Steve O’Connor University Librarian Attaining Sustainable Digital Libraries Disruptive Libraries Feng Chia University 12 December 2008

Steve O’Connor University Librarian What is normal? Financial tsunami Changing world geo-political world Altered world communication patterns Election of President-Elect Barrack Obama Unexpected change has dominated

Steve O’Connor University Librarian ‘Normal’ varies from era to era Rate of change in our own lives Dependent on our observation and awareness of our worlds A further factor is the extent to which we can influence the environment No one is immune from change

Steve O’Connor University Librarian “ You can’t stop change from coming… you can only usher it in and work out the terms. If you are smart and a little lucky, you can make it your friend” Barrack Obama Time Nov 17, 2008: 25 “ You can’t stop change from coming… you can only usher it in and work out the terms. If you are smart and a little lucky, you can make it your friend” Barrack Obama Time Nov 17, 2008: 25

Steve O’Connor University Librarian ‘Rear Vision Mirror’ Looking to the past helps to understand how the future happens Remember the past Remember how to look forward from that time Rates of change can be determined

Steve O’Connor University Librarian Uncertainty and ‘Wei Ji’ If we were able to predict the future, we would be rich A crisis can mean different things to different people: may not even be a crisis! With every crisis there is an opportunity Opportunity can make people super- people if they have the skills

Steve O’Connor University Librarian Disruptive Technologies Clayton Christensen Innovator’s Dilemma Disruptive technologies –Initially limited functionality eg PC’s, diaries, PDA’s –Eventually DT’s have enough functionality for most people

Steve O’Connor University Librarian Five Principles Clayton Christensen Innovators dilemma 1.Companies depend on customers and investors for resources *Do not meet current customer need fail 2.Small markets do not solve growth needs of large companies *Emerging market first mover advantage..margins too small for large companies..new markets often larger 3.Markets that do not exist cannot be analysed *Market research and planning good for sustaining technologies

Steve O’Connor University Librarian Five Principles …….. 4.Organisation’s capabilities define its disabilities *Capability in processes and values…work against organisation implementing change 5. Technology supply may not equal market demand *Technology improvement provides greater performance than market can absorb

Steve O’Connor University Librarian Just two………… Markets which do not exist cannot be analysed –What are the future markets for Libraries? An Organisation’s capabilities define it’s disabilities –What do we see our capabilities? Storage; cataloguing; information services???? –These are our disabilities!!! What are our future strengths???

Steve O’Connor University Librarian What is the disruptive technology for Libraries? Three main disruptions…. –One, Digital delivery destroyed the Traditional Library model –Two, Google has made the library catalogue redundant –Three, the above two have made the old Librarian role redundant

Steve O’Connor University Librarian ….an Opportunity!! How do we create a new Business Model for the Library? How do we develop the new Librarian with a new set of skills? How do we alter the direction and shape of our organisations and the training organisations?

Steve O’Connor University Librarian Strategic Thinking Future Focus Strong Weak Strong Mindless Action Futures Trap Paradigm challenging strategies Within paradigm strategies

Steve O’Connor University Librarian Characteristics of the new direction Digital, digital, digital…… Users are more remote… or, at least, many of our interactions are with an unseen clientele to content which cannot be seen either New modes of learning Cost pressures… everywhere Most especially, User expectations are very different

Steve O’Connor University Librarian Characteristic: Digital Not everything will be digital and if it is… it will cost significant amounts of money –Google Books never free………. Collaborative storage for low-use research materials Focus on good choices of Technology to invest in

Steve O’Connor University Librarian Normal Life Cycle 一般的生命周期

Steve O’Connor University Librarian Life Cycle with Spikes 跳跃的生命周期

Steve O’Connor University Librarian Life Cycle with Long Tail 长尾巴的生命周期

Steve O’Connor University Librarian

Steve O’Connor University Librarian How many copies? Is everything digital? Is everything which is digital, digital forever? What is the redundancy rate for technology? How many copies of journals need to be retained to ensure a digital copy can be made in 100 years? Candace Arai Yano “Optimising the number of copies for print preservation of research journals. October 2008

Steve O’Connor University Librarian JULAC is establishing a KHD350 Million low use print robotic repository A shared collection No Duplication of content Shared capital ownership and management JURA

Steve O’Connor University Librarian Characteristic: Remote How do we relate to users we never meet? Impacts of technological horizons –Far beyond the campus for access and license arrangements Meet on the terms of our future users –Generation Y Seamless to content –From wherever to wherever

Steve O’Connor University Librarian Characteristic: Learning Engage in new digital environments such as Second Life –Avatar Librarians –Library resources linked to learning courses Our staffs need to learn to manage in a collaborative environment –Need different managerial styles –Need to be even more creative and forward thinking –Need to be qualified teachers

Steve O’Connor University Librarian PolyU Library Second Life Second Life address: hkpolyU Campus

Steve O’Connor University Librarian

Steve O’Connor University Librarian

Steve O’Connor University Librarian

Steve O’Connor University Librarian

Steve O’Connor University Librarian

Steve O’Connor University Librarian

Steve O’Connor University Librarian

Steve O’Connor University Librarian

Steve O’Connor University Librarian Characteristic: Cost Pressures Increasing value of Consortia Roles of Consortia changing further –OCLC ‘disintermediation’ –Merger of large consortia into even bigger consortia –JULAC’s Consortiall saving HKD27 million in 2007

Steve O’Connor University Librarian Characteristic: User Expectations Increasing expectation of service, instant service JULAC commenced HKALL –Empowered users to go to or have materials brought to them… at no cost JULAC also introduced RAPID to make articles available in 24 hours PolyU is creating collaborative spaces

Steve O’Connor University Librarian Independent libraries

Steve O’Connor University Librarian Hierarchical libraries in a system…centralised

Steve O’Connor University Librarian Networked libraries…Local Regional or International

Steve O’Connor University Librarian Imagination, knowledge and methodology Choices need process Processes describe the journey Journey needs knowledge Knowledge needs to avoid being ‘blinkered’ Imagination is supreme, it allows for creativity

Steve O’Connor University Librarian Imagining a Library Individual Library –Preferred Library Scenario –Strategic Plan

Steve O’Connor University Librarian Imagining a system Nothing remains the same Evolution of Consortia Members are libraries No longer a collection of libraries What are the drivers influencing the future of consortia?

Steve O’Connor University Librarian What ‘wei lai’ should we choose? Important to understand options / alternatives Important to scope out the alternatives Is there a difference between Scenario Planning and Strategic Planning? Important not to engage in strategic planning too early

Steve O’Connor University Librarian

Steve O’Connor University Librarian What is sustainability? A state of mind.. to think completely ‘outside-the-box’ ! A state of preparedness Aware of developments and trends in allied and even unrelated disciplines Motivated to grasp and shape the future

Steve O’Connor University Librarian Obama said ‘You can make change your friend !’ You can choose to position yourself ahead of the pack You can choose to be ‘out there’, or to wait for the future to happen to you

Steve O’Connor University Librarian Disruptive Librarians and Libraries will make the future And Make it a sustainable one!

Steve O’Connor University Librarian Xie Xie Diajia