Could bots be the answer to job security for librarians? Would a “Netflix” model for library resources enhance demand for library services?

‍

"Wheely” good librarians share with us what they think about innovation trends within the GLAM sector.

With continuous technology and innovation strides taken within the GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums) sector, how do librarians harness various digital tools to best meet user needs? We spill the details on the latest tech trends seen and heard at the recent Australian Library and Information Association conference (ALIA 2019).

How Do I Secure My Job? Bots Could Be the Answer.

Surprisingly, instead of bots replacing your job function, Salihin Mohammed Ali, Manager of Library Technology & Innovation at Singapore Management University believes librarians can harness the power of innovation by developing bots to perform manual or monotonous tasks, leaving them more time to focus on strategic work.

From simple chat bots that answer standard FAQs about the library, to bots that help to catalogue collections, librarians can leverage innovative possibilities to deliver key services to their campus communities while safeguarding job security.

Print Is Dead, Long Live E!

Sharing their experiences of losing large parts of their physical library collections to natural disasters, Roxanne Missingham, University Librarian at Australian National University (ANU), and Janet Fletcher, University Librarian at Victoria University of Wellington ended their presentation with a resounding “Print is dead, Long live E!”.

Today, ANU has a digitization team which digitizes library and archival collections – as shared by Erin Gallant, Digitization Project Officer at Australian National University.

“Netflix” for Library Resources

A key takeaway from librarians who attended the recent ALIA 2019, was that technology and innovation fosters a “faster, easier, simpler” user experience in libraries. As simple as it is to watch what you want on Netflix, it has become equally simple for library users to get what they want via online tools that librarians roll out. New technologies help librarians put users at the forefront.

“Students can access our library from home and use our databases to produce fantastic assignments,” said Michele Cheng, library assistant at Loreto Kirribilli, an independent Catholic school for girls in New South Wales.

Or as Matt Pascoe, Library Business Services Manager at Ipswich City Libraries, poignantly puts it, a benefit of technology and innovation is that it “enables people that provide library services to spend more time with people who want library services."

Stay updated with more stories like this. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive the latest library news and updates now.

‍