UK Report Warns That Libraries Must Step Up to Challenges

-- Library Journal, 4/19/2007

A recently released UK report suggests that libraries have historically served the research community very well, but that rapid, seismic shifts in the information landscape must be addressed. The report, Researchers' Use of Academic Libraries and their Services, was commissioned by the Research Information Network (RIN) and the Consortium of Research Libraries (CURL)."While nearly all researchers think funding the library should be a high or top priority for their institution, librarians indicate that it is not always easy to secure top-level support," the report said. Also, researchers, especially scientists, have traded library visits for desktop access.

The study cites the rise of digital research, more interdisciplinary work, more cross-institution collaborations, and the "expectation of massive increases in the quantity of research output in digital form," as significant challenges. Print finding aids are used by very few researchers, the report notes, highlighting the need for better metadata for library holdings and more efficient cataloging. "Information resources that cannot be found electronically may well be overlooked," the report warned. Libraries must proclaim their value: "The successful research library of the future needs to forge a stronger brand identity within the institution."