Library Revolution

Is being “free” enough of an incentive to make libraries competitive in the current marketplace?  Libraries seem to love Return On Investment studies lately, showing their patrons just how much value they potentially get from their taxes. But in an economic and social environment where people are purchasing things they want rather than just things that they need, I really think free might not be enough.

People are not just buying stuff that they need, but also stuff that they want. There is a thriving market for totally unnecessary items like frozen pizza ovens, ringtones, and baby wipe warmers (completely unnecessary, let me tell you!), it becomes quite obvious that folks aren’t shy about spending a little money if there is something that they want.

I think ease of use is a huge part of this. Time is an extremely valuable commodity these days, and I know that I for one am willing to shell out a few bucks more if there is a level of convenience involved. If it’s easy to just buy what you want, and people seem inclined to do just that, then where does that leave libraries?

It leaves us with the problem that being free is not enough any more. We also have to be easy because potential customers count ease as an extra cost associated in getting what they want. That means easy to use, easy to access, easy to understand, easy in every single way. And news flash – libraries, for the most part are not easier than Google and Amazon. For consumers with money to spend and ease as a top priority, that’s HUGE.

I think that beyond making libraries easier, we also need to be sure that we are offering value added services to attract users. What makes the services offered by libraries special and worth consuming? The social value of a personal interaction? The library experience? A feeling of community gained from participating in the library? Expertise in finding, evaluating, and using information?

If you answered yes to any of those suggestions, you had better make sure that it’s really true… and then make it even more indisputable. Then communicate it to your potential users and make it easy!!!  (Not too tall an order, right?)

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 17th, 2007 at 1:19 pm and is filed under Library Administration, Library Service. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.