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Vol. 41 No. 5 — June 2021

BUILDING DIGITAL LIBRARIES
Lockdown Lessons for Library Services
by Terence K. Huwe

Library collections have benefited indirectly from these pandemic coping skills. The extreme isolation we are living with has influenced how library collections are valued and perceived. With this in mind, I will use my column space this issue to assess the state of library collections and user interaction. I conclude with two opportunities that may invite further innovation in uncertain times.

Collections as a (Public) Process

Collections have long been treasured as resources that are tied to specific geographic locations. While users have searched remotely, borrowing books and obtaining journal articles with ample assistance, in-person access—which remains important for many scholars—has been suspended for a full year. Fortunately, the “social life” of collections has not. Within days of the global lockdown, digital librarians went to great lengths to expand access to core resources, such as HathiTrust. Commercial vendors also joined in, extending access to licensed content.  

This crisis-triggered expansion has carried an interesting side benefit. Our patrons now can witness the dynamic process of acquiring, developing, managing, and repurposing resources, basically on-the-fly and right away. These changes were effective and reveal the remarkable flexibility of digital collections. The ability to witness collections evolve in real time invites our users to think about the entire information lifecycle. Their awareness of collections in action invites us to reframe our outreach strategies.

The world of libraries is a relatively small domain within the universe of online life. But the values we espouse and the finding aids we author have outsized impacts. They stand in bold relief when compared to the chaotic, fast-moving world of the open web—including the news media. Students and faculty members at all types of institutions—from elite universities to community colleges—depend on stable access, well-formed finding aids, and metadata across every discipline. That same stability demonstrates that library services not only have a place in digital scholarship, but that they are indispensable as online education becomes more prevalent. We have worked hard to explain the potential of digital scholarship to campus leaders and users alike and were ready when severe isolation and social dislocation became facts of life. Even so, it has come as a surprise (at least, for me) to see so many scholars and students voice their appreciation for robust library access.  

Library Space Builds Community

As digital scholarship matures, the conventional wisdom (both within and beyond the profession) holds that physical collections will receive less emphasis, perhaps even becoming vestigial. That’s a facile opinion that is much-beloved by college administrators—until they realize that student life and learning now rely on the full array of library access services in every format. In addition, users long to return to our common spaces for a more rewarding scholarly experience. Deprivation, it seems, is boosting the importance of library facilities, even as digital access expands.  

Indeed, library spaces can even act as healing agents or community builders. In the March 17, 2021, issue of   The New York Times, noted architect Maya Lin was showcased—but not for her landmark achievement in designing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Smith College has partnered with Lin to build a truly innovative addition to its Neilson Library. As the project advanced, she experienced deep personal grief and loss (see “For Maya Lin, A Victory Lap Gives Way to Mourning”; nytimes.com/2021/03/17/arts/design/maya-lin-smith-college-daniel-wolf.html?smid=url-share). It turned out that the campus was also facing disturbing controversies at the same moment, due to some very tense community debates about race, class, and harassment at Smith (see also “Inside a Battle Over Race, Class and Power at Smith College”; nytimes.com/2021/02/24/us/smith-college-race.html?smid=url-share).

The leadership at Smith perceived that the renovation of Neilson Library could help restart open discourse on the difficult controversies facing the college. The light-filled, book-filled, and soon-to-be people-filled space is nothing short of stunning. It is a costly venture and symbolizes an ongoing commitment to keeping physical collections in the heart of the campus. 

Entering a functional and beautiful space to study and conduct research has a clarifying effect on many people. Likewise, departing from that space encourages a sense of accomplishment. But Neilson Library is opening at a time when it can go further, helping the campus confront unsettling allegations of racial profiling and harassment. Smith’s leadership is betting that library space and collections can go beyond physical boundaries, even touching hearts and minds. Kathleen McCartney, Smith’s president, told The New York Times, “I think the grand opening is going to just lift everyone’s spirits.”  

Smith is by no means alone in revitalizing physical space. Nationwide, capital investment in library space can still run to the hundreds of millions of dollars each year. As revitalization continues, the physical spaces we oversee become beguiling launchpads for study and access. Presentation and utilization are closely linked, thanks to our professional vision of the growing role of learning spaces. Flexible learning spaces and universal electronic access go well together. We have anticipated this balance and have worked hard to safeguard the synergy it engenders.  

Reopening With a Smile

In talking with colleagues during the lockdown, I’ve heard a wide range of ideas about what to expect when society regains free movement. One thing is certain: This pandemic has been full of surprises. Speculation about future behavior gives way easily to anxiety in every national debate about reopening, including kickstarting the Broadway entertainment scene and the dramatic reassessment of work at the office versus remote work from home. Meanwhile, the library profession has compiled a data-driven strategy, utilizing solid usage statistics to frame our own reopening plan.  

Outreach is well-focused and much more interactive, ranging from online workshops with a focus on hands-on use of digital collections to guided tours of resources. Feedback collected from users confirms that they regard libraries as access gateways that work well on multiple fronts. Interactive outreach is ascendant; it will not lapse when lockdowns end, because it has worked so well.

Library instruction has advanced its reach because we are responding to the depth of users’ struggles with research in isolation. In response, we have adopted a warm tone and a welcoming attitude. Moreover, library staffers often take the first step in offering online tours of research tools, legacy collections, and newly redesigned digital libraries.  

Faculty researchers in particular face many challenges, not least being so busy that they are often focused on what absolutely must be done right now. They are most forthcoming in describing their travails. One common phrase I hear goes like this: “I’m so slammed I can’t see straight!” And yet, another theme has emerged in conversations between librarians and faculty: Many professors have realized that a lot of services we offer improve their quality of life.  

Practical help in the face of triage is a great basis for befriending colleagues and building long-term connections. It is also an example of “soft power” at work, which provides a foundation for better communication. As the lockdown winds down, the way forward is clear: Outreach that accentuates personal connections works. We can anticipate demand for more of the same.  

Legacies and Futures  Move Together

Usage statistics are great, but extraordinary times call for people-based strategies that can bring the data to life. Users are in the mood to express gratitude when they receive effective research support, and now is the time to take advantage of that attitude. I see two new opportunities that may advance library services and influence our users as they re-enter active public life.  

First, we can step out of lockdown with a fresh emphasis on integrated library services—not just the online tools, but also how they may increase the value of physical space. Users are more than ready to reclaim physical space, and they like revitalized libraries with their mix of noisy, boisterous social space and quiet corners for focused study. Indeed, we may find that library space is more popular than ever.

Second, we must continue to rethink and reassess library outreach. Unique collections come to life when we guide users through their colorful histories. Our locally curated digital collections stand alongside licensed content, and their relevance to everyday study is widely accepted. As trial-by-lockdown comes to an end, I believe that collections and the lively art of information counseling are more closely linked than ever. We may see greater excitement levels among our user communities as society reopens. If so, we will have many occasions to assert that online life and physical space are now the norm in libraries—much to the benefit of universities everywhere.