The Value of Libraries: Impact, Normative Data, & Influencing Funders

Introduction

I’ve been thinking a lot about the role that libraries play in society and the impact we have – for good or evil – in how society works and progresses. I was moved by the impact of a story that I heard at ALA Midwinter, which I will paraphrase here:

Sharon Terry has an amazing story. You can watch a video and hear her tell it online. Terry tells a story that makes it crystal clear why libraries must be at the front of open access and unfettered access for research and learning. Terry and her husband became activists through a very personal route. She was a college pastor and her husband a construction worker. Their two young children were both diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and were given little hope of any course other than the loss of their eyesight and other complications.

At ALA she described the hoops she had to go through to access publicly supported libraries and databases in search of a cure for her children. She schemed to become an "authorized user," paid fees, fines, ILL fees, etc. At some points, she had to resort to borrowing and stealing passwords to access content. In the end, despite library policies but because libraries exist, she succeeded – and how! Terry and her husband researched the medical literature, built a definitive chart of the disease, patented the gene they found was responsible for the disease, and wrote articles that were published in the prestigious medical journal Nature. Despite being laypeople, they did quite well with the research literature once they got their hands on it.

They formed the Genetic Alliance, an international coalition of advocacy groups that has collected hundreds of case studies on parents and advocates who have suffered from the lack of open access to current medical literature. Terry also formed the Alliance for Taxpayer Access to secure public access to research funded by taxpayer dollars, especially through the US National Institutes of Health (NIH). More examples presented by Terry demonstrate the importance of open access and the particularly obvious case for Open Access to publicly funded research results. She responds bluntly to the charge that the NIH proposal will harm the financial stability of publishers saying, “Since when is the NIH/government in the business of ensuring the sustainability of companies?”

There’s a happy ending to this story. Today, the Terry’s children are doing well, and the treatments that their parents vigorously pursued have worked. Some at ALA Midwinter were moved to tears – some by the simple story of the power of research, others, I suspect, in fear of how many have been hurt by library rules that restrict access to our collections and services (http://library.ucsc.edu/science/ELD/2005/ACRLSPARC.doc).

So, as I said, this story got me thinking about proofs to how the unfettered access to information and information services makes a difference in our various communities: public libraries, school libraries, university and college libraries, and special libraries. What is the real value of public, academic, school, and special libraries? Here are the highlights of what I found. I’ve included a selected webliography at the end of the article so you can enjoy more of the reading too.

Value of Public Libraries

Dividends: The Value of Public Libraries in Canada, a study done in 1996-1997, was a seminal work in exploring the impact – both soft and hard measures – of public libraries on the communities in Canada. Key conclusions were that:

· Public Libraries have an increasing role to play in Canada

· Public libraries, however, are under increasing financial pressures

· Public libraries are cost-effective information providers

· Public libraries support the local economy

· Public libraries support the cultural industry sector

· Public libraries support Canadian culture

· Public libraries support a democratic society

· Public libraries support and promote literacy

· Public libraries support children and students

· Public libraries support lifelong learning

· Public libraries help bridge the digital divide

· The value and importance of information is increasing

Pretty powerful stuff! Many of the measures in this study were soft or polling data with some anecdotal stories to support the conclusions. I understand that a new study is under serious consideration by the Canadian Urban Libraries Council. This would clearly be a most welcome update.

Recently, several jurisdictions have taken library system impact measures to another level. In September 2004, a comprehensive taxpayer ROI study on the impact of public libraries in Florida found (all figures US$):

• Overall, Florida's public libraries return $6.54 for every $1.00 invested from all sources.
• For every $6,448 spent on public libraries from public funding sources in Florida, one job is created.
• For every dollar of public support spent on public libraries in Florida, gross regional product increases by $9.08.
• For every dollar of public support spent on public libraries in Florida, income (wages) increases by $12.66.

Another major study, released in January 2005, was conducted in South Carolina by the School of Library and Information Science at the University of South Carolina in collaboration with the South Carolina Association of Public Library Administrators and cooperatively with the South Carolina State Library. In a survey of library users, the study found that they perceived that the public library:

• "Improves overall quality of life: 92% said yes.
• Increases local property values: 47% said yes.
• Attracts new businesses to the community: 38% said yes.
• Attracts patronage to local businesses: 44% said yes.
• Enhanced personal fulfillment: 73% said yes.
• Nurtures a love of reading: 73% said yes.
• Is a source of personal enjoyment: 64% said yes.
• Helps manage personal finances or saved money: 32% said yes.
• Helped to obtain a new job: 11% said yes.
• Helped improved or start business: 15% said yes.
• Helped with a business opportunity: 25% said yes.
• Assisted workers to be more productive in their job: 37% said yes.
• Introduced users to new technologies: 28% said yes.
• Helped users with primary education work: 18% said yes.
• Helped users with life-long learning: 47% said yes.
• Contributed to their home schooling efforts: 12% said yes.

In addition, the study revealed the following about business users:

• 49% of business users indicated that they obtained most of the business/research information from their public library.
• 78% of business users indicated that information obtained from the public library contributed to the success of their business.
• Without access to the information in their public library, 23% of the business users indicated that they estimated their operating costs would increase between $500 and $5,000 and 7% estimated costs would increase by $5,000.
• 41% of business users said that if they did not have access to the public library it would have some negative impact and 33% said it would have a major negative impact on their business.
• 59% of personal investors said they obtained the information needed for making investment decisions from their public library.
• 48% said “definitely” the investment information at the public library had contributed to their financial well being and 34% said “somewhat."
• 32% of the respondents said the dollar value of the information obtained from the public library was between $10,000 and $1 million and 2% said over $1 million."

Among the economic impact findings are the following:

1. The direct economic impact of all SC public library expenditures is $80 million.

2. The existence of SC public libraries brings to the state (from federal and private sources) almost $5 million each year that it would not otherwise have.

3. The value of the loans and use of books, videos, cassettes, CDs, newspapers, magazines, etc. to users each year is approximately $102 million.

4. The value of reference services to users in SC each year is approximately $26 million.

5. The total direct economic impact of SC public libraries is estimated at $222 million, while the actual cost of these services to the state and local governments is only $77.5 million. This means that for every $1 spent by state and local governments on SC public libraries the return on investment is $2.86.

