Illinois Libraries and Museums:
Connecting & Collaborating for the Future

Karen Brown and Miriam Pollack

At the 1998 Illinois Library Association Conference, Diane Frankel, the Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services at the time, highlighted a common goal of libraries and museums: to engage the public in the process of discovery. This shared vision is receiving increased attention as both libraries and museums consider innovative ways to manage and promote their collections and services. In Illinois, there are over 3,000 libraries and more than 300 museums, and although each has a unique mission, their similar goals need to be highlighted and fostered.

Several factors have converged recently that underscore the growing need for exploration and dialogue about issues shared by both types of institutions:

• In 1996, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) was established as an independent federal agency within the Executive Branch to serve the public by strengthening museums and libraries throughout the country. Prior to this date, federal funding and initiatives for libraries and museums were handled by separate government agencies. The merging of these two operations reflects a new emphasis and provides opportunities to build on the complementary strengths of both libraries and museums.

• The Illinois Library Association (ILA) Board created the Library and Museum Task Force in 1998 to increase awareness within the ILA membership of new opportunities for cooperative programs with museums and to recommend an ongoing role for ILA in this area of activity.

• An Illinois State Library program at the ILA 1998 Annual Conference, Promising Partnerships: Libraries and Museums, featured a presentation by Diane Frankel followed by a panel discussion about cooperative library/museum programs and initiatives. The program drew an audience of over 100 people and generated discussion about potential partnerships that would benefit both libraries and museums.

• A growing body of professional literature about cooperative library and museum programs and issues has developed in recent years that focuses on their similar missions.

• Libraries of all types are increasingly developing partnerships with other organizations and groups to expand their resources and service options. Museums are a natural partner in this type of activity. In response to these factors, the Chicago Library System and the North Suburban Library System applied for a Library Services Technology Act grant from the Illinois State Library to identify current issues and needs related to museum and library services and to recommend a framework from which to begin exploring these issues. The proposal was funded in partnership with the Illinois State Library and this executive summary highlights the key findings.

Needs Assessment

Overview

As part of the needs assessment process, four focus group discussion sessions were conducted with library and museum representatives during June, July, and November 1999. These meetings were held in the northern, central, and southern parts of the state and included representatives from 35 libraries, museums, and historical societies. The primary goal of these sessions was to gather information about topics common to both libraries and museums: facilities, preservation and conservation of collections, public programs and

* Karen Brown, Program Director of Education and Training, Chicago Library System; and Miriam Pollack, Assistant Director, North Suburban Library System, Wheeling, Illinois.

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services, access to resources, funding issues, new technologies, services to people of diverse backgrounds and abilities, and examples of "best practices" that have been implemented by both types of organizations. These findings, along with information gathered from interviews and a review of professional literature and research reports, were used to develop the framework for potential programs and forums that could bring together staff from museums and libraries to discuss shared areas of interest and to promote opportunities for ongoing dialogue about concerns and issues. The summary that follows highlights general themes that emerged from the needs assessment phase of the project.

Summary of Issues and Themes

Technology

The extraordinary growth of technology and its applications has had a major impact during the last decade on Illinois' libraries and museums. The following general trends and influences are particularly noteworthy.

• The availability of technology and electronic resources for libraries and museums, and for the general public, has increased exponentially.

• The public's expectations of services and programs are often high as a result of the increasing availability of technology (e.g., requests for access to all of an institution's resources via the Internet).

• Libraries and museums face increased demands on their fiscal resources as new technologies are acquired and utilized.

• Ongoing staff training is required to keep pace with the introduction of new technologies and the implementation of frequent technology upgrades.

• The audiences served often expand as libraries and museums establish a Web presence, including an increased number of users from other states and countries.

• Coordination of digital projects among libraries and museums is a growing need.

• The increasing availability of distance learning programs creates a new category of users and services.

• Museums and libraries in older or historical buildings face unique challenges when accommodating new technologies and handling space and storage shortages.

