TECHNOLOGY 

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In November, 1996, the Benton Foundation published  Buildings, Books, and Bytes.  The study "compares library leaders' visions for the future with the public's prescriptions for libraries, derived from public opinion research...." (Preface, p. 1).  The study notes:

"The public loves libraries but is unclear about whether it wants libraries to reside at the center of the evolving digital revolution - or at the margins. Trusting their libraries and seeing them as a source of comfort in an age of anxiety, Americans support their public libraries and hold them in high esteem.  They support a combined role for libraries that links digital and traditional book and paper information resources.  And they accord equal value to libraries as places where people can read and borrow books or use computers to find information and use online services."  (Preface, p. 2)

The study notes that library leaders and the public understand there is potential conflict between technology and the provision of traditional library services.  With the exception of adequate funding, this may be the key issue facing libraries over the next decade.  It underlies a number of other issues:

• Books vs. Computers - Should libraries replace their collections with electronic resources?  How would these resources be selected?  Can technology provide enough "access points" to serve the public?
• Haves vs. Have Nots - Should scarce library resources be devoted to provision of electronic access for people who do not have alternative access to technology for cultural, social or economic reasons?
• Buildings vs. "Virtual Libraries" - Can electronic library resources and services replace physical library buildings?  How much service should be channeled to the public through technology?
• Librarians vs. "Cybrarians" - What is the role of the librarian in the information age?  How much time should be spent supporting technology?  What is the impact on library staffing patterns?
• Selection vs. Open Access - Materials accessed through the Internet may never be "selected" by library staff.  What responsibility do libraries have for the content of digital information?
• Censorship vs. Intellectual Freedom - How do libraries manage the issue of public demand for censorship of some forms of electronic information with the basic right of freedom of speech?

The increased complexity of the electronic library environment requires the training and recruitment of new staff and the reorganization of  library staffing patterns to accommodate them. The dividing line between professional and non-professional staff will blur as electronic information resources are deployed closer to the public and are less under the control of professionals.  All Sacramento Public Library branches, including those staffed and managed by non-professional staff, have Internet terminals, access to on-line magazine indices with full-text articles, and the Online Catalog, providing access to the entire library collection.  With more powerful tools in hand, non-professional staff will play an increasingly important role as information providers.

Technology support staff will also have an impact on library hierarchies.  Many industry salaries are already higher than that of many library directors.  Moreover, the mobility inherent in the technology field will make it increasingly difficult to retain qualified technical staff.

It is ironic that so much demand for change and caution comes at a time when libraries seem ill-prepared to handle them.  Many California libraries have endured - and continue to endure - dramatic budget reductions.  In their efforts to keep the doors open, libraries have cut everything but the most essential services.

Given the challenges described above, what needs to be done to meet the needs of California's population of library users and potential users?

There is little public support for the abandonment of traditional library services.  The library in both popular imagination and reality is more than a place where information is provided.  Libraries are held in high public esteem because they meet a variety of needs, both "high-tech" and "high-touch."  Many communities see the library as a vital part of the neighborhood, where people are free to learn, to find quiet and intellectual stimulation, and to be entertained.

At the same time, there is a growing public awareness that libraries must assume some role in the provision and publishing of digital information services.  Programs like the State Library's InFo People project have helped many libraries. The development of an experience base is the only way that libraries can understand the advocacy and public policy issues to ensure that they are not left behind in the public imagination.

At the core of adequate library service is adequate funding. Libraries may become increasingly  marginalized  if they cannot afford to provide even the most basic traditional services.  Technology cannot by itself be looked upon as an alternative to adequate materials, qualified staff and sufficient hours of public access.

Beyond the funding issue are the following needs:

• Access to sufficient technology resources to enable libraries to install and maintain electronic access for their users. This includes continuing education for staff, adequate training for new staff, and access to consultative assistance as well as access to the technology itself.
• Development of a favorable public policy environment providing low-cost, high-speed access to the information superhighway.
• Development of technology "models" that work in a library setting.  Grants from both public and private sources should be used to encourage experimentation and disseminate information about both successful and unsuccessful projects.
• Awareness of applicable policy issues in the library and general public contexts.  Libraries must participate in the public discussion of issues that affect them.  This dialogue must be shared with public officials, elected representatives and those responsible for funding and overseeing public library services. 
  To address these needs both public libraries and the State Library must commit resources to accomplish the following:
• At both the state and local level, provide adequate funding to meet the needs of public library users.
• Develop demonstration projects to implement new technologies and assess their benefits.
• Participate in the development of public policy as it relates to the telecommunications industry, seeking the most favorable pricing structures for libraries and making additional funds available for development and installation of high-speed connectivity.
• Link the demand for improved quality of education to improved quality of library services.  Emphasize the role that public libraries play in the educational process.
• Provide for staff training in areas of technology and public electronic access services.
• Seek the passage and implementation of legislation that benefits libraries and utilizes technology.  The Library of California (SB 409) is a good example.
• At the State Library Level, provide consultative services to manage the development of pilot projects, collect and disseminate information pertinent to libraries and technology, and advocate on behalf of libraries and technology.
• Develop projects that demonstrate the usefulness of technology to the community and to the general public.

There is no question that the demand for electronic and digital resources is here now.  According to The San Francisco Chronicle (March 13, 1997, p. B1), "Nearly one-quarter of Americans and Canadians over the age of 16 - or 50.6 million people - hooked up to the Net in December ...  When the first such study was completed last Spring, 18.7 million computers in Canada and the United States - less than 10 percent -  were using the Internet at least once a month."   In less than one year, Internet usage has more than doubled.  The State Library and California public libraries must address large and small issues as they struggle to achieve an appropriate balance between traditional services and technology-based services.  The ability to accomplish this task will ultimately decide how important library services will be to a public with an increasingly broad array of information options.
 
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