6. The indirect economic impact of SC public library expenditures (wages, supplies, books and related materials, construction, etc.) on the state’s economy is almost $126 million. This means that for every $1 expended by SC public libraries, the state receives $1.62 of indirect economic impact.

7. The total direct and indirect return on investment for every $1 expended on the state’s public libraries by SC State and local governments is $4.48 - a return of almost 350%!”

Glen Holt, of the St. Louis Public Library, has written numerous studies on their role in the community. There are other studies across the land.

There may never be enough of these impact studies. There are certainly more than enough already, however, if we don’t use the data to influence the folks who control the purse strings! Read them and use what you need. If they’re not right for what you need, then do your own study, talk to your library schools, encourage more research, contract the survey you need, etc.

Value of Academic and College Libraries

The value of academic libraries is often strongly tied to the value of colleges and universities themselves. There are many reports on the impact of universities, colleges, and higher education on the economics of a community.

In this particular sector, I am fond of a study called “Libraries Designed for Learning” by Scott Bennett. This is an articulate report on what needs to be considered to place the library at the heart of the new university – virtual and bricks. As we create information and learning commons, we need to consider many new and mutated issues (including our Millennial users), and this report is a good place to start.

Another study that makes a good point is OCLC’s “White Paper on the Information Habits of College Students” (www.oclc.org). This excellent, free study provides data on students’ preferences in dealing with the library and research information. It concludes with some tough questions for libraries and library staff to ponder, strategically.

What should libraries’ strategies be if students:

• Prefer Web access from home?
• Naturally gravitate towards the most popular Web tools?
• Prefer single-point access using Web search engines?
• Want assistance in any way at all - although they prefer personal and face-to-face?
• Want access to resources - wherever they are or whoever owns them?
• Clearly want to know more about library services?
• Base their opinion and perceptions of library service on evening and weekend experiences?

"The Digital Disconnect: The Widening Gap between Internet-Savvy Students and Their Schools” (August 14, 2002) and “The Internet Goes to College: How Students are Living in the Future with Today's Technology” (September 15, 2002), both from the Pew Internet and American Life Project, are based on reliable data. It’s scary data too. There is an emerging proof of a severe generation gap between students and the teachers, professors, and librarians that serve them in their learning environment. Some might say that’s just the students' perception and they need to learn more. Great marketers live by the adage that "perception is reality” since few individuals differentiate between their real and false perceptions.

“Dimensions and Use of the Scholarly Information Environment” from CLIR/DLF (http://www.clir.org) was published after the Digital Library Federation and Council on Library and Information Resources commissioned Outsell, Inc. to conduct a large-scale study. This project looked at undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty members from academic institutions to better understand how users' expectations of libraries are changing. A summary report, including 158 tables, is now available online. This report is fascinating in its detail about how students, professors and librarians are using electronic resources from e-journals and the OPAC to the Web and subscription databases.

I do worry that my research finds too few empirical studies of the broader role of the college and university library on learning and research in the academic setting. Are they just difficult to find? Is the position of the academic library so unassailable that the research isn’t needed? I wonder.

Value of Special Libraries

Having spent many years in a special library setting, I am all too aware of the position in which special libraries are placed – you’re only as good as your last reference question or research project. You are under constant pressure to justify your services, role, and budget in the specialized environment in which you practice.

There are quite a few studies on the value of special librarians and their services. However, each is often narrowly focused and its results limited to the sector in which it was done.

Two examples, which I particularly admire, were accomplished by Joanne Gard Marshall. The first sought to discover the impact of the medical library on the decisions of doctors. It’s referred to as the “Rochester Study.” In 1991, physicians were asked to request some information related to a current, real clinical case and then to evaluate its impact on the care of their patients. There were 15 participating hospitals. As a result of the information provided by the library, 80% of the 208 physicians who returned their questionnaires said that they probably or definitely handled some aspect of patient care differently than they would have handled it otherwise. Specific changes that were reported by the physicians were:

• Diagnosis 29%
• Choice of Tests 51%
• Choice of Drugs 45%
• Reduced Length of Hospital Stay 19%
• Advice Given to the Patient 72%

Physicians also said that the services and information provided by the library contributed to their ability to avoid the following:

• Hospital Admission 12%
• Patient Mortality 19%
• Hospital-Acquired Infection 8%
• Surgery 21%
• Additional Tests or Procedures 49%

Yes! You do see in these data that working with medical libraries avoided patient mortality. Librarians save lives too! Excitingly, the physicians rated the information provided by the library more highly than that provided by other information sources such as diagnostic imaging, lab tests, and discussions with colleagues.

Professor Marshall also performed another impact study for SLA in 1995. She studied the impact of the library on corporate decision-making in the five major Canadian banks. This study, published by SLA, shows powerful impacts of library-delivered research and reference on decisions having total impacts of over $1 million each. The impacts usually changed the course of the research of the end user and/or saved significant money.

There are other studies that have been done in the fields of patents and in pharmaceuticals that show the impact of the library on improving regulatory compliance and speeding approvals from authorities.

Again, there is too little hardcore research and study, but what is out there is very compelling.

Value of School Libraries

In the school library field, there are numerous studies and seemingly increasing stupidity in just ignoring them. I heard the word "anegnosis" once. It’s similar to "amnesia" although instead of forgetting knowledge and experience, it means to willfully ignore or be unaware of facts and knowledge. Dr. Ken Haycock is a professor and former director at the graduate School of Library, Archival and Information Studies at the University of British Columbia. His summary of the major studies, internationally, was published in 2003 by the Canadian Coalition for School Libraries. It clearly shows that students who attend schools with well-funded, properly stocked libraries managed by qualified teacher-librarians have higher achievement, improved literacy, and greater success at the post-secondary level. Duh! So why are we having a crisis in school libraries, where they’re threatened routinely?

