Digital strategies for 21 st century libraries Wolfram Horstmann

Overview 21 st century libraries ~ A mission ~ Digital strategies ~

21st century libraries ~

What can be said about 2099? In 1911, could she predict the Internet?

Prediction 1: World Library Arthur C. Clarke predicts computer based universal encyclopaedia in

Prediction 2: Closed Library “… maybe you would have simply banned the Internet to keep the libraries open.”

Literature is here to stay... It cannot be foreseen that literature will not be at the heart of scholarship in the next decades.

...but new things come on top. The world of knowledge has changed radically – arriving at a universal encyclopaedia.

New types of users Library users are not only readers but knowledge workers.

New units of knowledge Enhanced publications are a continuum of textual resources and underlying data.

New technology Complex knowledge resources can now be modelled and linked on the web – even for inferential computing.

A mission ~

A 21 st century library mission To build the most complete and authoritative web representation of physical and digital knowledge resources at the university know.uni-x.org

Approach: the user as moving target Knowledge networking is a dynamic and complex task, in which the user is a constant.

Background: McLuhan’s Sensorium There is no principal difference between physical and digital knowledge resources (‘media’) – both are the extensions of human needs

Digital strategies ~

Make all knowledge resources for the university discoverable digitally. Calculation of existing knowledge resources at the university and percentage of coverage. #1 Quality of service

Anticipate the human being behind the screen. Usage statistics, webometrics, user satisfaction surveys. #2 Understanding users

Augment the unique local collections with digital knowledge resources. Number of physical and digital resources linked and their stats. #3 Collection development

Learn to think like the digital user thinks. Trainings integrated in curricula; number of collaborative projects & amount of funding; hours of staff in training. #4 Staff skills

Implement transparent and effective digital knowledge policies. Number and quality of policy compliant services and knowledge resources. #5 Governance

Maximize the global digital footprint by acting as a knowledge hub. Number of MoUs, service contracts as well as human and machine interface procedure calls. #6 Collaboration

Conclusion ~

21 st century libraries ~ Will face the challenge of constantly changing digital developments in the 21 st century. ~ Can follow if the user is kept in the focus. ~ Build an augmented knowledge space of physical and digital resources for their users on the web. ~ Will act as the knowledge hub for the university. ~

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