TBLC FOCUS GROUP: SUNLINE BOARD, APRIL 20
 

Question 1: What are the challenges that are facing libraries today and for the next few years?
 
• Competition for dollars
• Technology: expectations of users vs. funding
• Implementation of changes in technology
• Generational gulf between library users and staff; gulf between library staff and administration, especially related to implementation of changes
• Selection of best technology and other new stuff. Lots of options, what will patrons actually want to use; what will work best in each library; how do we plan for and assess what we use? Libraries need help and strong leadership in this area.
• Multicultural users: as our country and region continue to grow more diverse, how do we cope with languages, collections/resources
• Access for those with disabilities
• Marketing/outreach: patrons just don’t know all that we have, including databases; how do we spread the word effectively?
• Users’ demands: desire for instant gratification; high expectations that can never be met (by the time you implement the improvement in an academic library, you have a whole new set of students with new expectations) People can never be satisfied.
• Time it takes to implement changes: demand always exceeds actuality
• Local staffing issues due to budget crunch
 

Question 2: What are the things that TBLC does well that help you address these challenges?
 
• The System network
• Charlie is always conscious of the impact of budget increases; his consistent costs are easier to justify to funders
• Presentations on critical library issues and services; TLBC is always responsive to requests for specific topics.
• Training, annual meeting, workshops. These are excellent plus these are always affordable. E.g., Risk assessment, professional development.
• Special interest groups (SIGs) provide useful networking opportunities as well as learning.
• Staff is helpful and responsive. Examples: Al gives excellent, speedy resolution of technical problems; Vickie is an expert on finances, responsive and quick; Matt is also helpful; many rely on Ben.
• Legacy/digitization
• Delivery
• Reciprocal borrowing
• TBLC listens to its membership and acts on what we tell them
• Bibliographic services
• TBLC is willing to focus on the needs of the individual libraries and help them through their problems
 

Question 3: What should TBLC add, change or improve that would help you to better meet the challenges ahead?
 
• Promote/market TBLC to decision-makers
• Do more off-site training (staff is in overload and it is hard to get to TBLC for training)
• Try electronic training to avoid travel. Could have one face to face session, followed by several follow-up virtual sessions to help people actually use what they learned
• Workshops could be more clear on who they are for: academic library staff, public, special, school. Need to know who is most likely to benefit.
• Ask A Librarian staff doesn’t always show up for its shift. Sometimes there is then only one librarian on duty.
• Marketing: could TBLC offer contract consultant to help develop a marketing plan for individual libraries
• Disaster planning, not just for hurricanes but also for such events as happened at Virginia Tech.
o Need training in how to recognize what’s happening early on.
o Have a specially trained person who could go out to libraries to help develop plans for salvaging water-damaged materials, for example. Have a consultant list or even statewide contact list for help. (May be important to have a contact outside our region in case of hurricane in our region.)
• Help with space planning: consultant, contact list.
These last three could be part of a single consultant list that includes experts on a variety of issues.
 

Question 4: What will TBLC look like in five years if it has been meeting these challenges and opportunities?

• TBLC will be more virtual/electronic, requiring different allocation of space and other resources.
• TBLC will offer more options for training sites around the region so people can still attend training outside their institution, if they like. There is a benefit to face-to-face sessions.
• Staff assignments will likely change.
• TBLC will contract with specialists or give staff specialized training to serve as resources for libraries
• TBLC will continue role as library advocate and keep libraries informed about key issues/legislation.
• IBorrow will be a statewide project.


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