As technologies emerge, futruists saw an opportunity for libraries to change. Ideas such as interacting with the library from a remote location, reducing the sotrage requirements for information, "paperless" information systems and interlibrary loan were all predictions od how thes phenomenal machines called computers would change what librarians did. Although other predictions such as actual speech interface that directly connects one to information has not come through, the overall outlook for libraries and librarians looked dismal. (Coyle, 2007)
So what does it all mean? Maybe it means it is time for libraries to give thought to its mission, policy and procedures to include the current state of technology and how it supports the goals and vision. its time to mix the old with the new. We must understand that writing policies and procedures are never done, thus our mission must adjust to the times. (Repman and Downs, 1999)
References:
Begum, H. Academic library misison statement: Indispensable viewpoints. Pakistan Library & Information Science Journal, 37 (3), 27-35.
Coyle, K. The future of library systems, seen from the past. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 33(1), 38-40.
Repman, J. and Downs, E. Policy issues for the 21st century library media center. Book Repot, 17 (5), 8-11.
Discussion Questions
- How does technology "fit" into a library's mission statement?
- Do you know of any mission statements that have been updated or changed recently? If so, how?
- How often should a mission statement be updated?
16 comments:
The Monroe County Library System enriches the quality of life for all residents of the county by providing free access to informational, educational and recreational resources.
Our mission statement was changed about a year ago, maybe two years ago, when our first strategic plan ended and staff began working on the new strategic plan. The mission statement says the same thing, but in just a slightly different way. I believe that mission statements should be reviewed frequently, and I thought a good time to review ours was when we were seeking new goals. New goals may very well lead to a new mission.
http://monroe.lib.mi.us/
Technology fits into the goals a library takes on and can fit into the mission statement in either a subtle way or an obvious way. I think that our mission statement can read either way. For example, the word recreational can mean many things to many people. It could be as traditional as storytime for a parent or, for a teen, it could mean going to the library after school to play Wii or Guitar Hero at a library branch's Open Play event. A mission statement does not have to be a direct statement of everything a library has to offer, but it should be interpreted in many ways.
The University of Detroit Mercy's library is looking at changing its mission & vision statements. We too are in the process of revising/developing a strategic plan, and the dean felt this is a good time to revisit the library's core statements as well.
Though I'm a confessed technophile, I'm not sure I think technology should be fit into a library's mission statement. It seems to me a well written mission should be broad enough to include technological concerns without addressing them specifically. Mary V's Monroe County Library System mission is a good example of this.
I rather think a library's mission should be updated rarely (evaluated every ten years or so), but the vision statement is one that should be revisited more regularly (three to five years). I also tend to think a mission and vision should be short and sweet, as is WSU's and MCLS. My institution's mission is overwrought, unweildy, unreadable. Hopefully this is something we will be able to change.
I think if a library incorporated technology into its mission statement that would defeat the purpose of a broad encompassing statement of service and functionality by the library.
Not only that, but in terms of libraries and technology, the only real thing they are using are computers, so it would be more appropriate for a library to have computer use policy; instead of including technology in its mission statement.
My hometown library has a clear mission statement that defines their purpose, as well as seperate policies that range from computer usage to what they will do if a user's history is requested by authorities. I think this works best because instead of including every aspect of a library's service into one statement, they are seperated for ease of reference.
http://www.nileslibrary.com/who_we_are_policies.cfm
1. How does technology "fit" into a library's mission statement?
2. Do you know of any mission statements that have been updated or changed recently? If so, how?
3. How often should a mission statement be updated?
I think that technology should somehow fit into the library's mission statement. Technology is becoming a huge part of libraries today and it should be included. However the mission statement can also be a overview of what the library hopes to accomplish so I feel that it doesn't directly have to say anything about technology but generally include it. A library has many different purposes for information, education and also recreation, and I strongly feel that technology goes along with each of those things. I also feel that mission statements should be updated every few years in order to stay current. They need to be reevaluated to meet the needs of the patrons. Even if the statement isn't changed, things will still need to be discussed about new technology or other important issues in libraries today. At the Jackson District Library their mission statement reads that Mission Statement:
The mission of the Jackson District Library is to provide Jackson County residents with high quality library services to meet the needs for educational, cultural, and recreational information, to promote literacy, and to foster a love of reading.
I think that is is talking about technology in some ways. Patrons would like to have Internet and other resources that include technology and the mission statement needs to show that even if it doesn't directly state it.
Jackson District Library: http://www.myjdl.com/About+Us
1. Technology fits into a business' mission statement if it applys to what they do and how they accomplish it. Canton Public Library mission statement"The mission of Canton Public Library is to serve the informational, educational, and recreational reading needs of all Canton citizens with a staff of skilled and knowledgeable employees on a welcoming environment." In order to meet these needs the library uses variuos forms of technology internet, blogs, wiki, online services, etc. The mission statement does not have to name a particular form of technology ( technology has a tendency to change frequently, but it should be noted that companies use technolgy to fulfill their mission statement.
www.cantonpl.or/aboutus
2.Georgetown University now has a mission statement on internet development. Georgetown University's Mission for Internet Development " Georgetown recognizes web and Internet as powerful tools for advancing teaching, learning, and research in today's networked, global society." Georgetown has recognized the importance of having a mission statement for the growing use of technology used by students in today's world.
http://uis.georgetown.edu/policies/technology/mission.htm.
3. A mission statement should contain three components: What we do? How we do it? and For whom do we do it? When answering these question, statements should be short and precise. A mission statement should change as often as a company's services change.
www.inc.com/resources/startup/articles/20050202/missionstatement.html
How does technology "fit" into a library's mission statement? The library's mission is to serve the current needs of the patrons. Technology used by the library needs to adapt at the rate or slightly ahead of the consumer.
