Open Password – Monday March 21, 2022
#1044
Outsell – Global Library Information Market – Kate Worlock – Trends Driving Change – Forecasts – Estimated Number of Libraries by Type and Geography – Asia Pacific – North America – Europe – Africa and the Middle East – Global Library Content Spending by Region – Content Spending by Library Type and Geography – Spending on Personnel – Library Budget Allocation – Content Spending Growth by Library Type – Content Spending Projections by Library Type – Library Content Spending by Information Type – Libraries’ Allocation of Content Budgets of Information – Libraries’ Allocation of Content Budgets by Key Content Formats – Implications – Day-to-Day Survival – Long-term Planning – Skills Shortage – Training and Development – Great Resignation – Essential Actions: Information Management Professionals – Preparing for Price Rises – Remote Offerings – Effective Negotiations Tracking Usage – Essential Actions: Vendors – Raising Prices Cautiously – Supporting the Log-Term Vision – Delivering Valuable Usage Data
BSI warning – Kaspersky – Antivirus programs – idealo – Bitdefender – NortonLifeLock – McAfee – Telonic GmbH – Cyber War – Potsdam Library Society – Hans-Christoph Hobohm – ETH Zurich – Coffe Lectures – Zoom – Oliver Renn – Chemistry Information Center | Biology | pharmacy
I. Title
Outsell: Segment View: Global Library Information Market Forecast and Trends – Part II –
By Kate Worlock
II.
After BSI warning, German consumers are moving away from Russian Kaspersky software – a connection to the ongoing cyber war is suspected
III.
Potsdam Library SocietyLibrary Society events – “Visits, tours, lectures”
IV.
ETH ZurichThe 25th series of Coffee Lectures
Outsell’s March Contribution*
Segment View: Global Library Information Market
Forecast and Trends
Part II
By Kate Worlock – VP & Lead Analyst
Table 3 shows the numbers of libraries by type and region. About 80% of the total are
school libraries, around half of which are in the Asia Pacific region. Outsell research of library data sources indicates that three-quarters of all libraries are in the Asia Pacific region, a consequence of rapid economic development and demographics: the region contains 58% of the world’s population. North America has the largest number of corporate libraries, while Asia Pacific leads in public libraries and Europe in special libraries (combined law, religious, association, and medical).
Table 3: Estimated Number of Libraries by Type and Geography, 2021
Source: Outsell, Inc.
North America remains the largest market, with North American libraries spending $12.3 billion on content in 2021. The fastest growing markets are still Africa and the Middle East, albeit off a very small base, and Asia Pacific, which has grown market share from 30% to 33% since 2018. This is largely at the expense of the US and Europe, where spending is therefore essentially flat or slightly down on 2018. Figure 3 illustrates the regional breakout for library spending.
Figure 3: Global Library Content Spending by Region, 2021 ($billions)
Source: Outsell, Inc.
As Table 4 shows, there are notable differences in the proportions of the content spend by library type in each region. School libraries account for around 60% of library spending in Asia Pacific, and over one-third of library spending in Africa and the Middle East and Latin America, but there is a more even spread of spending in North America and Europe. These differences are driven both by library numbers and by large regional variations in the average content spend by library type: content budgets in academic institutions, for example, are much higher in North America and Europe, on average, than the other regions.
Table 4: Content Spending by Library Type and Geography, 2021 ($billions)
Source: Outsell, Inc.
Libraries continue to allocate the largest slices of their budgets to content. According to Outsell’s ongoing Information Management Benchmarking surveys, the average library spent 53% of its budget on content in 2018, dropping to 50% in 2020 but rising to 60% in 2021. However, it is important to remember that content and data licensing also takes place outside information centers, so the total amount that organizations are spending on content is likely significantly higher.
In 2021, spending on personnel (both FTEs and outsourced personnel) took the brunt of this proportional change, with budget allocated to this category falling from 37% in 2018 to 34% in 2020 and then 29% in this most recent survey. Anecdotally, this has taken place through senior staff retiring and not being replaced, suggesting a decline in sector expertise. Remaining library staff are likely to require support from roviders to fill these expertise gaps.
Figure 4: Library Budget Allocation, 2020-21
Figure 4
Source: Outsell, Inc.
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Content Spending Growth by Library Type
_____________________________________________________
Outsell forecasts content spending to grow modestly (2.5%) to $30.2 billion in 2022. As Table 5 shows, we forecast that all segments aside from public and nonprofit libraries will see small increases in budget, but growth in public libraries will be weak and likely not enough to cover increases in information pricing. However, school library budgets, particularly in the US, may benefit from government funding to help educators close learning gaps that appeared because of the pandemic. Budget restrictions in all categories will continue to force libraries to make hard choices among resources, in many cases cutting resources that they see as valuable but can no longer support. In addition to funding to support the development of digital collections, there is also the potential for investment in data and tools in corporate libraries that can be shown to directly support organizational growth as well as in academic libraries where this investment can be connected.
