LIS Profession and the Public Library in the Knowledge Technology Era: A New Peak to Scale 

Vivek Patkarvnpatkar2004@yahoo.co.in

NACLIN 2013Jaipur, December 10-12, 2013

Information Technology Revolutions • Ist: brought about by writing on scrolls (about

4000 BCE)• IInd: by the book in codex form (around 300 CE)• IIIrd: by the printing technology of movable

type (in 1450 CE)• IVth: by the digital technology (after 1960 CE) Phase-I: stand-alone computer (1970s) Phase-II: computer networking (1980s) Phase-III: the Internet and World Wide Web (1990s) Phase-IV: Web 2.0 (2001 onwards) subsuming

several social networking technologies (Digital Revolution 3)

Knowledge Technology• Grid computing to support e-research • Knowledge excavation and knowledge

management systems • Semantic information retrieval tools• Artificial intelligence products for natural

language processing • Knowledge refining & packaging utilities• Cloud computing• Computing in 3-dimensions

(3-d printing & more)

Profound Library Shifts

Resources: P-M-DDPrint to Microfilms to Digital Databases

Technologies: C-N-CCComputer to Networking to Cloud Computing

Services: F-I-ATAFragmented to Integrated to All Time Available

O N

O N

O + N =

O N

S

XFunctionalEquivalence

FunctionalMultiplicity

FunctionalDifferentiation

CONVERGENCE

DISPLACEMENT

CO-EXISTENCE & INTERCHANGEABILITYB Cope & A Phillips (Eds), The Future of the Book in Digital Age, Oxford, Chandos, 2006, p.92.

Convergence ConsequencesA shake-up for the library to cope with:• Location Concept• Restricted access 24/7 access• Limited media Multi-media variety• Immutability Volatility galore• Competition Alternatives for users• Limited links Hyperlinks• HRM Man-Machine management

(Human-Robot Management)

Man-Machine Collaboration

Resources

IndependenceTechnologies

Services

Diversity

Decentralisation

Convergence Outcomes

NEW

FREEDOM

USER

What are the benefits for the Library ?How to enhance them ?

Important TransitionFrom simple words on a page of a book

To numerous digital materialisations

Future books will thus be reviewed and evaluated by the experience they create

New media formats

Networked Book: Author initiates a book; readers expand it in many directions. Cataloguing such online dynamic & complex collections would pose immense challenge to the LIS profession.

New FeatureToday’s text-based search evolves to

Search including taste, smell, texture, density, tone, speed….

Competencies of handling those technologies would make LIS professional indispensable for those who do not have time to learn them

New search technology

Knowledge Management Practice1. Making knowledge visible

(clarifying the process and procedures for the concerned stakeholders)

2. Building knowledge intensity (refining knowledge continuously to obtain core knowledge of lasting value)

3. Developing a knowledge culture (basing all the transactions employing standard norms and procedures; no ad-hoc actions)

4. Building knowledge infrastructure (creating a huge, but well-organised knowledgebase like a knowledge repository)

Socio-Economic ChangesSignificant changes in the economy affecting the society and library: Leisure economy Knowledge economy Environmental economy Convenience economy Outsourcing economy Attention economy Experience economy Parity economy

Some partof eacheconomy wouldpersistall the time

Public LibraryCharacteristics:¶ Large in numbers¶ Legacy issues ¶ Indifferent funding assurance¶ Patrons belonging to all

age groups ¶ No subject exclusion possible

OtherLibraries

Research Academic Corporate

School Libraries ……………

Public Libraries

A wide gap in termsof resources, skillsand services exists betweenthese two sets oflibraries; it needs tobe bridged

Bottom of Pyramid Status

Concerns of audienceat large thusget neglected

Public Library Development• Reshaping in tune with changing

demands of the patrons and to continue to remain relevant (Community Information Centre, Knowledge Centre)

• The National and State-Central Libraries should be enjoined upon to perform all the tasks stated in their charter of establishment

