The Thriving Library: Successful Strategies for Challenging Times

Citation

Glosiene, A. (2008), "The Thriving Library: Successful Strategies for Challenging Times", Journal of Documentation, Vol. 64 No. 1, pp. 170-172. https://doi.org/10.1108/00220410810844213

The Thriving Library: Successful Strategies for Challenging Times is a book which puzzled me in many ways. First of all, I found both the title and subtitle somewhat misleading. Neither indicates that the book is about public libraries. Not that I was disappointed. I love public libraries. It was just that neither title nor subtitle suggested that focus; nor a focus on one specific country. Is the book meant only for an American reader without even mentioning it? Most probably not. Many countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia do have thriving libraries too but examples from outside the USA are not explored.

Extracts from previous reviews of the book on its front and back covers repeatedly said “It is a highly readable book”. I found the book difficult to read because the text is almost nothing but examples, full interviews, and cases, simply crammed with names of libraries and their managers, directors, programs, communities … It makes the text difficult to read and the author's story difficult to follow. In general, the impression is that the author has left it almost totally to the reader to make analysis of the abundant material that was gathered while the book was in preparation. Yes, librarians are too shy and we need more heroes, yes, we need names and faces but we have journals, web sites, and blogs for that. In a book, one expects to find synthesised material and generalised views … And when I discovered that a book of 324 pages has only 206 pages of text while one‐third of the book is comprised of appendices (survey description and results, notes, (too) extensive lists of web site addresses and bibliography) I was surprised once more. Maybe the author valued the material so much that she wanted to use every piece of what was gathered, not leaving anything in rough but such an approach is very hard to justify. If it were a collection of articles written at different times, then such a way to display the material would be understandable.

It was mind‐provoking to find out that men and boys are non‐traditional users. In many countries and many libraries men and boys are more seldom users and visitors. But are they non‐traditional?! If so, then an example of attracting them to the library with books and talks on fishing I found very traditional. On the whole, the very concept of outreach has changed in recent decades so much that it sometimes covers nearly everything – e. g, services to ethnic minorities, even they already are a majority (p. 158). What are then core services targeted at?

This book on public libraries is written by a former academic librarian. Marylaine Block was Associate Director for Public Services at St Ambrose University's library from 1977 to 1999. Since then Marylaine Block is “a full‐time writer, speaker, and publisher of two zines for librarians, Ex Libris (marylaine.com/exlibris) and a site review service, Neat New Stuff I Found on the Net This Week (marylaine.com/neatnew.html)” (p. 307). Her language and style are not dry‐academic but very brisk and lively.

The book has eight chapters, and their sequence seems unusual, but only at a first glance. The author explains that such a sequence was suggested by managers of thriving libraries she had interviewed. The order in which they have prioritised the key success factors of a thriving library was then chosen to structure the book: Focusing on children and teens; The library as place; Partnerships; Marketing the library; Emphasizing the Economic Value of the Library; Library 2.0; Outreach to Nontraditional Users; Helping Community to Achieve Its aspirations. It is interesting to reflect that there is no chapter dedicated to information technologies as such (Library 2.0 is not about technology but about its value of social networking, providing virtual community, and even “Giving the Library a Human Face” p. 147). Ten years ago IT would certainly get a separate chapter, but today the professional attitude has changed and technology becomes a tool and not a goal in itself.

Another change in public libraries' priorities can be observed from a much longer historical perspective. In their early stages of development public libraries were meant for adults, not children. Schools provided education for children and school libraries supplied them with textbooks and books for proper leisure reading. Public libraries were for after‐school education of adults who could not get a further formal education. Today, the situation has remarkably changed. Children are the main focus in all public libraries around the globe as librarians are very much aware of the need to invest in the future of reading and library values. More and more libraries have special programs for teens, and recently IFLA has issued the Guidelines for Library Services to Babies and Toddlers (IFLA, 2007). Libraries are encouraged to start from babies and follow paths to attract the youngsters.

The chapter on “The library as place” was really interesting to read as this issue is more and more debated in various contexts. Availability and abundance of non‐library electronic information resources have created an opinion that physical library is becoming obsolete. It is essential to articulate and communicate the value of libraries as community meeting places, as experience libraries, as third places, as essential element in building social capital. Marylaine Block does it with great passion.

The chapter on partnerships is laconic but quickfire. One can learn about library partnership “dates” and even “marriages” as well as what libraries can gain from partnerships. It provokes also thoughts what libraries give for partnerships, and why they are chosen “to date” and “to marry”.

The marketing chapter is much longer. It starts with a paragraph on the marketing plan but no planning is described in it. On the whole, there is very little theory in the book, and Chapter 4 is no exception as it presents different ways and methods and examples of inspiring library marketing but not so many theoretical insights.

Those interested in economic value of libraries (which is another hot topic around the globe) will find it useful to read about documenting the outcomes of library services, cost‐benefit analysis, library's contribution to workforce development, local property values or downtown revitalization. It is rather unusual to discuss generating outside funding issues not within marketing but in an economic value context but it certainly is a question of big concern to many librarians.

Chapter 6 shows numerous examples of Library 2.0 applications, and Chapter 7 talks about services to men and boys, people with disabilities, seniors, African‐Americans, and immigrants who constitute, according to Marylaine Block, a group of “non‐traditional users”. The library's connections to the homeless, the poor, and the incarcerated (such terms and concepts used in the book) are dealt with in the last chapter that emphasises the library's role and potential to help the community both to articulate and to achieve its aspirations. It convincingly shows that libraries are an inseparable part of a public sphere, and a voice “telling a community story” (p. 181).

Each chapter ends with an interview with library and information specialists and managers from different American libraries.

The book is very much practically oriented, and is recommended to the library practitioners wishing to create a thriving library.

References

IFLA (2007), Guidelines for Library Services to Babies and Toddlers, IFLA Professional Report No. 100, available from www.ifla.org/VII/d3/pub/Profrep100.pdf