a long time the OU has been “out on a limb”, with its focus on remote access to resources. However, that is increasingly now the norm, yet there is still a bias in the sector towards the physical. “I think a lot of libraries are still very wedded to the notion of the physical library. I’m guilty of it too,” says Rosie, “all my background is physical libraries. “I think we need to flip that round and think about these new libraries and these new ways of learning.”
What proves value?
One area where there is scope for improve- ment across the board is metrics and use data. There is a wealth of data available, but it does not always provide answers to the questions being asked about how ser- vices are used, how value is demonstrated and what future needs may be. Traditional metrics – footfall, book issues, etc. – are even less relevant in a digital age where resources are held re- motely and people have no need to enter a
building. This has been the case for the OU since its inception – it has a physical li- brary space on its Milton Keynes campus, but despite being open for more than a decade it still looks brand new because so few people actually need to visit it. Rosie says: “It’s quite difficult for a library like mine. My library doesn’t have a large number of physical seats, so the stats we give back don’t compare well to other libraries. The worth of my library is not in those physical attributes neces- sarily.
“We could benefit as a profession if we can develop new metrics. The OU library is majorly engaged with any new learning analytics initiatives that emerge. We are doing what we can to embed that across the university agenda.
“We are also working to discover what proves value, what proves worth. I think we have a harder task, to do that as a distance-learning library, but if we could lead on that then we can feed it back into the profession, and others will benefit.”
With the OU’s 50th anniversary approaching there is sense of change and renewal. For the library that means more of the same – leadership, innovation and services that support students, staff and researchers. IP
December-January 2017/18 INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL 23
Interview OU Rosie Jones
pp20-23.indd 7
07/12/2017 13:12
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