Posted by Jenny Cofell
'Changing Needs, Changing Roles'

Thompson, J. (Spring 2015).  Changing needs, changing roles:  How public libraries are expanding traditional service models to best serve their communities.  Reference & User Services Quarterly, 54(3), 2 – 5.

Summary:  This article talks about trends that are impacting reference and user services in public libraries and then highlighting creative ways that libraries are coping with these trends positively.  The three main trends are listed as follows:  Data explosion, Digital divide and Early Learning Initiatives.

For all three trends, libraries are well positioned to develop partnerships, as well as provide information, materials, and programs to help communities make sense of, and thrive within their communities.  Successful libraries of the future will need to become these 4 things within the community:  Developers of Partnerships (STEAM), Content creators (Innovation Labs), Early Learning champions (Preliteracy programs and Material Advisors (Reading Clubs).  Collections need to become broader and include materials that support partnerships, content creators, early learners and material advisors.

Evaluation:  The idea of Early Learning as a trend in libraries was interesting to me.  At my library we do tons of this already.  We know that strong preliteracy skills in children help them to succeed in their academic career.  What I hadn’t thought is the positive effect strong preliteracy skills have on a community.  In this article we read, “This is also a workforce and economic development issue because an educated community is better prepared to innovate and address the challenges of the twenty-first century.”  (p.3).   I also appreciated the idea of libraries as ‘content creators’ and ‘material advisors’.