The study is entitled The Crisis in Canada’s School Libraries: The Case for Reform and Reinvestment. “The evidence is there for all to see,” says Dr. Haycock. “That’s why governments in the U.S., Europe, and Asia are aggressively investing in their school libraries. What’s disturbing is that Canadian policy makers are ignoring the findings of literally decades of research that shows why school libraries and qualified teacher-librarians are essential components in the academic programming of any school.” Standardized scores tend to be 10 to 20% higher than in schools without an investment in a school library program. “The relationship between library resource levels and increased achievement is not explained away by other school variables (e.g., per student spending, teacher-pupil ratios) or community conditions (e.g., poverty, demographics). In fact, no fewer than forty years of research – conducted in different locations, at different levels of schooling, in different socioeconomic areas, sponsored by different agencies, and conducted by different, credible researchers – provide an abundance of evidence about the positive impact of qualified teacher-librarians and school libraries on children and adolescents.” (Haycock 2003)

“Two leading U.S. researchers in the field offer this arresting conclusion: 'In research done in nine states and over 3300 schools since 1999, the positive impact of the school library program is consistent. [They] make a difference in academic achievement. If you were setting out a balanced meal for a learner, the school library media program would be part of the main course, not the butter on the bread (Lance and Loertscher, 2003).'”

We need to continue to get the word out. The Ontario Library Association has committed $100,000 CDN to the completion of an Ontario study on the impact of the school library on learners. This will add more Canadian content to the corpus of evidence-based research proving the relationship of teacher-librarians, school library workers, and school libraries to the success of students.

Again, it will all be for naught if we don’t promote it and build understanding in the education decision-making communities. We need to be at the table, and we need to be heard. Support the advocacy efforts of our fellow professionals in the library movement.

OCLC Advocacy Initiative

In recent years, OCLC has gifted the library community with many items of value. They have launched an advocacy campaign to raise awareness of critical library issues and to help libraries demonstrate their value. The OCLC Environmental Scan as well as the “Libraries: How They Stack Up” document are examples of tools that can be used by libraries to influence their communities and finding bodies.

Normative Data Project from Sirsi and FSU

Today most of the information available on libraries is just that: information on libraries. It is not information about what goes on inside libraries. But it’s what’s inside libraries, either inside our buildings or inside our Web presence, that IS EXCITING and tells a wonderful story.

In January 2005, Sirsi launched the Normative Data Project for Libraries. Designed to help libraries analyze collections and collection use across a large, normalized set of library data, the Normative Data Project (NDP) represents a unique opportunity to standardize and amass a centralized data warehouse containing actual circulation and collections data from contributing North American public libraries.

This NDP is jointly created by leading library community organizations, including hundreds of libraries in North America, the GeoLib Program at Florida State University (FSU), and Sirsi. The goals of this cooperative effort are to compile transaction-level data from libraries throughout North America; to link library data with geographic and demographic data on communities served by libraries; and, thereby, to empower library decision-makers to compare and contrast their institutions with real-world industry norms on circulation, collections, finances, and other parameters. Census, ILS and NCES data are added into the system for comparison purposes.

“Libraries today must find ways to optimize operations, maximize resources, enhance services, extend ‘market’ penetration, and serve ‘customers,’” said Patrick Sommers, Sirsi chief executive officer. “Having access to real-world data on trends and dynamics impacting a broad spectrum of libraries means that library community leaders can conduct benchmarking, manage collections, prepare budgets, choose facility sites, and make other decisions with greater insight than ever before possible.”

Already, more than 700 library outlets - representing approximately 300 North American library systems with combined annual income of more than $340 million and combined annual circulation in excess of 150 million items - are contributing data to the project. Data for 10.5 million unique titles and 30 million copies are contained in these libraries’ collections, which are valued collectively at more than $1 billion. Additional libraries continue to be added, with plans to have data from approximately 500 library systems and 2,500 library outlets in the NDP database this year.

The most important difference between the NDP initiative and other sources of information on libraries is that it is not survey-based data. NDP is based on detailed transaction-level, operational data maintained day-to-day in libraries’ integrated library systems. In other words, NDP doesn’t just provide information on libraries. It reveals what actually goes on inside libraries. For example, there are many sources that provide total circulation figures for libraries, but they provide no insight into what materials are being circulated. NDP will provide a broader understanding of libraries and their operations than previously possible by providing - even down to the call-number level - what materials are being circulated where and to whom. No individual-specific data is gathered or maintained by NDP, so as to protect the personal privacy of individual library users.

“For more than a decade, the GeoLib Program has been focused on bringing to bear the power of geographic and demographic information for library decisions-makers,” said Christie Koontz, PhD., director of GeoLib. “Why is geographic and demographic information so important for libraries? Because, just like other businesses, libraries need to know who and where their customers are,” said Koontz. “Now, with the Normative Data Project, another dimension is added - library decision-makers can view and analyze the actual behavior of library users.”

Beginning June 1, the libraries targeted to contribute transaction and collection level data will be given online access to NDP. The NDP subscription service will also be available June 1 for libraries wishing to subscribe, as will the add-on GIS Customer Marketing Maps for outlet-level neighborhood demographics. In the coming months, the NDP site will also feature top-level statistics for the library community that will be available free of charge, along with a range of valuable resources.

This vendor/library/academic partnership represents a unique opportunity to create ongoing measurements and norms for library operations to effectively track change, manage operations, and build funding justifications. It’s very exciting.

Conclusion

These are challenging times for libraries. We need to communicate our value strongly and in many ways. The studies and opportunities outlined above are fabulous initiatives. We must take our basic statistics and turn them into measurements, and then we must share our measurements. Raw statistics are just representations of effort – something bureaucrats view with cost-cutting eyes. Well-chosen measurements can demonstrate the amazing value and impact of libraries to their communities, host organizations, and funders. All players – vendors, publishers, library workers, institutions, and communities - in the information space have a vested interest to ensure that we communicate this impact and value well. Finally, we must enliven these measurements with the real life experiences of our users. We must share our stories and provide forums for our users to share their stories. It’s these stories that provide the narrative to strongly engage our communities to invest in their own success.

Libraries play an essential, non-partisan role in providing the information that allows citizens to make informed decisions. Libraries make a difference. Libraries transform lives. Let’s never forget that. Let’s speak up.

Stephen Abram, MLS, is vice president of Innovation for Sirsi Corporation and is 2004/5 President of the Canadian Library Association. He would love to hear from you at stephen.abram@sirsi.com.

There's No Need To Fear Open Source

While you may have dipped a toe into the waters of open-source software by using Firefox, you may still be reluctant to take the plunge and explore its possibilities for larger library applications. The best way to dispel fear of anything new is to learn about it.

