1. Finding the Right Metaphor: Restructuring, Realigning, and Repackaging Today’s Research Libraries March 2010 Dr. Joan Giesecke Dean of Libraries University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries

2. Metaphors Phrases that connect unlike items Phrases where one thing is used to designate another

3. Nimble Dinosaurs

4. Hail is always the size of something else

5. Estimating Hail Size Pea = 1/4 inch diameter Marble/mothball = 1/2 inch diameter Dime/Penny = 3/4 inch diameter - hail penny size or larger is considered severe Nickel = 7/8 inch Quarter = 1 inch Ping-Pong Ball = 1 1/2 inch Golf Ball = 1 3/4 inches Tennis Ball = 2 1/2 inches Baseball = 2 3/4 inches Tea cup = 3 inches Grapefruit = 4 inches Softball = 4 1/2 inches

6. Information Highway

7. 19 th Century Metaphors Warehouses for Books Antiquarian Museums Dusty places

8. 19 th Century Metaphors People’s University Laboratory for the Humanities Parish Churches of Literature and Education

9. Early 20 th Century Metaphors Business organizations Public Utilities Department Store Values

10. Late 20 th Century Metaphors Warehouse for Books Electronic Access metaphors Librarians as Activists Library as Partner Library as Place

11. Metaphors to Describe Librarians Librarian as Teacher Librarian as Business Leader Librarian as Information Engineer Librarian as Information Navigators Librarian as the New Search Engine

12. More Librarian Metaphors Feral Professionals Hybrid Librarians Blended Librarians Embedded Librarians Gate Keeper, Gate Way, Gate Openers

13. Library as Body Part Heart of the University Circulation System Foot upon which the institution rests

14. More Library Metaphors Library as Conversation

15. More Library Metaphors Library as Grocery Store Library as Kitchen Library as Book store Library as Laboratory for the Humanities

16. Academic Living Room

17. More Library Metaphors Digital Library 2.0 Everything E- everything

18. More Library Metaphors Library as Ecosystem –Mutualism and co-evolution –Rainforest of the Sea

19. Metaphors at UNL Libraries Librarian as Scholar-Practitioner Digital Media Metaphors Library as Partner

20. Metaphors at UNL Discovery Tool –Central Intelligence –Google meets Amazon.com

21. Metaphors at UNL A group of scholar practitioners who manage the academic living room, are a publishing partner, and who bring a Google and Amazon.com experience to the search and discovery of scholarly resources to our students and faculty.

22. Conclusions No perfect metaphor Ecosystem resonates with staff Partner resonates with campus

23. Additional Metaphors After the talk, additional metaphors were suggested by attendees: Library as Service Black belt Librarians Knowledge Jedis