In the article “2012 top ten trends in academic libraries”, the
Association of College and Research Libraries Research Planning and Review
Committee (a division of the ALA) discuss current and future issues academic
libraries face. The ACRL determined the trends after extensive literature
review and collaboration with experts. Listed below is the summary of trends
established for the 2012-year:
- Academic libraries need to prove their worth to the principal institution.
- The developments of standards for data curation are not fully established and keep changing, creating increased challenges for libraries.
- Strategic planning and leadership for digital preservation is absent. Funding and the lack of standardized policy are the main barriers to the management and preservation of material.
- Universities and colleges are offering more online programs and classes and this impacts libraries. The expectations for developing collections and services are changing.
- Technology is the driving force to radical new offerings of libraries. Open content options challenge the library’s role and puts pressure on them to develop new ways of fostering scholarship.
- Libraries are increasing their services and information access to mobile devices. Even vendors, such as JSTOR and EBSCOhost, are creating apps and mobile interfaces.
- PDA (patron driven e-book acquisition) is on the rise and may become the standard for textbooks. Libraries have begun replacing stacks with low circulation with licensing agreements with vendors for libraries to acquire only those books in high demand.
- Publishing models are changing and academic libraries must keep up. “Developments relative to journals include open access to historical content, author-funded open access to new content, and uncertainty of the future” (ACRL 2012) of subscriptions with publishers.
- Staff must be innovative as new challenges arise.
- Libraries are competing for user attention. “Convenience affects all aspects of information seeking – the selection, accessibility, and use of source” (ACRL 2012)
Questions to think about:
Are these trends accurate? And can these be applied to
forthcoming years?
How do academic libraries prove their worth?
How do expectations change with the insurgence of online
class offerings?
What can libraries do to become more convenient to the
patron?
How do these issues apply to public and special libraries?
ACRL Research Planning and Review Committee. (2012). 2012 top ten trends in academic libraries. College & Research Libraries News, 73(6), 311–320. Retrieved from http://crln.acrl.org/content/73/6/311.full
