Public libraries have experienced dramatic changes in the last several years due to the pandemic and other external forces.
Rapid advancements in technology are changing consumer expectations. Today, customers expect more personalised and immediate services than ever before. Public libraries are emerging from the pandemic in some countries stronger, more resilient and more pivotal than ever. So how do our public libraries need to redefine the customer experience in the context of such widespread technological changes?
Malta public libraries’ statistics confirm certain trends that must be interpreted correctly. For instance, the lending of physical books has decreased by a third in the last five years but the borrowing of e-books is surging. Moreover, more than half of the public library’s new members are under 18, even if the overall membership remains low.
Rather than conclude that young people are not as interested in reading as their parents were decades ago, we need to understand how the library experience is evolving and the changing experience that book lovers are looking for.
In communities, the library experience is evolving into education, health, entertainment and work hubs. Libraries are increasing their efforts across various sectors to bring people back into their physical spaces. To do this successfully, library managers must change spatial layout and programmes where the digital environment is a crucial success factor.
The ‘walls’ of a library must continue to expand beyond the physical space, with an increase of online resources, social media, crowdsourcing and mobile services impacting how collections are accessed online.
Of course, the pressures on public libraries to adapt to the changing technological advancement preceded COVID. Changing the public library experience by focusing on topics such as community engagement, collaboration and innovative programmes that meet library users’ evolving needs and expectations presents new challenges to library managers.
The shift to digital services and delivery models enhances access and creates new challenges. In a recent TVM interview, Malta Libraries CEO Cheryl Falzon said e-books in Maltese will be available later this year. This is welcome news but more needs to be done to satisfy library users’ needs.
Accessing content and services digitally is more convenient for many patrons and the shift toward digital delivery will likely continue. Digitalising existing materials is difficult but this process must be included in public libraries’ operating strategies.
Successfully, public libraries are increasingly shifting to digital services and delivery models to respond to the changing expectations among patrons. Having the right technologies in place will allow libraries to manage the complex process of digitalising existing printed materials effectively without running afoul of copyright restrictions.
Budgetary pressures are likely to force public libraries to become more efficient. Still, this is a reality that all public service providers face, predating the pandemic. The right technologies can help librarians decide where to spend their limited resources. For instance, instead of acquiring books or digital materials likely to have a narrow appeal, partnering with other libraries through a resource-sharing network would make more sense.
Today’s younger generations are often unfairly criticised for falling out of love with reading printed books. Still, their search for knowledge and fulfilment through reading is as real as ever, even if achieving this objective is done by other means.
Our public libraries must, therefore, continue to demonstrate their value and prove how essential they are to the communities they serve by accelerating their innovation strategies.