Transcript PowerPoint Slides

Divining the Future: Library
Workers and Information
Technology
Darlene Fichter
September 19, 1999
Taking a Look at the Future
Computers
 Wider Context: Knowledge
Economy/Labour force trends economies,
consumers and Eatons
 Library Trends
 What should library worker’s focus on?

The Future
"Computers in the future may weigh no more
than 1.5 tons." (Popular Mechanics, forecasting the
relentless march of science, 1949).
"I think there is a world market for maybe five
computers.” (Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM,
1943).
"I have traveled the length and breadth of this
country and talked with the best people, and I can
assure you that data processing is a fad that won't
last out the year.”
(The editor in charge of business books for Prentice Hall, 1957).
"But what . . . is it good for?" (Engineer at the Advanced
Computing Systems Division of IBM, 1968, commenting on the
microchip).
There is no reason anyone would want a computer in
their home.”
(Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment
Corp. 1977).
Knowledge based economy
Rapid shift to knowledge based economy has
an impact on education, training and skills
required to find work in the 1990’s.
 Labour Force
 Industry Trends
 Skills
What do the Economists have to
say?
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Like all industrialized countries, employment in
Canada has shifted from the goods sector (natural
resources, manufacturing) to the services sector.
Nearly 90% of the job growth in Canada since
1967 has taken place in the services sector, with
business services experiencing some of the fastest
growth rates.
IT sector is one area experiencing growth
Labour Market Models
The Jelly Doughnut
 increasing
number of
non-standard jobs
Jelly Doughnut
The doughnut model is so named because jobs
in the labour market can be defined as core
(the jelly centre of the doughnut) or peripheral
(the outer layer). Core jobs can be described as
those that are full-time, full-year, with good
benefits and some career prospects. The usual
employer is a large firm or government.
Labour Market Models
Layer Cake
decreasing
demand for
middle level
jobs

B.C. Job
Futures web site
Layer Cake

Bottom Layer
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Middle Layer
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entry level jobs, minimum wage
there is a continuing expectation for a high wage job among the
inexperienced and lesser-skilled workers is resulting in both
unfilled service jobs and more unemployment.
excess of supply and no demand
usually have experience or education but no specific marketable
skill
Top Layer


highly marketable skill, high demand, short supply
Employers prefer not to substitute down
Trends
Rise of small businesses with 20+
employees
 rapid increase self-employment.
 Impact on secretarial and support staff
 64% of the jobs in the year 2000 will
require more than a Grade 12 vs. 44% of
existing jobs.

Skills (typewriter vs. computer)
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Generic Skills for Employability
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people who can communicate
people who can think and who show a willingness to
continue to learn throughout their lives
people who can demonstrate positive attitudes and
behavior, responsibility and adaptability, and
people who can work with others
Mathematical skills, basic computer
literacy, entrepreneurial personality
Doomsayers

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The sky is falling!
All bad things stem from IT.
In the old days, ….
Internet is junk (who cares that 40%* of people
now use it from home)
End of public libraries (as we know them)
*1998 Survey of Household Internet Use showed
35% usage, 40% usage is extrapolated based on
growth trend from 1997 to1998.
Pollyanna
Technology is great
 Look at this new cool “dancing baby” site
 If you’re not wired, your passe
 The library is better than ever before

Changing Environment
Relearn your job every 2-3 years
 New skills
 Elimination of jobs
 New opportunities ??

"In the absence of the old containers [books],
almost everything we think we know about intellectual
property is wrong. We are going to have to unlearn it.
We are going to have to look at information as though
we'd never seen the stuff before.”
Specific Library IT
Roles
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Computer Operator
System Operator
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Programmer
Public Relations &
Communications
Web development, Graphic
Designers and Illustrating
Artists
Computer Consultants
Trainers
New Job - Data Library Assistant
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No one would have
the qualifications
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Actually had 3 pretty
good applicants and
some others with
strength
Public Sectors Organizations
Struggle to Survive
Tax dollars are hard to find
 Competitors: bookstores, internet services
 Customer Service has been reinvented in the
1990’s

Ask yourself?

Did library workers build the search
engines?
 Yahoo?

Did library workers build the biggest library
on the web?
 No Amazon
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did.
It’s 12:00, do we know where our users are?
Ask ourselves what is a library in
1999?
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Is it bricks and mortar? Or was it bricks and
mortar?
What has IT really meant for
Library jobs?
Initially, 1970s and 1980s no real
productivity gains, just papering over
 1990’s - new products, new services reinventing libraries
- reorganizations are rampant
- downsizing
- outsourcing
- “information age”
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Trends
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Disintermediation
 (self
service)
 self charge
 holds
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Personalization
Competition
 how
long until “lending” comes back
 Internet (friend or foe)
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New Products
Constant Change
Trends
Consortium
 Revenue Generation
 Partnerships
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Whole new vocabularies - just in time, document
delivery, HTTP, thin clients,
Success look like
If libraries are successful, they will adapt
and find a niche in this new order
 Value and Service
EATONS VS CANADIAN TIRE

Value Based Service
Obstacles: our library vendors are not with
the program
 Our cultures are behind the times
 What does our management team look like?
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Libraries: What This Means
Together we are facing an incredible
challenge with the changing economy. As
library workers it is both an exciting time
and frightening time.
Keep the public in the public library!