Table 5: Content Spending Projections by Library Type, 2021-2022 ($billiones
Source: Outsell, Inc.
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Library Content Spending by Information Type
_____________________________________________________
Outsell’s Information Management Benchmark survey collected library spending data by information type (Figure 5) and content type (Figure 6). The numbers of responses to these survey questions were relatively low, making the data directional rather than
statistically significant.
In terms of information type, the basic buying patterns broadly align when comparing 2018 and 2021, with the top two information categories (Scientific and Technical and Medical Information) remaining unchanged. The third most popular category in 2021was industry-specific data, up slightly on 2018, switching places with Legal and Regulatory Information. The two categories showing the most significant growth in 2021were Education Content (up from 2% to 10%, likely reflecting the investment by libraries to facilitate students’ digital access to content) and Social Sciences, up from 4% to 9%. Again, this likely reflects an area where there was a gap in digital library collections which librarians looked to in order to fulfill patrons’ needs. Digital collections of scientific and medical content were likely already well established, so little extra investment was required.
Figure 5: Libraries’ Allocation of Content Budgets by Type of Information, 2018
and 2021
Source: Outsell, Inc.
Figure 6 suggests a significant uptick in spending on databases of textual content from single providers, with the proportion of budget allocated to this category almost doubling between 2018 and 2021. This likely reflects librarians looking to fill specific content gaps to support remote research and learning activities . Aggregated databases also benefited from this trend but to a lesser extent given their inability to target specific content gaps — these resources are more suitable for libraries at an earlier stage of digital collections development.
The category which saw the largest percentage drop was individual e-journals, dropping from 22% in 2018 to 8% in 2021. This suggests that, during the pandemic, librarians were looking for subscriptions which were targeted, to a certain extent, but also able to serve a relatively broad audience. Given budget pressures and skills shortages, this was the most efficient way to make use of scarce resources.
Figure 6: Libraries’ Allocation of Content Budgets by Key Content Formats, 2018 and 2021
Source: Outsell, Inc.
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Implications
_____________________________________________________
The information management function was in crisis even before the COVID-19
pandemic. As in other sectors, the pandemic accelerated digital developments in the library market, but this accelerated pace of change also exacerbated critical skills gaps. However, it does appear that while budgets remain a critical concern, they are at least not on the decline. On the flip side, given that vendor prices are likely to rise as well, this merely means that IM’s spending power is flat, not up. As emergency spending ceases, IM professionals are coming under pressure to continue to deliver the remote services they launched and developed because of the pandemic.
The all-hands-on-deck emergency nature of the pandemic understandably led the IMcommunity to focus on day-to-day survival rather than engaging in long-term planning. The function is strong in terms of the digital delivery of content resources, with print now a very small part of most IM professionals’ day jobs, but there is a worry that these professionals believe that their digital journeys are almost complete. Given the speed of technological change, that clearly isn’t the case — indeed, the journey will never be complete, and long-term planning remains a critical activity to ensure that the function can take advantage of these technological shifts.
The need to focus on day-to-day survival may have obscured the danger of skills shortages in the IM function. There is clear demand for investment in training and development, with the skills shortage likely exacerbated by the Great Resignation.Without these skills and strategic plans in place, some libraries will find it very difficult to prove their value in an evolving technological landscape.
Spending on digital resources takes up the vast majority of IM budgets, with librarians supplementing online databases, both aggregated and single source, through document delivery. Since budgets are tight, tracking the usage of these services will be a key focus to help make renewal decisions.
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Essential Actions: IM Professionals
___________________________________________________
Outsell recommends the following essential actions for information management professionals looking to secure a successful long-term future for their function.
Be Prepared for Price Rises
After 2020, during which many vendors kept prices flat to support the IM community through the pandemic, it seems unrealistic not to expect price rises. However, vendors are keen to retain clients wherever possible given the expense of making new sales, so buyers are in a good position to negotiate prices based on usage data as well as to request additional services like customer support and training that do not directly impact the vendor’s bottom line. Effective negotiations will be important if IM functions are to continue to offer the remote offerings that were the focus of their attentions during the pandemic.
Think Ahead
Short-term planning dominated over the course of the pandemic. However, to ensure
viable long-term survival, IM professionals must engage in forecasting and future-proofing. This means understanding the direct impact of technology shifts and working with the broader organization or institution to ensure that the library’s strategies are aligned with higher-level strategic goals.
Track Usage
When budgets are tight, ensuring value for money is critical. Tracking usage is one way to check whether solutions are delivering value for money, but it’s only one part of what needs to be a holistic picture, encompassing additional factors such as usability and alignment with curricula and research needs. Gathering and analyzing data has long been an important and growing element of the role of the IM professional, and this shows no sign of going away.
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Essential Actions: Vendors
_____________________________________________________
Given the continuing pressures on budgets and the range of shifting factors and priorities affecting information managers, Outsell recommends the following essential actions for vendors serving information managers across academia, government, and enterprises.