The last time I wrote about open-source software was in last September's issue of Computers in Libraries, which was devoted to making the most of what you have and do-it-yourself solutions. After the column appeared, I received an e-mail from David Dorman of Index Data, who believed that I had done open-source products a disservice by discussing them with do-it-yourself projects. He felt it implied that products based on open source were unsupported and required technical expertise that not every librarian might have.

Mr. Dorman is correct: Products based on open source do not have to be homegrown, unsupported software. Commercial vendors can certainly offer open-source products and provide topnotch support. In fact, I have often heard the argument that open-source software is more secure and reliable because its entire community of users can identify its weaknesses and help develop solutions for them.

Bertrand Serlet, senior vice president of software at Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) , was quoted on the Open Source Initiative's Weblog as saying, "A lot of security problems derive from the core ... [With open-source code,] thousands of people look at the critical portions of source code and ... check [to make sure that] those portions are right. It's a major advantage to have open-source code."

My points in that article were that using open-source products can open up specific customization and development possibilities without ignoring standards, and that librarians should be open to trying something new. While that "something" can be a homegrown solution with only in-house support, it can also be software from an established vendor with a proven support channel. Librarians do not need to be afraid that choosing open-source software will mean that they are totally on their own.

Taking the OS Plunge
Actually, many of you may already be using open-source software without realizing it. Firefox, the Web browser that is growing in popularity as an alternative to Internet Explorer, was developed by the Mozilla Foundation's open source project. Mozilla.org, which is overseen by the Mozilla Foundation, is an organization of people who are interested in using or improving the Mozilla source code.

More information about the foundation and its philosophy, as well as a free Firefox download, can be found on the Mozilla Web site. An e-mail client, Thunderbird, is also available for download as is Mozilla Suite, a set of Internet applications that includes a Web browser, an e-mail and newsgroup client, an IRC chat client, and an HTML editor. Documentation for these programs as well as other resources are also available on the site.

While you may have dipped a toe into the waters of open-source software by using Firefox, you may still be reluctant to take the plunge and explore its possibilities for larger library applications. The best way to dispel fear of anything new is to learn about it, and a good place to start learning about open source is the Open Source Initiative Web site. (I quoted its Weblog earlier.)

The Open Source Initiative identifies itself as a "non-profit corporation dedicated to managing and promoting the Open Source Definition for the good of the community, specifically through the OSI Certified Open Source Software certification mark and program." The site offers information on the Open Source Definition as well as the project's certification program, approved licenses, and OS software. The OSI News Weblog keeps track of the latest OS news and contains links to other sources of information.

Open Source Resources
Another place to check out is the Free Software Foundation (FSF) Web site. FSF was founded in 1985 and is "dedicated to promoting computer users' rights to use, study, copy, modify, and redistribute computer programs." It is important that users understand the meaning of "free software." It is not a reference to the cost of the software, but rather to the freedom of the user, i.e., the user has the right to use the software, study and adapt it, copy it, and release the improvements to the public.

According to FSF, access to the source code is essential to these freedoms. The organization is the primary sponsor of the GNU Project, which was started with the intent of developing a complete UNIX-style operating system. As you might expect, GNU is an acronym, but it is not just an ordinary acronym; it is a recursive acronym for GNU's Not UNIX.

In addition to sponsoring the GNU Project, the Free Software Foundation also sponsors the GPL Compliance Lab, which investigates reports of violations of the GNU General Public License. Another FSF project is its Free Software Directory, which contains more than 3,000 entries. (FSF has partnered with UNESCO to combine the directory with UNESCO's Free Software Portal.)

Finally, through its Savannah project, FSF provides software development services at no cost to free software developers around the world. The Savannah Web site serves as a central point for development, distribution, and maintenance of GNU software.

Open-Source Software in Libraries
According to the OSI Web site, governments as well as public sector and nonprofit organizations are beginning to utilize OS software. Some libraries have already begun this process, and the oss41ib (open-source systems for libraries) site documents these efforts. The home page offers the latest news on open source in libraries; links to information about the site and the group's 1999 establishment; contact information; a list of readings including bibliographies, articles, and books; and a link to subscribe to the oss41ib listserv. Of particular interest is the list of open source library projects, which includes ILL forms, a management system for public access computers, and integrated library systems. Each item is linked to its developer's site.

Organizations that support libraries are taking note of the growing interest in OS software and are gathering resources for librarians. One such organization is eIFL (Electronic Information of Libraries), an independent foundation devoted to advocating the wide availability of electronic resources in developing countries. Its site has an introductory discussion of open-source software that includes a list of readings. It also offers examples of how OS software is being used in libraries and contains a section of links to additional resources.

OCLC supports the development of open-source software for libraries through OCLC Research. Its Web site offers utilities for the development of library-oriented software as well as ready-to-use components for library systems. In keeping with the principles of open source, the source code and documentation as well as the class files and binaries for all of the software are available. The OCLC Research Public License, which governs how the software is used, may be read online or downloaded as a PDF. Current projects are listed, and additional information is available on the OCLC Research Open Software Development page.

High-Profile Projects
As I was researching this column, I noticed that one of the projects mentioned quite frequently was the New Zealand Digital Library at the University of Waikato. The aim of this project is to "develop the underlying technology for digital libraries and make it available publicly so that others can use it to create their own collections."

Its Web site offers access to several document collections through the searching and browsing interfaces of the Greenstone Digital Library OS software. Visitors to the site can try out these interfaces and can follow links to further information on the Greenstone software, its accompanying documentation, and the Greenstone mailing list.

You can also try out Koha, which claims to be the first open source integrated library system. Koha, which was developed by Katipo Communications, Ltd., is in use at the Horowhenua Library Trust in New Zealand and is maintained by a team of volunteers. Test drives of the acquisitions and OPAC modules are available on the Koha Web site as are installation and support information, an FAQ document, a subscription form for the Koha mailing list, and a downloadable version of the Koha software.

Since I began this column by discussing the e-mail message I received from David Dorman, I felt I should end it by visiting his company's Web site. Index Data is a consultancy company that specializes in networked information retrieval; it also provides turnkey software solutions. The company offers several software products for free including the Keystone Digital Library Suite, which is distributed through the General Public License. This suite offers open source digital content management , portal management, and information discovery software in one package. Information on the software suite, accompanying documentation, and support services are available on the Index Data Web site.

