From research to reality: Transforming libraries for a global information world.

Rome | IFLA Satellite | 30 August 2019
From Research to Reality:
Transforming Libraries for a Global Information World
Lynn Silipigni Connaway, PhD
Director of Library Trends and User Research
OCLC
connawal@oclc.org
@LynnConnaway

“…number of internet users worldwide [is] in the region of 3.6
billion – around half the world’s population – while Facebook
has more than 2 billion active monthly users.”
(Constine 2019)
“33% of UK internet users did a ‘digital detox’ at some point in
2015”
(Hutt 2019)
Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/smemon/9558344658/ by Sean MacEntee / CC BY 2.0

“Millennials and the post-millennial generation are
more connected than any other age group, but the
rise of social media has coincided with increased
levels of depression, anxiety and loneliness among
young people.”
(Edmond 2017)
Image:https://www.flickr.com/photos/10616199@N00/5464399000/ by jo / CC BY-NY 2.0

“66% of people polled
worldwide said they could not
live without the Internet.”
(Hutt 2019)
Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/scif0r/24986058928/ by Denis Simonet/ CC BY 2.0

Methodology 1950 1960 1965 1970 1975 Total* %*
Theoretical-analytical 11 17 11 36 52 127 14
Information system design 7 16 21 57 49 150 17
Surveys on the public 3 2 9 20 19 53 3
Survey or experiment on libraries,
etc.
22 15 45 89 113 284 32
Bibliometric and similar studies 0 1 7 14 16 38 4
Content analysis 0 1 2 1 3 7 1
Secondary analysis 6 15 15 13 27 76 8
Historical methodologies 21 26 25 49 42 163 18
Descriptive bibliography 7 4 6 4 9 30 3
Comparative studies 0 2 6 4 7 19 2
Other and multiple 3 1 7 9 10 30 3
All papers* 76 96 139 274 315 900 100
Research Papers by Methodology &
(Powell, 1999)
Research Papers by Methodology & Year

Research Methods: JDoc 2001-2010
• N=367
• Theoretical approach, 38%
• Content analysis, 14%
• Questionnaire, 13.8%
• Experiment, 13.4%
• Interview, 13.4%
(Chu, 2015)
Image:https://www.flickr.com/photos/bramhall/32726231845/ by dvdbramhall/ CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Research Methods:
JASIS&T 2001-2010
• N=554
• Experiment, 31%
• Bibliometrics, 23%
• Questionnaire, 14%
(Chu, 2015)
Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ooomz/38378720172/by Umesh Gopinath / CC BY 2.0

Research Methods:
LISR 2001-2010
• N=241
• Questionnaire, 28%
• Interview, 20%
• Experiment, 9%
(Chu, 2015)
Image :https://www.flickr.com/photos/scif0r/38827414252/ by Denis Simonet/ CC BY 2.0

Research Methods: JAL 2004-2013JAL
2004-2013Method Percentage (n=346)
Questionnaire 47.6
Test or Quiz 2.6
Diary 0.6
Content Analysis 27.2
Semi-structured Interviews 14.0
Analysis of existing statistics 6.6
Citation Analysis 6.3
Focus Group Interview 5.7
Observation 4.3
Log Analysis 3.4
Task Analysis 2.9
(Luo & McKinney, 2015)

Method Percentage (n=2460)
Bibliometrics 16.6
Other Methods 12.8
Theoretical Approach 10.3
Questionnaire 10.3
Content Analysis 8.0
Mixed Methodology 6.6
Webometrics 5.4
Big data, TDM 4.9
Interview 3.7
Experiment 2.6
Not mentioned 14.5
Research Methods by Popularity, 2010-2015
(Jasiewicz, J., 2018)

Methods Mentioned Less than 1%
• Historical method (1.0%)
• Observation (0.8%)
• Ethnography/field study (0.8%)
• Focus groups (0.6%)
• Transaction log analysis (0.3%)
• Delphi study (0.3%)
• Research diary/Journal (0.2%)
• Think aloud protocol (0.1%)
(Jasiewicz, J., 2018)n=2460
Image:https://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisahickey/8325425633/ by Chrisa Hickey/CC BY-NC 2.0

Research methods and techniques used in articles published in Library
& Information Science Research (N=202) and College & Research
Libraries (N=223) between 2010 and 2015.

Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/antyx/2712495733/ by Flasher T / CC BY-SA 2.0
“The LIS field is maturing in terms of research
method selection and application in that a greater
number and wider variety of research methods
are used in all the research publications this study
examines…Scholars are no longer limited to the
research methods traditionally applied in LIS
explorations…"
(Chu, 2015, 40)

MOST POPULAR RESEARCH
METHODS USED IN LIS?

