Redefining Who We Serve

(Part 3 of the white paper I'm working on)

The notion of whom we serve deserves a fresh look. Historically, we focused on providing information services to the students and faculty of our own institutions. We served other information seekers, but at a much lower priority. In the Information Age, the Internet has given every academic library the capacity to provide information services to the whole world. It turns out that there are great benefits in doing so relative to the cost.

Reevaluating our mission in terms of the entire world of information seekers is justified by the consideration that all academic libraries stand to benefit by pursuing this philosophy. It is easy for a contrarian to observe that Institution A is not serving its mission by providing access to digital collections to patrons of Institution B. On the other hand, Institution B'’s digital resources may very well be benefiting the patrons of Institution A. This pay-it-forward philosophy imbues the culture of the Information Age, from Open Source software to Open Access collections. As for the cost, for some of these services, such digitizing special collections, there is virtually zero marginal cost for delivery. In other words, it does not cost any more to provide access to the whole world than it does to provide access to local patrons. In fact, the greater cost would come in not providing these services at all, resulting in a library culture that is increasingly irrelevant in the Information Age.

The other major benefit is that a strong online presence raises the profile of the institution, its scholars, and its collections. Institutional repositories, consisting of scholarly work emanating from the institution, can increase access to scholarship that would otherwise be virtually inaccessible. Studies have shown a positive correlation between online access and scholarly impact. A common problem for archives is raising public awareness of collections. Digitizing special collections can do this. In many cases, the materials in these archives are singular, and only the institution that possesses, say, a letter from a Civil War soldier, can digitize it and provide it in a networked environment. In fact, raising awareness of special collections may have side benefits in terms of philanthropic development, sponsorship, and community engagement.

(Next up, evaluating our services)