Support if You Want It
As I said in my earlier article on open source, open-source software can appeal to the do-it-yourself type since modification of the software is both permitted and encouraged. However, it can also appeal to those librarians who place a high priority on support.

As always, when choosing technology alternatives, the bottom line is whether the product meets the library's automation needs as well as its support needs. There is no reason to let fear rule out open-source software when it may be just the right solution for your library.

Indian Parliament approved Right to Information Bill

Right to Information Bill passed
K.V. Prasad
It will usher in a new era of governance, says Manmohan


NEW DELHI: The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed the Right to Information Bill, in keeping with a promise the United Progressive Alliance had made in its Common Minimum Programme. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh stated that it would usher in a new era in the process of governance, performance and efficiency.
146 amendments

The Bill, with 146 amendments, was adopted by voice vote. The Opposition benches remained empty owing to the boycott.
Intervening in the debate, Dr. Singh said the legislation would ensure that the benefits of growth would flow to all sections of the people, eliminate corruption and bring the concerns of the common man to the heart of all processes of governance.
The Government accepted an amendment proposed by the Congress chief whip, Pawan Bansal.
The architecture

The Bill, Dr. Singh said, lays down the architecture for accessing information, which is simple, easy, time-bound and inexpensive.
There will be stringent penalties for failing to provide information or affecting its flow. "In fact, it imposes obligations on agencies to disclose information
suo motu, thus reducing the cost of access."
The Prime Minister wanted civil servants to view the Bill in a positive spirit. They should not see it as a "draconian law for paralysing Government, but as an instrument for improving Government-citizen interfacing, resulting in a friendly, caring and effective functioning.''
Dr. Singh emphasised that the Bill was more far-reaching and effective than the existing Freedom of Information Act. He praised the role of the National Advisory Council headed by Sonia Gandhi in bringing into focus major drawbacks in the earlier legislation. He urged the State Governments to take the initiative and establish State Information Commissions.
Sonia's enthusiasm

Ms. Gandhi was among those who took an active part in the voice-vote exercise: she was seen thumping the desk with both hands.
She later walked up to the Speaker Somnath Chatterjee's chair to exchange greetings. She also had word with the Telugu Desam Party leader K. Yerran Naidu.
While supporting the legislation he had said that its "poor drafting'' showed up as the Government itself had brought forward nearly 150 amendments.
Moving the Bill, the Minister for Personnel, Suresh Pachauri, said some of the clauses would come into effect soon after it was passed by the Rajya Sabha and received presidential assent. Others would become operational within 120 days.
He said an Information Commissioner would be selected by a panel comprising the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and a Minister nominated by the Prime Minister.
Under the provisions of the Bill, there will be no fees for people below poverty line.
The exemptions list was the least among similar laws enacted by other countries, it was stated.

Nod for Information Bill
Special Correspondent
It is a pace-setting measure, says Manmohan Singh


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Historic legislation that will radically alter the administrative ethos, says Pachauri.

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http://www.hindu.com/2005/05/13/stories/2005051302431300.htm
NEW DELHI: The Right to Information Bill received parliamentary approval on Thursday with the Rajya Sabha passing it by voice vote, a day after the Lok Sabha passed the legislation.
Moving the Bill, Minister of State for Personnel Suresh Pachauri said the "historic legislation" would radically alter the administrative ethos and usher in a new era of openness, transparency and accountability.
Opposition benches remained vacant as the National Democratic Alliance is continuing its boycott of Parliament.
Public empowerment

Intervening in the debate, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the Bill was a "pace-setting measure" and the intention was to enlarge interface between citizens and the Government and further empower the public. "People should be able to judge for themselves if governments are functioning in accordance with [the] public interest. All information can be misused also. A lot will depend on how information seekers approach it but the danger of its misuse is not that much. Access to information is not a monopoly of a few."
Dr. Singh assured the House that the Bill had adequate safeguards to prevent misuse and the penalties had given it teeth. "I think the Bill strikes a right balance. It is the not the intention to paralyse the public administration."

The Bill would see the "dawn of a new era", eliminate corruption and strengthen democracy.
Agreeing with P.C. Alexander (Independent), Dr. Singh said the next three-four years would be crucial for the operation of the Act. Security and intelligence agencies were not covered under the Bill, except in cases of allegations of human rights violations and corruption.
`Better than U.S. law'

Lauding the effort in bringing the Bill, Ram Jethmalani (Independent) said it was an improvement over the American law, which had 13 exceptions against seven in the Indian law. It would drive home the message among civil servants that they should treat the public as their masters.
He wanted an informal consultation held with the Leader of the Opposition when public information officers were appointed at the Centre and in States.
Winding up the debate, Mr. Pachauri allayed apprehensions that the bureaucracy would not be forthright in taking decisions because of the "stringent" penal provisions in the Bill.
The Minister disagreed with the contention of Bimal Jalan (nominated) that the Official Secrets Act (OSA) would have to be scrapped.
The Bill clearly defined the areas where information would be given to citizens. It had a provision to deal with situations where it came into conflict with the OSA.
Selection panel

Mr. Pachauri defended the dropping of the Chief Justice of India from the selection committee of public information officers on the ground that the judiciary was never involved in the selection of persons for executive functions.
This was the case with the Election Commission, the Central Vigilance Commission, the Comptroller and Auditor-General and the National Human Rights Commission.

The legislation differed from the one passed by the NDA Government. "The main change is in the nomenclature itself. Besides, the previous law did not have penal provisions."
Penalty

Responding to C. Ramachandraiah's (Telugu Desam Party) remark that the penalty for withholding information was inadequate, Mr. Pachauri said this was in line with what was specified in a similar Maharashtra law.
The other seven States and a Union Territory which enacted similar laws had lower penalties.

Library science degree: file that under stupid

By Sony Barari ( a fourth-year molecular, cell and developmental biology student. )

Looking through the UCLA catalog trying to figure out a way to weasel out of my latest D-minus, I stumbled across a real jewel of academia. There is actually a graduate program, here on our campus, called library science. Now, without bothering to actually research the program (and possibly forsaking the comic potential), I will attempt to relay the import of this discovery to you.

