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On getting patrons to use the databases

How do we get patrons to use the databases? We spend a lot of money on them and no one uses them.

This question from a public librarian during one of the Reference Renaissance forums intrigued me. My first reaction was to wonder why a library would continually subscribe to resources patrons aren’t using and my second was to ponder why the databases aren’t being used.

Why do libraries subscribe to databases with low utilization?

Might it be that:

  • this is one of those basic, functional things we seldom question (i.e. databases are part of the collection and collection management is a core library function);
  • the databases come as part of a consortium membership or bundled with other resources, thereby obscuring their costs and making it easier to take them than leave them;
  • other libraries in the area have them and yours doesn’t want to be the first to go without?

The time for bold library action is upon us, so for all resources libraries know (or strongly believe) are not being used, I say: just drop ‘em. Don’t do a survey or ask broad permission, just drop ‘em. Here’s why:

  • Seeking affirmation and permission generally reinforces the status quo regardless of how costly or unproductive it is. Asking forgiveness rather than permission is an effective change management tactic. I’ve used it throughout my career when faced with outmoded, costly or unproductive elements and found that 99% of the time, the change goes unnoticed.
  • Hanging on to, or worse yet, promoting resources people don’t find valuable contributes to an impression of library irrelevance. Better to use the funding spent on underutilized databases to deliver programs and services that more people will value.
  • Subscribing to databases in spite of poor utilization suppresses vendor dialogue about what would make the products more valuable. As long as libraries continue to subscribe to them, there’s no incentive for vendors to make more than cosmetic changes to database products.

If you drop the databases, what about the patrons who did use them? When a user inquires:

  • Be prepared to advise if the information sought is available on the open internet or another dB; reasonable users will appreciate the reference along with knowing their library is spending public funds wisely.
  • In cases where there isn’t an alternate source, purchase an individual article for the patron. If the databases are truly underutilized, the annual cost (material and labor) of individual purchases will probably be less than database subscriptions. Particularly in these financially challenging times, I believe reasonable users will appreciate this cost containment.
Why aren’t patrons using the library databases?

I don’t use them because doing so is terribly inefficient. The databases themselves are inefficient; their interfaces and functionality seem 8-10 years behind the times. The brief descriptions on library websites or information on the dB interfaces haven’t helped me determine which database is best suited for a particular type of inquiry and so I may have been looking in the wrong place for information. Unfortunately, the 4-5 times I’ve sought help at a public library haven’t gone well. Staff has simply logged in and rummaged around, seemingly with no more familiarity or expertise than I have. In my estimation, Google or good content websites win hands down on discoverability; once I’ve identified a resource, I go through the tedious process of retrieving information from a library database as a last resort if it isn’t freely available elsewhere.

During the forum, the topic of usability arose in response to the public librarian’s question. Panelist Jamie Larue, Director of Colorado’s Douglas Public Library, briefly gave straightforward examples of how the databases could be organized much better. And following the forum, one of the librarians I was chatting with ‘went off’ a bit about their deficits and listed a half-dozen serious usability problems. So I’m not the only one who grades these databases as “needs improvement”.

Is database usage low at your public library? Do you have users that view the library databases as a sub-par resource of last resort? If so, what can be done about it?

Library Photo Friday 42

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Inching toward a National Public Library Corporation

At the Reference Renaissance 2010 conference in Denver earlier this month, I was encouraged to learn of various statewide and regional collaborations to foster more efficient operations and delivery of better library services. Conversations about these alliances arose throughout the conference and I would continually ask “why stop here, why not extend this across the country?”

I pitched the idea of a National Public Library Corporation, which sparked some spirited discussion.  Here’s an outline of the proposal:

The Dilemma
  • Public libraries across America are struggling
  • Current public library funding models are unsustainable
  • Library staff are bogged down with the basics – recreating the same wheels
  • Operations/maintenance take time away from more value-added services
  • It’s too hard to be a library professional and an IT professional; libraries do not have staff or funding to develop effective content management, collaboration and productivity systems or websites
The National Public Library Corporation (NPL)
  • It’s time to leverage resources where it makes sense while retaining local autonomy & authenticity
  • Create a national library organization similar to PBS and NPR; leverage: IT & software development, common content development (literacy, reference, reader’s advisory). Retain: personal service, programming, local content development
  • Participation would be voluntary
  • Membership would bring one annual member fee, one account & vendor to manage, many services
What Libraries Get
  • Freedom from techno-drudgery; figuring out what to invest time in, researching options, self-training, creating accounts with multiple services, managing passwords, vendors, agreements …
  • A top-notch external online platform; unique domain name, webhosting with templates & all the fixin’s (email, calendar, chat, survey, newsletter, blog, syndication) and tech support
  • A top-notch internal productivity & collaboration platform; configurable personal account for each staff member, email, chat, RSS feed reader, doc storage, access to content, events, newsletter, continuing education…
  • Top-notch content; a library “race to the top” via collaboration, content sharing & continuous improvement; libraries select what content best meets their local needs
  • Brand awareness thru excellence; national syndication of outstanding content & services; extension of the public’s trust with a “Librarian Stamp of Approval” on factual information sources
  • Professional mobility; gain vertical mobility by becoming a collection curator, a blogger, technical trainer; horizontal mobility because standardization makes moving between libraries easier; visibility beyond libraries for outstanding work
What The Public Gets
  • Better content & services; libraries’ “Cream of the Crop”
  • Online services we can trust; secure and non-commercial
  • Richer library experiences; library staff can be more engaged with patrons because they have access to better resources and aren’t so bogged down with operations
  • Personalization and embodiment that PBS and NPR cannot deliver; having 3 complimentary national services would be a rich information trifecta!
What Financial Contributors Get
  • Benefits to libraries and donors of local funding (taxes, Friends, Foundations) remain the same.
  • The NPL would receive funds from the federal government as well as large corporate and organizational contributions that generate donor visibility by delivering tangible value directly to users
How to Get Started