Survey research is one of the
most popular methods used in
the LIS literature.
(Case & Given, 2016)

“Perhaps the most convenient method
of studying the consequences of this
law will be to follow the reader from the
moment he enters the library to the
moment he leaves it…”
(Ranganathan, 1931, 337)
Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mdsousa/6437401539/ by pushypenguin/ CC BBY 2.0

• Interviews, 51
• Surveys, 34
• Content Analysis, 28
(Greifeneder, 2014)
Information Behaviour Research Methods:
JASIST, Information Research 2012-2013
JDOC, iConference Proceedings 2013-2014
Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/catchpenny/100353207/ Catchpenny/CC BY-ND 2.0

• Methods used less than five times:
• Delphi studies (Poirier &
Robinson, 2014)
• Eye-tracking (e.g. Balatsoukas &
Ruthven, 2012; Wildemuth, 2009)
• Log file analysis (Jiang, 2014)
• Participatory designs
(Greifeneder, 2014)
Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/centre_image_library/446084041/ by Ann Silver/CC BY-NC 2.0

• Mixed Methods, 45%
• More than two methods, 7%
• Qualitative-Qualitative, 69%
• Quantitative-Qualitative, 31%
• Quantitative-Quantitative, 0%
(Greifeneder, 2014)
Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/kjloggins/9669745423/ by Kerry Loggins / CC BY-ND 2.0

Qualitative and mixed-method studies are not
as prevalent in information behavior studies
but demonstrate a greater variety of research
strategies and data collection techniques.
(Matusiak, 2017; McKechnie et al., 2002)
Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/smemon/9556096685/ by Sean MacEntee/CC BY 2.0

Call for Qualitative and Mixed Methods Research
• Rich data and thick description
• Answer how and why questions
• Can support decision-making for resources and programs
• Strategic planning from a user perspective
• Can help motivate and increase buy-in for change
• Provides opportunity to build relationships
(Connaway & Radford, 2017; Asher & Miller, 2011)
Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/lejournaldemaman/7140241453/ by Maman Voyage / CC BY-ND 2.0

Challenges: Research Environment
• Reduced funding opportunities
• Scholarly value
• Practical implications
• Weak relationships with other disciplines
• Limited communication of research and outputs
• Inconsistent quality
Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/froderik/27440004244/ by Fredrik Rubensson/ CC BY-SA 2.0

WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED FROM
MIXED METHODS RESEARCH?

Determining trustworthy sources
of information is difficult in
today’s environment.
Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/28370466@N05/45075953324/ by mangopulp2008 / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

“…the whole kind of conversation around fake news
is this really important example of how important it
is in our daily life and civic health in order to bring
critical skills to bear on understanding information
and being able to critically evaluate the source of
that.”
(Advisory Member LM03, Research University, Secular, Private)

Millennials and Post-Millennials, although at
ease with information technology, struggle
with the evaluation of online sources.
(Connaway, Lanclos, & Hood, 2013;
Connaway, White, Lanclos, & Le Cornu, 2013;
Stanford History Education Group, 2016)
Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/an-di/8461632247/ Andreas N. / CC BY 2.0

“And YouTube videos, I've always watched
YouTube, so that's highly credible.”
(Researching Students’ Information Choices, E06, Male, Age 12, Elementary Student)
Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/esher27/5784362364/ by Elyse / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

“Well, for Wikipedia, my mom always said, ‘Don't listen to
Wikipedia because they're just personal opinions,’ so I
didn't really want to do that one.”
(Researching Students’ Information Choices, E26, Male, age 12, Elementary Student)
The Learning Black Market
& Wikipedia Shaming

“…I always go to Wikipedia first,
because it seems like it's open-source
and people can kind of update it. As
the issue gets more in depth, they can
add sources to it.”
(Researching Students’ Information Choices, U02 ,
Male, Age 23, Physical Science)
Image:https://www.flickr.com/photos/kdirse/35867985230/ Kristijonas Dirse / CC BY 2.0

“Wikipedia… it’s perfect, because it gives
you the words, the things, the technical
words that you need to look, keywords, so
Wikipedia is always, always the first step.”
(UOCG1, Male, Age 35-44, Professions and Applied Sciences)
Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ooomz/35132120363/ by Umesh Gopinath / CC BY 2.0

“You spend many hours with Saint Google.
We entrust ourselves to Saint Google and
that solves it for us.”
(Digital Visitors & Residents, UOCFI6, Male, Age 53, Arts Humanities)
Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/sjdunphy/5829438411/ by Dunphanizer / CC BY-SA 2.0

