GOVERNMENT TRENDS ANALYSIS

Although this analysis of government trends focuses mainly on government libraries, it is important to note that many of the issues facing these libraries are also affecting other government departments. Overall, it is apparent that that the Federal Government is facing a major long-term fiscal imbalance that is curbing its ability to grow and expand. Other issues include:

• The shift from an industrially based to a knowledge-based economy;
• Changes in technology that have transformed how we communicate and do business globally;
• Greater reliance and vulnerability to worldwide market forces and competition; and
• The changing nature of our national security threats (the war on terrorism).

Government libraries have been affected by these issues, and have undergone extensive changes during the last few years. With libraries going digital, moving online, and being streamlined, to becoming more physically secure and less financially and professionally so, government librarians seem to be feeling vulnerable in a number of areas. While conducting this literature review, a number of themes came up repeatedly. Many of the trends are described in Government Librarian Interviews.

__Cuts in Funding__: Although many government libraries have seen cuts in funding for several decades now, it is evident that since 9/11, with more and more money going to fight the war on terrorism, government libraries are one of the many organizations that have borne the brunt of these cuts. Some military libraries have simply closed their doors in the last few years, and others have faced difficult decisions as to which resources to keep and which ones to let go. There is a perception from some government librarians that many people within in the government, from the decisionmakers down to the users, are unaware of the important role that the library plays in their organization. While this may be endemic to libraries nationwide, some government librarians admit to partial responsibility for this problem, and believe they could do a much better job of marketing themselves and their services to their users. While cuts in funding affect every aspect of the library, where they seem to be felt the most are in collections development. As a result, serious gaps are starting to appear in the historical connectivity of government library resources.

__Going Digital__: One result of the technological advances of the last decade is the gradual transformation of printed material into a digital format. While this expedites and facilitates the retrieval, availability, and portability of resources for many users, it has also changed the way the government stores, catalogs, and uses its documents. The Government Printing Office, for example, is facing a re-definition of its role within the Federal Government, and government libraries are quickly needing to become online, instead of real-space repositories, for these vast amounts of digital resources. These resources can be searched, downloaded, filled out, and submitted from a computer with Internet access from anywhere in the world. However, there is a steep learning curve in working with digital access and archiving technologies, and many librarians are having to be specially trained in order to know how to manage this new element of the library. With this new trend, many new resources, programs, and skill-sets will have to be introduced to be able to cope with the complexity of managing such resources.

__The A-76 Process, or Government Outsourcing__: It is hard to find an article, blog, or government employee who does not have an opinion about the A-76 process. Many fear and loath it, while others applaud it, although most government librarians are unconvinced that it is a positive evolution in the history of the government or government libraries. A common call for help is often posed in government library circles once they discover that their services will be up for bid, contracted out - or "A-76’d." Many library professionals suddenly find themselves competing for their jobs against people with less experience in libraries, but who are willing to work for less money. And, although the jury is still out on this issue, some argue that there are not any comprehensive studies showing that the outsourcing of government libraries was either saving the government money in the long run, or providing better services to government employees.

Another small, but possibly growing, trend is to replace librarians, whose GS series qualifications are defined in the 1410 series, with administrative staff whose qualifications are defined in the more general 301 series. This latter trend can lead to a de-professionalization of the librarian role in leading a library, and possibly cause a decline in the quality of a government library's services (Government Libraries-Replacing 1410s with 301s).

The government’s Scorecard, introduced in 2003, which in some ways is driving this trend to streamline government spending, is seen as a progress indicator among many agencies, and consequently makes it likely that the A-76 process will not go away anytime soon. In fact, with increased demands on the government’s budget, it seems likely that this process will become even more entrenched in the future, and something that government as a whole, and government libraries in particular, will have to learn to deal with.

There are librarians who lobby for being more proactive in the A-76 process, and effectively outbidding outside bidders by re-organizing the government library from within, (Kapust, FDA) by making them the MEO (Most Efficient Organization), or by forming a hybrid government/contract staff.

__Visibility and Access__: Library environments are changing. Gone are the days of dark, musty libraries with limited hours of operation. Users want to be able to use library resources at all hours, and they want it on their own terms. However, what many government users do not realize is that they still need the assistance of a government library or librarian to find what they are looking for. Although they may find a resource that suits their needs (aka Google), they may not have the skills to find the best resources out there. Unless government libraries market themselves more aggressively, most users will remain unaware of this fact, and funding will continue to decrease.

In the realm of access and technology, government libraries have made immense progress in the process of digitalization and worldwide access for their clients. For example, State Department employees across the world can now browse most titles at government libraries from an intranet system or the Internet. The post 9/11 increase in government security has had the negative effect of slowing down the process of the acquisition of new technology, as the government attempts to make all of its systems secure before deployment. Each new piece of technology must go through a lengthy testing process to ensure it will not fall victim to the Pandora's Box of electronic dangers that have spread in the last decade (hacking, infiltration, virtual graffiti, identity theft, etc.).

Government libraries are slowly going through the "facelift" process that many public and academic libraries are already experiencing. They are being re-modeled to fit the 21st century’s definition of an environment conducive to learning; this means more light, open spaces, access to technology, etc. However, as a result of funding cuts, this is not happening fast enough, and for the most part occurs only as a new government building is built. Since this prospect remains remote for many government agencies, their libraries remain in the space they were provided with as long as 50 years ago.

To respond to these trends and challenges, the government must have the institutional capacity to plan more strategically, to identify and react to the problems more expediently, and to focus on achieving results.