The Human Element in the Virtual Library - a change to virtual libraries seems underway, and librarians are more important than ever as these changes take place - author abstract

Supervisors should lead in the adoption of technology, especially if there is an expectation that staff must use it. Further, technologies such as voice mail and e-mail must be available for all staff regardless of position if they are to improve communication and efficiency in the organization. This means that all staff must have the training necessary to use the appropriate hardware and software and that time must be allowed during work hours for practice after the training. Various strategies have been used by libraries to integrate the use of technology into their organizational culture. Training sessions called "tech breaks" were used by one medium-sized academic library to encourage staff who had mastered a particular application to share their knowledge with their co-workers. This was a supportive environment that fostered staff development and leadership. Smaller organizations may need to collaborate through a community or regional association or network in order to provide training sessions on a variety of topics at an affordable cost. One value of staff going outside the library for training is the opportunity to discuss issues with others who are having the same experience and to vent frustrations without fear of judgment or reprisal.

Those staff who are early adopters of technology can be mentors and advocates. They can be particularly helpful if they support and convince the reluctant adopters. One technique for encouraging early adopters is giving them the newest model of computer each time there is an opportunity. They can be responsible for testing out the hardware and software and serving as a resource for others. Often these high-end users can improvise and create new systems and procedures that benefit everyone in the entire organization. They may also be able to provide simple documentation for other staff members.

All staff should have choices in implementing technology. They should have the freedom to customize their work space and select other elements, such as screen savers, that reveal their individuality. All staff should have recognized baseline skills, and all workstations need to have standard software applications. No one should determine that individuals do not need to have a program when the case may well be that the person could use it but has not had the opportunity. When staff participate in decision-making, they have greater satisfaction and motivation, increased productivity, more creative uses for the technology, fewer errors, and less sick time and attrition.

There are many strategies for libraries to apply to making technology easier for staff and ultimately for users. Sponsoring contests to create Web pages, encouraging volunteerism, partnering with community agencies or campus departments, and creating internal user groups are just a few. Successful libraries create a culture in which technology is a means to the mission and not the mission itself.

LOOKING AHEAD

Recognizing that high technology will probably go higher, librarians must affirm the need for a human response to counterbalance the threat of new technology (Naisbett, 1982, p. 39). The very technologies that have enabled the virtual library have allowed us to provide new services that have been meaningful to users. Nostalgia about the library of the past and fear of developing technologies of the future do not warrant a change of evolutionary path. Only librarians can create a virtual library that is a place for people, with services for people, and an organizational center for access to information using appropriate technologies and resources. This is the challenge and the opportunity of the present as we build on the success and wisdom of the past.