Building a ‘single digital presence’
for public libraries

www.bl.uk
Session plan
Schedule Topic Facilitators
14.00 – 14.10 Intros &Welcome Jacob, Liz
14.10-14.15 Our response to COVID-19 Jacob, Fleur
14.15-15.00 SDP vision 2020 Liz, Jacob
15.00-15.30 Q&A Fleur
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Housekeeping
• Please mute your mics if you are not speaking
• Keep the comments and questions coming throughout the
presentation
• Raise your (virtual) hand if you would like to contribute to the Q&A
• Guests welcome (especially cute children)
• Come and go as you please
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www.bl.uk
What we do.
4
We help libraries make people’s lives richer and more
rewarding…
By researching how digital technology can
secure the public library as a vibrant civic
space for the twenty-first century.

www.bl.uk
Who we are
5
Liz White, Head of Public
Libraries and EngagementLiz Jolly, Chief Librarian
Jacob Fredrickson, Single Digital
Presence project manager
Fleur Martin, Single Digital
Presence project officer

www.bl.uk
Our response to COVID-19
• The need of a central digital platform is clearer and more
needed than ever
• We’re working with our partners to capture how libraries are
responding to the crisis
• We’re supporting sector-wide programmes to make content
and services more available in the short term
• Our project continues to run at 100%
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www.bl.uk 7
“The mission of librarians is to improve society through facilitating
knowledge creation in their communities.”
R. David Lankes
The public library in the 21st century

www.bl.uk 8
“Public libraries can leverage the physical
assets in their communities in combination
with people and virtual services and collections
to serve as a platform that can be a vital part of
the solution to addressing local challenges.”
Source: https://www.knightfoundation.org/articles/libraries-leaders-
https://www.knightfoundation.org/articles/libraries-leaders-
leaders-opportunity-our-communities

www.bl.uk
Why us?
• Complements our mission to make our intellectual heritage available to everyone
• Links to Heritage Made Digital, Everything Available and Everyone Engaged
• Consistent with our convening role for the UK’s research and information infrastructure and
statutory provision for us to support other libraries
• Connects British Library with 8m active and diverse public library users in the heart of their
communities
• Pan-UK presence and role: Living Knowledge Network, Legal Deposit partnership, PLR, HE
sector role (UK Research Reserve etc)
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www.bl.uk
Our vision for the SDP product is to….
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“… increase public library use, enable efficiencies and amplify the
impact and importance of libraries at local, national and international
level.”

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The journey so far…
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January 2015 November 2015 November 2016 March 2017 June 2019

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User Research
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User Research
13
Framework by John Waterworth (@jwaterworth)
https://www.dxw.com/2020/02/using-hypotheses-to-hold-together-your-learning-thinking-and-making/

www.bl.uk 14
Users VALUE access the library as a space
and the expertise of library staff
They NEED more consistent and less
complex ways of finding and then ordering
material
They WOULD LIKETO HAVE more access
to material, particularly specialist/academic
texts

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There is scope to provide rights-cleared content
nationally and clear user appetite to find out about
and book services/activities online. There is also
interest in experiential offers as well as
transactional ones.
Those who currently don’t use digital services will
need sustained support in digital skills and
literacy so that increased use of digital is not a
barrier
Content must be workable within existing
and there must be a compelling case for adoption
local authorities

www.bl.uk 16

www.bl.uk
A single digital presence should be one part of digital transformation
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The ‘Single Digital
Presence’
An online space for all of the United
Kingdom’s public libraries. Promoting
the content, spaces and communities
at the heart of the public library
service
1
Improved infrastructure
Promotion of interoperability between
library management systems,
improving public library data, and
encouraging uniform and
comprehensive technical standards
for the sector.
3
Common ways of working
The development of common patterns
and frameworks to improve and
enhance local library websites and
their transactional services
2

A vision for a ‘minimal viable product’
Showcasing the value, and
values of libraries and
librarianship
A space for inspiring high quality
content celebrating the values, and
value of public libraries and
librarianship
● Regular features on books and reading, and
civic society with a librarian focus
● Growing awareness on the role and values
of the public library in contemporary society
● A space to promote digital and information
literacy initiatives
A social space, with
community at its heart
A platform that celebrates and
amplifies the library as a social space,
providing easy access to events,
activities and community action
happening within the walls of the
public library
● A uniform, intuitive and easy to use event
listing platform
● Local librarians can curate their own
community space
● A space for co-production and community
generated content
A single search function for the
United Kingdom’s lending
collection
● Utilise existing technology to ‘plug-in’ to
local systems
● Users can reserve without being redirected
● Operability grows as the platform develops
● Open to collaborative projects with similar
projects in HE, Research and National
libraries.
A simple and intuitive journey
towards the content held in public
libraries, that is scalable to the needs
of users.

