Digital strategies for 21st century libraries

Wolfram Horstmann

Overview

21st century libraries~

A mission~

Digital strategies~

21st century libraries

~

What can be said about 2099?

In 1911, could she predict the Internet?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/derrypubliclibrary/3762251190

Prediction 1: World Library

Arthur C. Clarke predicts computer based universal encyclopaedia in 1962.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2011/mar/04/profiles-future-arthur-clarke-review

Prediction 2: Closed Library

“… maybe you would have simply banned the Internet to keep the

libraries open.”

http://www.flickr.com/photos/holgalicious/5027577472/

Literature is here to stay...

It cannot be foreseen that literature will not be at the heart of scholarship in the

next decades.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gorgmorg/9944210/

...but new things come on top.

The world of knowledge has changed radically – arriving at a universal

encyclopaedia.

http://newsinfo.iu.edu/pub/libs/images/usr/9584_h.jpg

New types of users

Library users are not only readers but knowledge workers.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fumi/2668956097/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/derrypubliclibrary/3762251190

New units of knowledge

Enhanced publications are a continuum of textual resources and underlying

data.

http://www.ukpmc.co.uk

New technology

Complex knowledge resources can now be modelled and linked on the web – even for inferential computing.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoonynoo/3092027765

A mission

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A 21st century library mission

To build the most complete and authoritative web representation of

physical and digital knowledge resources at the university

know.uni-x.org

Approach: the user as moving target

Knowledge networking is a dynamic and complex task, in which the user is a

constant.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/yohann-aberkane/2836258475

Background: McLuhan’s Sensorium

There is no principal difference between physical and digital knowledge resources

(‘media’) – both are the extensions of human needs

www.theparisreview.org/.../2011/01/mcluhan.jpg

Digital strategies

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Make all knowledge resources for the university discoverable digitally.

Calculation of existing knowledge resources at the university and

percentage of coverage.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/willowm/5224417965

#1 Quality of service

Anticipate the human being behind the screen.

Usage statistics, webometrics, user satisfaction surveys.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bwr/141929320/

#2 Understanding users

Augment the unique local collections with digital knowledge resources.

Number of physical and digital resources linked and their stats.

http://www.ehow.com/about_6760206_collection-development-medical-libraries.html

#3 Collection development

Learn to think like the digital user thinks.

Trainings integrated in curricula; number of collaborative projects & amount of

funding; hours of staff in training.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bpt/1365563763

#4 Staff skills

Implement transparent and effective digital knowledge policies.

Number and quality of policy compliant services and knowledge resources.

http://www.provost.pitt.edu/documents/RDM_guidelines.pdf

#5 Governance

Maximize the global digital footprint by acting as a knowledge hub.

Number of MoUs, service contracts as well as human and machine interface

procedure calls.

#6 Collaboration

http://bellm.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/facebook_map_degree.png

Conclusion

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21st century libraries~

Will face the challenge of constantly changing digital developments in the 21st century.

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Can follow if the user is kept in the focus.~

Build an augmented knowledge space of physical and digital resources for their users

on the web.~

Will act as the knowledge hub for the university.

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Thank you