Exploring the Future of Research Libraries in a Global System
A discussion held during the RLUK Meeting in Edinburgh in November 2010, led by James Michalko, Vice President of OCLC Research, about the evolving role of research libraries in the digital age. The presentation highlights the impact of the network on libraries, reconfiguring industries, the changing value of library collections and services, and the need for libraries to adapt to meet the evolving needs of researchers and learners in the 21st century.
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Research Libraries A global system A shared future James Michalko Vice President, OCLC Research RLUK Meeting, Edinburgh 12 November 2010 With thanks to OCLC colleagues Lorcan Dempsey and Constance Malpas
Two words "Stressfully RLUK, Edinburgh, 12 November 2010 2
Disclaimer Simplistic This presentation Content Time is short. Perspective is research libraries All examples are U.S.A perspective RLUK, Edinburgh, 12 November 2010 3
Stipulated The network has reconfigured whole industries Travel, News, Book Retailing The network is now the first option for researchers and learners Don t yet know how it will reconfigure the University The library is a service unit whose success is tied to its impact on the university s mission and goals The network has already impacted the university library changed the value of physical book collections and library space changed the relevance of the library assets and services to the University s outputs What it will mean to reconfigure the library within the University? RLUK, Edinburgh, 12 November 2010 4
the stage set Diamond (Cannell) Library as central service for University goals Needs of students and researchers control Sharing of services dictated Availability in 21st century timetables expected Provide books wherever desk happens to be Journals licensing and open access Special Collections digital and physical Grey literature critical and needs shared service Data specialist area that needs shared service and expertise RLUK, Edinburgh, 12 November 2010 5
the stage set Sykes Cost cutting or greater investment? cut what? from where? Work together to achieve efficiency and effectiveness Shared Services Benchmarking Stay the same Preservation of what? Special Collections Equity of access RLUK, Edinburgh, 12 November 2010 6
OCLC Research RLUK, Edinburgh, 12 November 2010 7
Reconfiguration Dictated by change in academic print collections accelerated by fiscal exigencies Impact bounded by what gets done where mutual changes in traditional processes and practices overt reliance on shared structures and services RLUK, Edinburgh, 12 November 2010 8
Academic Collections Disclaimer Based on USA the forecast here may be very different RLUK, Edinburgh, 12 November 2010 9
Change in Academic Collections Shift to licensed electronic content is accelerating Research journals a well established trend Scholarly monographs in progress Print collections delivering less (and less) value at great (and growing) cost Est. $4.25 US per volume per year for on-site collections Library purchasing power decreasing as per-unit cost rises Special collections marginal to educational mandate at many institutions Costly to manage, not (always) integral to teaching, learning RLUK, Edinburgh, 12 November 2010 10
An Equal and Opposite Reaction As an increasing share of library spending is directed toward licensed content . . . Pressure on print management costs increases Fewer institutions to uphold preservation mandate Stewardship roles must be reassessed Shared service requirements will change RLUK, Edinburgh, 12 November 2010 11
Whats driving this change? Erosion of library value proposition in the academic sector institutional reputation no longer determined (or even substantially influenced) by scope, scale of local print collection Changing nature of scholarly record research, teaching and learning embedded in larger social and technological networks; new set of curation challenges for libraries Format transition; mass digitisation of legacy print Web-scale discoverability has fundamentally changed research practices; local collections no longer the center of attention RLUK, Edinburgh, 12 November 2010 12
Declining Investment in Academic Libraries (US) If this trend continues library allocations will fall below 0.5% by 2015. Derived from : US Dept of Education, NCES, Academic Libraries Survey, 1977-2008 RLUK, Edinburgh, 12 November 2010 13