www.bl.uk
Rationale for the single digital presence vision
SDP minimal viable product (February 2020) User Research (September 2019) SDP Report Recommendation (May 2019)
Showcasing the value of libraries and librarians  Users value the expertise of the librarian
 Users are passionate about the role and purpose of
libraries
 Users value ‘organic’ discovery, reading books
recommended by librarians
Option E: One Library Brand
Option D: A Safe Social Space
A single search function for the United
lending collection
 Users struggle to find catalogues
 Users find search functions “old fashioned”
 Users want to search beyond their local area
Option B: UK Wide Content Discovery
Has potential to include:
Option C: Unified Digital Lending
Option A: Deep Shared Infrastructure
A social space, with community at its heart  Users value the opportunity to meet new people in their
library
 Users expressed frustration at the level of promotion of
events
 Users value libraries role in growing and sustaining
communities
Option D: A Safe Social Space
Has potential to include:
Option A: Deep shared infrastructure
19

www.bl.uk 20
Showcasing the value, and values of libraries
and librarianship
A space for inspiring high quality
content celebrating the values, and
value of public libraries and
librarianship
● Regular features on books and reading, and civic society
with a librarian focus
● Growing awareness on the role and values of the public
library in contemporary society
● A space to promote digital and information literacy
initiatives
A social space, with community at its heart
A platform that celebrates and amplifies the library as a social
space, providing easy access to events, activities and community
action happening within the walls of the public library
● A uniform, intuitive and easy to use event listing platform
● Local librarians can curate their own community space
● A space for co-production and community generated
content
A single search function for the United Kingdom’s
lending collection
● Utilise existing technology to ‘plug-in’ to local systems
● Users can reserve without being redirected
● Operability grows as the platform develops
● Open to collaborative projects with similar projects in HE,
Research and National libraries.
A simple and intuitive journey towards the content held in public
libraries, that is scalable to the needs of users.

www.bl.uk
Showcasing the value of
libraries and librarianship
• 61% of users spoken to in ‘pop up’ research didn’t use any technology before
or during their library visit
• Users not using technology partly because they do not know it is available, or
it is clunky to use
• Users come to the library to browse for books, often valuing the expertise of
librarians
• Users value organic discovery and the ability to ‘learn something new’
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“Staff are really helpful in
recommending books”
“Library Staff feel more like
friends, really helpful”
“A library is like an exercise
for the mind”
“One of the roles of
libraries is to introduce
people to new authors”
Showcasing the value, and
values of libraries and
librarianship
A social space, with community
at its heart
A single search function for the
United Kingdom’s lending
collection

www.bl.uk
Core principles
• Promote, enhance and grow what users already value: The expertise of the
librarian and a place to browse rather than search
• Focus on the value of reading, libraries, literature, information literacy and
learning
• High quality material attracting a growing community of library users
• Build skills and training for library staff to engage and advocate
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Showcasing the value of
libraries and librarianship
Showcasing the value, and
values of libraries and
librarianship
A social space, with community
at its heart
A single search function for the
United Kingdom’s lending collection

www.bl.uk
Prerequisites
• A team of experienced editors and commissioners
• High quality UX design and development
• Collaborative commissioning with sector partners (ie. BBC, National
Libraries, Good Thing Foundation)
• Advocacy and skill training for local librarians, library staff and
volunteers
23
Showcasing the value of
libraries and librarianship
Showcasing the value, and
values of libraries and
librarianship
A social space, with community
at its heart
A single search function for the
United Kingdom’s lending collection

www.bl.uk 24
Showcasing the value, and values of libraries and
librarianship
A space for inspiring high quality content celebrating the values,
and value of public libraries and librarianship
● Regular features on books and reading, and civic society
with a librarian focus
● Growing awareness on the role and values of the public
library in contemporary society
● A space to promote digital and information literacy
initiatives
A social space, with community at its heart
A platform that celebrates and amplifies the library as a social
space, providing easy access to events, activities and community
action happening within the walls of the public library
● A uniform, intuitive and easy to use event listing platform
● Local librarians can curate their own community space
● A space for co-production and community generated
content
A single search function for the
United Kingdom’s lending collection
● Utilise existing technology to ‘plug-in’ to local
systems
● Users can reserve without being redirected
● Operability grows as the platform develops
● Open to collaborative projects with similar
projects in HE, Research and National libraries.
A simple and intuitive journey towards the content held in public
libraries, that is scalable to the needs of users.

www.bl.uk 25
“The catalogue is really old
fashioned”
“Difficult to search and reserve
books”
“I find it weird there is a
database for Edinburgh but
not Scotland in general”
• Current ordering systems are inconsistent and
complicated
• Catalogues are hard to find
• Increased use highlights growing demand
• Users want to search a greater area than their
local library
“I’d like to order books from other
libraries”
A single search function
for the United
Kingdom’s lending
collection
Showcasing the value, and
values of libraries and
librarianship
A social space, with
community
at its heart
A single search function for
the United Kingdom’s lending
collection

