by the digital world appears stronger than his opinions of strategies for counteraction.
Despite the gloom of how the future of the Library is being perceived, Heath tries to allay the reader’s fears that there is still purpose for a library and offers directions for a library’s survival. The author believes that establishing the importance of a University library as a resource of staff who have taken ‘different and disciplined tactics’ to develop critical thinking skills in students (2009 p.526), and the necessity for upgrading information searching tools to be ‘efficient, transparent navigation systems’ exemplify how UT is responding to the ‘digital disruption’ institutions such as UT are facing. An extensive reporting on the UT’s changes and adaptations to collection allocation and storage (2009 p.529) and connections to other universities’ resources (2009 p.530) also offers the reader examples of how this University is changing or perhaps re-inventing itself in order to ‘survive’.
Heath’s summary asks the question ‘Will research libraries remain relevant?’ and answers positively as long as they are ‘facilitating critical inquiry’. Librarians have always been facilitators for obtaining information and will continue to do so in the future, despite changes in the way information is now so readily accessible. Libraries, as stated by Heath will be seen as an ‘indispensible ally’ in directing inquiry into the ever expanding and unfamiliar information universe (p.531). Florida International University Library’s Strategic Plan 2009 – 2011 provides a more positive approach to the digital world’s affects on library environment; instead of just ‘surviving’, it uses key words such as ‘provide’, ‘build’, and ‘deliver’ environments both physical and virtual to a University Research standard, and possibly, most critically ‘foster, individually and collectively, collaborative Relationships with Users’. An interconnected relationship between a University and its students will keep it relevant in today’s society and understanding and responding to modern user behaviour is a critical role it must play.
Heath states that ‘our library world ...mirrors the broader society in which we live today’ (2009 p.520). It is the kind of mirror that must learn to be flexible in its reflection or crack under pressure. University libraries are no exception.
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