4 pictures and a conclusion: the third age of libraries in a network environment

Lorcan Dempsey

Taiga Forum28 March 2006

40 pictures and no conclusion

Lorcan Dempsey

Taiga Forum?? March 2006

3 ages

1. Resource sharing and cataloging2. A&I and e-journals3. Consolidation around network

platforms ..

Some context for a beginning

Synthesize - to combine often diverse conceptions into a coherent whole.

Synthesize

Web services

Patron services

Content

Policies

Registries

Forward knowledge

Fulfillment services

Mobilize

Specialize - involve specific knowledge in order to serve a particular purpose; to apply or direct to specific end or use.

Specialize

…

Mobilize - to put into action

Workplace applications - points of need

Profiles

• Local service• Local added value• Local context• Local knowledge

Robin Murray

Library servicelandscape

URL is the currency of the webSynthesize-specialize-mobilize

The library and the library network

Impact

Systemwide efficiences

Cat/Resource sharingJournal lit

The long tail

Impact?

Systemwide efficiences

Aggregation of supply•Unified discovery•Low transaction costs

Aggregation of demand

Synthesize-specialize-mobilize

Libraries and the long tail dynamic

Aggregate supply?

1.7% of circulations are ILLs

Aggregate demand?

20% of collection accounted for 90% of use

(2 research libraries over ~4 years)

(60% of aggregate G5 collection owned by one library)

Each reader his/her book

Each book its reader

… to collaboratively sourced approaches

Libraries AustraliaCRLIthakaOCLCRLGDEF

OhioLinkCalifornia digital libraryJISC

Google Scholar

At what level?

Collections Discovery to deliverySpace and Consumer environmentsBusiness intelligence

Collections

View from the hill

OCLC adaptation of Liz Lyon

View from closer in

high low

low

high

stewardship

uni

que

ne

ssBooksJournalsNewspapersGov. docsCD, DVDMapsScores

Special collectionsRare booksLocal/Historical newspapersLocal history materialsArchives & Manuscripts, Theses & dissertations

Research and learning materials •ePrints/tech reports•Learning objects•Courseware•E-portfolios•Research data

Freely-accessible web resourcesOpen source softwareNewsgroup archives

uni

que

ne

ss

Print books Preservation turn: Cost of management and

preservation of print collection? Mass digitisation: converting sharable

materials to licensable materials? Mass digitization and off-site storage present

similar issues: selection and shared capacity move to network level?

Licensed resources Libraries have selected from a

published resource: scholarly record. A global knowledge base? Complete digital and print runs – at

what level?

Digitized special collections Relevance to local research and

learning needs? The biomedical question … Aggregation and higher level services

… at what level?

Web Harvest and curate Integrity: Versioning and citation

Institutional research and learning outputs Differently motivated (coordinated asset

management, scholarly communications, reputation management, disclosure, preservation, ..)

Domain specialties (high acronymic density) Diversity: big data, e-portfolios, learning materials, … Integrity: versioning and citation Special collections of the future?

Some questions aboutcollections

Structures, budgets, skills, routine systems ….… are organized aroundthe ‘upper left’.

What is the scholarly record?

Who is securing the scholarly record?

At what level?

Inside out and outside in.

Discovery to delivery

Use

RequestLocateDiscover Deliver

Example: aggregate supply: transaction costs

Each arrow is a potential added cost:In terms of attention or technical, policy, business or service gaps.Amazon? Google?

Challenges: find it?

Discovery:

Fewer unified resources?

Metasearch? Where the user wants:

RSS, search engine, CMS, ….

Location:

Service router Resolvers

E-commerce sites Library Services on items

Challenges: find it?

Request:

Service router Place hold Place ILL request Initiate purchase

request, ….

Deliver:

From multiple sources

Shared physical and digital collections?

Locked within end to end systems where the ends are in the wrong places!

Aggregate supply and demand at the network level.

Gravitational pull and smooth working.

Competition for attention.

Uncertainty about:

Service linesProcess modelService/product architecture

Space and Consumerenvironments

Database > website > workflow

Prefabricated (e.g. CMS)

Self assembled digital identity

Gather – create - share

Raymond Yee

URL is the currency

Conversation and evidence

Mobilize the edge of user contributionMobilize resources in user spaces

Integrity and authenticityVersioning

Citing

Businessintelligence

Measurement

Assessment Marketing Reflexive product adaptation

Business intelligence

To think about:Consolidated holdings?Consolidated usage data?Consolidated circ data?Consolidated resolution data?Consolidated download data?….

Moving to thenetwork level

Trajectory: from vertical integration …

… to collaboratively sourced approaches

Libraries AustraliaCRLIthakaOCLCRLGDEF

OhioLinkCalifornia digital libraryJISC

Google Scholar

Collectively strategiseCollectively specify (ERMI)Collaboratively source

Solutions Products

Synthesise-specialise-mobilize