I gave this talk on 29th April 2022 at the Library Tracker Webinar Series organised by Library Aid Africa, and sponsored by the Goethe-Institut. The aim of the talk was to help librarians understand the fundamentals of adopting and using valuable digital technologies. Several evaluations of similar events revealed that most participants get inspired after talks have been given about digital technologies that could enhance their library's services, however, implementation almost always is a problem. Hence, this talk was not to recommend and train on a particular technology, but to teach librarians how to start their library's digital journey right.

1. HARNESSING DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES FOR LIBRARIES’ VIABILITY
THE ROLE OF LIBRARIANS
GUEST SPEAKER
DAVID N. OFILI
LIBRARY TRACKER WEBINAR SERIES
Event
April 29, 2022
Date:

3. “Vision
Without
Execution
Is
Hallucination”
Thomas Edison

4. -+
IN
CONTEXT
Software, hardware or network
solutions that enhance library
services
DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES
HARNESS
Adopt and use effectively
VIABILITY
Ability to succeed as intended
or planned

5. Use library products and
services to meet their
information needs
Use library products and
services to carry out their
role of assisting primary
users
THE GOLDEN RULE
It’s all about the user!
Primary Users Secondary Users

6. https://www.columbuslibrary.org/

8. FIRST THINGS FIRST
• Harnessing digital
technologies begins
with having a digital
strategy – web,
mobile, cloud?
• Whatever the
strategy, it should
conform with the
objectives you are
trying to achieve
• Harnessing digital
technologies for:
• equity, diversity, and
inclusion
• internet presence,
visibility, and
improved patronage
• user education or
digital literacy
• etc.

9. KEY
Accessibility, Inclusivity, and
Usability are non-negotiable
Getting Management to
commit to the purpose amidst
several other priorities.
Internal resources to actualise
the mission (human, physical,
financial, etc.)
Focusing on the right
technologies that will deliver
value for the library in the
planned period
CONSIDERATIONS

10. GUIDING PRINCIPLES
Choose what service or unit of your
library you want to start with, and
assemble a team of knowledgeable
people to implement the most cost-
effective and efficient technology
IterativeTechnique
KeepThings Simple
• Ensures delivery of value
• Makes Management buy in
• Helps your library learn
progressively in its digital
journey
Adopt agile deployment of
technology as quickly as possible and
continue to improve on your choice.
• Approach is beneficial over time

12. {{{{{{
GETTING STARTED
Look at what other
libraries have
achieved with the
technologies they
adopted. Learn
from their
strategies and
processes
Create a working group of
passionate and knowledgeable
people to pilot the delivery of
the technology.
The group should among other
things:
• test prototypes,
• measure benefits, and
• gather valuable data which will be
used to get Management to buy into
the idea, so you can proceed to the
next phase of your digital journey
Engage technology
product and service
providers and/or your
IT unit earlier on in
the process, as they
would know viable
ways to deploy
technologies of value
to your library

14. s
HARNESSING DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES FOR
IMPACTFUL WEB SERVICES
https://www.ifla.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/assets/GVMultimedia/publications/gv-report-summary.pdf

15. WHY WEB?
The new remote work and lifestyle
• link with local partners
• engage new and underserved sections of
our communities
• have a measurable impact on peoples’ lives
With the advent of the Internet, people
have fancied enjoying information services
from the comfort of their location
Expanding library outreach to:
The Internet and libraries divide
Working remotely is not a new phenomenon.
However, COVID-19 ushered in a new
dimension to remote working and living

16. THE GOLDEN RULE
A library’s website is a representation of the library on the
web, not an independent and disconnected platform

18. “Guidelines
for
Accessibility,
Inclusivity,
and
Usability

19. Services are usable by
people with disabilities
Services are user-friendly,
irrespective of the user’s
category
Consider “typical” vs.
disabled users
Consider the diverse
groups of users
The standards should
guide your delivery
No possible user should
be left out.
Pay attention to specific
physical or cognitive
disabilities.
Focus on exclusion for any
reason and connections
between people.
Understand the most
common disabilities.
Understand that exclusion can
happen to anyone depending on
context.
ACCESSIBILITY
and
INCLUSIVITY
for
VIABILITY

20. Inspire frequent
use
Not
unnecessarily
complex
Easy to use
Support from a technical
person would not be
needed
Various functions
and features of the
web tool are well
integrated
Design is
consistent
Most people would
learn to use the
technology and service
very quickly
Not cumbersome
to users
Users feel
confident using
the technology
Users would not need to
learn a lot of things before
they get going with the
technology
USABILITY
Deliver web services as such:
Adapted from John Brooke’s System Usability Scale
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228593520_SUS_A_quick_and_dirty_usability_scale

21. KEY
Effectiveness
Can users successfully achieve
their objectives?
Efficiency
How much effort and resource
is expended in achieving those
objectives?
Satisfaction
Was the experience
satisfactory?
CONSIDERATIONS
GOALS

23. FURTHER READING
• IFLA Global Vision Report Summary
• https://www.ifla.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/assets/GVMultimedia/publications/gv-report-
summary.pdf
• ISO Human-Centred Design for Interactive Systems
• https://www.iso.org/obp/ui/#iso:std:iso:9241:-210:ed-2:v1:en
• W3C Introduction to Web Accessibility
• https://www.w3.org/WAI/fundamentals/accessibility-intro/
• W3C Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 3.0
• https://www.w3.org/TR/wcag-3.0/#error-prevention
• ISO/IEC 40500:2012 [Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0]
• ISO - ISO/IEC 40500:2012 - Information technology — W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0
• TopTal Accessible Design vs Inclusive Design
• https://f.hubspotusercontent20.net/hubfs/2799924/Design-Infographics/Accessible-Design-vs-Inclusive-
Design-Infographic-Toptal.pdf