Ideas for Pause on Platform

There were a few ideas mentioned during our discussion of the article “Library as Platform” during our first class session that gave me pause. The first is the idea that in the library platform, there would be a sizable accumulation of information, and it would be in our best interests to discard, rather than hoard, it. This idea has merit because certainly libraries in their collection development policies address weeding electronic materials, so this wouldn’t be that much different. However, if the library is functioning as a platform, all information should be made available so as to provide as much opportunity as possible for the end users to use the platform for their innovative purposes, and libraries do a disservice to the users by removing information that could prove beneficial. Then again, some library staff are hesitant to weed items with the thought that the item in question might possibly benefit some user, but it’s not much more than a feeling.

There is also the question of whether or not libraries can handle the capacity of all users in a given community coming to use the library, whether the physical building, or the online platform presence. I can see how the library in either form could get overwhelmed if every user used it, but I would think libraries would want to get as many people as possible involved in what is often an important institution in the community, and if they don’t strive to serve anyone, then they are inherently excluding some. Then again, perhaps libraries are just supposed to be there, rather than an integral part of the community, which counters Weinberg’s notion that libraries as a platform is like the infrastructure of a community, and may lead to libraries becoming irrelevant.

And then there’s the question of whether or not libraries can afford to hire programmers to address the technical issues of the platform. It’s possible that libraries ought to start shifting their focus to the electronic presence just as a matter of responding to the changing nature of libraries, which is less about physical items and more about the electronic and virtual aspects. There must be some leeway given to keep libraries relevant, while also retaining those elements that are always an important part of libraries, as some print materials and other older resources are always going to be important.

Weinberg, D. (2012.) Library as Platform. Library Journal. Retrieved from http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2012/09/future-of-libraries/by-david-weinberger/#_