Technology is changing the way that libraries operate, as Coombs and Gambles note, however different the focus. While Coombs describes her experience in working to safeguard patrons' privacy in a digital age, Gambles focuses on the opportunities for libraries using mobile technology. Both, however, point to timeless principles of librarianship that undergird the changes being undertaken by librarians today.
Coombs details the efforts she made to identify and safeguard the information her university library was collecting from its user base of students. It was a time-consuming and painstaking process, as she had to examine each system individually to determine what information was being captured and stored. While some of the information was necessary for library operations--such as whether students were accessing the library from on or off campus--other information, such as social security numbers of students and exact IP addresses where they were logging on, was decidedly not needed.
Coombs was able to de-link identifying information from students, or wash it away altogether, in most systems. However, she discovered that other systems the library used were not under the library's control, and she therefore had to present a proposal to a university administrative office to make the same changes to safeguard students' privacy.
Necessitating these changes by Coombs are the ALA Code of Ethics and the Library Bill of Rights, both of which have been governing librarians' work since 1939. Indeed, while the technology has changed, and will continue to change, the underlying ethos of the profession--including maintaining the privacy of users--will remain the same.
Gambles alludes to this connecting thread in his description of the opportunities for the new Library of Birmingham. He notes that mobile technology--whether phones or tablets--has increased not only in number but also in sophistication and function in a very short amount of time, but the Library of Birmingham is embarking on a new endeavor to exploit this technology to "rewrite the book for public libraries in the 21st century."
Among the changes to be implemented in the new Library of Birmingham are augmented reality, for example users with a mobile device can find their way in the library using both their actual location and a program on their phone that shows where they are and where they need to go. Gambles also notes the largely untapped resource that is librarians: their extensive knowledge is only sporadically put to use, one user at a time. Instead, the Library of Birmingham would use podcasts to create an "iTunes U," where they can reach many more people at a time.
The common thread in Gambles's description is a user-centric focus: all of these changes are being implemented to enhance the user experience. Just as with Coombs's examination of user data, Gambles's focus on the new library of the 21st century underscores the tenets of librarianship agreed upon decades ago: in this case, "providing the highest level of service to all users" (ALA Code of Ethics Artice I).
Although Coombs and Gambles are writing about changes brought on by ever-evolving technology, both are also illustrating the timeless ethics that guide librarians. Whether it is what books they have borrowed or what items they have searched online, users expect and deserve privacy, and the library's mission is to ensure that that privacy is kept. And whether it is a smiling face behind a reference desk or a helpful wayfinder for a user's mobile phone, the librarian's goal is to provide excellent service to users. While technology will always change, the ethics will remain the same.
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