The future role and concept of the public
library is still being debated. However,
there seems to be a growing consensus on
the hybrid library concept with its constantly
improving access to web based
services and digital content as well as on
the physical place that changes according
to new patterns of use - obviously with a
stronger focus on the library as a spot for
learning as one of the issues. This was at
least a ‘leitmotif’ at the conference for
national authorities on public libraries in
Europe (NAPLE) held last October in Helsinki.
If I am right in this assumption yet
more libraries are facing what I call ‘the
hybrid dilemma’. The dilemma is that
on the one hand professional librarians
realise the potential in an ongoing development
of web based services - and
subsequently changing the physical
library space to cover what you do not
get via the web. On the other hand
when it comes to public library users
(the situation is completely different in
university- and academic libraries)
they prefer - by numbers - the traditional
services. The single most used service
in Danish public libraries is still
without any competition the loan of
printed material. Even so the number
of loans of this kind of material is decreasing.
One of the reasons may be
found in the hybrid dilemma: Libraries
buy fewer books as they need more resources
to develop and offer new services.
If those new services are not
appreciated sufficiently by our users we
have a problem, no matter how much
we believe in a digital future for public
libraries.
In Denmark we are facing the dilemma
in a very direct way these days. As a
consequence of a major reform of the
administrative structure in Denmark
the municipalities are merging and the
number decreasing from 271 to 98
from January 2007. That means that a
lot of public libraries are merging too,
and nearly one hundred branches are
closing down - and more may follow
suit.
Now some of these branches are small
with weak collections and access maybe
once a week. Others may be full- and
well-working libraries, but situated at a
distance of 2-3 kilometres from the
main library. The intention of the administrative
reform is to give citizens
better public service by improving the
public institutions.We must hope that
this will be the result of the process
that we are now witnessing, but it has
to be proved.
But the more the idea of maintaining a
library in all major neighbourhoods
becomes rather unrealistic, the more
the professional responsibility to develop
new services increases.
The web based services is one way to
go, that is obvious. For years we have
been exploring that way, and have had
some good results and some less convincing
ones. But there are also other
paths to venture along in terms of
personal service, which I believe we
should recognise is still one of the most
valuable assets of the public library.
The mantra is simply: Leave the library
and offer your service where people
actually are.We have a number of good
models: the Kindergarten-library
service, the class-room service at any
level, service to the elderly in their
homes, cooperation with clubs and
places where people work.Most of
these models have been used before
and then forgotten, but they can be
revitalised on a new basis. A good recent
example that I discovered was an
offer to ‘book a book-mobile’ for clubs
and other groups with common interests.
This appears to have been a
huge success in an area where traditional
use of the bookmobile was stagnating.
There are many other roads to take
- we should explore them all.