• Design suitable “Library adoption” schemes to help modernisation and expansion

Public Library Development (2)

• Providing new services like translation, meeting with experts and conducting need-based training

• Experimenting joint-use facilities say, with the local academic libraries

• Accommodating new public processes and incorporating features like energy saving, aesthetics and environmental sustainability (green library)

Emerging Mission:Bridge the digital divide and offer digital dividends

Select Initiatives Barcelona in Spain implemented a

knowledge city initiative. The city’s strategic plan identified the necessity of a public library system that meets European standards (1999)

The role of the public library system as an essential component of knowledge city infrastructure is now recognised and has been replicated e.g. Montreal in Canada (2003)

Here the public libraries are envisaged to partner with other institutions to provide much wider services through sharing of facilities.

S. McKnight, “Involving the customers in library planning and decision making”, inP. Brophy, J. Craven and M Markland (eds.), Libraries Without Walls 6,London: Facet Publishing, 2006, p.4-13.

AngryAngry

Irritated

Frustrated

Basic

Expected

Desired

Unexpected

Hierarchy of Feeling

Approach• Information infrastructure:

Technologically equipped public libraries are to be considered as necessary for socio-economic development

• Enactment of the Public Library Act: Every State and Union Territory of India should have such Act with provisions for adequate fund generation

• Establish the Directorate of Libraries: It should be staffed adequately to monitor and guide the development of the public libraries under its jurisdiction

• Research Promotion: Directorate of Libraries should establish an exclusive ‘research and development’ unit under its fold

• Make use of the Corporate Social Responsibility Act Provisions

A Promising Outlook‡ An access to a well developed

network of public libraries is expected to find a major place in the rights of citizens of the knowledge society

‡ This provides an opportunity for the public library as an institution to gain the centre-stage once again

‡ If shaped suitably, the LIS profession and the public library will scale new heights of glory

Outreaching☼ I am here (orienting new users)

☼ I am still here (existence in physical & digital space)

☼ I am still here, but I have changed (new and personalised services)

☼ I can provide retreat from hyper-abundance and connectivity

☼ I am ready to act as a trusted ‘node’ in your social network

Emerging FunctionsLIS professional would be expected to take responsibility in respect of

mobile services designing

instructional technology use

copyright and IPR guidance

publishing

digital preservation

translation services

arrange meeting with experts

computer-supported cooperative work

PUBLIC

LIBRARY

Cynefin FrameworkComplex (P-S-R)

Probe, Sense & Respond

Emerging Practice

Simple (S-C-R)

Sense, Classify & Respond

Existing or Best Practice

Chaotic (A-S-R)

Act, Sense & Respond

Novel Practice

Complicated (S-A-R)

Sense, Act & Respond

Good Practice

1

3 2

4

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Select Actions Education, Training & Research:• To update the LIS courses

(to include negotiating information access agreements and estimating return on investment (ROI) in technology; more information science components)

• To start certified courses for imparting new skills and mid-career improvement

• To conduct workshops with focus on innovation in a specific LIS area

• To launch a longitudinal study of digital data users (like that by the Centre for Information Behaviour and the Evaluation of Research (CIBER) group at University College London)

Continued…

Select Actions (2)

New Practices:• To reduce the knowledge-doing gap implying

full use of stored knowledge• To unlearn selectively to get rid of the

practices that have lost their relevance• To establish best practices in respect of

digitisation (not getting satisfied with mere electronic Xeroxing)

• To promote the progressive process of information and knowledge use:

Inform Confirm Unform Reform

Resilient Library: Responds to environmental changes Tolerates stress Competes Exploits new niches Takes risks (mutates) Develops new relationships

Walker, B., & Salt, D. , Resilience Thinking, Washington, Island Press, 2006.

New technologies would facilitate these tasks

Public libraries would play a pivotalrole in knowledge technology era too; so their development should be high on the agenda of the LIS profession

Thank you