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”
[email protected]@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