Digital FuturesDigital Futures(Knowledge Institutions in the (Knowledge Institutions in the 2121stst Century) Century)

Chris BattChris BattChief ExecutiveChief Executive

Museums, Libraries and Archives Museums, Libraries and Archives CouncilCouncil

A presentation in three A presentation in three partsparts

• What is MLA• What is MLA

• What do we do• What do we do

• Digital Futures Programme• Digital Futures Programme

What is Museums, What is Museums, Libraries and Archives Libraries and Archives Council (MLA)?Council (MLA)?

• Government-funded development agency (Culture Department)

• Government-funded development agency (Culture Department)

• Advise the Government on policy and funding

• Advise the Government on policy and funding

• Innovation and improvement in museums, libraries and archives

• Innovation and improvement in museums, libraries and archives

Essential factsEssential facts

• Annual budget: £39million• Annual budget: £39million

• Staff: 75 • Staff: 75

• Museums: 2,500• Libraries: 12,000• Archives: 2,000

• Museums: 2,500• Libraries: 12,000• Archives: 2,000

Investing in KnowledgeInvesting in Knowledge

“Museums, libraries and archives connect people to knowledge and information, creativity and inspiration”

“Museums, libraries and archives connect people to knowledge and information, creativity and inspiration”

“MLA is leading the drive to unlock this wealth, for everyone”“MLA is leading the drive to unlock this wealth, for everyone”

Policy and Policy and AdvocacyAdvocacy

•Raise the political profile of sector•Raise the political profile of sector

•Work to increase investment•Work to increase investment

•Connect to other programmes•Connect to other programmes

•Link national and local policies•Link national and local policies

Policy AreasPolicy Areas

• Education, Learning and Skills• Education, Learning and Skills

• Communities and Creativity• Communities and Creativity

• Knowledge Economy• Knowledge Economy

• Networking Knowledge• Networking Knowledge

Strategic developmentsStrategic developments

Museums ArchivesLibraries

Renaissance in the Regions

Task ForceFramework for

the Future

www.mla.gov.uk

Strategic developmentsStrategic developments

Museums ArchivesLibraries

SOCIAL POLICY

Social inclusionService accessibility

Education and learningCommunity development

Urban and rural regeneration

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Workforce developmentCollections management and development

StandardsFunding: models and challenge

Service benchmarking

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY

Cultural content digitisationLinks with learning and e-government

ICT standardsService innovation – Digital Futures

The People’s Network

The The peoplespeoplesnetworknetwork

The The peoplespeoplesnetworknetwork•£170 million project•£170 million project

•ICT centres in all UK public libraries•ICT centres in all UK public libraries

•Train all library workers in ICT•Train all library workers in ICT

•Create digital cultural content•Create digital cultural content

Training libraryTraining libraryworkersworkersTraining libraryTraining libraryworkersworkers

• £20 million• £20 million

• 40,000 library workers • 40,000 library workers

• European Computer Driving Licence

• European Computer Driving Licence

the peoplesthe peoplesnetworknetwork

““Create ICT learning centres in all Create ICT learning centres in all 4,300 UK public libraries by the 4,300 UK public libraries by the end of 2002”.end of 2002”.

Minister for Culture, 1998

Target ach

ieved,

below budget

Vital StatisticsVital Statistics

•32,000 terminals •32,000 terminals

•93% on 2mb connections or more•93% on 2mb connections or more

•10% increase in library visits•10% increase in library visits

•Sustained levels of use•Sustained levels of use

46,000,00046,000,000Hours of usage in 2003Hours of usage in 2003

the peoplesthe peoplesnetworknetwork

““I forgot about library I forgot about library services over the years services over the years – now I use it more than – now I use it more than ever”ever”

High profile National policy New political

awareness Big impact Librarians did

it

the peoplesnetwork

DIGITAL FUTURES

Towards the Knowledge Society

DIGITAL FUTURES

Digital content so farDigital content so far

• Increase discovery and accessibility• Increase discovery and accessibility

• Encourage learning and enjoyment• Encourage learning and enjoyment

• Create virtual collections• Create virtual collections

• To support ‘knowledge policy’• To support ‘knowledge policy’

Wide range of public Wide range of public programmes in the UKprogrammes in the UK

• Curriculum Online• Curriculum Online

• University resources• University resources

• NHS Direct Online• NHS Direct Online

• DirectGov (e-Government)• DirectGov (e-Government)

DIGITAL FUTURES

• Cultural and knowledge resources• Cultural and knowledge resources

DIGITAL FUTURES

DIGITAL FUTURES

DIGITAL FUTURES

What have we learned so far?