First of all, does this really need to be a graduate program? As far as I can remember, every librarian with whom I have ever come in contact has been a socially inept housewife who needs a little extra income to help out around the homestead.

Other than an uncanny ability to impede potential hoopla and merrymaking, I don't understand why these overzealous school marms need to attend a professional school, and thus be equated with scientists, doctors and lawyers. I don't even think you need a GED to successfully put books on shelves. Hell, a properly trained monkey with a fancy hat could probably do that.

Secondly, what could these people possibly be learning for such a long period of time? I can't imagine the Dewey Decimal System taking more than a day to master. And what then? How to requisition books and donations from private institutions without annoying people? That's another day at most. Come on, what could be the most serious issue facing a librarian? How best to maximize profits from overdue fees? If you overcharge, nobody will go overdue. If you undercharge, you won't make any money. Ooooh! We better start a graduate program to address this!

And why must this be a graduate school? What is there to learn that you couldn't easily pick up "on the streets?" It's not like we're training the leaders in cutting edge library methodology. Are these people developing theses regarding new and revolutionary decimal systems? I'm pretty sure Dewey has it covered.

Now, I understand that working at the Library of Congress might be kind of a drag, but that's only like 30 people. They could just take one of those mail-in courses, couldn't they? They could pick up gun repair while they're at it. Now that's a skill.

Library science?Science? There is not a single scientific thing about library science. Putting on a silly puppet show for kids doesn't exactly merit a Nobel Prize. They should call it library communications, or library sociology, or some other crackpot title. Please. Working in a library is about as scientific as phrenology or astrology, and certainly less so than making moonshine in a tub. And mind you, the program is accredited by the American Library Association. Hallelujah! God forbid we have librarians from DeVry or Brymon peddling their knowledge.

Now, I thought to myself that maybe I was being overly harsh, so I decided to look into the program. Word for word, this is the official description of the master's in library science:

"At UCLA, the MLIS program provides students with a blend of conceptual and theoretical knowledge and practical experience. In the classroom, students acquire a solid foundation in contemporary library and information science theory, information seeking and retrieval skills, and information technology expertise."

Take a moment to read that again. "Theoretical knowledge?" What is that? "Information seeking skills?" I rest my case.

You Did Get Through To Him [ Sony Barari ]

The Suicide of the Public Librarian

Management efforts to look good in the short term are leading to the demise of the MLS

There is a public library that I know of, a system that has become a "must stop" for library managers from around the nation who hope to learn its secrets to achieving public recognition for service effectiveness. Well supported by local government, the library system is heavily used by customers who crowd its parking lot and flow through its doors. Unfortunately, it is also a library system that hides a dirty little secret—its success, in part, is built on the continued downgrading of its professional positions. Library workers who have not studied for the MLS now hold responsibilities once carried out by professional librarians. The survival of professional librarianship involves what other fields have called "process theories of professionalism." Simply stated, such theories hold that a degree, even one from a program accredited by the American Library Association (ALA), does not guarantee that a librarian professional will get respect in the workplace. Such affirmative regard has to be supported by one's employer. Support for librarian professionalism is clearly lacking when an employer, regardless of national standing, strips away critical responsibilities and systematically underpays its librarian staff. Radical redefinition This library's systematic denigration of its own professional staff takes many forms. The responsibility for developing the library's collection has been removed from the public service librarians—who are now expected to concentrate on providing information. Collection development has been handed over to part-time librarian selectors. This step represents a professional demotion of the public service librarians. That move was recognized by the library's own salary and position consultants, who assigned a higher hourly wage to the part-time selectors on the basis that their collection development responsibilities were clearly more professional than the public service duties of colleagues at the service desks. It is legitimate to argue over the precise line for dividing collection responsibilities between centralized selectors and librarians who interact with customers. Removing public service librarians from the process, however, cannot be justified. After comparing its work force with a group of local libraries, this nationally known institution determined that it is "over-MLS-ed." It has adopted a systematic policy of reviewing each librarian vacancy with the intent of minimizing the position to that of an associate, which does not require a graduate degree from an ALA-accredited program. A 19th-century vision Among other duties, these associates are assigned to work reference desks where the professionally educated librarians estimate that it takes three years of on-the-job, apprenticeship training to bring them up to speed in providing public service. For more than a century professional status has been equated with earning appropriate graduate degrees. By reverting to a 19th-century vision of service staff education requirements and needs, the library management demeans its own academic preparation and the professional education of those who have long delivered its core services. Realizing that full-time staff with many years of employment are unlikely to look elsewhere for a job, this library maintains professional compensation scales at about $1 less per hour than the average of the libraries to which it compares itself. The library also has removed storytelling from the duties of its youth librarians. These professionals with master's degrees are now expected to be managers only. They are required to train the library associates of their department in the highly specialized skills of the storyteller, telling stories themselves only under exceptional circumstances. This is a thoughtless approach. Even in tightly unionized environments, contracts frequently allow librarian supervisors to spend a portion of their time doing the "line position" work on the valid grounds that managers must maintain their own professional skills, if only to evaluate accurately the employees they supervise. The issue needs debate We call the library the "Jonestown Public Library" (JPL) and have named the state of its location "Franklin." Revealing the actual name of this facility would institutionalize and personalize the discussion and would add nothing to the more important issue of deprofessionalization. This essay must not be considered an indictment that the JPL senior administrators are incompetent or evil. The national recognition and strong history of local support clearly indicate that they are functioning remarkably well in the short run. Their mortal professional sin is shortsightedness. Years ago Tony Miele, the director with whom I worked at the Alabama Public Library Service, the state's library agency, was very frustrated when heads of other government departments complained about his efforts to upgrade librarian salaries and responsibilities in Alabama librarian job descriptions. His success meant that other departments had to pay their own librarians more money. Miele believed supporting the status of the library profession was absolutely essential. He understood that it was his responsibility to demonstrate the value of our profession to those who controlled the purse strings. In contrast, JPL managers diminish librarian responsibilities and return the education of public service staff to an old-fashioned apprenticeship system. The JPL environment is not amenable to professional progress; it is a context for professional suicide. Master's programs will adjust As a library and information educator I could be accused of self-serving entreaty. However, the JPL devaluing of its professional positions is not really a threat to ALA-accredited master's programs. Our enrollments are, generally, at their highest levels ever. Corporations and other employers, even in this recession, have learned to value the education our graduates receive for an information-driven economy. If the JPL style of deprofessionalization becomes a public library standard, we will create or expand undergraduate degree programs in information use and management to meet their new needs. We treasure our master's degree programs, but it is a higher education truism that all tuition dollars, whether supplied by graduate or undergraduate students, are equally useful in paying faculty salaries or meeting other educational expenses. The JPL example shows the danger of using mere numbers from national databases to evaluate library systems and give them recognition or acclaim as models for other libraries. From a managerial/educational vantage point, I am reluctantly coming to believe the JPL case is a strong basis for librarian unionization. Where senior library managers prosper by discounting the value of their own profession, front-line librarian professionals must organize to determine their own survival and future.

