virtually irrelevant: the digital library conundrum

Virtually Irrelevant: Virtually Irrelevant: The Digital Library The Digital Library ConundrumConundrumProfessor Derek Law, Professor Derek Law,

University of StrathclydeUniversity of Strathclyde

Five themesFive themes

Professional self-confidenceProfessional self-confidence E-collection developmentE-collection development Content production Content production not justnot just

consumptionconsumption TrainingTraining PreservationPreservation

Clearing the GroundClearing the Ground

The paperless library is as likely as The paperless library is as likely as the paperless toiletthe paperless toilet

The Kennedy Centre and the The Kennedy Centre and the importance of staff importance of staff

Involvement or commitment?Involvement or commitment? I’ll repeat what I agree with and I’ll repeat what I agree with and

ignore the rest – an SDI service!ignore the rest – an SDI service! My examples are ScottishMy examples are Scottish

End of the story for End of the story for librarians?librarians?

““The services provided by The services provided by librarians have become librarians have become less important with the less important with the development of development of technology that allows technology that allows students and staff to students and staff to conduct research with conduct research with relatively little guidance”relatively little guidance”

““The process of literature The process of literature searches is substantially searches is substantially deskilled by online deskilled by online bibliographical resources”bibliographical resources”

University of Wales Bangor: Consultation Paper University of Wales Bangor: Consultation Paper 20052005

The future…..?The future…..?

“Oh, like you know something the Internet doesn’t know”

Scenario PlanningScenario Planning

Four scenarios or approachesFour scenarios or approaches Explore only preferred scenarioExplore only preferred scenario Peep into what I hope we’ll be doingPeep into what I hope we’ll be doing May not be the same as we will be May not be the same as we will be

doingdoing

Scenario Plan A: For Scenario Plan A: For babiesbabies

““Always keep a-Always keep a-hold of nurse, for hold of nurse, for fear of finding fear of finding something worse”something worse”

Hilaire BellocHilaire Belloc

Scenario Plan B: For Scenario Plan B: For TeenagersTeenagers

““When in danger When in danger or in doubt, or in doubt,

Run in circles, Run in circles, scream and shout”scream and shout”

Hilaire BellocHilaire Belloc

Scenario Plan C: AdultsScenario Plan C: Adults

““Get your Get your retaliatioretaliation in first”n in first”

Carwyn James: Carwyn James: Welsh Rugby Welsh Rugby CoachCoach

Scenario Plan D: Wise Scenario Plan D: Wise EldersElders

““It’s better to seek It’s better to seek forgiveness than forgiveness than permission”permission”

President John F Kennedy – or President John F Kennedy – or Thomas MoreThomas More

Where we are nowWhere we are now Hybrid librariesHybrid libraries Google and the satisfied Google and the satisfied

ineptinept Struggling with Struggling with

redefinition of scholarly redefinition of scholarly communicationcommunication

Big deals (ending?)Big deals (ending?) E-books are toysE-books are toys Images the next Images the next

frontier?frontier?

Underpinning philosophyUnderpinning philosophy

The Vesalius ConundrumThe Vesalius Conundrum This is rocket science not a plug in the wallThis is rocket science not a plug in the wall Ease of use = “the satisfied inept”Ease of use = “the satisfied inept” IT Skills Gap is growing IT Skills Gap is growing (Production<demand)(Production<demand)

Public sector bodies are producers not just Public sector bodies are producers not just consumers of informationconsumers of information

The Internet is AT PRESENT very flawed as a The Internet is AT PRESENT very flawed as a teaching and learning toolteaching and learning tool

User not technology User not technology drivendriven

The Library as placeThe Library as place Second most used public serviceSecond most used public service University space has not grownUniversity space has not grown

Staff and students are library Staff and students are library conservativesconservatives

Collection focussedCollection focussed ““Sustainable use of heritage resources”Sustainable use of heritage resources”

Failing to build research collectionsFailing to build research collections Standing on the shoulders of pygmiesStanding on the shoulders of pygmies

No focus on e-servicesNo focus on e-services

The Bad NewsThe Bad News

There has never been a correlation There has never been a correlation between library use and class of between library use and class of degreedegree

There is not a correlation between There is not a correlation between research quality and library quality or research quality and library quality or sizesize

SO, we must stake out our turf and SO, we must stake out our turf and assert relevance or others will move inassert relevance or others will move in

More of the same?More of the same?

Sourdust: Keeper Sourdust: Keeper of the Rituals and of the Rituals and Master of the Master of the CeremoniesCeremonies

Old Wine in New BottlesOld Wine in New Bottles

The future lies in the pastThe future lies in the past The International Library MovementThe International Library Movement

Co-operation, co-operation, co-Co-operation, co-operation, co-operationoperation

UAP and UBCUAP and UBC Document SupplyDocument Supply Selection, storage and supportSelection, storage and support

Trust Me I’m a LibrarianTrust Me I’m a Librarian

““People become librarians because they know People become librarians because they know too much. Their knowledge extends beyond too much. Their knowledge extends beyond mere categories. They cannot be confined to mere categories. They cannot be confined to disciplines. Librarians are all-knowing and all-disciplines. Librarians are all-knowing and all-seeing. They bring order to chaos. They bring seeing. They bring order to chaos. They bring wisdom and culture to the masses. They wisdom and culture to the masses. They preserve every aspect of human knowledge. preserve every aspect of human knowledge. Librarians rule. And they will kick the crap out Librarians rule. And they will kick the crap out of anyone who says otherwise.” of anyone who says otherwise.” (Olson, 2000) (Olson, 2000)

