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The Digital Public Library for Flanders

A strategic look into the future

Jan Braeckman

Based on consultancy by ONE Agency

Vlaams Centrum voor Openbare Bibliotheken

Flemish Agency for Public Libraries

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Political context

Belgium: 10 million

Flanders: 6 million

(Dutch speaking)

Brussels

French speaking

4 million

Brussels & Wallonia

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Cultural context

Dutch speaking community in Europe is 22 million

Netherlands: 16 million

Flanders: 6 million

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Consultancy

• What kind of investments have to make in order to develop a “digital public library”?

Strategic study: looking into the future

1st How will the future public behave in the evolving digital environment? How will people use media? => What are people doing in a media 2.0 environment?

2nd What will be the impact on the public library? What kind of digital library do we have to build in order to let it be useful for the future public?

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Content choice

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Communities 2.0

• People are increasingly engaged in on-line communities, where they find kindred spirits and where organizations can find groups with similar interests, ideas or wishes.

Social networks / virtual worlds

wikis

Social networks, sharing, ...

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Shift of authority

• They do not see technology as an innovation; instead, it is considered fundamentally an extension of their consciousness.

• It’s part of how you behave, of where you live.

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Social Network

• Hanging out with friends and family

• Making new friends

• Building groups/communities

• Impressing others

• Sharing experience

• Share media

• Playing

• Fighting

• Bullying

• …

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Generation Google

• Universe of the new user = digital, shared with peers, enables participation, delivers immediately

• Future customers of libraries? Research of student behaviour:

– 84% starts searching in Google, Yahoo….– Only 1% considers using the website of a library

• “Google is the public library of the new generations.”

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Blogs

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Wiki’s, Newswiki’s, Swiki’s

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You Tube

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Really Simple Syndication

widgets

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Web 2.0

Web2.0 is the manifestation of

• Shifting power to consumers

• New communication and marketing

• Introducing new business models

• Introducing new technologies and rich internet experiences

• Shift of authority

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Shift of authority

• Users decide on time, place, and content

• Users focus on digital communities and their peer groups

• Users focus on a universe of immediately available content

• Users co-create content, co-create their own digital environment

=> The universe of the new public is digital, shared with peers, interactive & participatory, immediately available / the universe is online

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What is the impact on public libraries?

•Change

•4 roles for public libraries

•Strategy

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The changes

• The (digital) public library has to focus on “working with people” rather than “working with books”.

• Focus shifts from “carriers” to “content”.

• The library evolves from “a supplier of products and services” to “a facilitator for people to handle and develop their own products and services”.

• The core business will shift from managing a physical (local) collection, to finding, interpreting, using, organising a larger, continuously expanding universal collection.

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Libraries today

Current strengths

• 1 million people visit a public library at least once a month; 32% population uses the library, 27% is member

• Local, accessible: 800+ locations, local flavour, adapt to local timing, local current affairs

• “Home” of physical media

• Focus on personal contact with people

• Physical “place” for social networks

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Libraries today

Weakness:

• The library is a well known brand, but it’s image is grey, dusty, old fashioned – especially with people who don’t use the library

• For most people “library” equals “books”.

• Because of the less important position of the book as a source of information, people will stop associating the library with searching and finding information

=> One of the big challenges in the future will be the re-branding of the library, and communicating its new identity

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Change of roles

• The library has to keep its role in society to deliver quality services; but should take into account the changed behaviour, control and expectations of new users: it has to search a new equilibrium on the balance of authority.

• The library should assume 4 roles:

– The library as gatekeeper– The library as curator– The library as guide– The library as participant

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The Library as gatekeeper

Stands for reliable information and collections, quality selection and descriptions

Related to the local community

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The Library as curator

Is an objective and qualitative store window of information, media, and services

Help people to discover things they like, and didn’t know

New things, and things out of the long tail

It’s: the libraries’ choice

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The Library as guide

Learning how to fish the ocean of information

Learning how to search, find, interpret, and share information and knowledge

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The Library as participant

The library and its staff are full blown participants of the Web 2.0 conversations, relying on their specific expertise to of value to the others

On the same level as other participants

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Towards a strategy

• Strategy with 6 policy guidelines

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• 3 programs

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Policy guidelines

1. One coherent strategy, one owner of this strategy: Flemish government

2. Expert organisation: expertise on technology, on library business models, and on user behaviour

3. Library staff: training and education

4. Influence the legal context for libraries

5. Embed the digital strategy in a comprehensive vision on the future of libraries

6. Develop partnerships: media, heritage, publishing industry, education,…

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Programs

1. Supporting the local library

1. Awareness program2. Bridging the digital divide

2. New applications for the public

1. Searching (www.bibliotheek.be)2. New digital environments

3. Data and metadata:

1. Digital collections2. Metadata3. Back office on a Flemish level

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Looking back in the future

“Through the need for adaptation, this institutionhad to evolve and get rid of its traditional and static image to become a place with a new meaning and a diversified functioning.”

Gregory BlauwersPublic libraries and urban regeneration: ‘From reading place to public space’, University of Brussels, dissertation, 2007

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Thank you!

http://www.slideshare.net/vcob/flemish-digital-public-library-strategy

(extended version)

Jan.Braeckman@vcob.be