In the pre-Internet age, literacy development and lifelong learning initiatives were primarily driven by community libraries. Readers of varying demographic characteristics visited community libraries regularly to read books, discuss ideas, and connect with like-minded people. However, community libraries are facing an existential threat in the digital age.
Several studies suggest a consistent decrease in the average number of library visits per individual per year. Modern readers prefer accessing digital libraries instead of visiting community libraries. Unlike community libraries, digital libraries enable users to access resources in various formats – audio, video, eBooks, and journals.
Also, a user can access the digital library 24/7 using a desktop, laptop, smartphone, or tablet. Community libraries eliminate the existential threat by adopting digital transformations. Strategists make community libraries popular by leveraging digital technologies. We are discussing some of these ideas and strategies decision-makers implement to digitalize community libraries successfully.
9 Ideas or Tactics to Digitalize Community Libraries Successfully
1. Implement Digital Library Software
Strategists reduce community library digitalization time and costs by implementing robust digital library software. The online library is developed as a repository of off-the-shelf content. Hence, the community library can enable readers to access digital content from leading publishers and eminent authors.
In addition, readers can consume digital content in various formats – eBooks, audio, videos, journals, and simulations – by accessing the software on a computer or mobile device. The cloud-based software further drives the digitalization of community libraries without increasing upfront and recurring costs.
2. Digitalize Existing Library Resources
Often community libraries stand out by hosting rare books and vinyl records. While digitalizing a community library, strategists ensure that readers can access rare books without visiting the library in person. They digitalize the physical resources that make the community library popular with readers and researchers.
However, they find it challenging to fully digitalize the physical resources due to cost and resource constraints. Strategists overcome constraints by prioritizing printed books, records, and cassettes to be digitalized. Also, they ignore resources that are already available on the Internet.
3. Digitalize Library Catalogs
While visiting a community library, users use catalogs as an offline search engine. They refer to library catalogs to find relevant resources. The catalog helps visitors read relevant books by displaying important information like subject, topic, title, and author.
Strategists simplify online information search by digitalizing library catalogs. They further make the digital library catalogs popular by sharing additional information like descriptions and summaries. In addition, they keep the digitalized community library searchable by optimizing the information for major search engines.
4. Speed up Information Search
Generative AI technologies have personalized the way new-generation users find information and answer questions. Modern readers prefer digital libraries that enable them to find relevant information quickly and straightforwardly. Strategists simplify and accelerate information search by implementing the right digital library software.
They use intuitive search interfaces as a key criterion while comparing leading digital library software. In addition, they prioritize software that enables users to access content in the preferred format and language by complementing the search interface with search filters.
5. Make Book Recommendations
While visiting a community library, readers access several printed books based on their interests and preferences. Librarians keep them engaged by recommending books and other library resources to specific topics or subjects. While digitalizing community libraries, strategists keep readers engaged by making book recommendations.
They opt for AI-powered digital library software to recommend the most relevant content to readers. The digital library software makes personalized recommendations to each reader based on his interests, needs, and preferences. The AI-powered recommendations keep readers engaged by encouraging them to access additional resources.
6. Share Curated Content
New-generation readers learn a topic deeply by understanding different perspectives and viewpoints. Hence, they prefer thought leadership content to avoid reading multiple articles and blogs. While digitalizing community libraries, strategists enable readers to access thought leadership content by curating information from diverse sources.
New-age digital library software helps them share thought leadership content with readers by collecting information from internal and external sources. They further use artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to curate content created and shared by subject matter experts.
7. Organize Virtual Library Events
Before digital technology adoption, community libraries acted as important cultural and social centers. They attracted readers by hosting events like book sessions and meeting the author. After digitalizing a public library, strategists increase its popularity by hosting various library events virtually.
For instance, they create opportunities for readers to interact with authors by hosting virtual author events. Likewise, they enable members to share and discuss ideas by creating online discussion forums. The active communities contribute hugely towards popularizing digitalized community libraries.
8. Promote Library Services
In addition to digitalizing a community library, strategists make the public aware of the library digitalization initiatives. They make the digitalized community library popular using digital marketing channels like search engines and social media.
While digitalizing library materials, strategists optimize the content according to the latest search engine guidelines. Likewise, they connect with the target audience using popular social networking platforms like Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and LinkedIn.
9. Collaborate with Other Libraries
Most community libraries these days stay relevant and popular by running digital transformation projects. They collaborate to reduce the costs and resources required to digitalize large volumes of printed books and other physical resources.
The collaboration helps decision-makers digitalize only selected and rare library materials. In addition, they can impress readers by providing access to additional books and rare archives. However, strategists also accelerate community library digitalization by joining initiatives like Google Books and Project Gutenberg.
Conclusion
Digitalization creates opportunities for community libraries to regain popularity by impressing and attracting new-generation readers. While digitalizing a community library, strategists should consider implementing cloud-based digital library software. The online library software will enable readers to access digital library resources anytime and anywhere.
However, strategists also focus on digitalizing existing library resources. They enable access to rare library resources by scanning existing materials. Also, digitalization helps them preserve the existing library resources for future generations. Hence, strategists modernize community libraries by implementing digital library software and digitalizing existing library resources.