But Don't Call 'em Librarians

It's a great idea to put humanities Ph.D.s to work in libraries…

New gateways to the library profession are in the works. They are seen as a threat to the monopoly of the library and information studies (LIS) programs leading to the current entry-level credential, the American Library Association (ALA)–accredited master's degree in library and information studies (MLIS). For decades, however, we've watched great research libraries hire scholars over librarians as their directors. Lately, several of these very LIS programs have installed new deans who hold the Ph.D. in another discipline and no library credential. Our libraries are loaded with staff who have no library degree. LIS education as we have known it has only been around for a little longer than half a century. It has adapted to many new needs in that time, whether those needs developed from new library services, new technologies, or a glut of people with advanced degrees. Debates over how we address these needs in our LIS programs are a healthy example of the permanent tension between library practice and LIS education, even if they often take a decade to get results. Claims of a lack of qualified people for certain specialized positions in libraries have forced our great research libraries to initiate new ways to attract highly qualified scholars. That, in turn, has forced the LIS programs to come up with ways to protect their degree, our degree, and create programs that will lure the new scholars not only to our profession but to our credential. Right now a most tempting pool of candidates is formed by the surfeit of scholars earning the Ph.D. in the humanities. Asked who has the greater need, libraries or humanities scholars, Elliott Shore, chief information officer (CIO) at Bryn Mawr College, quickly responds, "I think it's a need for those who have just earned humanities Ph.D.s. A huge percentage of them cannot get jobs in teaching." Since there are needs in academic and research libraries as well, Shore says he hopes these experiments will draw people who will ultimately want careers as subject specialists or in special collections. "We're hoping that these people become attractive to libraries and that they are attracted to library careers," says Shore. Some of the experiments await decisions from funding agencies. Others are nearly ready to be launched. Still others are on the drawing boards in academic and research libraries, library organizations, and a variety of library and information think tanks nationwide. Among the most enthusiastic proponents of these investigations is Yale University librarian Alice Prochaska. She expects Yale to take part in several initiatives to attract both Ph.D.s and graduate students in many disciplines to library assignments that hook them on library careers. The pipeline problem While there is no urgent shortage of candidates for library jobs, nor an oversupply of openings, the long-term outlook, after baby boomers retire, suggests shortages. Duane Webster, executive director of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), cites special collections and rare books, subject specialties, and bibliography in many disciplines in the humanities, especially area studies. Some agree with him, some don't. Joe Hewitt, associate provost, University Libraries at University of North Carolina (UNC), Chapel Hill, says that LIS programs don't attract humanities and social science Ph.D.s. "We need an alternative way to get such people into the profession," he says. "I don't want to undermine the MLS…but for special collections or rare books librarians there are very few programs." "As the schools have shifted to IS and digital technology they have shifted faculty resources away from these traditional specialties," Hewitt says. "They want libraries to require the MLS, but they are not teaching the content we need." "I think many library schools have de-emphasized the academic library as a course of study," says Bryn Mawr's Shore. "There are fewer and fewer courses on administering collections, rare books, and archives, many of the traditional things." A debatable need "We need to wake up to the demographics," says Susan Nutter, vice provost and director of libraries, North Carolina State. "We really need new people. If we don't have the people, then the work will go to someone else, to people who have no background at all." Nutter thinks research libraries need short- and long-term strategies to increase their qualified staff. For now that means people with science and engineering degrees or technology qualifications. Some see no need at all. "Some of my colleagues say we need people who understand the discipline and content, with content knowledge to handle digitization projects," says Carla Stoffle, dean of libraries at the University of Arizona. "We do that work with our faculty. I have never understood why there is this need; we don't have it." The LIS deans are bystanders with a stake in the outcome of this debate. Jane Robbins, dean of the School of Information Studies at Florida State University (FSU), is blunt: "Library directors say they can't fill special positions, but they have never asked the LIS programs to recruit doctoral graduates from other disciplines. If they are telling us, in some indirect way, that the people who go to library school are not 'cutting it' then let me ask this: Will it be better to take Ph.D.s who are unhappy because they couldn't find teaching jobs and put them in jobs in libraries?" The CLIR initiative The best-known new initiative is the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) program to recruit humanities scholars for postdoctoral fellowships in research libraries. It is also the most feared and misunderstood. About 15 top academic and research libraries are expected to participate. The CLIR board, made up of librarians, provosts, scholars, and others, came up with the program. It is designed to help in what CLIR director of programs Abby Smith calls "critical information professions" with their "uncertain recruitment futures." These scholars have expertise to serve in libraries, especially in subject specialties, area studies, special collections, and archives. The CLIR program was the brainchild of Deanna Marcum, former head of CLIR and now associate librarian, Library of Congress (LC), and Charles Phelps, provost of the University of Rochester, NY. It was quickly adopted because of the enthusiastic support of people like Yale's Prochaska. Each host institution will define opportunities for a one- or two-year postdoctoral fellowship in its library. "We are being deliberately agnostic about the desired outcome," Smith says. "We're not trying to do anything specific about the nature of the library training or the nature of the Ph.D. involved," she says, responding to fears expressed by library staff and some faculty and deans in LIS programs. The postdoctoral fellow will have a Ph.D. in hand before the fellowship starts. Each will hold a joint appointment in an academic department and in the library. CLIR will offer "a common experience," according to Marcum, who chairs the group building the curriculum. "The idea is to build a network of people," Marcum says. It will be designed to give the postdocs the background and values shared by those who work in research libraries. CLIR will be the central site for all the recruiting, but the host institutions will create their own fellowships. "We are the enabling infrastructure," Smith says. A grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation will support CLIR's role and the start-up of the program. Each institution will have to find support for its fellowship. What's typical in academe "We thought candidates would be more interested if our program