Interview: Ingrid Parent, University Librarian at U. of British Columbia & President of IFLA

A recently published interview with Ingrid Parent that appeared in the University of British Columbia Reports.
From the Introduction:

Academic libraries worldwide are facing rapid technological change and seismic shifts in how users access information and create knowledge in the digital age. Old models are no longer sustainable. Libraries must re-think the future.
[Clip]
University Librarian Ingrid Parent discusses with UBC Reports how these changes will allow the Library to strengthen its position as a valued partner in research, teaching and learning on campus.

Here’s one of seven questions and answers found in the complete interview:

Q. What are the challenges facing UBC Library and other research libraries around the world?

A. (Ingrid Parent) The same services and models that worked for research libraries a decade ago need to be re-imagined for today’s users. Loans of physical items are decreasing, for example, while the use of electronic resources continues to rise. More than 70 per cent of UBC Library’s collections budget is now focused on e-resources, compared to 25 per cent about a decade earlier.
Budgets are under pressure; services need to be consolidated; collections are increasingly going digital. We have to deal with these in a fiscally responsible manner that ensures the sustainability of the Library.
The role of librarians has evolved greatly. Along with their archival and information expertise, librarians are now also curators, publishers, authors, instructors and information specialists. They work closely with campus partners to integrate library resources within virtual learning environments. They’re using state-of-the-art digital tools to instill information literacy and knowledge management skills.

Read the Complete Interview

More From Ingrid Parent in this Brief Video Interview

See Also: Article: “Turning a Page: the Changing Role of the University Library” (October 26, 2012)
More from the U. of British Columbia.

Filed under: Academic Libraries, Associations and Organizations, Companies (Publishers/Vendors), Funding, Interviews, Libraries, Management and Leadership, News, Patrons and Users, Profiles, Reports