• The impact of each new technology format on users' search strategies and information processnd needs to be considered.

• Traditional notions of library and museum service areas may change as technology increasingly blurs geographic boundaries.

• The potential to create a networked environment is promising, but several technology challenges emerge: establishing platforms and standards for shared databases, integrating new formats into existing structures, and keeping pace with and coordinating the exponential growth of digital information.

Collections and Resources

The growing availability of electronic resources had altered how libraries and museums develop their collections and how they provide access to their resources. Several issues and questions are raised about the development and management of collections and resources.

• New management issues emerge as libraries and museums increasingly accommodate new digital formats.

• Budget formulas change as museums and libraries consider purchase decisions that encompass both traditional and new electronic formats.

• Different evaluation criteria are needed for the selection of electronic resources.

• There is a growing need for preservation of materials, physical objects, and information resources.

• The availability of public records and archives on the Internet raises intellectual property issues different from other types of collections.

• New types of licensing agreements are required with the purchase of online resources.

• While increased attention is focusing on the digitization of historical and cultural resources, it is important to keep in mind that digitization does not necessarily solve preservation problems.

• New intellectual property issues emerge when libraries and museums put resources on the Web and when they utilize existing Web resources.

• Censorship and intellectual freedom issues are often raised as Internet access is provided in libraries as a means for expanding collections and resources.

• With the growing availability of Internet resources from a variety of sources, there is an increased need for training and information about the evaluation of electronic resources.

• As the public increasingly utilizes Web-based

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resources, museums and libraries have a unique opportunity to develop experiential programs and activities that bring the public in direct contact with physical artifacts, art objects, and cultural resources.

• Decisions about what to collect and save not only become investment decisions, they also become decisions about what the future will know about the present.

• With the growing number of digital collections available on the Internet, "ownership" of a physical artifact or resource by a particular museum or library becomes less apparent.

Patterns of Use

Both libraries and museums notice changing patterns of use as a result of several factors. These new patterns influence programs, services, and collection management decisions in numerous ways.

• Remote access to resources via the Web is increasingly available 24 hours per day.

• Speedy delivery of services via the Internet is a growing expectation of the public.

• The "digital divide" is a concern for both libraries and museums as they increase their efforts to respond to the needs of different economic groups within a community.

• Changing demographics impact services and collection development needs.

• Experiential visits and programs are popular and are in high demand.

• The number of school trips to libraries and museums is growing.

• Home schooling is a growing phenomenon and this group is a heavy user of both libraries and museums.

• The need to bring young people into libraries and museums is a high priority.

• Tourism is a growing industry in many parts of Illinois and organizations are feeling the need to develop new programs and services in response to this development.

• There seems to be more fragmentation of audiences into specialized areas of interest.

• Collaborative programs and marketing initiatives are needed to avoid competition when museum and libraries serve the same potential users and audiences.

Public Relations

Getting the word out to the public is the primary means that libraries and museums use to promote and publicize their programs and services to prospective audiences. Both types of institutions share similar challenges and issues in their efforts.

• Increased competition for the public's time may require new marketing approaches.

• The public's perception of libraries and museums as traditional, staid institutions can be difficult to change

• Partnerships between libraries and museums provide promising avenues for marketing programs and services to the same audiences.

• Increased public relations initiatives are needed to reach underserved populations.

• The view of libraries as "good" and "safe" places is changing in the mind of some segments of the public as Internet access becomes more widely available.

• Increased publicity about the public's reaction to an exhibit, collection, or museum's mission and the related censorship and intellectual freedom issues that emerge require fine-tuned public relations.

• Increased awareness among legislators and policymakers about challenges facing libraries, archives, and museums is needed, particularly related to new technologies and intellectual property.

Staff

While numerous issues related supervising and managing library and museum staffs were raised, much of the discussion centered on changing staff roles and the administration of volunteer programs.

• The staffs in small libraries and museums, in particular, are taking on a growing number of different roles to meet needs and expectations.

