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Virtually Irrelevant: The Digital Library Conundrum. Professor Derek Law, University of Strathclyde. Five themes. Professional self-confidence E-collection development Content production not just consumption Training Preservation. Clearing the Ground.
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Virtually Irrelevant: The Digital Library Conundrum Professor Derek Law, University of Strathclyde
Five themes • Professional self-confidence • E-collection development • Content production not just consumption • Training • Preservation
Clearing the Ground • The paperless library is as likely as the paperless toilet • The Kennedy Centre and the importance of staff • Involvement or commitment? • I’ll repeat what I agree with and ignore the rest – an SDI service! • My examples are Scottish
End of the story for librarians? • “The services provided by librarians have become less important with the development of technology that allows students and staff to conduct research with relatively little guidance” • “The process of literature searches is substantially deskilled by online bibliographical resources” University of Wales Bangor: Consultation Paper 2005
The future…..? “Oh, like you know something the Internet doesn’t know”
Scenario Planning • Four scenarios or approaches • Explore only preferred scenario • Peep into what I hope we’ll be doing • May not be the same as we will be doing
Scenario Plan A: For babies • “Always keep a-hold of nurse, for fear of finding something worse” Hilaire Belloc
Scenario Plan B: For Teenagers • “When in danger or in doubt, Run in circles, scream and shout” Hilaire Belloc
Scenario Plan C: Adults • “Get your retaliation in first” Carwyn James: Welsh Rugby Coach
Scenario Plan D: Wise Elders • “It’s better to seek forgiveness than permission” President John F Kennedy – or Thomas More
Where we are now • Hybrid libraries • Google and the satisfied inept • Struggling with redefinition of scholarly communication • Big deals (ending?) • E-books are toys • Images the next frontier?
Underpinning philosophy • The Vesalius Conundrum • This is rocket science not a plug in the wall • Ease of use = “the satisfied inept” • IT Skills Gap is growing (Production<demand) • Public sector bodies are producers not just consumers of information • The Internet is AT PRESENT very flawed as a teaching and learning tool
User not technology driven • The Library as place • Second most used public service • University space has not grown • Staff and students are library conservatives • Collection focussed • “Sustainable use of heritage resources” • Failing to build research collections • Standing on the shoulders of pygmies • No focus on e-services
The Bad News • There has never been a correlation between library use and class of degree • There is not a correlation between research quality and library quality or size • SO, we must stake out our turf and assert relevance or others will move in
More of the same? • Sourdust: Keeper of the Rituals and Master of the Ceremonies
Old Wine in New Bottles • The future lies in the past • The International Library Movement • Co-operation, co-operation, co-operation • UAP and UBC • Document Supply • Selection, storage and support
Trust Me I’m a Librarian • “People become librarians because they know too much. Their knowledge extends beyond mere categories. They cannot be confined to disciplines. Librarians are all-knowing and all-seeing. They bring order to chaos. They bring wisdom and culture to the masses. They preserve every aspect of human knowledge. Librarians rule. And they will kick the crap out of anyone who says otherwise.” (Olson, 2000)
Requirements • Go to new places • Investigate, report and IMPLEMENT • Let the organisation know you are doing this • Lights are hidden under bushels for a reason • He who pays the piper may call the tune – but that doesn’t guarantee an audience
Shared services as well as content • 7x24 reference service with UTS • Shared ILL Department discussed • Shared skills training for users • Information literacy and the death of Google
Your goal: find that elusive query (two words - no quote marks) with a single, solitary result ! Jesuitical cauliflower Unpowered popemobile Buckminsterfullerine sundae Hydroxylated marmalade Comparative unicyclist Sousaphone wasabi Googlewhacking The Whack Stack
Building research collections for the future • Endangered content • Web sites, lab books, ephemera, e-mail, word processed files, spreadsheets etc etc • Present research builds on the collections of the past • This is your chance to be included!!
Information arbitrage • Identifying products • Identifying value for money • Identifying sites – Los Alamos • Is the Pareto Principle relevant? • Information without walls supporting the community • Independent, authoritative and right
Law’s Laws 1. Good Information systems will drive out bad
Producers not mouse potatoes • OAI • SPARC • BIOMED Central • The end of big deals? • The failure of the STM model • Scientific learned societies are worse than publishers • SAPIENS and HOMO SAPIENS • Publishing supports research NOT THE OTHER WAY ROUND
A rose by any other name • Taxonomy • Ontology • Semantic web • Metadata • The organisation of knowledge
Law’s Laws 1. Good Information systems will drive out bad 2. User Friendly systems aren’t
Training • The satisfied inept – staff as well as students • 13% get information from the Library • But it’s also a: • cybersandpit • dating agency • learning space • 7x24 chatroom • Training ground
Data preservation and trusted repositories • Building research collections for the future • Clearing the study • Under-resourcing the IT service • Repository standards
Trusted repositories: the five Maori tests • Receive the information with accuracy • Store the information with integrity beyond doubt • Retrieve the information without amendment • Apply appropriate judgement in the use of the information • Pass the information on appropriately
Road Runners Rool, OK • Grown up thinking • Joined up networks • Seamless Martini education • Capitalism and communism according to Keynes • A people at ease with a knowledge society having survived the information revolution • “those best able to cope with change are those who are already on the leading edge”
Conclusion • Selection, storage and support remain our key activities • The organisation of knowledge is our key skill • Don’t go to Bangor unless you want to observe arrogant stupidity
Derek’s Digital Dictums • Make big plans and aim high • A hot bed of cold feet • Losers confuse destiny with bad management • Do what’s crazy, not what’s stupid • It is better to be approximately right than precisely wrong • You have to be clever enough to do it and stupid enough to think it matters • Do lunch or be lunch • When you come to a crossroads – take it