Central Humanist Library at Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana. Yesterday – today – tomorrow?
| Date | 09 January 2017 |
| Pages | 90-106 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/ILS-04-2016-0026 |
| Published date | 09 January 2017 |
| Author | Polona Vilar,Primož Južnič |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science,Librarianship/library management,Library & information services |
Central Humanist Library at
Faculty of Arts, University
of Ljubljana
Yesterday – today – tomorrow?
Polona Vilar and Primož Južnicˇ
Department of LIS&BS, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to present a study of attitudes displayed towards the Central
Humanist Library (CHL) from the perspective of both undergraduate and graduate students as well as
librarians, specically in light of the proposed relocation and merging of the library, which consists of 18
separate departments and is currently scattered across two locations. It is proposed that bringing all of the
departments into a single building would enable a number of positive key changes, such as cost reduction (in
terms of single premises), communication and cooperation between departments, as well as various other
process and service improvements.
Design/methodology/approach –A number of different techniques were employed to obtain and
analyse various sets of data, depending on the target group: student responses were obtained through web
surveys, focus groups and interviews, with data being extracted and analysed through descriptive analysis;
librarians’ responses were obtained through interviews, with data being extracted and an analysis driven
through content analysis.
Findings –The CHL has traditionally been a place with a lack of space and a focus on traditional library
services (i.e. loan of printed materials). Other more technological aspects of library and information services
are fullled by nearby resources, including public libraries and alternative university libraries. It is also worth
noting that there is a stark difference in the perceptions of the CHL between students of the Social Sciences and
the more traditional Humanities. Responses from librarians pointed towards the fact that many feel reluctant
towards change.
Research limitations/implications –As this study has only focused on three categories of end user, it
should be noted that responses from faculty, researchers and doctoral students will be obtained in a separate
research study, to enable a broader picture to be formed.
Practical implications –As this research focused on the present library and current information needs of
the students within different study programmes, planning should not be based on the present situation, but
rather take account of future predictions and needs. It is suggested, therefore, that the following is also
undertaken to assist future projects and provide further insight: informing students and librarians of ndings;
systematic weeding; and, as noted above, further investigation of other stakeholders, e.g. researchers, doctoral
students, faculty and management.
Originality/value –There is minimal information surrounding the attitudes of users and staff within the
CHL – it is proposed that the ndings of this study will assist in decisions regarding the renovation of newly
acquired premises, and the subsequent relocation and reorganization of the existing library, staff, collections
and services.
Keywords Academic libraries, Students, User studies, Librarians, Humanities, Social sciences,
Central humanist library
Paper type Research paper
The authors would like to thank the management of the Faculty of Arts and the Central Humanities
Library for their support in performing the study. We are also grateful to all the collaborators who
helped gather the data, to research colleagues for their insights and to Jakob Južnicˇ for helping with
statistical analysis.
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/2398-5348.htm
ILS
118,1/2
90
Received 5 April 2016
Revised 29 June 2016
28 September 2016
30 November 2016
Accepted 26 January 2017
Informationand Learning Science
Vol.118 No. 1/2, 2017
pp.90-106
©Emerald Publishing Limited
2398-5348
DOI 10.1108/ILS-04-2016-0026
1. Introduction and literature review
Academic librarianship today is, more than ever, faced with numerous issues, whether that
be related to service, space or the organisation as a whole, notwithstanding other dilemmas,
whether they be daily or long term. This makes renovation or reorganization difcult and, to
some extent, a low priority. This is reected in a number of studies, which emphasise the
uncertainty of the academic library, both in today’s society and in the future. There is a broad
sense that changes need to be implemented to ensure survival; however, it would appear that
agreement on the extent, measures and pace of change is still up for debate by all parties and
as such no change is implemented.
Vilar (2014) provides an overview of the implications of change in the academic library
arena, focusing on scientic information, behaviour and communication. He notes that, to
keep their status, libraries need to rethink their perception of end users, as well as re-evaluate,
reorganize and/or update their services. In the past decade, research has shown that the
range of resources used for study and research purposes has broadened (University of
Minnesota Libraries, 2006) while reading has become more supercial (Rowlands and
Fieldhouse, 2007).
Recent studies have shown that reading from hard copy has not disappeared, despite the
fact that access to the resources has become mainly digital. Whilst learning, students
appreciate digital access to resources, but still prefer to read from paper (Mizrachi, 2015;
Kortelainen, 2015;Terra, 2015;Zabukovec and Vilar, 2015;Landøy et al., 2015).
It may be noted that the resources themselves are unlikely to change; however, the format
and access to them are increasingly affected by information-communication technologies
(ICT) in an ever more digital age (scientic publishing for example is increasingly accessible
thanks to open archives and institutional repositories). Studies show the decline of the
traditional library services with staff “in situ” (often to the point of near extinction) in favour
of self-service methods, which are generally not considered as library services by many,
though it is often libraries that make it possible to deliver resources (such as e-journals) to a
digital platform for the end user. They may also build and maintain digital repositories, etc.
for the benet of the end user. (Rowlands and Fieldhouse, 2007;Long and Schonfeld, 2013;
Vilar et al., 2015). A number of changes across higher education institutions are diminishing
the role of the library and associated services (such as library print collections), and placing
increasing importance on remote access online library resources. In an ever more digital age,
new sources for information are freely accessible, which in turn is causing libraries to be
perceived and utilised as the initial starting point for information. It is commonplace for
many research methods to originate online and, because of digital technologies, users expect
a natural progression to further user-focused related services which are customisable to their
needs. It is worth perhaps noting here that the rise of “online and hybrid pedagogies” and
“cost-of-education sensitivity” is causing college and university educational outcomes to be
scrutinized more intensely (University Leadership Council, 2011;Attis and Koproske, 2013).
Another potential change that the library could consider, to take account of the shift away
from traditional consumption of materials, is the adaptation of library space from a book
storage space to a social space (Bryant et al., 2009), and librarianship could change focus from
collections to connections (Audunson and Aabø, 2013). Studies show that end users are
amenable to the provision of collaborative information environments, which they can
customise according to their needs (such as discipline and academic status). These are seen
as being collaborative spaces which present many opportunities for end-user contribution
and sharing (Vilar, 2014).
The concept of a library as space for its users dates back to the second half of nineteenth
century; before that librarians were more concerned with protecting the library materials
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Humanist
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