Digital Transformations for UK Public Libraries

The British Library’s Jake Millar presents: Five Approaches to a ‘Single Digital Presence’ for the UK’s public libraries

Guest post from The British Library

Jake Millar

Over the past year, here at the British Library, we’ve been thinking about public libraries. A lot. Way back in 2017 it was announced that we would be leading a scoping study, funded by Arts Council England and Carnegie Trust UK, exploring the possibility of a “single digital presence” for public libraries throughout the United Kingdom. Fast forward 18 months, and having spoken to – and learnt from – more than 65 public library authorities, from Cambridge to Glasgow, Aberystwyth to Belfast, and travelling over 2000 miles in the process, we’re thrilled to have published our findings. Starting with the obscure and ill-defined phrase “single digital presence”, we’ve not only explored what a UK-wide digital platform for libraries might look like, but thought more broadly about the role of libraries in an information-rich, digital-first landscape.

Libraries continue to be vitally important institutions in a functioning, open-minded society. Offering free access to knowledge and providing a safe space for all who need it, libraries inspire and empower individuals, communities and nations. To remain relevant, however, libraries must keep up with technological change. That is why we have identified five key areas of digital transformation for public libraries, which we believe have the potential to keep the library at the centre of an open, democratic and inclusive digital society.

Collectively these options suggest an integrated and sustainable digital library service, one that can grow with, and adapt to, future technological transformations, and one that enables library users to navigate the digital world in safety and with confidence.

You can read the full paper here: Digital Transformations for UK public libraries: five approaches to a ‘Single Digital Presence’

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BUILDING A DEEP SHARED INFRASTRUCTURE FOR PUBLIC LIBRARIES IN THE UK

Those familiar with Public Libraries may recognise one word: Fragmentation. The UK has more than 3,700 public libraries administered by over 200 independent library services accountable to their respective local authority. Historically, each local library service has developed their own digital infrastructure independently. Because of this, locally developed infrastructure remains isolated and siloed, severely restricting the ability of digital transformation at a UK level.

Over the last 15 years, library authorities in the UK have embarked on an impressive shift towards more resource and infrastructure sharing. 47% of the UK’s library services, serving 42% of the UK population, participate in consortia agreements or regional partnerships. Consortia models reduce the cost of individual tenders for system contracts, secure efficiencies and, crucially, improves the user offer. We were greatly encouraged by this shift, and the continued appetite for deeper collaboration between library authorities.

In the short term, however, we did not see the benefit in all UK public libraries migrating to a single centralised library management system. Rather we see most value in further integration at the regional level, and encourage the maximum amount of interoperability between these systems.

The success of greater regional partnerships may, in the future, make the case for further integration at the UK level, but it was our judgement that beneficial digital transformations can be delivered without a single centralised system.

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DISCOVERING CONTENT, UK-WIDE

As part of our research, we were lucky enough to learn about the wonderful array of digital libraries throughout the world. Platforms such as the Digital Public Library of America, Gallica, Finna and Trove provide unprecedented free-to-view access to the digitised collections of some of the world’s greatest libraries.

Given the strength of the UK’s heritage collections and the array of its digitisation projects, the UK is arguably better placed than most to develop a similar platform. As the national library of the United Kingdom, The British Library is committed to making its collections as open and accessible as possible, and welcomes the opportunity to make its digitised collections more accessible for research, inspiration and enjoyment.

A “single digital presence” initiative for libraries focussed on the promotion and discovery of open content – linking UK-wide, regional and local materials, and heritage content with contemporary research outputs – has the potential to embed public libraries fully and visibly in the infrastructure of the UK’s knowledge economy.

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IMPROVING E-LENDING IN LIBRARIES

Libraries have been offering access to e-books, audio-books and online resources for many years. But ask a person in the street, and chances are they were unaware of such a service. The percentage of expenditure on e-resources has gradually increased, and the quantity of material and quality of provision has improved. However, there is a significant gulf between the material on offer and the awareness of public library users.

E-lending in libraries has, in the past, generated fairly heated discussions between librarians, authors, booksellers and publishers. We recognise the legitimate concerns of such groups that e-lending, if not regulated properly, could damage commercial sales. We believe that finding a middle-ground that protects the commercial interests of publishers, booksellers and authors, while letting libraries lend, is a long-term strategic goal that the public library sector, and its leadership organisations, are better placed to lead on than ourselves. We do, however, see that in the short to medium term there is the pressing need to develop a greater awareness of what public libraries already offer.

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DEVELOPING A SAFE SOCIAL SPACE

At a moment of distrust in social platforms, and with ethical question marks looming over commercial use of data, there is need for a digital space that reflects the values of the physical public library space. Users of commercial social platforms understand well that they are not considered to be ‘safe spaces’, but are vehicles for advertising, data trading and even state observation. Libraries, by contrast, score highly in all parts of the world on measures of trust, safety and freedom from influence by commercial, political or religious interests. If a digital presence could be created that replicated even some of those values in the online realm and was built upon an ethos of professional librarianship, it could answer a genuine and demonstrable market failure.

Libraries help people connect with each other and build communities, and there is an urgent need to reflect that online. Recreating this ethos in the digital realm would lead to greater dissemination of trusted knowledge online, and the formation of networks of users and librarians, which would help users develop their research skills and lead their own discovery journeys. The concepts of a virtual discussion space and online reading groups were also identified during our conversations with representatives from the publishing industry and the author community, who particularly supported the idea of interactive content within this space.

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BUILDING A BRAND FOR LIBRARIES

Much of what we’ve discussed is concerned with awareness of libraries and the services that they offer, and this last option addresses that awareness and considers how we change the stories we tell about libraries.

In a world where brand presence and familiarity is becoming increasingly necessary for any service that wishes to attract and retain a wide user base, having a common brand identity will help to focus and reinforce public awareness of the breadth and depth of library services, the essential and vital professional skills of library professionals, and the ongoing resonance and value of safe spaces.

Unlike other notable UK-wide public services – such as the NHS for health and the BBC for broadcasting – there is not, and never has been in the UK, a common brand associated with the public provision of libraries. This has arguably been part of its distinctive character as a public service; libraries are proudly local in their identity and this fact has played a role in the strength of feeling and support that the best public libraries attract. With this in mind, any branding initiative will have to be very carefully handled, reflecting the diversity of all nations of the UK and striking the right balance between local and national brand identities.

Digital Transformations for UK Public Libraries

Guest post from The British Library

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