Emerging library service models put the customer in control
The emergence of new service delivery models – eBooks, open libraries, lockers, outreach vans, etc. – is transforming the way that people access library collections and services. Which is great news for library customers with busy lives, and indicative of a sector that embraces innovation to put the community-first, but challenging for those who try to paint a clear and succinct picture of the use and value of public libraries.
Once upon a time the world was simple. When I was a boy dinosaurs roamed the going to the library meant one of two things. Walking down to the Dromana foreshore on a Wednesday afternoon to meet the great big mobile library and its wealth of wonderful books, or (less frequently) visiting our nearest library branch at Rosebud which despite being a quite dark and uninspiring place (my memory could be wrong) had an even greater selection of books. Branch or mobile – take your pick.
Jump forward to 2011 and the Public Libraries Victoria (PLV) annual statistics show that the capture of data on service points has expanded to include ‘other’ facilities:
262 static library branches open for a total of 10,300 hours per week
27 mobile libraries making 350 stops on their weekly/fortnightly schedules
27 ‘other’ service facilities (it’s not clear what these were but more than half of them were in East Gippsland, Campaspe and Glenelg so I’m guessing small rural towns where a crate of books was dropped at the general store as the mobile drove past)
AND … 75,000 downloads of eBooks and eAudiobooks (the data having been collected for the first time in 2009-10).
Jump forward again to 2024 and the library world has got a whole lot more complicated – but complicated in a good way. If I want to find something to read I can still go to my local library. There are more of them (~290 in Victoria) and they are open longer (~12,000 hours per week). And for most library members this is by far still the most common and the preferred way of borrowing a book. Libraries are mostly welcoming spaces with lots of material to choose from and a friendly librarian to help you out if you need help.
The number of big mobile libraries has dropped significantly, and there now only about 5 of the special-build semi-trailers left and 5 fully-fitted out library trucks. Throw in 15 of the colourfully branded long-wheelbase vans and the number of mobile library vehicles is about the same as it was in 2011, but they only make around 250 stops a year, so that’s less reach into the community (which is a combination of fewer stops in rural, regional and metropolitan areas).
BUT … in a busy fast-paced 24-7 world where many people are time-poor and constantly on the go, let’s think about the new ways people can access library services.
Digital – 9.2M downloads of eBooks and other eResources in 2022-23, and that number is only going to increase. That’s double what it was in 2017-18 and 122 times more than it was in 2010-11. I can carry multiple books with me wherever I go and they take up no space in my backpack or suitcase. However, with this added convenience these customers now come to the library less often, so the number of library visits recorded is taking a hit and the usage metrics look worse.
Open library – Safe and secure access to branch libraries during unstaffed hours has been happening in some countries for a while and it’s now taking off in Australia. There are currently 16 open libraries in Victoria and that number will probably double in the next 18 months. At this stage there is an even split between metropolitan and regional/rural areas so it’s a model that has broad appeal. And although there are concerns about a consequent reduction in library staffing, total employment in libraries has barely changed on a per capita basis in the past 5 years. It’s convenience for the customer that is driving this model.
Vending machines and book lockers – These tech-enabled developments are giving customers greater control over when and where they access library collections. Both options allow a library member to request pick-up of a reserved item from the nominated machine, and returns can be made at the same place. The vending machines contains a small selection of books to borrow. Insert your library card, make your selection, collect your book. With the lockers you get a text message or email saying your item(s) are ready for collection and you access the nominated locker box with a special code or your library card. There are currently 17 of these in Victoria and (again) numbers are likely to double in the next year or two. Interestingly, the early adopters of this model have tended to be library services in outer metropolitan areas where there are fewer branches per sq km than in inner Melbourne.
Outreach vehicles – While the number of big mobile library vehicles is in decline the number of library outreach vehicles is growing. These are smaller more agile vehicles, better suited narrow roads in urban areas and no requirement for a heavy vehicle license – anyone can drive them. The smaller vehicles running to timetabled stops are still classed as mini-mobiles. These vehicles are the add-on that allows a library to get out into the community visiting festivals, fetes, nursing homes and aged care facilities. These vehicles provide flexibility and become pop-ups at a busy shopping centre on a weekend. They are visible promotion of the library in the community. Of the 20-25 currently deployed in Victoria there is a leaning toward metropolitan areas.
Agencies, depots and lounges – Finally there is the ‘agency’ service model which (among the 50 examples in Victoria) tends to be adopted more in regional than metropolitan areas. In essence, although there are numerous variations, this model has a borrowable collection of library items in a place staffed by a nominated organization or volunteers (or not at all) and operates under a service agreement. It might be in the foyer of a Council service point, a community centre or neighbourhood house, the local business association or general store. It’s not a full-service library but it is another point where library services can be accessed, and it can provide a point of social connection and engagement for the residents.
All of which means that the description of the library sector is more layered than it has ever been. Far from presenting the network in terms of the number of library branches and mobile stops, or even branches-mobiles-digital, more than 70% of Victorian library services use at least one of the other four models described above (open libraries-machine-vehicles-agencies), nearly 50% use at least two of these models and one small rural library service uses all four to optimise community access.
The winners from this transformation of service models are the library customers. Even if it there had not been an explosion in digital access and use, in 2024 the customer can access their library in more places, at more convenient times and in ways that they prefer. It may not be a library on every corner, but it’s better than it’s ever been and it’s improving all the time.