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Virtually Irrelevant: The Digital Library Conundrum

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

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  1. Virtually Irrelevant: The Digital Library Conundrum Professor Derek Law, University of Strathclyde

  2. Five themes • Professional self-confidence • E-collection development • Content production not just consumption • Training • Preservation

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. The future…..? “Oh, like you know something the Internet doesn’t know”

  6. 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

  7. Scenario Plan A: For babies • “Always keep a-hold of nurse, for fear of finding something worse” Hilaire Belloc

  8. Scenario Plan B: For Teenagers • “When in danger or in doubt, Run in circles, scream and shout” Hilaire Belloc

  9. Scenario Plan C: Adults • “Get your retaliation in first” Carwyn James: Welsh Rugby Coach

  10. Scenario Plan D: Wise Elders • “It’s better to seek forgiveness than permission” President John F Kennedy – or Thomas More

  11. 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?

  12. 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

  13. 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

  14. 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

  15. More of the same? • Sourdust: Keeper of the Rituals and Master of the Ceremonies

  16. 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

  17. 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)

  18. 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

  19. The Scottish National Antarctic Expedition, 1902

  20. 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

  21. 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

  22. 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!!

  23. 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

  24. Law’s Laws 1. Good Information systems will drive out bad

  25. 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

  26. A rose by any other name • Taxonomy • Ontology • Semantic web • Metadata • The organisation of knowledge

  27. Law’s Laws 1. Good Information systems will drive out bad 2. User Friendly systems aren’t

  28. 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

  29. Data preservation and trusted repositories • Building research collections for the future • Clearing the study • Under-resourcing the IT service • Repository standards

  30. 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

  31. 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”

  32. 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

  33. 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

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