Tech-savvy librarian improves services, anticipates ALA presidency
Jim Rettig is ALA president-elect.
BY HOLLY RODRIGUEZ
Media and Public Relations Officer
University Librarian Jim Rettig is shaking up the old, sleepy stereotype that has characterized librarians for decades.
His mission: use the latest technology to provide users with the most convenient access to information and services at Boatwright Memorial Library.
“To stay competitive, we must embrace the emergence of new technologies,” he says. And Rettig practices what he preaches. As president-elect of the American Library Association, the oldest and largest library association in the world, he uses an iPhone—the latest in mobile technology—to stay in touch with library staff and others at UR while traveling on ALA business.
When he was hired nine years ago, search engines were a new concept, instant messaging was in its infancy and Wikipedia and iPhone did not exist. At the time, Rettig’s primary focus was maintaining the library’s status as a valuable resource to the University community.
Today, with information available at the click of the mouse, users no longer have to visit the library to get what they need, and libraries have responded by shifting their marketing strategies. Rettig says libraries compete for users’ attention, and Boatwright is no exception.
“We’re dealing with a world of competitors that we did not have before,” Rettig says. “In the last decade, there has been a shift in human behavior—the convenience of the Web has created a preference for immediacy.”
Libraries must make information available through media their patrons now use, Rettig says, including the Web, e-mail, Blackberries and instant messaging. In the last few years, the library staff has incorporated technology into several areas of the library’s services. Users can now research library information on wireless devices, instant message a librarian to ask a question in real time, and request that reference information be e-mailed to them.
The library’s efforts are paying off.
“Jim Rettig has been instrumental in moving Boatwright Library into the 21st century,” says Lucretia McCulley, director, outreach and instruction services for University Libraries. “He has overseen major renovations in Boatwright, which have resulted in high use of both library space and services.”
Rettig and his library colleagues continue to research technologies to improve services. His ability to think ahead may be one of the reasons he was voted president-elect of the ALA in May. When he assumes the role of president in July 2008, Rettig will be the chief spokesperson for the 64,000-member organization.
Rettig says that as president, he will advocate for better funding of America’s libraries. “The role of libraries is to provide access to information to improve people’s quality of life,” he says.
Trained librarians are a critical but shrinking resource for libraries, and Rettig says he wants to change the trend.
“There will be a lot of retirements between now and 2020, and attrition among younger librarians is disproportionately high,” he says. “To turn this around, we must create opportunities for librarians to feel invested in the profession, not just in their jobs.” He plans to propose more opportunities for networking, create initiatives to encourage members to contribute, and increase the diversity and demographic mix of professional librarians.
“It is clear to me that his work with the students and faculty at the University of Richmond has prepared him well to bridge the gap between those born digital and those of us who are still finding our way with a mouse,” says Leslie Burger, director of Princeton (N.J.) Public Library and immediate past president of the ALA.
Looking toward the future, Rettig says technology plays an important role in disseminating information to the public but will never outshine the role of the librarian.
“We have access to a universe of resources,” he says. “We know how to get information that may be very hard to find, and we have access to proprietary information we license for our communities. You can’t get all of that through Google.”