This presentation was provided by Carl Grant of The University of Oklahoma Libraries during the NISO event, "The Library of the Future: Inside & Out", held on December 12, 2018.

1. Intellectual Crossroads of the University
Thoughts on the need for continuous learning and reskilling in librarianship
By Carl Grant, Dean (Interim)

2. Intellectual Crossroads of the University
The kind of change preferred in academia
https://www.facebook.com/pg/RobGonsalves.Official/photos/?ref=page_internal

3. Intellectual Crossroads of the University
“Unless we can see our future in a far
broader context, we may not have a
future.. Our territory is being lost
while we think we are defending it,
because we are defending the form
and not the substance, and the
substance is changing.”
Maurice Line, retired British Librarian
The kind of change preferred in academia

4. Intellectual Crossroads of the University
The kind of change preferred in academia

5. Intellectual Crossroads of the University
https://www.nmc.org/publication/nmc-horizon-
report-2017-library-edition/
“Why are technology
progressions so obvious in
retrospect and hard to see
while unfolding?
Because incumbents are so
proficient & knowledgeable
about the status quo they are
unable to see.. It’s described
as the ‘curse of knowledge’.”
page 21.
The kind of change the world is experiencing

6. Intellectual Crossroads of the University
“Every 12 months we produce 8
million new songs, 2 million
new books, 16,000 new films,
30 billion blog posts, 182 billion
tweets and 400,000 new
products.”
The kind of change the world is experiencing

7. Intellectual Crossroads of the University
What happened around 2007?
• iPhone
• Hadoop (big data)
• GitHub
• Facebook (Sept 2006)
• Twitter
• Google bought YouTube (2006)
• Android launched
• Kindle released
• IBM released Watson
• Intel released high-k-metal gate
microchips
“One of the greatest leaps in history”
The kind of change the world is experiencing

8. Intellectual Crossroads of the University
“Scientific research and
technological developments
are moving at a far faster rate
than most of us can grasp.”
The kind of change the world is experiencing

9. Intellectual Crossroads of the University
The kind of change the world is experiencing

10. Intellectual Crossroads of the University
The 12 technological forces at work:
1. Becoming
2. Cognifying
3. Flowing
4. Screening
5. Accessing
6. Sharing
7. Filtering
8. Remixing
9. Interacting
10. Tracking
11. Questioning
12. Beginning
The kind of change the world is experiencing

11. Intellectual Crossroads of the University
“Movements in academic and research
libraries, especially in the context of
higher education as a whole:
• Expanding Access and Convenience
• Spurring Innovation
• Fostering Authentic Learning
and Discovery
• Balancing Societal Shifts
• Tracking Research and Patron Data
• Spreading Digital Fluency
http://cdn.nmc.org/media/2017-nmc-horizon-report-library-EN.pdf
The kind of change the world is experiencing

12. Intellectual Crossroads of the University
Libraries, you and continuous learning
Steps to achieving the reimagined academic
library:
1. “Retire the legacy print collection now.
2. Develop a space plan.
3. Manage the transition from traditional publishing models
to open access.
4. Support the creation of, access to and preservation of the
scholarly content on your campus.
5. Commit to the special collections your library will support
and make the required investments.
6. Infuse the curriculum with the skills necessary to create
and consume information productively.
7. Understand the demographics of your organization and
have a plan to hire or develop the expertise the library
will need.
8. Get the culture right
9. Support the development and sustainability of network
level tools and services
10. Sell the change.”

13. Intellectual Crossroads of the University
“Accelerations set loose by Silicon Valley in
technology and digital globalization have
created a world where every decent job
demands more skill, and now, lifelong
learning.”
Thomas Friedman, Owning your own future. NY Times, May 10, 2017
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/10/opinion/owning-your-own-future.html
Libraries, you and continuous learning

14. Intellectual Crossroads of the University
 Countries are struggling with: pace-of-change, tribalism,
massive financial disparity, resentment, alternative facts,
ignorance, sexism, racism and more.
 Actively being undermined:
• Trust
• Truth
• Scientific method
• Intellectual & civil discourse & debate
The result of all this change?
Libraries, you and continuous learning

15. Intellectual Crossroads of the University
• Libraries need to factor these realities into their team training,
skills, technology and space planning.
• Why?
• Because all of the above are essential to support higher
education, research and learning.
The result of all this change – cont’d?
Libraries, you and continuous learning

