This document summarizes findings from a seminar on digital leadership for libraries. Key points include: 1) Significant technological changes are expected in the next 5-10 years that will impact libraries, such as increased internet speeds and the rise of e-books. 2) A skills audit of library staff found strengths in implementing teams but weaknesses in understanding digital exclusion and emerging technologies like MOOCs. 3) The document concludes that libraries must develop a vision for how digital services complement physical spaces and resources. National collaboration is needed to share experiences and learning.

1. Digital Leadership for Libraries
Draft Findings
SCL Seminar, June 2014

2. Horizon scanning Skills implications
Skills audit Ideas for action

3. Looking ahead: 5-10 years
• A long time in technology terms
• Iphone released in 2007 – now 500m sold,
1.5bn smartphones in total
• DARPA driverless vehicle challenge in 2004 – a
complete failure. But this year, Google
announced driverless cars had driven 700,000
miles on US roads.

4. Since we started this work…
• D-Wave launches first commercially available
‘quantum’ computer
• New York public libraries Coursera pilot
• Apple planning to announce an iHome operating
system to manage smart home devices
• Google makes public its driverless car prototype
• Planet Labs announces plans to launch 130
‘shoebox’ satellites
• PWC predicts e-book sales overtake physical book
sales by 2018

5. Internet
• Internet speeds will continue to increase
• Mobile internet improving + cheaper devices =
greater accessibility
• Internet transforming from something you ‘go
on’ to something that is ‘just there’
• However:
– Rural / urban divide will remain
– Some people will continue to lack skills
– Digital by default will exacerbate these pressures

6. Software / Hardware
• Computers and machines will have increasing
ability to carry out increasingly complex tasks
• MOOCs – will mature and become more
mainstream – what role for libraries?
• Big Data – can libraries take advantage of this?
• New types of hardware:
– 3D printing
– Robotics
– Raspberry Pi

7. E-books
• A core group who prefer printed books
• However, there is likely to be a general shift
towards e-books due to increasing
proliferation of new devices
• Challenge for libraries in negotiating new
lending agreements across different
publishers and formats

8. Societal / Economic
• Text / reading will continue to be important
but video will become more important as
medium of info
• Computing skills will become more important
for personal enjoyment and professional
success
• Lifelong learning more important in a
changing world
• Yet there will continue to be a segment of
society that is relatively deprived

9. Conclusions
• Significant technological change
• New opportunities: access to learning, streamlining operations,
access to hardware.
• But also major challenges – books will not disappear but now
part of a much broader mix of information / entertainment
media.
• Counter-intuitive: digital reduces the need for physical space –
but physical / local space is what libraries can do best.
• Libraries need a vision for how to use digital services and what
this means for the existing service mix.
• Digital enables scale – more than ever there are strong practical
reasons for some kind of national-level offer.
• We have already seen a number of examples of where libraries
are doing exciting things. A better platform for sharing and
building on experiences is needed.

10. Skills audit

11. Findings from the Skills Audit
• Responses given by 85 SCL members and 133 non-SCL
• Average self-rating for all skills questions on our 1 to 5 scale
was 3.38 for SCL and 3.25 for non-SCL
• Non-SCL respondents rate themselves as more
knowledgeable about technology than SCL group
• ….and Non-SCL respondents find digital developments less
challenging personally than SCL, but very high proportion of
both groups see technology as exciting
• Very high percentages of SCL members rate themselves as
‘very strong’ on experience of implementing team roles
and structures – not so for non-SCL.
• Understanding demand for digital services among those
who rarely use library services, seen as a weak-spot across
the board.

12. Findings from the Skills Audit (2)
• Strong response around handhelds and tablets from non-SCL
respondents
• Large proportion of all respondents see themselves as weaker
around knowledge of MOOCs, self-publishing, and WiFi regulations
(although knowledge of WiFi functionality is stronger).
• Also weak response (especially among non-SCL) across the board
on knowledge of who in the local community cannot access the
internet dues to cost or know-how.
• Non-SCL respondents more confident in using social media and in
supporting colleagues to do so.
• On “Do you consider yourself to have a track record for stimulating
innovation?” a higher proportion of SCL members than non-SCL felt
this was a strength.
• SCL did better in the picture round than non-SCL (contrary to earlier
findings around knowledgeability)

13. 12 recommendations
Issue >> Evidence >> Ideas for action

14. So a big message is that in the midst of the
growth of digital, and the fast-changing digital
context, the unique role libraries play is to
enable physical and human connections with
these digital technologies…

15. 4,000
4,200
4,400
4,600
4,800
5,000
5,200
5,400
5,600
5,800
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Physical visits per 1,000 people (UK)
But there are challenges around connecting with users physically

16. P is for Purpose
“That as in this institution,
special provision has been
made for the working classes,
by means of a free lending
library, this meeting cherishes
the earnest hope that the books
thus made available will prove a
source of pleasure and
improvement in the cottages,
the garrets, and the cellars of
the poorest of our people.”
(Charles Dickens' speech at the opening
ceremony of the Manchester Public
Library, September 2nd, 1852)

17. 1 - Horizon scanning

18. KNOWLEDGE SHARING
2 – Sharing on SCL website

19. 3 - Discussion with SOCITM re PSN

20. 4 - Get organised around LMS renewal

21. 5 - Wifi – compliance awareness

22. 6 - Wifi – a bold national project

23. 7 - Universal Credit – share the
learning

24. 8 - E-book lending – who wants to
create the next Spotify?

25. 9 - MOOCs – join one yourself!

26. 9(b) - MOOCs – join one yourself!

27. 10 - Computer Science Curriculum –
share existing learning

28. 11 - Socio-economic profiling –
develop the skills

29. 12 - Hosting groups and community
building – develop skills and share

30. Discussion

31. Digital Leadership for Libraries
Draft Findings
SCL Seminar, June 2014