• Changing demographics will necessitate new approaches and strategies for increasing the diversity of library and museum staffs.

• The growing emphasis on partnerships places new demands on staff time.

• Small budgets often mean that museums and libraries rely heavily on volunteers.

• An effective volunteer program requires specialized training and supervision.

• Grant restrictions on the hiring of temporary staff to implement new programs or services often becomes a challenge.

• Libraries and museums are finding it more and more difficult to hire staff with technical expertise and to train existing staff for new technology responsibilities within current budget allocations.

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Funding

Both libraries and museums share many similar concerns related to financial issues, including funding sources, budget allocations, and revenues.

• Stable funding, even in prosperous times, is an issue for both libraries and museums.

• Tax caps and other limiting campaigns have placed new restraints on stable funding for libraries.

• Frequent changes in priorities for funding from grant agencies require new planning strategies.

• The nature and scope of philanthropic funding seem to be changing.

• The increasing reliance on securing grant funds increases the need for staff development in the areas of grant preparation, planning, and needs assessment.

• Advocacy with the legislature about library and museum issues is particularly important for public institutions.

• Some museums, and to a lesser extent libraries, are feeling increased pressure to generate revenue for a larger portion of their budgets.

• Libraries and museums often apply to the same outside funding sources, which can lead to competition.

• Rapid technological changes and the need to update equipment and software are straining budgets.

• Group and consortial purchasing of resources, particularly electronic resources, is likely to increase.

• Insurance coverage and similar requirements related to hosting an exhibit increasingly need to be addressed.

• Granting agencies tend to be more interested in digitization projects than projects utilizing traditional formats and services, which can restrict program and service initiatives.

Organizational Identity and Mission

With the myriad of changes facing libraries and museums, some key questions and issues were raised related to organizational mission and identity.

• How can libraries and museums best serve all the competing needs identified in their communities?

• How should a library or museum balance its role as preserver vs. its role as educator?

• How can large and small museums or libraries that have overlapping collection areas collaborate and avoid competition?

• The public's growing use of the Internet raises questions about the changing role of libraries and museums: To what degree is a library or a museum a physical space? What is the community role of libraries and museums?

• As the popularity of traveling exhibits from museums and other cultural institutions grows, there is an increased need for information about these potential collaborations and the technical assistance required to host traveling exhibits.

• As the number of partnerships increases, information and education are needed about the planning and implementation of successful partnerships, particularly in the areas of project management, communication, strategic planning, and assessing organizational capacity and commitment.

• While the goals and missions of libraries and museums are similar in many areas, collaborations, require awareness of differences in organizational structures and internal procedures in the two types of institutions.

A Sample of Current Collaborative Projects in Illinois

During the needs assessment phase of the project, numerous partnership initiatives were identified, including several library/museum collaborations. A sampling of these projects includes:

• A partnership between a public library foundation and a community foundation

• Library activities and programs developed that relate to local museum exhibits

• Traveling museum exhibits hosted in libraries

• A university library serving as the public access point for the community's video archives

• Links established between Web-based resources on library and museum Web sites

• A library program that provides library users with the opportunity to check out passes to visit local; museums

• Collaborative digitization projects that enhance access to resources in both libraries and museums

• A local historical society's genealogical materials maintained at the public library and staffed by historical society volunteers

• A technology partnership between the public library and the local schools: the library provides satellite dish access and the school provides free

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Internet access.

