How can library staff leverage technology and automation to reduce operational costs and improve efficiency?

1 Assess your needs and goals

Before investing in any technology or automation solution, you need to assess your current needs and goals. What are the pain points and bottlenecks in your library operations? What are the areas where you can save time, money, or resources? What are the expectations and preferences of your users? How do you measure your performance and impact? By answering these questions, you can identify the gaps and opportunities in your library processes and services, and prioritize the solutions that will address them.

2 Choose the right tools and platforms

Technology and automation can offer a variety of tools and platforms for library staff, such as integrated library systems, self-service kiosks, RFID tags, chatbots, digital collections, cloud computing, and more. However, not all of them are suitable or necessary for your library. You need to choose the tools and platforms that match your needs and goals, fit your budget and infrastructure, and integrate well with your existing systems and workflows. You also need to consider the usability, accessibility, security, and scalability of the tools and platforms, as well as the support and training they require.

3 Implement and evaluate

Once you have chosen the tools and platforms that will help you leverage technology and automation, you need to implement and evaluate them. This involves planning, testing, training, communicating, and monitoring the implementation process, as well as collecting feedback, data, and metrics to evaluate the outcomes and impacts. You need to involve your staff, users, and stakeholders in the implementation and evaluation process, and be ready to adapt and adjust as needed. You also need to document and share your best practices, challenges, and lessons learned.

4 Automate and streamline

Technology and automation can help you automate and streamline many of the repetitive, tedious, or complex tasks in your library operations, such as cataloging, circulation, inventory, reporting, scheduling, marketing, and more. By automating and streamlining these tasks, you can save time, money, and labor, reduce errors and inconsistencies, increase productivity and accuracy, and free up your staff for more creative, strategic, or customer-oriented tasks. You can also improve your user experience, satisfaction, and loyalty by offering faster, easier, and more convenient services.

5 Innovate and enhance

Technology and automation can also help you innovate and enhance your library services, such as reference, instruction, outreach, programming, research, and more. By using technology and automation, you can offer new or improved services that meet the changing needs and preferences of your users, such as online access, personalized recommendations, interactive learning, digital literacy, community engagement, and more. You can also expand your reach, visibility, and impact by collaborating with other libraries, organizations, or platforms, and by showcasing your value and contributions.

6 Learn and grow

Technology and automation are constantly evolving and changing, and so are your library needs and goals. Therefore, you need to keep learning and growing as a library staff, and as a library organization. You need to stay updated on the latest trends, developments, and opportunities in technology and automation, and how they affect your library. You need to seek feedback, input, and ideas from your staff, users, and stakeholders, and be open to change and innovation. You need to invest in your professional development, skills, and knowledge, and foster a culture of learning and growth in your library.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?