Attention Switch: from Print to Electronic (US) Academic Library Expenditures on Purchased and Licensed Content 90% Projected change 80% 70% Print books and journals 60% You are here 50% E-journals and e-books 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2014 2020 Derived from US Dept of Education, NCES, Academic Libraries Survey, 1998-2008 RLUK, Edinburgh, 12 November 2010 14
In the US, a tipping point 100 Majority of research libraries shifting toward e-centric acquisitions, service model 90 Licensed Content as % of Library Materials $ 80 70 center of gravity 60 50 40 30 Harvard Yale 20 Shrinking pool of libraries with mission and resources to sustain print preservation as core operation 10 0 $- $5,000,000 $10,000,000 $15,000,000 $20,000,000 $25,000,000 $30,000,000 $35,000,000 $40,000,000 Library Materials Expenditures (2007-2008) Derived from ARL Annual Statistics, 2007-2008 RLUK, Edinburgh, 12 November 2010 15
the books have left the building 140,000,000 In North America, +70M volumes off-site (2007) 120,000,000 ~30-50% of print inventory at many major universities Built Capacity in Volume Equivalents (2007) 100,000,000 80,000,000 60,000,000 40,000,000 20,000,000 Growth in library storage infrastructure 0 1982 1986 1987 1992 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Derived from L. Payne (OCLC, 2007) RLUK, Edinburgh, 12 November 2010 16
A global change in the library environment 60% The US academic print book collection already substantially duplicated in mass digitised book corpus 50% % of Titles in Local Collection 40% June 2010 Median duplication: 31% 30% 20% 10% June 2009 Median duplication: 19% 0% 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 Rank in 2008 ARL Investment Index Data current as of June 2010 RLUK, Edinburgh, 12 November 2010 17
E-books plus stored print = With the exception of a small number of large research libraries, retrospective print collections will be managed as a shared resource and physically consolidated in large regional stores Library materials spending in the academic sector will be 80+% directed toward licensed electronic content distributed by a small number of large aggregators Strong downward pressure on costs will push towards library consolidation, more resource sharing, move to outsourced services. RLUK, Edinburgh, 12 November 2010 18
Opportunity space Academic libraries change the way they manage print collections releases space for new uses and facilitates a redirection of library resources; enables rationalization of aggregate print collection and renovation of library service portfolio But impact bounded by change in spending contours what gets done where mutual changes in traditional processes and practices overt reliance on shared structures and services RLUK, Edinburgh, 12 November 2010 19
US Library Spending Print Elec Digital Print Elec Digital Print Elec Digital Academic Libraries Public Libraries ARLs End User Services End User Services .25% .25% 0% .025% .025% 0% End User Services .25% .25% 0% Meta Data Services Meta Data Services 1.6% .07% 0% .28% .02% 0% Meta Data Services .70% .05% 0% 19.5% 17% 0% 9% 1.5% 0% 20% 19.5% 0% Content Content Content Lib Mgmt Services Lib Mgmt Services 2% .28% .02% 2% .75% .25% Lib Mgmt Services 2.45% .025% .001% 49% 65% 44% Salaries Salaries Salaries 11% Other 17% Other 9% Other 85% staff+stuff 15% service infrastructure 1st Budget Priority to Cut? 1st Budget Priority to Save? RLUK, Edinburgh, 12 November 2010 20
Specific Gravity what gets done where Scholarly record Shared management of print collections? Digitization Offsite storage Licensed Journals Special Collections Grey literature Curation of institutional assets? Data Systems internal or externalize? Local? National? Trans-national? Shared Services? Common Processes? New digital infrastructure Classic back-room systems Research and learning engagement Pooled Expertise? New Resources? Space Systems Expertise some kinds RLUK, Edinburgh, 12 November 2010 21
Reconfiguring - the library and the system itself Our shared future - will require a shared system new regime of reliance overt agreements and understandings new supra-institutional structures redefined relations among library types attention to local, regional, national and trans-national relations Result individual institutional success as a valued local service provider RLUK, Edinburgh, 12 November 2010 22
THANK YOU MICHALKJ@OCLC.ORG comments, questions and observations are very welcome via email with thanks to Lorcan Dempsey, David Lewis, and Constance Malpas for their contributions RLUK, Edinburgh, 12 November 2010 23