Do you know of any mission statements that have been updated or changed recently? If so, how? Not to my knowledge...
How often should a mission statement be updated? It could be reviewed yearly I suppose. There are more important things to work on than a mission statement.
How does technology "fit" into a library's mission statement? I believe that technology should occupy an intergral position in a libraries mission statement. When a library states as its mission, for example, to provide information to the public or students part of that statement is that they must provide an adequate environment through which patrons/students can access information. If the lack of technology inhibits access to information then the library is going against its own mission.
Do you know of any mission statements that have been updated or changed recently? If so, how?
I searched the internet to find an example of an institution or company reacting to the increasing role of technology. The Technology Integration Plan at Hope College is the plan to integrate technology into the education program. The college is reacting to the increasing need for its students and future teachers to be familiar with technology. I think it is as essential for teachers to be technology literate as it is essential for librarians.
How does technology "fit" into a library's mission statement?
Since a mission statement should be the overall purpose of the organization, I don't believe it is necessary to update it very often (the FBI Library mission statement was last updated in 2001 but I have heard updating every 3 to 5 years is recommended) or to include specifics about technology. Technology changes quickly, so including information on how it is used in providing service to patrons will only create more work by forcing updates of the mission statement. I believe the mission statement should be reviewed on a regular basis, to make sure specific goals and objectives are leading organization's purpose.
Do you know of any mission statements that have been updated or changed recently? Only the ones that have been mentioned as comments on this blog.
The Capital Area District Library's mission statement specifically includes technology in their mission statement but only in the sense that they will link patrons to the world of information through technology.
I tend to agree with Russell, that a well written mission statement should inherently incorporate the application of incorporation of technology into its mission without having to specifically mention or discuss the issue.
CADL's Mission Statement:
Committed to the values of a democratic society, the Capital Area District Library shall provide access to ideas and information that support continuous learning and enhance the quality of life through:
* Community-based services and collections accessible to all,
* Excellence in patron service, and
* Technology linking its libraries to the world of information.
I don't think it is necessary to specifically address technology in the mission statement. I don't think the mission statement is the appropriate place to discuss details. It would be like discussing what types of books or what plans for using the books each library had. However, a mission statement should not be written so narrowly as to exclude technology. I think that discussing resources or access to information is broad enough to include technology. In my opinion, a mission statement is better served when it discusses the ideology of an organization.
Mission statements should address technology by at least acknowledging the fact that it is becoming an integral part of the library environment and the world at large. The East Lansing Public Library does this simply by indicating that it strives to provide access to "new and traditional resources, services, and programs" (http://www.elpl.org/mission.htm).
Since mission staements are supposed to guide library policies and programs, they should be written in such a way that they can be used for many years.
I do think that technology plays a large part in the mission of libraries. I too believe that libraries must update their mission statements as technologies change. As I've learned a lot through this class, is vital to the survival of libraries. I found a website that has several mission statements from various library: http://midhudson.org/department/member_information/missions.htm. Many of them don't include the term technology, but they imply it through use of media.
I believe technology should fit in the mission statement as a main force. Technology today is the primary force behind the library. It's card catalog's, book check out, in and magazine files are all on the computer. If you do not have some sort of an effective mission statement on technology: the public may not think highly of the library that it is not keeping up with the time. I believe a mission statement should be looked at once a year to make sure you are meeting the statement and refine the statement.
Mission statements should be broad and general enough to include technology, without going into specifics. A library's mission statement doesn't need to describe everything the library plans to do - it should really just give the public a basic idea of what the library stands for. In my opinion, a good example of a mission statement is that of the Dearborn Public Library: "The Dearborn Public Library provides a broad range of effective, courteous, quality services and a balanced collection of materials for the educational, informational and recreational needs of the community." This statement tells us what it does (provides services and materials) and why it does it (to serve the community's needs). It is short and to the point, and communicates exactly what it needs to. The Dearborn Public Library also has a "guiding statements pyramid" that shows how their vision, mission, values, administrative guidance, policies, roles and standards, and laws and governance all play a unique role in guiding the library. (dearbornlibrary.org/aboutus/Guiding%20Statements/guiding_statements_pyramid.htm)
On the other hand, the Livonia Public Library's mission statement is quite long perhaps more detailed than necessary: "The Livonia Library Commission will maintain an attractively housed, financially-sound, publicly responsive, full-service library system as originally conceived and planned by City officials and professional librarians and historically supported by the community at large. The Livonia Public Library system will provide its patrons ready access to information regardless of format, whether in print, sound recording, video recording, or state-of-the-art electronic device. Information will be presented using special programs and quality reference services provided by adequate numbers of educated and well-trained employees. Library programs and services will be designed to meet a wide variety of educational, informational, cultural, recreational and business-related needs in a rapidly changing society. These programs and services will strive to meet the needs of children, youth, young adults, adults and seniors. The Library will continue to recognize the need to overcome operational and physical limitations that individuals encounter as they use its services and programs." While perhaps librarians surely have better ways to spend their days than coming up with mission statements, it might be worthwhile to take a look and make sure our statements at least get their point across.
http://dearbornlibrary.org
http://livonia.lib.mi.us/mission.html
In my opinion a library’s mission statement should be updated as needed. With the trend towards technology changing the way that librarians are expected to do their jobs, a library’s mission statement should reflect such necessary changes in terms of acknowledging that it is important to be aware of technological improvements, advancements, and changes. However, I believe that a library’s mission statement should be separate from a library’s internet user policy.
How does technology "fit" into a library's mission statement?
While technology is almost important to the library as it is the books. We use it so offend in the libraries.
How often should a mission statement be updated?
Whenever something new happens the statement should be updated and everyone should know about the change.
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