Library Tech Needs and Readiness: A Briefing
From public internet access 
facilities to digital collections, from online learning to makerspaces – the ICT-enabled roles and services libraries take on require a fit-for-purpose ICT infrastructure, equipment, staff digital skills, and more.
Drawing on the available literature on library technology planning, evaluation and assessment in the field, this new IFLA briefing offers an overview of some of the key topics and considerations for assessing library tech needs and readiness.
The briefing discusses:
- A first step towards library tech assessment – inventory of available infrastructure and equipment;
- Broader factors that impact library ‘readiness’, from budgets to policies and beyond;
- The wider tech readiness context: tailoring library tech plans and goals to community needs.
Drawing on the above, the briefing suggests that library tech needs can be understood as solving an equation between library offerings based on available resources and infrastructure, staff skills, policies and practices – and community needs and demands.
Briefing: [PDF– English]
Última actualización: 7 Octubre 2020