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Communications
Communications by Richard M. Dougherty Available online 24 April 2009
Dear Editor:
I
'd like to react to several comments made by Marcus Banks in his review of my book, Streamlining Library Services. He used the term “anachronistic” because he thought the book was “rooted in the physical library building, even though academic libraries especially are in the process of reinventing themselves for the digital age.” He seems to imply that analysis of library activities is no longer relevant in this digital age. On that point I heartily disagree. While many librarians are actively struggling to find ways to transform library services so that their libraries will be able to thrive in the digital age, the lion's share of public and academic library budgets is still associated with physical facilities and the activities they house. The crucial point for the next generation is not whether the bricks and mortar facilities disappear but rather how the spaces within existing facilities are used to meet the objectives of the library. The tools that are presented in Streamlining Library Services can help a library to determine if staff and/or dollar resources are currently optimally allocated. One should not forget the old work simplification axiom “Why do something efficiently that doesn't need to be done at all.” Even today there are many libraries that continue to fund activities that are really no longer core or worse yet, activities that could be phased out entirely.
The Journal of Academic Librarianship, Volume 35, Number 3, page 299
Please note also that the tools presented in the book represent only a minority of the tools that are currently being used to analyze the activities of organizations. Readers might wish to Google Nancy R. Tagel's book The Quality Tool Box and click on the table of contents. I guarantee that most will be surprised at the number and variety of analytical tools that organizations are using today. The tools I selected for my book are those that I knew from personal experience could be put to good use in libraries. Since I completed Streamlining Library Services, the financial climate for libraries has greatly deteriorated. The need to maximize the use of resources is now more important than was the case a few months ago. Furthermore, many libraries are being asked to demonstrate their contributions to their parent organizations. Such assessment studies will require a combination of quantitative and qualitative assessment techniques to make their cases. I'd also like to see LIS programs find a spot in their curriculum to introduce students to a variety of these analytical and assessment techniques. Sincerely, Richard M. Dougherty Professor Emeritus School of Information University of Michigan, USA
May 2009 299
Dear Editor:
I
'd like to react to several comments made by Marcus Banks in his review of my book, Streamlining Library Services. He used the term “anachronistic” because he thought the book was “rooted in the physical library building, even though academic libraries especially are in the process of reinventing themselves for the digital age.” He seems to imply that analysis of library activities is no longer relevant in this digital age. On that point I heartily disagree. While many librarians are actively struggling to find ways to transform library services so that their libraries will be able to thrive in the digital age, the lion's share of public and academic library budgets is still associated with physical facilities and the activities they house. The crucial point for the next generation is not whether the bricks and mortar facilities disappear but rather how the spaces within existing facilities are used to meet the objectives of the library. The tools that are presented in Streamlining Library Services can help a library to determine if staff and/or dollar resources are currently optimally allocated. One should not forget the old work simplification axiom “Why do something efficiently that doesn't need to be done at all.” Even today there are many libraries that continue to fund activities that are really no longer core or worse yet, activities that could be phased out entirely.
The Journal of Academic Librarianship, Volume 35, Number 3, page 299
Please note also that the tools presented in the book represent only a minority of the tools that are currently being used to analyze the activities of organizations. Readers might wish to Google Nancy R. Tagel's book The Quality Tool Box and click on the table of contents. I guarantee that most will be surprised at the number and variety of analytical tools that organizations are using today. The tools I selected for my book are those that I knew from personal experience could be put to good use in libraries. Since I completed Streamlining Library Services, the financial climate for libraries has greatly deteriorated. The need to maximize the use of resources is now more important than was the case a few months ago. Furthermore, many libraries are being asked to demonstrate their contributions to their parent organizations. Such assessment studies will require a combination of quantitative and qualitative assessment techniques to make their cases. I'd also like to see LIS programs find a spot in their curriculum to introduce students to a variety of these analytical and assessment techniques. Sincerely, Richard M. Dougherty Professor Emeritus School of Information University of Michigan, USA
May 2009 299