The New Model Library

Something called the New Model Library comes out of a study conducted by OCLC during the early months of the pandemic in which 29 library leaders describe concepts and practices employed in an emergency situation that can be carried into the post-pandemic world. The study revealed that four general concepts: agility, collaboration, virtualization, and engagement needed to be applied in a new context. Each library must recognize what this will mean in practice for its own organization in terms of staff work, library collections, and community engagement going forward.

I didn’t really think of this study as being ground-breaking. Libraries have been agile and collaborative in order to engage (serve) patrons for many years. In this study, virtualization may be the most innovative concept for some – but academic libraries that serve a high population of online students (like at Hope International University) had already been focused on virtual services and online resources to engage remote students long before COVID-19 shut campuses down.

From 2000, HIU students have been able to search the catalog and access electronic databases (including eBooks) remotely. For well over ten years our librarians have been publishing personalized video tutorials on our YouTube channel and have made LibAnswers an easy way for remote (and local) students to connect with a librarian. Of course, email, phone and even the occasional video appointments with librarians have been available long before the pandemic.

Certainly, Zoom (and other video conferencing applications) became much more common during the shutdown. Then when the university began providing hybrid options for attending class it was fairly easy to arrange flexible library instruction sessions to include in-person and remote students simultaneously. 

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

A New Model Library is one that has gained confidence from using technologies and strategies that worked during an actual emergency -- like  finally using the tactics calmly practiced many times in drills.

Perhaps the best take-away for me has been to find more effective ways to increase awareness of the library resources and services that are available to our patrons. 

Speaking of which, here's a link to make an appointment with a librarian.