The Pursuit of Competitive Advantage in Libraries Leads ... Where?

Abstract

Competitive advantage has become essential to survival. Argues that libraries in the public sector are losing their monopoly position and have increasingly to compete with both the private information sector and one another. Increased productivity involves reducing costs by shedding staff and extending their responsibilities, but this leads to individual and social stress, increased unemployment, and reduced markets for goods. Margins of advantage are bound eventually to diminish. Libraries are being forced by government policy and financial constraints to cut staff, with consequent threats to services, whereas in a rational world they would increase staff to develop services, for which the potential market is almost unlimited. Librarians need to be aware of these trends, to cling to their ideals, and to explore markets for possible new services.