www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlpubs/whitepapers/Environmental_Scan_2.pdf
Executive Summary
Introduction
Academic librarianship is a profession in transition as the scope and pace of change in both the information environment and the higher education environment continue to increase. Over the past decade, the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) has undertaken an ongoing environmental scan to identify the trends that will define the future of academic librarianship, to support research aimed at improving the practice of librarianship in academic and research environments, and to develop resources and programming that support the continuing professional education needs of its membership.
The ACRL Environmental Scan 2007 builds on the foundation provided by earlier reports of the association, including the 2002 report on the “Top Issues Facing Academic Libraries” and the 2003 Environmental Scan. The current environmental scan should also be considered within the context of related statements of specific research agendas, including the “Research Agenda for Library Instruction and Information Literacy” (2003) and the “Scholarly Communications Research Agenda” (2004).
The Environmental Scan 2007 was prepared by the ACRL Research Committee (James L. Mullins, chair, 2005-07; Scott Walter, chair, 2007-09). The complete membership of the Research Committee can be found in Appendix A.
Methodology
The purpose of the environmental scan was to identify the major assumptions shaping the practice of academic librarianship, as well as to identify emergent issues of concern to the profession. The committee met these goals through a mixed-method research design that included survey research, literature review, and member checking (i.e., verifying the work in progress with stakeholders through a panel session, publication, and survey).
The major assumptions shaping the practice of academic librarianship were identified through a survey of ACRL member leadership in spring 2006. Respondents were asked to react to an initial list of assumptions included as part of the ACRL Strategic Plan, and items were ranked (or added to the list) based on survey responses.
This list of major assumptions became the focus for a comprehensive review of the published literature designed both to explore the state of research and practice related to these issues, as well as to identify any emergent issues beginning to find their way into the literature of the field.
Finally, committee members prepared a draft report on the “Top Ten Assumptions” that formed the basis for a panel discussion at the ACRL National Conference held in Baltimore in spring 2007. This draft also formed the basis for an article published in the April 2007 issue of College & Research Libraries News. Following the panel session and publication, committee members received comments from the association membership at large through an online survey that asked for feedback on the “Top Ten Assumptions.” The panel session, publication, and survey facilitated a process of member checking that supported final revisions to the report. Comments received by committee members in face-to-face meetings and through the online survey shaped the final draft and selected comments may be found throughout this report.
Findings of the Committee
The Research Committee identified the following as the “Top Ten Assumptions for the Future of Academic Libraries and Librarians” (in ranked order):
1. There will be an increased emphasis on digitizing collections, preserving digital archives, and improving methods of data storage, retrieval, curation, and service.
2. The skill set for librarians will continue to evolve in response to the changing needs and expectations of the populations they serve, and the professional background of library staff will become increasingly diverse in support of expanded service programs and administrative needs.
3. Students and faculty will continue to demand increasing access to library resources and services, and to expect to find a rich digital library presence both in enterprise academic systems and as a feature of social computing.
4. Debates about intellectual property will become increasingly common in higher education, and resources and educational programming related to intellectual property management will become an important part of library service to the academic community.
5. The evolution of information technology will shape both the practice of scholarly inquiry and the daily routine of students and faculty, and demands for technology-related services and technology-rich user environments will continue to grow and will require additional funding.
6. Higher education will be increasingly viewed as a business, and calls for accountability and for quantitative measures of library contributions to the research, teaching, and service missions of the institution will shape library assessment programs and approaches to the allocation of institutional resources.
7. As part of the “business of higher education,” students will increasingly view themselves as “customers” of the academic library and will demand high-quality facilities, resources, and services attuned to their needs and concerns.
8. Online learning will continue to expand as an option for students and faculty – both on campus and off – and libraries will gear resources and services for delivery to a distributed academic community.
9. Demands for free, public access to data collected, and research completed, as part of publicly funded research programs will continue to grow.
10. The protection of privacy and support for intellectual freedom will continue to be defining issues for academic libraries and librarians.
The Research Committee also identified a number of emergent issues of concern to the profession. While some of these issues were not yet fully established in the literature of the field at the time of review, all are represented both in that literature and in informal channels for scholarly and professional discussion (e.g., Weblogs) and will be of increasing importance in coming years. This list is selective and unranked. A complete list of the emergent issues can be found in the report. A selection follows:
• There will be broader collaboration between academic, public, special, and school librarians on topics of common concern, e.g., public engagement and media literacy.
• Library facilities and services will become increasingly integrated with research, teaching, and learning programs across campus, including those housed in information technology programs and student services programs.
• The ability to meet the needs of e-science and e-scholarship in the social sciences and the humanities will increase and require new approaches to the design and delivery of core library services.
• Collaboration between academic libraries and university publication programs will increase as their roles become increasingly complementary.
• The focus for academic libraries will shift from the creation and management of large, on-site library collections to the design and delivery of library services.
• The tools and techniques of social computing will provide new opportunities for the design and delivery of library resources and services, but will also make increasing demands on library staff and systems.
Conclusion
Much has changed in the academic library environment since the publication of the last ACRL Environmental Scan in 2003, but many issues identified in the earlier scan remain relevant to practice, e.g., the increasing role for librarians in educational programs, formal and informal; the impact of digitization programs (as defined most recently by the mass digitization programs sponsored by Google and the Open Content Alliance); changes in the publishing industry and the broader environment for scholarly communication; new approaches to research, teaching, and learning on campus; and the call for accountability in higher education. There is no doubt that these issues will continue to be significant to academic library research and practice in the coming years, or that some of the emergent issues identified in this report will become part of the new “assumptions” about the work of academic libraries and librarians.
References
Association of College & Research Libraries. 2003. “Environmental Scan 2003.” Association of College & Research Libraries. www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlpubs/whitepapers/03environmentalscanfinal.pdf (accessed November 24, 2007).
Association of College & Research Libraries. 2007. “Charting Our Future: ACRL Strategic Plan 2020.” www.ala.org/ala/acrl/aboutacrl/whatisacrl/acrlstratplan/stratplan.cfm (accessed November 24, 2007).
Hisle, W. Lee. 2002. “Top Issues Facing Academic Librarians: A Report of the Focus on the Future Task Force.” College & Research Libraries News 63, no. 10, www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlpubs/crlnews/backissues2002/novmonth/topissuesfacing.cfm (accessed November 24, 2007).
Instruction Section Research and Scholarship Committee. 2003. “Research Agenda for Library Instruction and Information Literacy.” Association of College & Research Libraries.
www.ala.org/ala/acrlbucket/is/iscommittees/webpages/research/researchagendalibrary.cfm (accessed November 24, 2007).
Mullins, James L., Frank R. Allen, and Jon R. Hufford. 2007. “Top Ten Assumptions for the Future of Academic Libraries and Librarians: A Report from the ACRL Research Committee.” College & Research Libraries News, 68, no. 4, www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlpubs/crlnews/backissues2007/april07/tenassumptions.cfm (accessed November 24, 2007).
Scholarly Communications Committee. 2004. “ACRL Scholarly Communications Research Agenda.” Association of College & Research Libraries. www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlissues/scholarlycomm/scresearch04.cfm (accessed November 24, 2007).
Thanks to my colleague, Marilyn Smith, for alerting me to this.