16. Intellectual Crossroads of the University
Libraries, you and continuous learning

17. Intellectual Crossroads of the University
We should teach our ourselves & those we serve to question
everything.
http://clipart-library.com/images/LTd5rzBAc.jpg
Because questioning is at the heart of invention and re-invention
and those are key to continuous learning.
Libraries, you and continuous learning

18. Intellectual Crossroads of the University
Question space. How does it
support:
• Being inviting, comfortable?
• Collaboration?
• Re-configurability?
• Technology?
• Offering differing styles of
seating (with various levels of
privacy)?
Libraries, you and continuous learning

19. Intellectual Crossroads of the University
Lower Level 2 – Conference Room,
Zarrow Family Faculty and Graduate Student Center
Libraries, you and continuous learning
Question space.

20. Intellectual Crossroads of the University
Learning Lab: Lower Level 1, 1958 Building
The “before” pictures
Libraries, you and continuous learning
Question space

21. Intellectual Crossroads of the University
Learning Lab: Lower Level 1, 1958 Building
The “after” pictures
Libraries, you and continuous learning
Question space

22. Intellectual Crossroads of the University
Before After
Lower Level 2 – Reading Room,
Zarrow Family Faculty and Graduate Student Center
Libraries, you and continuous learning
Question space.

23. Intellectual Crossroads of the University
Libraries, you and continuous learning
Question space

24. Intellectual Crossroads of the University
VR “is an entirely new medium,
with its own unique characteristics
and psychological effects, and it will
utterly change how we interact with
the (real) world around us, and with
other people.”
Jeremy Bailenson, Experience on Demand
Page 11.
Libraries, you and continuous learning
Question the tools you use

25. Intellectual Crossroads of the University
September 2017 - 1st time ever, that we’re aware that a Virtual Reality Class was
held in H.E. across 7 remote locations (2 in Arizona, 5 in Oklahoma), 15 total
participants, with an instructor in Arizona giving a tour of a cave, pointing out
archaic cave art.
Libraries, you and continuous learning
What does this mean for space design?

26. Intellectual Crossroads of the University
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/12/161214085926.htm
What does this mean for space design?
Libraries, you and continuous learning

27. Intellectual Crossroads of the University
“Test your world with diverse people. Better
yet, add diverse people to your team.
Cultural background, age, sex and cognitive
style have a big impact on how people to take
to VR.”
Page 235.
Libraries, you and continuous learning

28. Intellectual Crossroads of the University
Libraries, you and continuous learning
Question your community outreach

29. Intellectual Crossroads of the University
Libraries, you and continuous learning
Question your community outreach

30. Intellectual Crossroads of the University
Libraries, you and continuous learning
Question your community outreach

31. Intellectual Crossroads of the University
Question access containers
Can we open them via:
• Open Access initiatives
• Open Educational
Resources initiatives
• Grant funders wanting
open research data
• Governments wanting
open research data
• Researcher’s desire for
greater impact
Libraries, you and continuous learning

32. Intellectual Crossroads of the University
When will it happen?
According to this
recently released, peer-
reviewed study: “The
state of OA: a large scale
analysis of the
prevalence and impact of
Open Access articles”…
sooner than you think.
https://peerj.com/articles/4375/
Libraries, you and continuous learning
Question access containers

33. Intellectual Crossroads of the University
Libraries, you and continuous learning
Question your preparedness

34. Intellectual Crossroads of the University
Libraries, you and continuous learning
Question your preparedness

35. Intellectual Crossroads of the University
Do the following:
• Educate our current teams about
• Basic programming, informatics skills (Carpentries are an excellent way to do this)
• Basic business skills (accounting, legal, promotion, etc.)
• The changing environment & where libraries fit
• The need for agility
• If it applies, how their jobs are going to change
• Where they personally fit into it
• How you’re going to help them get there (training, etc.)
• Create a learning culture
• Failure, if learned from, is acceptable
• Recognize and reward achievements
• Hire new people and seek:
• Diversity of all types
• Those hungry to learn, deep readers, those who question
• The fearless, willing to try out new approaches
Conclusion

36. Intellectual Crossroads of the University
The End
Carl Grant
Dean (Interim)
University of Oklahoma Libraries
E: carl.grant@ou.edu
P: 540.449.2418
Twitter: @carl_grant
Conclusion