The Role of the Public
Library in the Digital Age
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Sarah Ormes
UKOLN
University of Bath
Bath, BA2 7AY
Email
s.l.ormes@ukoln.ac.uk
URL
http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/
UKOLN is funded by the Library and Information Commission, the Joint
Information Systems Committee (JISC) of the Higher Education Funding Councils,
as well as by project funding from the JISC and the European Union.
UKOLN also receives support from the University of Bath where it is based.
Today we will
• Explore the current state of public library
digital services
• Identify possible future digital services
• Discuss the issues that are likely to
prevent the development of these
services
• Try and work collectively to resolve these
issues
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Current Digital Services
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Public Internet Access
Catalogues Online
Community Information Online
General Websites
Cd-Roms
Reference Library Use
Public Library Internet
Access 1995-7
1999
1997
1995
0
10
20
30
40
% of Libraries With Internet Access
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50
Public Internet Access
• Charged or not Charged
• Filtered or not filtered
• What services are available?
• Chat
• FTP
• E-commerce
• Games
• Acceptable Use Policies
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Catalogues Online
• Web Interface
• Search/Browse
• Limited Interactivity
• Can you reserve books?
• Can you view your library record?
• How useful are they really?
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Community Information
Online
• Making the database web accessible
• Croydon Online - developing web pages
for the local community
• Businesses
• Schools
• Local clubs
• Project CIRCE
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Public Library Web sites
• Majority are
• static
• unimaginative
• online leaflets
• Not controlled by the library
• There are exceptions to the rule though
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Leeds Online
• Council wide information
• Interactive and dynamic
•Local history photos
•searchable archive
•webcards
•videos
•chatboard
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Reference Library Use
• An new reference resource
• CLIP (Croydon Libraries Internet
Project)
• E-mail in reference questions
• Individual libraries
• Ask A Librarian
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CD-Roms
• Lots of Wolfson money has gone on
developing CD-Rom networks
• Networks beginning to extend out to
branch libraries
• Only available when the library is open
• Interesting licensing issues
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New Library:
The People’s Network
• A timely vision
• content driven
• scenario led
• Importance of training
• Led to Building the New Library
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Outcomes
• Gaining Government’s ear
• All public libraries (where practical)
connected by 2002
• Re-direction of lottery money
• £50 million for content
• £20 million for training
• £100 million for Community Access
• £500 million Capital Modernisation Fund
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Future Digital Services
• What kind of digital services do you want
your library to develop?
• Work in two groups
• 15 minutes exploring ideas
• Develop a top three future services
• Think about the issues that the library
will have to face to provide these
services
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Standard Services
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Local History
Community Information
Children’s Services
Book Location/Request
Reference
Local History Online Now
• Details of opening
and closing hours
• Contact details
• Some digitised
photos
• Local led approach
• Lack of online
catalogues
• NOF call focusing on
digitisation
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Corbis
http://www.corbis.com
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The Corbis Service
• $3 a digital file
for private use
• Free to view
• 2.1 Million
images online
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National Local History
Photo Service?
• Local collections
feeding into
national service
• Following the
model of Corbis
• Themed
approach
• Commercial
possibilities
• Not just libraries
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Community Information
• Standard service
• typically electronic
• different formats
• different coverage
• artificial geographical focus
• research taking place in
CIRCE and Seamless
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National Service
• One entry point
• Search locally, nationally
• Commercial potential
• database of UK leisure interests
• advertising potential
• consumer information
• Needs national co-ordination
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Children’s Services
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Literature focused
Low technical skills available
Small scale activity
Developing the idea of
taking the library out of the
building
Stories from the Web
• Collaboration between library
authorities
• Central resource with local
activities
• Early indications that high levels
of technical expertise are required
• New partnerships between
libraries, publishers and authors
• Complicated copyright issues
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National Children’s
Service
• A national central Web
resource
• Activities are developed to be
used at a local level
• Opportunity to share skills
• Libraries/Schools/Parents buy
in to added value services?
• Click to order - buy or reserve
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Book Location
• Limited local stock leads to a reliance on
Inter Library Loans
• Delivery time takes up to six weeks
• OPACs available online but only cover
local stock
• Online access to OPACs provide locate
service only
• Comparison with the commercial model?
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The Commercial Model
• Millions of items catalogues
• High quality informative records
– designed for the user not the
librarian
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One click ordering
Next day delivery
Open 24 hours a day
National Public Library
Catalogue?
Reference
• Currently
• Some e-mail reference
options
– Ask A Librarian
– Stumpers
– Answers Direct from Essex
• Typically though real time
enquiry in person or over
the phone when the library
is open
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Desktop Librarian
• Connect to the public library
reference network through a
simple desktop icon
• Access to databases, e-mail
services, information
resources
• Emphasis on simplicity to
use
• Emphasis on the library as
an everyday/everyminute
information resource
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The 24 Hour Library
• Moving the library out of its building
• Not just a catalogue
• Access to databases via web pages
• Taking content off the shelves and onto
the network
• Improving services
• More effective outreach
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The Future - Part One
• Should 100% connectivity (where
possible) the only aim?
• The American experience suggests not
• Sometimes painful re-assessment of
aims and priorities
• New staff skills required
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The Future - Part Two
• Funding from new sources
• Commercial partnerships
• Cross-sectoral partnerships
• Public library partnerships (EARL)
• Developing a wider vision
• Regionally
• Culturally
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Contacts
• Sarah Ormes
s.l.ormes@ukoln.ac.uk
• This presentation and links at
http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/public/present/
msc99/
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