The Role of the Public Library in the Digital Age

• Sarah Ormes• UKOLN• University of Bath• Bath, BA2 7AY

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.

Emails.l.ormes@ukoln.ac.ukURLhttp://www.ukoln.ac.uk/

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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

• Public Internet Access• Catalogues Online• Community Information Online• General Websites• Cd-Roms • Reference Library Use

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Public Library Internet Access 1995-7

0 10 20 30 40 50

1995

1997

1999

% of Libraries With Internet Access

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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

• Local History• Community Information• Children’s Services• Book Location/Request• Reference

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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

© New Library

© N

ew L ibrary

© New Library

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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

• Literature focused• Low technical skills available• Small scale activity• Developing the idea of

taking the library out of the building

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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

• One click ordering• Next day delivery• Open 24 hours a day• National Public Library

Catalogue?

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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 Ormess.l.ormes@ukoln.ac.uk

• This presentation and links at http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/public/present/msc99/