Getting in bed with our customers: how did we embed our services to push the library mission at Vaal University of Technology

Abstract

Emerging trends in technology have changed the academic libraries’ landscape and services. These changes will forever impact and influence how libraries conduct their businesses to satisfy the most important people in their lives; that is; the customers we serve, especially in academic libraries. In the 21st century waiting for customers to come to the libraries to is no longer working and is also no longer relevant. Getting out of our comfort zones, getting close to our clients, invading their space when they least expect and getting in bed with those customers to satisfy their information needs is now a buzzword or the name of the game. How can we get those customers to sleep in one bed with us academic librarians? As part of educational process academic libraries have a role to play. Retaining today’s customers and stay relevant has become more complex for academic libraries. This is due to the constant change in technologies that are used to store, facilitate and share information. Overcoming these complexities, librarians should know how to play the game to retain their customers. This paper is going to explore on how VUT librarians stayed relevant in these trying times, redefined their roles, embraced technological changes and later embed themselves to the faculties to support teaching and learning. The paper will further discuss the challenges we faced while we were pushing this mission. Lastly, the paper will discuss the best embedded practices that worked us; how we enhanced those chosen methods, adopted them and left a visible mark to both students and staff and enabled them to desire us more.

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