Paul.Nieuwenhuysen@vub.ac.be Vrije Universiteit Brussel

1. 0101010100100101101010010011011Challenges in the evolution from classical over hybrid to digital libraries 011010100001010010100010010101 Paul.Nieuwenhuysen@vub.ac.be • Vrije Universiteit Brussel • Information and Library Science, University of Antwerp Belgium Invited talk at the International Conference on Digital Libraries 25-27 February 2004, in New Delhi, India

2. These slides are available from http://www.vub.ac.be/BIBLIO/nieuwenhuysen/presentations/ (note: BIBLIO and not biblio)

3. You can find more details and references in the paper printed in the proceedings of this conference

4. contents = summary = structure= overview of this talkPart 1 • WHY? Why many challenges for libraries? • WHAT?What kind of challenges? • WHERE?Where are libraries active? • WHEN?When should libraries adapt to a more digital world? • WHO?Who can be a good librarian?

5. contents = summary = structure= overviewof this talkPart 2 - contents - summary - structure of this lecturePart 2 • FOR WHOM?For whom do we create digital libraries? • HOW?How to develop and run hybrid and digital libraries? • HOW MUCH?How much does all this cost? • CONCLUSIONS

6. WHY? Why many challenges for the libraries in evolution?

7. Libraries in evolution:from classical to digital? Classical libraries Hybrid libraries! Digital libraries? the librarian actingmore as as intermediary PAST NOW FUTURE?

8. Libraries in evolution to what? Let us have a look at important functions – key functions – of librariesand let us consider how these evolve.

9. Libraries: evolution of classical key functions? • Collection development (hard copy documents) • Cataloguing + classification (hard copy documents) • User services: reference, user education… • Providing a physical, local meeting place • Conservation / preservation (hard copy documents)  ?  ?  ? • ?  ? PAST NOW FUTURE

10. Libraries in evolution: effects of more ICT • The fast evolution to powerful and affordable applications of information and communication technology (ICT) has several effects on libraries and information centers.

11. Libraries in evolution: effects of more ICT (1) 1. More applications of ICT to manage classical, printed, hard-copy books and journals: • ordering of documents; • cataloguing of documents; online public access catalogue; • administration concerning users; • lending; interlending among libraries; • financial management; • communication by email; WWW sites of libraries • ...

12. Libraries in evolution: effects of more ICT (2) 2. Providing access not only to hard-copy documents, but also to digital, computer- and network-based information sources.

13. The digital/electronic/virtual library: scheme Structures, practices, and methodsof physical libraries and archives Digital / electronic / virtuallibrary Computing power that is decreasing in price Communication capabilitiesof electronic networking

14. Libraries in evolution and access to information sources If it is not on the Internet, available free of charge, then it does “not exist”.

15. Libraries in evolution and the users of information More information delivery more directly from producer to end-user without involvement of a library or information centre acting as intermediary. from producer to end-userlibrary

16. WHAT? What kind of challenges for libraries in evolution?

17. Libraries and information centres: evolution of their roles • Collection development (hard copy documents) • 1. Applying more ICT in collection development of hard copy documents 2. Acquiring access to digital information+ conversion of important local documents to digital format (computer files) and making these accessible through the Internet

18. Libraries and information centres: evolution of their roles • 1. Applying more ICT to organize access and to manage hard copy documents • 2. + Organizing access to digital information, which includes providing access to computers connected to the Internet • Organizing access to hard-copy documents: • cataloguing • classification • physical placement • …

19. Libraries and information centres: evolution of their roles • User services: • reference, • user education • …  + Offering services in a computer-network environment: -- OPAC throught the Internet; -- website of the library; -- guides to information sources; -- contributing to a high level of information literacy: -- virtual reference services; -- …

20. Libraries and information centres: evolution of their roles • Providing a physical, local meeting place  + Presence of the library on the WWW, that is accessible from everywhere at any time!

21. Libraries and information centres: evolution of their roles • Conservation / preservation (hard copy documents)  + Conservation of digital documentsor ensuring continuous access to digital documents on external computers

22. Challenges of the hybrid environment: hard copy + digital User / Reader Collection development Library or information centre Hard copy Electronic, digital resources

23. Challenges of the hybrid environment: hard copy + digital L User / Reader Searching Hard copy Electronic, digital resources

24. Challenges of the hybrid environment: hard copy + digital • Users should be guided in finding their way through the maze, through the labyrinth that is formed by all available information systems and services.

