GOVERNMENT LIBRARIAN INTERVIEWS

In late 2005, Trent Rockwood interviewed three government librarians, with experience in military libraries, the Pentagon library, and Department of State library. They provided their insights on the issues that most affect government libraries. (Note: All responses are combined and edited.)

How have government libraries changed post 9-11?

Because of increased expenses due to the war on terrorism, government libraries have been on the front line of funding cuts. Many government libraries are closing down, and at the very least, many are seen as being of little importance as future funding plans are made.

Why do you think this is?

It all started in the Reagan years, when the government suddenly became budget conscious, and has gradually been eating away at library budgets ever since. Most people in charge don’t see the library as being vital, and when funds are tight, they are the first to feel it.

What aspect of the library does this impact the most?

It causes gaps in the collections. Since we only have enough funding to purchase the hot topic of the moment, there is no historical connectivity. Today it’s the Middle East, but since we only have the funds to purchase the Middle East books in demand – what if, let’s say, Poland is the hot topic of next year. We won’t have any available or comprehensive resources when that time comes.

Is this all due to top-down decisions?

No, it is also the user. Government employees are going online to find their answers more and more – via Google and other such methods.

Is this a bad thing?

No, however there is a vital lack of understanding on the part of the government users of how to find the best resource that’s available out there. They usually find what they’re looking for, but it’s not always the best resource. It’s the expertise of the librarian that could steer them in a better direction. That’s what’s missing. However, even then, some people can be willfully ignorant.

In what ways have things improved since 9/11?

To be fair, emergency planning has improved, as well as more secure and fail-safe protection for our collections.

What can libraries do to fix these problems?

One thing is that libraries in the government, and in general, need to be more proactive in marketing themselves. We have the tendency to sit back and let things happen.

What would you say is the biggest challenge for government libraries?

No question, it’s the A-76 process.

What’s A-76?

It’s where the government tries to save money by contracting out its libraries to the lowest bidder.

How is that a challenge?

Essentially the government loses control of its own library. It replaces librarians that have decades of experience with contract workers that don’t always have the same level of experience, who are not actual government employees, and therefore may not have a real sense of loyalty to the government, and sometimes don’t provide the level of service that government employees expect.

What do you think can be done about this?

There need to be studies done that prove the government is actually saving money through this process. There have been no thorough studies of this kind, and nobody can say for sure if money is actually being saved. For example, all of the training classes that have to be attended in order to learn about the A-76 process cost a lot of money. All of the additional paperwork, oversight, and periodic bidding processes add up. Some of it is also political.

What do you mean?

The government scorecard. If people can show that they are shrinking the number of government employees, spending less money, they get a better score. So on paper it looks like they are doing good, but in reality, there are more contractors now than there were government employees, they just get paid less. It's a complicated issue.

Are there any technology issues that government libraries face?

Government libraries, for the most part, are using the latest technology, our main issue with technology is security. There is widespread paranoia in the government about computer security which can slow down the technology process in our libraries. And there is a real threat, there are people who would break into our library databases and wreak havoc.

If you had more money, where would you spend it first?

It would go first towards more resources -- especially electronic resources. Secondly it would go to marketing, so we could reach out to specific government offices and find out how to best address their needs. Lastly, it might go towards some technology resources, such as an online FAQ site that could be shared with other libraries.

What would you like to see happen in government libraries in the future?

Besides more funding? The role of our libraries as sources of open-source intelligence could be exploited more.