A study conducted by a Library technology supplier to explore the usage of libraries, concluded that better technology can reduce costs while providing customers with a better service.

The report said that better technology can help libraries targeting to target their customers at a more personal level. The famous example of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library in North Carolina – USA, display the advantages of targeting customers at a more personal level. The introduction of a new technology to track the activity of their costumers, allowed librarians to provide a better service, hence increasing the number of visitors.

William Sieghart, a UK entrepreneur and philanthropist, said: “the new librarian needs to become a community impresario with digital and commercial expertise who can champion their communities’ needs”.

The introduction of internet and new technologies in libraries at the beginning of the twenty century – such as the digitisation of books for e-readers and digital learning programs, has improved the services offered to their customers. In the new century, customers go to libraries not only to read but also to use internet and participate in different learning programs.

Better technology brings many possibilities to the libraries of the new century, but more importantly, as the CILIP CEO Nick Poole said, the introduction of new technologies in libraries enables provide the “services that meet our needs today”.

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