• A collaborative project between a public library and local theater that makes library books related to theater productions available in the theater lobby

• Public library cable television programs that promote community activities

• Historical walking tours co-sponsored by a historical association, local museums, and the public library

• Collaborative initiatives between libraries and museums to bring in authors as speakers

• Museum and library partnerships with cultural and educational organizations for public programs

Recommendations

Overview

Discussions in the focus group sessions and interviews indicated a strong interest in and need for programs or initiatives that bring together staff from libraries and museums to explore common issues and challenges. These joint initiatives would provide a unique opportunity to build a network for collaboration, information sharing, and institutional development. Based on the project's needs assessment, the most suitable formats would be ones that accommodate small group discussion, dialogue, and planning. Institutes, working symposiums, planning sessions, and statewide videoconferences with facilitated discussions organized around key themes are examples of the types of initiatives and programs that are likely to be most beneficial. Focus group participants acknowledged goals and issues common to both types of organizations but expressed an interest in exploratory discussions and planning to build a solid foundation of shared understanding from which to develop sustainable partnerships and collaborative programs.

Key Topics and Issues to Address

Based on the findings of the needs assessment phase of the project, several topics and issues emerge that could provide focal points for library/museum initiatives and discussions. Some of the topics were identified by focus group participants in response to the following question: If you were attending a library/museum education program, what issues would you like to see addressed? Additional topics emerged from the general focus group discussions and interviews with national library and museum representatives. Although it would not be realistic to attempt to address all of the topics in any one particular planning session or education program, the following section provides an overview of topics and issues related to the main concerns and challenges facing both museums and libraries.

Technology

• Information about the impact of new technologies on users' experiences and expectations

• An overview of emerging technologies likely to influence services, programs, collection management decisions, and library administration

• Strategies and information about implementing successful digitization projects (i.e., planning digitization projects, technology and funding requirements, assistance and strategies for small libraries and museums, and guidelines for collaboration and coordination of projects)

• Discussion and information about emerging legal issues related to new technologies and electronic formats (i.e., intellectual property considerations, ownership issues with collaborative projects, and licensing guidelines)

• Techniques for designing, developing, and implementing effective Web sites for public access and use

• Information about accommodating new technologies in historical buildings

Collections and Resources

• Strategies for collection development and management in an electronic environment (e.g., evaluating electronic resources, determining budget formulas that take into account purchasing decisions related to both print and electronic formats, and balancing the need for preservation vs. digitization)

• Guidelines for establishing policies and procedures for accepting gift donations

Patterns of Use

• Discussion and information about the impact of changing demographics on programs, services, and collection development

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• Strategies for reaching and expanding services and programs to underserved populations

• Information about changing patterns of use of cultural institutions, particularly related to the public's decisions about its use of leisure time

• Exploration of the public's preference for onsite vs. internet use of resources available at museums and libraries

Public Relations

• Strategies for marketing programs and services in light of the public's expectations in an electronic age (e.g., high expectations related to Internet access, an expanded audience with more library and museum Web sites)

• Models and strategies for collaborative library/museum marketing to reach the same group of potential users and to avoid competition

• Strategies and materials to use when facing censorship and intellectual freedom challenges

• Discussion and strategies for educating policy-makers and legislative representatives about library and museum issues

Funding

• Information about grant opportunities

• Training about grants planning and preparation

• Strategies for increasing revenues and funding from outside sources

• Guidelines and models for establishing potential partnerships with businesses

Staff

• Techniques and models for promoting the development of collaborative projects, including interdepartmental and cross-organizational planning strategies, problem solving skills, and project and time management strategies

• Strategies and materials to encourage and promote the recruitment of a diverse staff in libraries and museums

• Discussion and information about "best practices" for staff development that addresses the need for frequent and ongoing technology training

• Models and strategies for administering effective volunteer programs

Organizational Identity and Mission

• Dialogue about the changing educational and cultural roles of libraries and museums in communities

• Strategies and discussion to promote, develop, and implement successful partnerships and collaborative projects (e.g., models and ideas for small-scale partnership projects and projects suited to small libraries and museums, examples of successful partnerships, and techniques for maximizing the benefits and minimizing the potential stumbling blocks in partnership initiatives)

• Strategic planning to meet the new challenges of technology, the public's expectations of cultural institutions, and funding issues

Resources

The following list of reports, articles, and Web sites provides a general overview of library and museum issues, trends, and projects, particularly related to partnerships and collaborative initiatives. The Web sites, in particular, highlight current library and museum projects that address the issues discussed in this report, as well as provide access to additional reports, studies, and articles. The list of resources is not intended to be comprehensive, rather it is selective in its focus on collaborative projects and on issues and trends shared by libraries and museums.

