Transforming the Library to Cope with the

New Web Technology and Social Challenges

Dr. Vivek Patkarvnpatkar2004@yahoo.co.in

NACLIN 2007New Delhi, Nov. 20-23, 2007

LIBRARY

RESOURCES

NEEDS

TECHNOLOGY

Library Development Drivers

Web Developments• Folksonomy & Social Tagging

Tagging by the users called ‘social tagging’ and automated indexing technologies differ from the traditional library practice of classification.

A well-evolved folksonomy through the individual choices acts as a shared vocabulary for the users.

Flickr and del.icio.us are the examples of websites using folksonomic tagging

Web Developments (2)

• Wiki Sites Development

Production of the material is taking place through a collaborative mode. (e.g. Wikipedia)

In the wake of Wiki development the foundation principle of textual unity that governs the bibliographic extraction is shaken besides the quality assurance.

Web Developments (3)

• Web 2.0 & Library 2.0 Web 2.0 would promote users participation in

knowledge production & organisation.

Personalisation of the library web pages, blogs and allowing users to add their reviews & comments on the material in the library catalogue set the new trend under Library 2.0 developments.

The library content management and services become more user-driven in this model.

Social ExpectationsSelect new demands by• unemployed and entrepreneurs

(say for job opportunities and marketing)

• students, housewives & surplus workers (for career development options)

• urban dwellers (say for housing, legal and financial matters)

• rural masses (say for agriculture, health and welfare matters)

• physically challenged & senior citizens (say for privileges & facilities)

Emerging Challenges (1)

• Certainties of authenticated production of knowledge are replaced by the uncertainties of unregulated knowledge production and dissemination.

☼ Development of new approaches for

information management

Emerging Challenges (2)

• The emerging knowledge society, which demands strict adherence to the Copyright and IPR, finds their violations facilitated by those very technologies that shape this society.

☼ Evolve new controlling methods using

the technology

Emerging Challenges (3)

• The Web 2.0 and Library 2.0 technologies reduce intermediation by the library professional for assuring quality.

☼ Promote information literacy skills so

that users could discriminate

among the sources

Emerging Challenges (4)

• Knowledge is no longer associated with knowing the truth (use value) alone; it is more for the economic purpose (exchange value) in the new post-industrial society.

☼ Strategies to meet both the purposes

are to be developed

Emerging Challenges (5)

• The project of “Cosmopedia”, say an extension of the Internet and Wikipedia, envisages linking diverse resources like museums, libraries, archives and others for integrating the material on any topic.

☼ Train online equivalent of the reference

librarian to manage such huge data

and guide the users

Emerging Challenges (6)

• The future generation of users would demand more of total immersion experience of the information (means use of all physical senses in assimilating information and knowledge).

☼ Design the services incorporating

these needs

Emerging Challenges (7)

• To deal with the information overload problem the ranking or relevance weight of the information would have to be provided.

☼ To go beyond metadata and perform

content analysis, data mining, text

mining and web mining to serve the

user

Emerging Challenges (8)

• To reduce the fluency divide between those who passively consume information and those who have skills to organise and apply information.

☼ To organise IT training for different

sections of the society employing

innovative methods

Emerging Challenges (9)

• Second career building, self-renewal, management of special purpose library and business intelligence organisation, would be needed by the library professionals.

☼ To start suitable part-time or distance

education courses

Library Types• Academic Library:

– University (higher learning & research oriented)– College (examination oriented)– School (general knowledge oriented)

• Public Library:– National (depository type)– State Central (depository type)– Municipal (general reading purpose)– Privately run (objective driven)

• Corporate or Institutional Library:– Private sector (research & development, need based)– Public sector (general and need based)

• Special Library:– Subject or area research (specific purpose)– Special groups (e.g. blind persons, small kids)

SWOT Analysis

Strengths:

- Inf. organization skills

- Preservation experience

- Services innovation

Weaknesses:- Gate-keeping image

- Poor collection

Opportunities:- Global access to information

- Integrated/Holistic services

- Ease in networking

Threats:- Financial crunch

- Declining patronage

- Skill obsolescence

- Isolated entity

A1: ----------A2: ----------A3: ----------A4: ----------A5: ----------

N1

N2

N3

N4

N5

Library Resources

Knowledge Hub Needs

N6 N7

TransformationProcess ε {new skills, cyber-infrastr., networking, expert help,…}

A Conceptual Model for Transformation

N8

Participatory Techniques• Analytical Hierarchy Process

• Interpretive Structural Modelling

• Critical Systems Heuristics

• Generic Design Science

• Compromise Programming

• ZOPP - Zielovienterte Projektplanung (Objective-Oriented Project Planning)

• Soft Operations Research

Situation Analysis

Loss of users

New needs

not met

Users do not visit

Membership drop

Obsolete

collection

No new service

Poor infrastr-ucture

Outdated skills

New needs not

perceived

Existing Situation

Effects

Core Problem

Causes

Roots

Objective Analysis

Users have a better

image of the library/K.C.

New services to be given

More users footprints

More use of collection

Infrastru.

upgraded

New demand

s met

Internet service given

Staff skills upgraded

Needs are surveyed regularly

Future situation

Indicators

Core Objective

Results

Activities

New Services• Document evaluation

• Comprehensive referencing

• Translation (technical and general)

• Career guidance

• Fine arts appreciation programmes

• Meet the author/poet programmes

• Contact of experts in different fields

• Organising discussions and suitable events using the library collection

Pertinent Skills• Records Management

• Content Analysis & Content Management

• Text Mining, Data Mining, Web Mining

• Open Archive Building• Geo-informatics [particularly, Remote Sensing & GIS]

• Infometrics & Webometrics

• Technology Management

• Soft Skills

Transforming the library to harness new Web technologies and address emerging societal needs is the key

to sustain its relevance