26. Challenges of the hybrid environment: hard copy + digital J User / Reader Searching + using Hard copy + electronic, digital resourcesin an integrated, hybrid library

27. Integrating access to all types of information Web site created, offered, and maintained by a library or information centre 1 or several catalogues / databasescreated, offered, and maintained by a library or information centre

28. WHERE? Where are libraries active?

29. Libraries and information centres: future trend = becoming invisible • Conservation of hard copy documents becomes a smaller task in comparison with other activities in libraries. • Services offered by libraries become more virtual, less clearly visible.Is the ideal library invisible? • Who wants to pay for an invisible library?

30. Picture of the future library?

31. From local, physical libraries to invisible information centers? • From visible, human librarians to more invisible information experts? • Who wants to pay for invisible librarians? ?

32. The physical location of the library becomes less important • The physical location of documents is an irrelevant concept when the documents are based on computer-networks and the Internet in particular. • The physical location of information intermediaries of a library is not important anymore, when reference services and guidance is offered by information intermediaries / experts through the Internet, by using an application like WWW or email. “Virtual reference services”

33. Local, physical libraries can still be attractive • Physical libraries can of course remain attractive when they offer • many classical documents that are not available through the Internet • an interesting, attractive space for contemplation, study, entertainment, self-development, meetings… • Of course the library budget is limited and can be spent only once in a hybrid library: either on the physical library, either on the digital library

34. How to make hybrid libraries attractive “places”? • Physical libraries can be made attractive and usable by good architects / designers. • Digital libraries can be made attractive and usable by good information architects / web designers. Creating a good interface user  informationis crucial.

35. WHEN? When should libraries adapt to a more digital world?

36. When should libraries adapt to a more digital world? This is a question that is easy to answer: • Yesterday • Today • Now • Tomorrow • Always • Permanently • Continuously

37. When should libraries adapt in their evolution? “Change is the only constant”

38. HOW? How to develop and run hybrid and digital libraries?

39. Tools and methods for libraries: ILMS • Integrated library management system, including • databases related to documents, users, other data • online pubic access catalogue(s) • integration with related computer programs • integration with Internet • integration with the WWW site of the library

40. Tools and methods for libraries: the Internet and applications • Internet + applications of the Internet, such as the WWW and electronic mail

41. Tools and methods for libraries: public access computers • Computers for access by the public to Internet-based information resources. • Essential is securing these against • theft, • viruses, • hackers, • modifications of the user interface and the programs

42. Tools and methods for libraries: portal software • Portal software = federated searching software= meta-searching software to integrate access to distributed databases in one search action, as far as possible.

43. Tools and methods for libraries: portal software portal = meta-searching user information sources

44. Tools and methods for libraries: portal software • Portal software tries to cope with technical difficulties, such as differences among digital information sources in the applied • Internet application protocols for communication and retrieval (telnet, HTTP, Z39.50, OAI-MHP…) • metadata schemes in the databases to improve retrieval (classifications, thesaurus systems, ontologies…)

45. Tools and methods for libraries: appropriate hyperlink generator • OpenURL resolving software = appropriate hyperlink generator to guide users to the most suitable sources that are appropriate for the specific library or specific user, for instance to cope with the multiple-copy problem (such as SFX software from Ex-Libris or V-link software from VUBIS-GEAC)

46. Tools and methods for libraries: appropriate hyperlink generator incoming reference target information source appropriate hyperlink generator database about local situation

47. Tools and methods for libraries: filtering information • Filtering software to protect the user from low-quality or inappropriate sources? • Of course here we come close to the sensitive subject of censorship with all its advantages and disadvantages. • Deciding on what is low quality or inappropriate for a particular user is not easy.

48. Tools and methods for libraries: personalisation of access • Personalisation software to create in a more or less automatic way a more personal interface to the information services that are offered through the Internet and the WWW. Personalisation may depend on the user’s address, age, expressed interests, previous activities related to the library services.

49. Tools and methods for libraries: studies of information system users • A few users of the library web site should be selected from various categories of the user community and the way they work with your web site should be studied. • The observation of their behaviour and the comments by those users can be useful and interesting to improve your web site.

50. Tools and methods for libraries: co-operation • Any single library cannot well cope with the fast evolution to more digital components. • Co-operation among organisations should be considered, such as • public libraries  scientific libraries • libraries  computer centers / web designers • libraries  electronic learning centers