Raise Prices Cautiously
IM professionals have seen some budget increase in 2022, but budget constraints remain their largest concern as the demands on the profession increase. Vendors, many of whom held prices flat in 2020, are therefore able to raise budgets but must exercise caution. The market will not tolerate extreme price rises; indeed, it will be looking for evidence of additional value where price rises are in place. However, IMprofessionals will also be unlikely to reduce or remove the remote offerings put in place because of the pandemic. Helping them to maintain those offerings, perhaps by delivering training to end-users, will help to ease the sting of any price increases.
Support the Long Term Vision
The emergency nature of the work undertaken over the past two years (in combination with budget pressures and skills shortages) has driven IM professionals to prioritize short-term needs over longer-term strategic plans. This suggests that vendors need to be cautious about the future visions they present to buyers as the emergency nature of the situation recedes. Presenting a vision that looks too different from the reality of today could undermine the message.
IM professionals are digitally savvy individuals looking to utilize technology to improve their service delivery to patrons. Vendors discussing their own developmental priorities can help their IM clients understand what the future landscape is likely to look like and to plan for that. This is particularly important at a time where digital skills gaps are apparent in the IM function: acting as a partner rather than a vendor will be critical for building successful long-term business relationships.
Deliver Valuable Usage Data
IM professionals rely on usage data to prove value for money which, in turn, drives successful renewals. Given skill shortages in the sector, creating and delivering the data in a usable manner will save clients time and effort, helping vendors build long-term relationships.
*Outsell is the international partner of Open Password.
According to BSI warning
German consumers are moving away from Russian Kaspersky software – a connection
to the ongoing cyber war is suspected
(idealo) After the warning from the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) about the virus protection software from the Russian manufacturer Kaspersky, the demand for alternative antivirus programs on idealo has increased significantly. However, Kaspersky’s security solutions, which were previously in high demand, have been affected by a large drop in demand since the risk classification.
A few days ago, the BSI expressed doubts about the cyber security systems of the Russian manufacturer Kaspersky. While Kaspersky was still the most popular in February 2022, demand for Kaspersky products was more than 40 percent. In contrast, demand from competitors Bitdefender, NortonLifeLock and McAffee increased by up to 1,630 percent within a day following the BSI warning.
(Telonic) In an article under the heading “Bad hackers, good hackers: When IT becomes a weapon of war – IT infrastructures must be geared towards cyber and network war”, Telonic GmbH made a connection between the BSI warning, the war of aggression on the Ukraine and the cyber war are underway.
Potsdam Library Society
Library Society events
“Visits, tours, lectures”
The Potsdam Library Society cordially invites interested parties:
Library Society events – “Visits, tours, lectures”:
First half of 2022
(Dates, meeting points and conditions of participation will be announced promptly on the website ( https://bibliotheksgesellschaft-potsdam.de/ ).
• Tue., March 29, 2022 – 5 p.m. – Berlin State Library – Prussian Cultural Heritage (Haus Unter den Linden), conversation with the director Dr. Achim Bonte and with the “Friends of the SBB”, tour of Brandenburg-Prussian cimelia and the renovated building.
• Thursday, April 7, 2022 – 4 p.m. – BRAGI online event ” FREISPACE IN EVERYDAY LIFE” – the results of the design thinking process of the Am Stern branch library / SLB Potsdam” (online event: registration here)
• Wed., April 27, 2022 – 5 p.m. – Visit to the Luckenwalde city library ” Library in the train station ” . Visit and conversation with the director Heike Rosendahl and with Harald-Albert Swik, chairman of the “Friends and Supporters of the Luckenwalde City Library eV”
If you are interested, please contact: bibliotheksgesellschaft@bibliothek.potsdam.de – Further information at: https://bibliotheksgesellschaft-potsdam.de/rundbriefe/
Kind regards, Hans-Christoph Hobohm
ETH Zurich
The 25th series of Coffee Lectures
Dear Colleagues!
The 25th series of Coffee Lectures at the Chemistry Information Center begins on March 22, 2022 Biology | Pharmacy at ETH Zurich. The nine coffee lectures are intended to make it easier for students, teachers and researchers to deal with scientific information and knowledge management in science and everyday life. The 25th series will take place live on site with coffee and chocolate, but will also be broadcast via Zoom. That’s why guests are also welcome. A registration is not required.
The Coffee Lectures take place at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays for three weeks and present a variety of useful concepts, databases and tools in ten minutes. The program and the Zoom link can be found at https://infozentrum.ethz.ch/news/detail/artikel/coffee-lectures-die-25-serie . You can find out more about our coffee lectures at https://infozentrum.ethz.ch/lehre/coffee-lectures .
Kind regards, Dr. Oliver Renn,
Chemistry Information Center | Biology | Pharmacy, ETH Zurich
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