was similar to other programs typical in the life of a scholar," Marcum says. "Universities are comfortable having fellows. They know how to pay for them." Under the plan, CLIR will match the candidates with specific opportunities. Marcum hopes some fellowships will go to projects to build digital collections. Interaction with ALA-accredited LIS programs is a matter for each host institution, according to Marcum, dealt with "on a case-by-case basis." The CLIR planners are not ready to make connections with LIS programs a requirement, but there is no objection if a participating institution wants to do so. It is not a new idea, and according to Shore there are lots of postdocs in the sciences, and most new Ph.D.s work at a series of them before they go into a teaching position. In the humanities there are very few transitional opportunities. Can they be recruited? Many in the libraries and the LIS programs feel that the CLIR initiative holds insufficient promise that the postdocs can be recruited. Many doubt that the Ph.D. candidates will be willing eventually to spend the time and money to earn an appropriate library credential, especially the MLIS. Yale's Prochaska is much more optimistic. To her, the CLIR program and others are a natural outgrowth of the "teaching library" movement to transform research libraries. "Keenly interested" in encouraging Ph.D.s to pursue academic library careers, Prochaska also aims to recruit other graduate students from all the disciplines. Michèle Cloonan, dean of the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at Simmons College, Boston, is talking with Prochaska about ties between the Yale program and the SLIS at Simmons. "I think there is a need in libraries for Ph.D.s in the humanities," Cloonan says, adding that when she earned her MLS at the University of Chicago in the 1970s, nearly everyone in the class had a Ph.D. "They were taking the library degree as a last resort," Cloonan says. "I think it's more positive to get people into libraries for a year and then have them go to get library degrees. It is a very positive way to recruit, to give them an opportunity to try on the profession. This is not a threat to our LIS programs." Himself recently recruited from the humanities, John Unsworth, the new dean of the School of Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, thinks the CLIR program is "a fine idea." "I hope we can get people to come and get interested in working for us," says Winston Tabb, dean, University Libraries at Johns Hopkins. "After they've been a fellow, they may decide they want to stay with us forever and even get a library degree." Tabb started the junior fellows program when he was at LC. Several of its recruits went on to library school. At Hopkins, Tabb hopes the program will add numbers and weight to the "audience of people in the provost's office and the offices of the deans," he says. "We need people in that audience who understand what libraries do. Having some come in and work with us early in their careers, even if they ultimately go into the classroom, will be very useful to us in the future." Though NC State's Nutter is looking for talent beyond the humanities, she sees the potential. "When they get exposed to library work, people love it!" she asserts. "It is an amazing experience for them. We're trying to bring in our own undergraduates, even some from high schools. We're exposing them to meaningful library work. We're starting an endowment so we can give scholarships to new students. You put people into special collections, collection development, or into research services and they get hooked." While she deems it "very healthy" for libraries to hire those who are prepared in many ways, FSU's Robbins wants to be sure those recruited have a strong commitment to librarianship. "We want to make sure they honestly want to be librarians, not people who want to rest until they get another job," she says. Should the MLS hold? Other experiments to get highly qualified people for research libraries are in the works. Brooke Sheldon, dean of the School of Library and Information Science at the University of Arizona, takes her experimental model from the business schools. She's working on a "fast-track program" to credit Ph.D.s for research skills and in-depth background in their discipline. "It is a good idea to get these strong scholars into the profession," says Sheldon, "but it will haunt them if they decide to make it a career and don't get our basic degree. They need to learn the values and philosophy that go with it. Not only must we ensure that they enter the profession on equal terms with the other librarians, it is vital that we maintain the integrity of the master's in library and information science." Johns Hopkins's Tabb likes the idea of giving credit for the fellowships as a practicum and for some of the other studies, so the program to an MLS could be shorter. ARL has proposed a "truncated" MLS program. It will seek funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. According to ARL's Webster, "Some LIS programs are willing to think imaginatively about how they package their degree programs." UNC's Hewitt feels that a Ph.D. would be unwilling to complete 36 hours of course work. He hopes programs will give substantial credit for the fellowships as "internships" and for the candidate's existing knowledge. "Ph.D.s don't want to pull up stakes to get the MLS," says Hewitt. They are not librarians! Dual degree programs might be a solution, according to Arizona's Stoffle. The programs would seek people with and without the Ph.D. They could accommodate those with a lot of library experience but no credential. The CLIR fellows do need a program for socialization and acculturation, says Simmons's Cloonan, and they should be encouraged to get the MLS. In talks between CLIR and LIS deans, Marcum showed little interest in involving LIS programs. No library educators were invited to a CLIR "summit" on the subject. NC State's Nutter is thinking about a summer program resulting in a new certification by ALA or ARL specifying what qualification is earned. The courses could teach "some of the things you get in library school or that are particular to higher education and public institutions." A summer program would make it unnecessary to send people with a Ph.D. back to school for one or two years, Nutter says. The LIS program at Illinois will try to develop ways to meet some of the curricular needs of the fellows, according to Unsworth. "Library directors have a variety of opinions about the value of traditional library education," he says. "It may be that these are people who don't and won't ever feel the need for that credential. I don't have a problem with that. I think they will feel the need for education, and I can speak to that as someone who is entering the field, indeed I am in midstride." "A short course, say a 15-week summer course, could give them some foundation, but it would be going down the slippery slope if librarians come to believe that it does not take a master's degree to be a librarian. If you give that credential to someone who already has the Ph.D., the library will always choose that person over one with the full MLS. The Ph.D. is the lingua franca of the university. You're telling people that the Ph.D. is more important than the MLS, but if there is a glut of Ph.D.s, tell 'em to go get the MLS. Otherwise they are not librarians." Many of the research library directors agree. Even NC State's Nutter believes "a minimum of a master's degree" is essential and prefers the library degree. "If we can't get that credential," she says, "we have to find a way around it in the short term. We all have an obligation to work together on this." John N. Berry III is Editor-in-Chief, LJ