www.bl.uk
Core principles
• Users can find material simply and intuitively
• Search results are straightforward, with local holdings prioritised
• Users can see material nearby, not in their local library
• Users can access material without being directed to local websites
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A single search function for
the United Kingdom’s
lending collection
Showcasing the value, and
values of libraries and
librarianship
A social space, with community
at its heart
A single search function for the
United Kingdom’s lending collection

www.bl.uk
Prerequisites
• Open data and metadata
• LMS providers open up systems
• Dedicated resource for development
• Anticipates future search habits, rather than responding to current
user journeys
• Advocacy and skill training for local librarians, library staff and
volunteers
27
A single search function for
the United Kingdom’s
lending collection
Showcasing the value, and
values of libraries and
librarianship
A social space, with community
at its heart
A single search function for the
United Kingdom’s lending collection

www.bl.uk
Improving the search function as it grows, collaborating with projects already underway
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Users can register for other library
services and order material
Users can order material from other
library services within the search
function
Material supplemented with other collections
i.e. heritage collections, digitised material or
learning resources from partner libraries
Simple search, filtered by location,
users can access material without being
redirected
A single search function for
the United Kingdom’s
lending collection
Showcasing the value, and
values of libraries and
librarianship
A social space, with community
at its heart
A single search function for the
United Kingdom’s lending
collection

www.bl.uk 29
Showcasing the value, and values of libraries and
librarianship
A space for inspiring high quality content celebrating the values,
and value of public libraries and librarianship
● Regular features on books and reading, and civic society
with a librarian focus
● Growing awareness on the role and values of the public
library in contemporary society
● A space to promote digital and information literacy
initiatives
A social space, with community at its
heart
A platform that celebrates and amplifies the library
as a social space, providing easy access to events,
activities and community action happening within
the walls of the public library
● A uniform, intuitive and easy to use event
listing platform
● Local librarians can curate their own
community space
● A space for co-production and community
generated content
A single search function for the United Kingdom’s
lending collection
● Utilise existing technology to ‘plug-in’ to local
systems
● Users can reserve without being redirected
● Operability grows as the platform develops
● Open to collaborative projects with similar
projects in HE, Research and National libraries.
A simple and intuitive journey towards the content held in public
libraries, that is scalable to the needs of users.

www.bl.uk 30
“The whole family value
events at the library – arts
and craft, coding club,
opera north.”
“I value events for all ages.”
“As a mum, dealing with
maternal mental health and
loneliness, the library is
invaluable.”
“I wasn’t aware of library
events until I was told by a
librarian.”
• Users value opportunities to meet others in the local community
who share the same interests, including reading, gaming,
technology and films
• Users expressed frustration at the level of promotion of events
and low awareness of them
• Users value when community is at the heart of what libraries do.
A social space, with
community at its heart
Showcasing the value, and
values of libraries and
librarianship
A social space, with community
at its heart
A single search function for the
United Kingdom’s lending
collection

www.bl.uk
Core principles
• Simple, intuitive event listings, scalable and personalised to users
location and preferences
• Online community spaces, that can be curated by local librarians
and, eventually, users themselves
• R&D into more user generated features
• Resource for training and advocacy so libraries and librarians can
hold editorial autonomy over content within common standards and
centralised design.
31
A social space, with
community at its heart
Showcasing the value, and
values of libraries and
librarianship
A social space, with community
at its heart
A single search function for the
United Kingdom’s lending collection

www.bl.uk
Prerequisites
• Dedicated resource for development
• Team for ongoing editing and moderation
• Sophisticated approach to balancing user-generated content with
safety, security and trust
• Advocacy and skill training for local librarians, library staff and
volunteers
32
A social space, with
community at its heart
Showcasing the value, and
values of libraries and
librarianship
A social space, with community
at its heart
A single search function for the
United Kingdom’s lending collection

www.bl.uk
Deepening social features as it grows, in
line with resource available
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Further development of social features with
editorial limited to safeguarding and
moderation
Reduction in ‘top-down content’ and the
promotion of user generated community
content
Launch of ‘community owned spaces’
generated by users themselves
Launch of event listing platform and
community spaces populated with local
content.
A social space, with
community at its heart
Showcasing the value, and
values of libraries and
librarianship
A social space, with community
at its heart
A single search function for the
United Kingdom’s lending collection

Building a community of
library lovers online & forging
a common identity, utilising the
expertise and value of
librarianship
High quality inspiring content
concerning books, reading, civic
culture and society with the
librarian at its heart.
.
Growing strong, place-based
communities
Using digital to grow
communities and community
action. Helping users utilise the
events already happening in
libraries and placing the library
at the heart of community.
Improving access to, and
knowledge of, public library
collections
Delivering easier and more
intuitive access to the holdings of
public libraries, attuned to the
habits of a cross-jurisdictional
user base.
.
03
01 02
A value proposition for the ‘single digital presence’

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The SDP Project in 2020: Next steps
• Technical discovery with our delivery partners dxw
• Live testing of prototypes to support this vision
• Online survey
• Funding and Governance scoping

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Q&A
• Please write comments or questions if you’d prefer not to speak
• Please raise your (virtual) hand if you like to speak
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