To comment on the changing demands of library professionals, the 2011 Information Without Borders (IWB) conference held a Library Management Panel on February 3rd to talk about this topic. The speakers were selected from a broad variety of library environments and included: Jeremie LeBlanc from NRCan-RNCan, Ryan DesChamps from Halifax’s Public Library System, and Kate Greene Stanhope from the Law Library of McInnes Cooper.
The changing technology within libraries was a major theme of this panel. This is not surprising as many of the other IWB speakers also focused on technology as part of the change management strategy in information professional workplaces. This panel however, highlighted the role of librarians in initiating this change in their own workplaces, and what future information professionals (of which the audience was largely comprised) can do to adapt to, and thrive in, these new library environments.
Ryan DesChamps kicked off the session with a mathematical-esque demonstration using a cylinder and two lengths of string. His goal was to comment on the perception of libraries, and more particularly the lack of understanding which often exists in the public’s perception of these institutions and their staff. His contributions to the panel discussion focused on the need for librarians to connect with their patrons and community, a task which can be much more efficiently and effectively accomplished with the use of emerging online technologies such as social media and networking tools. As the e-Librarian for the HPL and an active blogger, Ryan was able to offer concrete examples to the audience of how this can be successfully done.