How Do Libraries Stay Current?

 There seems to be endless information in the world, and with that, endless opportunities for reference materials, from the classic encyclopedia to the “deep web” (information that cannot be accessed through a search engine, such as that in a database). That information is constantly evolving though, which charges libraries and librarians with the task of ensuring their collections reflect the latest information. This is a major challenge, given that newly published printed reference materials are often already out-of-date by the time they land in the patrons’ hands (Riedling). 

So how do libraries and librarians stay current in this rapidly changing, information overload era?

The first step must be to weed out the outdated and the inaccessible materials. Books containing outdated information must be weeded from the collection, even if that means that all books on a particular topic are removed. Nearly two decades ago, librarian Gail Dickinson created an excellent analogy to emphasize the necessity of removing outdated books that still rings true today; she likened outdated books to expired food, particularly sour milk. You wouldn’t keep sour milk in the fridge – you would dispose of it. Keeping sour milk in the fridge just because you don’t have any other milk wouldn’t make sense, and the presence of a milk carton in the fridge may even give “casual viewers” the impression that new milk isn’t needed, because there is already some in the fridge. It’s the exact same with books – outdated books must be disposed of, and keeping them on the shelf until you can get new materials creates a misleading visual that the library shelves have books on them so there is no need for anything new. 

Less discussed is the necessity of removing books that are not accessible to patrons. When searching “accessibility” in terms of written material, the literature tends to focus on students with various learning disabilities and their difficulties in accessing written information. There does not seem to be much, if any, published literature on how today’s students access information on the page but anyone who works with today’s students (especially elementary- and middle-school students, and regardless of the presence of learning disability) can attest to the fact that how information is laid out on a page is critical. Text-heavy pages are an obvious no-go, but other factors like font size and style, the use of text features, and attractive images are also critical players in text accessibility for today’s students. If the information in a book is not laid out in an accessible way, it must also be weeded, even if it is considered “in date.”

For most libraries, this first step will be the most work because we as librarians have a tendency to hold on to materials even though we know that weeding is essential to maintaining the health of our collection. 

The rest of the work, I would argue, is work that librarians are already doing. 

With the wealth of information available online, focusing on digital media literacy and access has become a key part of a librarian’s job. Co-editor of the Canadian School Libraries Journal, Anita Brooks Kirkland, outlines how librarians can become more effective resources to their patrons in the post-pandemic world. Three of the key starting points Kirkland mentions are being a constant learner, “[understanding] digital media literacy as an equity issue,” and taking advantage of community partners to “support digital media literacy … outside of the traditional school environment.” 

Librarians have an innate love of learning, so being a constant learner is a natural step to take. A more uncomfortable step is confronting the equity issues and barriers to accessing technology that exist for many patrons in our communities; without access to technology, it is nigh on impossible to make strides in digital media literacy. These barriers can exist on the patrons’ home front (eg. limited device availability, access to wifi, etc.) and within the schools. The school that I work in, for instance, does not have enough devices to make teaching digital media literacy an easy possibility. This is where leadership and advocacy by librarians on the necessity of access to tech must happen. One way in which this advocacy can take place is by promoting resources that are available through community partners, like local public libraries, who often have desktop computers with internet access for patrons to freely use. While this does not help the issue of tech accessibility within the school environment, educating our patrons on the opportunities that are available to them outside of the school building is a small step in the right direction. 

In the last decades, people have argued that the rapid rate in which information changes and adapts, and the ease with which this information can be accessed by individuals will make libraries obsolete. While it is a challenge to stay up to date in this age of continuous change, it is absolutely an attainable challenge for libraries and librarians, and one that we are more than ready for. After all, as famed author Neil Gaiman said, 

“Google can bring you back 100,000 answers. A librarian can bring you back the right one.”

References

Dickinson, Gail. “Crying Over Spilled Milk.” Library Media Connection, vol. 23, no. 7, Apr. 2005, pp. 24–26.

Kirkland, Anita Brooks. “Digital Media Literacy in the Library Learning Commons.” Canadian School Libraries Journal, vol. 6, no. 3, season-03 2022, journal.canadianschoollibraries.ca/digital-media-literacy-in-the-library-learning-commons.

Riedling, Ann Marlow. Reference Skills for the School Library Media Specialist: Tools and Tips. Linworth Publishing, Incorporated, 2005.