The document summarizes the demise of the media librarian role in the BBC and other media organizations in the late 1990s and 2000s. It describes how media librarians traditionally provided information research, audio-visual research, rights clearances, training, cataloging, and managing subscriptions and licenses. However, their roles were threatened as technology changed, the industry faced challenges, reporting lines shifted, and user needs evolved. To combat these threats, media librarians diversified their services, embraced new technologies, marketed their expertise, and worked more closely with content producers earlier in the process. The key lessons are that roles are not secure even if users appreciate the services, librarians cannot isolate themselves but must engage and adapt to

1. THE DEMISE OF THE
MEDIA LIBRARIAN
What can we learn from it?
Katharine Schopflin
ARLG Conference 3rd June 2019

2. About me
■ Joined BBC Information & Archives 1996
■ 1998/9 Library qualification
■ 1999 – 2005 Various roles until voluntary redundancy
■ 2006 – 2008 ITN
■ AUKML President 2005-2007
■ 2008 ‘Handbook for Media Libraries’
■ 2009 onwards – many different jobs

3. Some memories …

4. Media libraries in 2000
■ Information research
■ Audio-visual research and rights clearances
■ Intranets
■ Training
■ Cataloguing and indexing of images
■ Managing subscriptions and licensing
■ (Some) cuttings indexing and filing

5. 1996 Research:
‘The library, because they move in those circles and are excited by information,
know what is possible and what is going to happen’
Journalists were ‘dismissive of technology … apart from a few evangelists’
Journalists combined their own field work with use of library for background
research

6. Press
cuttings file,
Guardian
archive
(Richard
Nelsson)

7. Our threats
■ Nobody understood what we did
■ Technology changed
■ Our industry was under threat
■ Reporting lines changed
■ Our users changed
■ Industry priorities changed

8. What we did to combat this
■ Diversified
■ Embraced technology
■ Became the experts
■ Marketed and engaged
■ Worked upstream

9. What can we learn?
■ Just because they love you, doesn’t mean you’re safe
■ Don’t gatekeep
■ Don’t become the ‘Service of the Gaps’
■ A low profile will only last so long
■ Sell what you’re good at
■ Be clear on the consequences

10. Does it matter?
- Loss to the industry
- Loss to an area of expertse
- Loss of librarian numbers overall
- If it can happen there ..