Mini-Interview with Brian Mathews

July 29th, 2011

by Meredith Nudo

Brian Mathews with University of California – Santa Barbara and The Ubiquitous Librarian was kind enough to answer some questions about university libraries, student engagement, social media and all the lovely little (and big) ways they overlap with one another. I highly recommend readers check out his blog over at The Chronicle of Higher Education, because he pulls from his considerable experience to post up some wonderfully insightful information about…um…libraries.

Shocking, I know.

I've included Mr. Mathews' responses in full, but revised any spelling and grammar slips with his expressed written consent. Beyond that, all of his ideas remain entirely intact!

1.) What role does social media play in enhancing university library patron engagement?

For a long time my guiding philosophy was to “be where students are,” but now after several years of experimentation and the maturation of social media, I’m moving more toward “being in a place where students invite us into their social circle.”

I’m less interested in reaching a lot of students, or for that matter “the mass” of students. And I’m more interested now in using social media to target the true “fans” of the library. I see using Twitter and Facebook as a way to enhance an already positive relationship by providing perks and personality rather than just pushing out content. For me, social media is a way to identify and interface with our most loyal patrons.

2.) Do you believe that university libraries with a strong social media presence see increased usage?

I don’t think so. What I mean is, I don’t think that your social media effort is going to convert new customers. People who are friends with Coke are probably not going to convert to Pepsi just because of Twitter content. There are just some people who don’t use libraries, and so we can’t expect to reach them. Your Facebook fan page probably isn’t bringing in people who would not already be using your services and spaces.

That said, I think there is potential to further educate current users. There is a population of people who just love books or love being in large computer labs or who just want to get away from the dorm and have a more ideal learning environment. This is our base. It’s these people who we want to focus on and expose to other things that we have to offer. In this regard, I think we can tip people along to other aspects of the library that they might not be aware of.

If I am a “friend” of Coke, maybe they offer me a special deal on merchandise. You reward loyalty with a chance to expand the brand experience. We can apply that same principle to libraries. Let’s say I have a segment that loves to read and treasures books—well maybe I offer that population a VIP tour of Special Collections and pull out lots the rare, old, and unique items. I let them peek in the vault, etc. I let them socialize together around their passion or interest. Here I’ve created a greater bond between them and the library. And now I can push them other info about the library, like workshops or ILL, whatever.

The same thing with the techie community. Maybe I recruit some of them to serve as beta testers for our new website and other web products, like SUMMON. I give them access to stuff before everyone else and ask them to help us get it ready for launch. They in turn get to experiment with new technology, which is exciting for them, while helping us test our services.

What it boils to social media is about building a relationship, not about just pushing out RSS feeds. It’s useful to identify loyal user and then to extend and grown that experience.

3.) What role do you believe emerging technology such as tablet computers and Google+ will play in the future of university libraries?

I have not been impressed with Google+. I love Google Docs and their whole productivity suite, but their social media products have been a bust. I feel like they are getting away from their core business and chasing the money rather than providing something new and useful.

But to address the larger question. Like everyone else, academic libraries follow the diffusion of innovations:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:DiffusionOfInnovation.png

Some are innovators and early adopters and have been exploring technology like iPads, eBook Readers, and Patron Driven Acquisition for years, while others are laggards and are not even talking about these things. Just like some places were eager to dump the card catalog, while other were resistant.

I think the big question we have to keep asking though is “what makes our library valuable to our users?” If emerging technology advances the mission, then a library should definitely invest. But if adding more people to the help desk is what’s really needed then that library should try and accommodate that need.

It boils down to what experience you are trying to provide and then enhancing it. What are the core objectives? Teaching and learning? Migrating to digital collections? Creating cultural encounters? Scholarly Communications outreach? Etc.

Once we identity the destination, then we can map out the path. Maybe emerging tech and social media is a step toward the goal and maybe not. It’s easy to get distracted by things like “we need to design an iPhone apps because everyone else is doing it” when the bigger topic might center on what’s the most effective strategy for mobile users?

4.) What are some of the most creative strategies university libraries have used to better engage students?

Faculty are key. Getting into the classroom is essential. You can host all types of social or culturally enriching events, but without a connection to the academic process it’s hard to have wide success. Academic libraries need to emphasize and reinforce the mission of their institution. I like the approach of developing learning experiences rather than just providing access to resources.

Here is an example from where I work at UC Santa Barbara. A prof had students work with us to help digitize some medieval bibles. Then later in the year, another class of hers used those files to explore the evolution of the bible from the years 1250 – 1600. They wrote papers, but they also put together an exhibit in the library and hosted a national conference on the topic. This type of interactive and multitier, multisensory approach to learning is valuable and engaging. Those students gained so much more out of that experience then if they had just read a bunch of secondary sources and wrote a 10-page paper.

It’s sad when students are obsessed with finding 10 peer-reviewed sources and citing them in proper MLA format rather than exploring bigger ideas and activating their curiosity. I’ve worked in four academic libraries and “the paper” is a chore rather than a chance to discover.

Working with instructors to expand beyond the classic term paper assignment and into other or additional scholarly outputs is a way to fully engage the library and build stronger relationships and brand recognition.

5.) What are some ways in which university libraries need to improve upon student engagement?

We need better assessment practices. I’m really into Balanced Scorecards right now. And, of course, user experience metrics. Once we have a better understanding of our users, then we can work on enhancement.

I think we have an obsession with information literacy, which is natural, but it overshadows other objectives. There is a lot of emphasis on what we need to teach rather than on how to be more effective teachers. I highly recommend Char Booths book: Reflective Teaching, Effective Learning: Instructional Literacy for Library Educators http://www.alastore.ala.org/detail.aspx?ID=2896

I also think we have a long-term danger of becoming just computer labs and study spaces. We need to develop the brand better that articulates value and positions the library as the most ideal learning environment on campus. 

Lastly, we need to have a more user-sensitive outlook rather than a library-centered strategy. We are so eager to share what we have to offer, but can be poor listeners when the topic doesn’t involve us. 

Thanks again for your awesome input, Mr. Mathews! It's all very much appreciated!

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