RequirementsRequirements

Go to new placesGo to new places Investigate, report and IMPLEMENTInvestigate, report and IMPLEMENT Let the organisation know you are doing Let the organisation know you are doing

thisthis Lights are hidden under bushels for a reasonLights are hidden under bushels for a reason

He who pays the piper may call the tune He who pays the piper may call the tune – but that doesn’t guarantee an audience– but that doesn’t guarantee an audience

The Scottish National The Scottish National Antarctic Expedition, Antarctic Expedition, 19021902

Shared services as well as Shared services as well as contentcontent

7x24 reference service with UTS7x24 reference service with UTS Shared ILL Department discussedShared ILL Department discussed Shared skills training for usersShared skills training for users Information literacy and the death Information literacy and the death

of Googleof Google

GooglewhackingGooglewhacking

Your goal: find Your goal: find that elusive that elusive query (two query (two words - words - no no quote marksquote marks) ) with a single, with a single, solitary resultsolitary result ! !

Jesuitical cauliflowerJesuitical cauliflower Unpowered popemobileUnpowered popemobile BuckminsterfullerineBuckminsterfullerine sundaesundae Hydroxylated Hydroxylated

marmalademarmalade Comparative unicyclistComparative unicyclist Sousaphone wasabiSousaphone wasabi

Building research Building research collections for the futurecollections for the future

Endangered contentEndangered content Web sites, lab books, ephemera, e-Web sites, lab books, ephemera, e-

mail, word processed files, mail, word processed files, spreadsheets etc etcspreadsheets etc etc

Present research builds on the Present research builds on the collections of the pastcollections of the past

This is your chance to be included!!This is your chance to be included!!

Information arbitrageInformation arbitrage

Identifying productsIdentifying products Identifying value for moneyIdentifying value for money Identifying sites – Los AlamosIdentifying sites – Los Alamos Is the Pareto Principle relevant?Is the Pareto Principle relevant? Information without walls Information without walls

supporting the communitysupporting the community Independent, authoritative and rightIndependent, authoritative and right

Law’s LawsLaw’s Laws

1. 1. Good Information systems Good Information systems will drive out badwill drive out bad

Producers not mouse Producers not mouse potatoespotatoes

OAIOAI SPARCSPARC BIOMED CentralBIOMED Central The end of big deals?The end of big deals? The failure of the STM modelThe failure of the STM model Scientific learned societies are worse than Scientific learned societies are worse than

publisherspublishers SAPIENS and HOMO SAPIENSSAPIENS and HOMO SAPIENS Publishing supports research NOT THE Publishing supports research NOT THE

OTHER WAY ROUNDOTHER WAY ROUND

A rose by any other nameA rose by any other name

TaxonomyTaxonomy OntologyOntology Semantic webSemantic web MetadataMetadata The organisation of The organisation of

knowledge knowledge

Law’s LawsLaw’s Laws

1. 1. Good Information systems Good Information systems will drive out badwill drive out bad

2. User Friendly systems 2. User Friendly systems aren’taren’t

TrainingTraining

The satisfied inept – staff as well as The satisfied inept – staff as well as studentsstudents

13% get information from the 13% get information from the LibraryLibrary

But it’s also a:But it’s also a: cybersandpitcybersandpit dating agencydating agency learning spacelearning space 7x24 chatroom7x24 chatroom Training groundTraining ground

Data preservation and Data preservation and trusted repositoriestrusted repositories

Building research collections for the Building research collections for the futurefuture

Clearing the studyClearing the study Under-resourcing the IT serviceUnder-resourcing the IT service Repository standardsRepository standards

Trusted repositories: Trusted repositories: the five Maori teststhe five Maori tests

Receive the information with Receive the information with accuracyaccuracyStore the information with integrity Store the information with integrity beyond doubtbeyond doubtRetrieve the information without Retrieve the information without amendmentamendmentApply appropriate judgement in the Apply appropriate judgement in the use of the informationuse of the informationPass the information on appropriatelyPass the information on appropriately

Road Runners Rool, OKRoad Runners Rool, OK Grown up thinkingGrown up thinking Joined up networksJoined up networks Seamless Martini educationSeamless Martini education Capitalism and communism according to Capitalism and communism according to

KeynesKeynes A people at ease with a knowledge society A people at ease with a knowledge society

having survived the information revolutionhaving survived the information revolution ““those best able to cope with change are those best able to cope with change are

those who are already on the leading edge” those who are already on the leading edge”

ConclusionConclusion

Selection, storage and support Selection, storage and support remain our key activitiesremain our key activities

The organisation of knowledge is The organisation of knowledge is our key skill our key skill

Don’t go to Bangor unless you want Don’t go to Bangor unless you want to observe arrogant stupidityto observe arrogant stupidity

Derek’s Digital DictumsDerek’s Digital Dictums

Make big plans and aim highMake big plans and aim high A hot bed of cold feetA hot bed of cold feet Losers confuse destiny with bad managementLosers confuse destiny with bad management Do what’s crazy, not what’s stupidDo what’s crazy, not what’s stupid It is better to be approximately right than It is better to be approximately right than

precisely wrongprecisely wrong You have to be clever enough to do it and You have to be clever enough to do it and

stupid enough to think it mattersstupid enough to think it matters Do lunch or be lunchDo lunch or be lunch When you come to a crossroads – take itWhen you come to a crossroads – take it