Articles and Reports

American Association of Museums. Museums in the Life of a City: Strategies for Community Partnerships. Washington, D.C.: American Association of Museums, 1995.

American Association of Museums. Museums in the Social and Economic Life of a City: Summary of a Conference Sponsored by the American Association of Museums, Partners for Livable Places, and the Philadelphia Initiative for Cultural Pluralism.

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Washington, D.C.: American Association of Museums, 1996.

Benton Foundation. Buildings, Books, and Bytes: Libraries and Communities in the Digital Age. Washington, D.C.: Benton Foundation, 1996.

Carr,David. "Minds in Museums and Libraries: The Cognitive Management of Cultural Institutions," Teachers College Record. Vol. 93, No. 1, (Fall 1991): 7-27.

Institute of Museum and Library Services. Institute of Museum and Library Services: Identification and Analysis of Library and Museum Partnerships, Executive Summary. Washington, D.C.: Institute of Museum and Library Services, 1999.

Institute of Museum and Library Services. Institute of Museum and Library Services: Identification and Analysis of Library and Museum Partnerships, Final Report. Washington, D.C.: Institute of Museum and Library Services, 1999.

Institute of Museum and Library Services. Museums and Libraries: Gateways to Discovery. Washington, D.C.: Institute of Museum and Library Services, 1999.

Institute of Museum and Library Services. To Listen and To Lead: A Blueprint for the Future. Washington, D.C.: Institute of Museum and Library Services, 1997.

Institute of Museum Services. True Needs, True Partners: Museums and Schools Transforming Education. Washington, D.C.: Institute of Museum Services, 1996.

"Linking Up: Museums and Libraries-Collaborative Projects from Brooklyn, Houston, and Phoenix," Museum News. Vol. 78, No. 2, (March/April 1999): 36+.

Shimmon, Ross. "Finding a Third Way," Museums Journal. (November 1998): 4.

Taylor, Mark. "Two Into One Will Not Go," Museums Journal. (November 1998): 4.

Web Sites

American Association for State and Local History: www.aaslh.org

American Association of Museums: www.aam-us.org

American Institute for Conservation: aic.stanford.edu

American Library Association: www.ala.org

Art Libraries Society of North America: www.arlis-na.org

Art Museum Image Consortium: www.amico.org

Association for Information and Image Management International: www.aiim.org

Association of African American Museums: www.art-noir.com/aaam

Association of Research Libraries: www.arl.org

Association of Science and Technology Centers: www.astc.org

Coalition for Networked Information: www.cni.org

Council on Library and Information Resources: www.clir.org

The Getty Center: www.getty.edu Illinois

Arts Council: www.state.il.us/agency/iac

Illinois Association of Museums: www.museum.state.il.us/iam/index.html

Illinois Historic Preservation Agency: www.state.il.us/hpa

Illinois Humanities Council: www.prairie.org

Illinois State Library: www.sos.state.il.us/depts/library /isl_home.html

Institute of Museum and Library Services: www.imls.gov

International Council of Museums: www.icom.org

International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions: www.ifla.org

Libraries for the Future: www.lff.org

Library of Congress: www.lcweb.loc.gov

Museum Computer Network: www.mcn.edu

National Archives and Records Administration: www.nara.gov

National Endowment for the Arts: arts.endow.gov

National Endowment for the Humanities: www.neh.fed.us

National Initiative for a Networked Cultural Heritage: www.ninch.org

Research Libraries Group: www.rlg.org

Smithsonian Institution: www.si.edu

Society of American Archivists: www.archivists.org

Urban Libraries Council: www.urbanlibraries.org

U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science: www.nclis.gov

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