•It is not easy!•It is not easy!

•Virtual collections add value•Virtual collections add value

•More active citizens•More active citizens

•New services and access•New services and access

• The 96:50 ratio• The 96:50 ratio

• The technology must be invisible• The technology must be invisible

• A digital library is not a library• A digital library is not a library

• And, as if my magic…• And, as if my magic…

What have we learned so far?

Once created it is all totally invisible to the

user!

The official viewThe official view

DIGITAL FUTURES

The view for 99% of Web The view for 99% of Web usersusers

DIGITAL FUTURES

THE GOOGLE PARADOX

Women are Persons

Antique clocks

THE GOOGLE PARADOX

EstelleGovernment MinisterLocation: WestminsterQuestion: Roman remains

DanSmart kidLocation: YorkQuestion: Castles

Cultural CyberCultural Cybernnautsauts

DIGITAL FUTURES

Roman Remains = 1,200,000 Hits

What was required?- Simple introduction to archaeology- Engaging material - sound and images- How to find out more- Where to see something

1/10

DIGITAL FUTURES

Castles = 2,100,000 Hits

What was required?- Cool stuff for homework- Castles to visit locally- Safe experts to talk to

1/10

DIGITAL FUTURES

Causes of the 96:50 ratio

• Common sense is not enough• Common sense is not enough

• The user is invisible• The user is invisible

• Collections remain separate• Collections remain separate

• The Web is supplier driven• The Web is supplier driven

DIGITAL FUTURES

Common Information Environment Group

• MLA• MLA

• Joint Information Systems Cttee• Joint Information Systems Cttee

• National Health Service• National Health Service

• British Library• British Library

• National Archive• National Archive

• Department of Education• Department of Education

DIGITAL FUTURES

PRESENTATION LAYER

FUSION LAYER

INFRASTRUCTURE LAYER

CONTENT LAYER

Information Environment Model

DIGITAL FUTURES

• Starts with the user• Starts with the user

• Content not institution• Content not institution

The Knowledge Web

• Knowledge and culture for all• Knowledge and culture for all

• Interest before institution• Interest before institution

• MYberspace – ‘my’ learning space• MYberspace – ‘my’ learning space

• Create motivation and enthusiasm• Create motivation and enthusiasm

DIGITAL FUTURES

• Join objects and collections together• Join objects and collections together

I belong to Danage 9Remember:- E-mail History project- Dinner money for Monday- Sophie’s birthday

Friends:- you have 7 messages- Christopher is online- Sophie is nearby

Daniel,here are some links tobackground on castles:Castles€8 to download from

Amazon nowCastles of Englandfree from the Heritage

PortalThere are 6 resources in Curriculum Online suitable for your class project...

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You are not far from...Castle Campbell

Time Team were there last year, and you can see the broadcast here.You can book a ticket,

and send directions to the car.

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DIGITAL FUTURES

Roman Remains = 1,200,000 Hits

What was required?- Simple introduction to archaeology- Engaging material - sound and images- How to find out more- Where to see something

1/10

DIGITAL FUTURES

NAME: EstelleSEARCH: Roman remainsRESULT HITS: 7 hits

Hi Estelle: I’ve ‘dug up’ some basic stuff on Roman remains and registered you for seven days on the new archaeologists discussion list so you can get see what everyone is talking about. If you want the local archaeology group and the Roman Society to know about your interest, just click the links below:

o Institute of Archaeology introductory lecture on Roman remains in Britain (streamed audio [free])

o Digging up Roman remains in England - Time Team programme from C4 (streamed video [single viewing £1.00])

o Books on Roman history in Britain in your local libraryo Collections of Roman remains within 45 minutes travel time of

home (travel details included)o Links to organisations that other people like you found usefulo People in the area you might like to chat too Click here to let other organisations hear about your interest