“At first I started looking online, and it was
a little bit overwhelming…I ended up
reaching into my mom’s cupboard and
using a recipe that I found in one of her old
cookbooks. The recipe was just what I was
looking for...”
(Digital Visitors and Residents,
USS3, Emerging, Female, Age 17,
High School Student)
“Convenient” Isn’t Always Simple

Core values for today's information schools
include: "organization of information;
universal access; collaboration; intellectual
freedom; self-directed learning and
stewardship"
(Moran; Marchionini, 2012, p. 98)
Image:https://www.flickr.com/photos/busytraveler_us/24128843487/ by Busy Traveler / CC BY-NC 2.0

“LIS graduates should not only be able to
critically read and evaluate research, but also to
design studies, conduct the research, collect and
analyze the data, and report research results,
which can be part of the curriculum objective for
critical thinking and analysis.”
(Connaway 2014)

Opportunity to collaborate with other educators to
incorporate critical literacy into the curriculum.
Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/pamontgo/47732496192/ by Andy Montgomery / CC BY-SA 2.0

“I think information literacy is very important.
What information, is trustworthy? What
information is not? How do you delve into a
subject and really understand what the facts
are? How do you think about different
resources? I think that is going to be really
important for libraries. I think it is going be
something that is important for everybody,
from scientists to humanists.”
(Provost Interviewee PP06, Research
University, Secular, Public)
Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/scif0r/38858014061/ by Denis Simonet/CC BY 2.0

“By focusing on relationship building
instead of service excellence,
organizations can uncover new needs and
be in position to make a stronger impact.”
(Mathews 2012)
Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/12587661@N06/2307876191/ by Michael Gwyther-Jones / CC BY 2.0

The Boutique Library
Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/fabulousfabs/7315600648/ by fabulousfabs / CC BY-NC 2.0
“A boutique library service model gives
us the ability to provide specialist,
personalized services not possible in an
anonymous, centralized system. It is
partnership in action.”
(Priestner, Tilley 2010)

“Borrowing is our premiere,
distinctive service. Nearly everyone
undertakes borrowing activities at
the library, much more frequently
than they do elsewhere.”
Digital Library Manager,
Worthington Ohio Public Libraries
What We Do Best
Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/scif0r/27081868249/ by Denis Simonet / CC BY 2.0

Image: BookNetCanada, “Buyers, Borrowers, and Good News” accessed August 2nd 2019,
https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2019/5/27/buyers-borrowers-and-good-news
N= 14,159

“A library is a growing organism.”
(Ranganathan 1931)
Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/pdenker/202816098/ by Patrick Denker / CC BY 2.0

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank Erin Hood and Nick Spence for their
assistance in preparing this presentation.

References
Asher, Andrew. 2017. “On Ethnographic Research: How do Students Find the Information They Need?” In Research Methods for
Library and Information Science, 6th ed., edited by Lynn Silipigni Connaway and Marie L. Radford, 264. Westport, CT:
Libraries Unlimited.
Asher, A., & Miller, S. (2011). So you want to do anthropology in your library? Or a practical guide to ethnographic research in
academic libraries. Chicago: The ERIAL Project.
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Connaway, L. S. (2017, August 25). Can you believe it? How to determine credibility in the era of fake news. Inside ASIS&T
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professionals. ASIS&T President’s Invited Panel.
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Constine, Josh. "Facebook Now Has 2 Billion Monthly Users... and Responsibility." TechCrunch. June 27, 2017. Accessed July
10, 2019. https://techcrunch.com/2017/06/27/facebook-2-billion-users/.
Edmond, Charlotte. “Could you live without the internet? People in these countries say they can’t imagine it.” World Economic
Forum. September 5, 2017. Accessed August 2 2019.
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Mathews, B. (2012). Think like a startup: A white paper to inspire library entrepreneurialism.
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Moran, Barbara; Marchionini, Gary (2012). "Information professionals 2050: educating the next generation of information
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References

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Priestner, A., Tilley, E. "Boutique Libraries at Your Service." Library & Information Update July (2010)
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Reuter, Kara. “The Library in the Community.” Worthington Ohio Public Libraries, 17 July 2019
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the-internet-peter-steiner.html
References

Questions &
Discussion
Lynn Silipigni Connaway, PhD
Director of Library Trends and User
Research OCLC
connawal@oclc.org
@LynnConnaway

From research to reality: Transforming libraries for a global information world.

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From research to reality: Transforming libraries for a global information world.