Score: 10/10Score: 10/10

Existing interestsHome addressLearning styles

•Greater user satisfaction•Greater user satisfaction

•Few skills are required of the user•Few skills are required of the user

•New services and markets•New services and markets

•Content will be connected together•Content will be connected together

•Culture and knowledge for all•Culture and knowledge for all

•Answers start journeys of discovery•Answers start journeys of discovery

•From e-Government to public value•From e-Government to public value

•From 96:50 to 96:96•From 96:50 to 96:96

ConcludingThoughts

The people in the streetThe people in the street

“The street will find its own uses for things”

“The street will find its own uses for things”

Telling stories about the Telling stories about the futurefuture

•Integrating collections•Integrating collections

•Making access easy•Making access easy

•Showing how progress is supported•Showing how progress is supported

•Creating an informed society•Creating an informed society

Institutions in partnership creating virtual collectionsMyberspace – the personal Information environment

Learning, knowledge economyCreativity and communitiesInvesting in Knowledge

“ “ A gateway A gateway into different into different

worlds”worlds”

Chris.batt@mla.gov.ukChris.batt@mla.gov.uk

www.mla.gov.ukwww.mla.gov.uk

SEVEN PROPOSITIONS SEVEN PROPOSITIONS FOR THE 21FOR THE 21STST CENTURY CENTURY

Librarians are theLibrarians are the

gatekeepersgatekeepers

““Librarians must love Librarians must love learning”learning”

Pro

posi

tion

1

Learning is at the heart of Learning is at the heart of the library missionthe library mission

Learning of all types from Learning of all types from the most informalthe most informal

A ‘one stop’ route to A ‘one stop’ route to everything – physical or everything – physical or virtualvirtual

““Librarians must Librarians must build bridges”build bridges”

Pro

posi

tion

2

Reaching out to new audiencesReaching out to new audiences Linking the community to itselfLinking the community to itself Connecting people to Connecting people to

knowledge, culture and ideasknowledge, culture and ideas The place where journeys start The place where journeys start

and a place where journeys and a place where journeys endend

““Librarians must be Librarians must be streetwise”streetwise”

Pro

posi

tion

3 Unique closeness to Unique closeness to communitiescommunities

User focus is vitalUser focus is vital User-friendly systemsUser-friendly systems Perhaps the most under-Perhaps the most under-

promoted skill of the librarianpromoted skill of the librarian

““Librarians must be Librarians must be innovators”innovators”

Pro

posi

tion

4

Creating new resources, new Creating new resources, new servicesservices

Identifying community trendsIdentifying community trends Helping communities to Helping communities to

develop for themselvesdevelop for themselves Breaking down traditional Breaking down traditional

barriers to service integrationbarriers to service integration

““Librarians must have Librarians must have passion”passion”

Pro

posi

tion

5 This is a time for action, a time This is a time for action, a time to take risksto take risks

If we cannot speak with If we cannot speak with passion about libraries, who passion about libraries, who will?will?

Be confident advocatesBe confident advocates ““a nation in love with knowledge”a nation in love with knowledge”

““Librarians must be Librarians must be leaders”leaders”

Pro

posi

tion

6

Information managementInformation management– Metadata maestros!Metadata maestros!– Information wizardsInformation wizards

The people’s professionalsThe people’s professionals Learn the tactics and Learn the tactics and

strategies of leadershipstrategies of leadership

““Librarians must be Librarians must be dreamers”dreamers”

Pro

posi

tion

7

Solve 10 impossible Solve 10 impossible problems every dayproblems every day

Defend the past and create Defend the past and create the futurethe future

Help every citizen to surpass Help every citizen to surpass their own hopes and their own hopes and aspirationsaspirations

THANK YOUTHANK YOU

Chris.batt@mla.gov.ukChris.batt@mla.gov.uk

www.mla.gov.ukwww.mla.gov.uk