1. Digital Futures (Knowledge Institutions in the 21st Century)
Chris Batt
Chief Executive
Museums, Libraries and Archives Council

2. A presentation in three parts
What is MLA
What do we do
Digital Futures Programme

3. What is Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA)?
Government-funded development agency (Culture Department)
Advise the Government on policy and funding
Innovation and improvement in museums, libraries and archives

4. Essential facts Annual budget: £39million Staff: 75 Museums: 2,500
Libraries: 12,000
Archives: 2,000

5. Investing in Knowledge
“Museums, libraries and archives connect people to knowledge and information, creativity and inspiration”
“MLA is leading the drive to unlock this wealth, for everyone”

6. Policy and Advocacy Raise the political profile of sector
Work to increase investment
Connect to other programmes
Link national and local policies

7. Policy Areas Education, Learning and Skills Communities and Creativity
Knowledge Economy
Networking Knowledge

8. Strategic developments
Museums
Libraries
Archives
Renaissance in
the Regions
Framework for
the Future
Task Force

9. Strategic developments
The peoplesnetwork
Museums
Libraries
Archives
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS
TECHNOLOGY
SOCIAL POLICY
Social inclusion
Service accessibility
Education and learning
Community development
Urban and rural regeneration
Workforce development
Collections management and development
Standards
Funding: models and challenge
Service benchmarking
Cultural content digitisation
Links with learning and e-government
ICT standards
Service innovation – Digital Futures
The People’s Network

10. The peoplesnetwork £170 million project
ICT centres in all UK public libraries
Train all library workers in ICT
Create digital cultural content

11. Training library workers
£20 million
40,000 library workers
European Computer Driving Licence

12. the peoplesnetwork Target achieved, below budget
“Create ICT learning centres in all 4,300 UK public libraries by the end of 2002”.
Target achieved,
below budget
Minister for Culture, 1998

13. Vital Statistics 32,000 terminals 93% on 2mb connections or more
10% increase in library visits
Sustained levels of use

14. the peoplesnetwork
46,000,000
Hours of usage in 2003

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

16. the peoplesnetwork High profile National policy
New political awareness
Big impact
Librarians did it

17. Towards the Knowledge Society
DIGITAL FUTURES
Towards the Knowledge Society

18. Digital content so far Increase discovery and accessibility
Encourage learning and enjoyment
Create virtual collections
To support ‘knowledge policy’
DIGITAL FUTURES

19. Wide range of public programmes in the UK
Curriculum Online
University resources
NHS Direct Online
DirectGov (e-Government)
Cultural and knowledge resources
DIGITAL FUTURES

23. DIGITAL FUTURES

26. DIGITAL FUTURES

27. DIGITAL FUTURES

28. What have we learned so far?
It is not easy!
Virtual collections add value
More active citizens
New services and access

29. What have we learned so far?
The 96:50 ratio
The technology must be invisible
A digital library is not a library
And, as if my magic…

30. Once created it is all totally invisible to the user!

31. The official view
DIGITAL FUTURES

32. The view for 99% of Web users
DIGITAL FUTURES

33. Women are Persons
THE GOOGLE PARADOX

34. Antique clocks
THE GOOGLE PARADOX

35. Cultural Cybernauts Estelle Dan DIGITAL FUTURES Government Minister
Location: Westminster
Question: Roman remains
Dan
Smart kid
Location: York
Question: Castles
DIGITAL FUTURES

36. 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

37. Castles = 2,100,000 Hits 1/10 What was required?
- Cool stuff for homework
- Castles to visit locally
- Safe experts to talk to
1/10
DIGITAL FUTURES

38. Causes of the 96:50 ratio Common sense is not enough
The user is invisible
Collections remain separate
The Web is supplier driven
DIGITAL FUTURES

39. Common Information Environment Group
MLA
Joint Information Systems Cttee
National Health Service
British Library
National Archive
Department of Education
DIGITAL FUTURES

40. Information Environment Model
PRESENTATION LAYER
FUSION LAYER
Starts with the user
INFRASTRUCTURE LAYER
Content not institution
CONTENT LAYER
DIGITAL FUTURES

41. The Knowledge Web Knowledge and culture for all
Join objects and collections together
Interest before institution
MYberspace – ‘my’ learning space
Create motivation and enthusiasm
DIGITAL FUTURES

42. I belong to Dan age 9 Friends: - you have 7 messages
Daniel,
here are some links to
background on castles:
Castles
€8 to download from Amazon now
Castles of England
free from the Heritage Portal
There are 6 resources in Curriculum Online suitable for your class project...
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.
Castle Campbell image © SCRAN
I belong to Dan
age 9
Remember:
- History project
- Dinner money for Monday
- Sophie’s birthday
Friends:
- you have 7 messages
- Christopher is online
- Sophie is nearby
Handset image © Sony Ericsson
DIGITAL FUTURES

43. 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

44. Culture and knowledge for all Greater user satisfaction
NAME: Estelle
SEARCH: Roman remains
RESULT HITS: 7 hits
Existing interests
Home address
Learning styles
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:
Institute of Archaeology introductory lecture on Roman remains in Britain (streamed audio [free])
Digging up Roman remains in England - Time Team programme from C4 (streamed video [single viewing £1.00])
Books on Roman history in Britain in your local library
Collections of Roman remains within 45 minutes travel time of home (travel details included)
Links to organisations that other people like you found useful
People in the area you might like to chat to
Click here to let other organisations hear about your interest
Score: 10/10
Culture and knowledge for all
Greater user satisfaction
Answers start journeys of discovery
Few skills are required of the user
From e-Government to public value
New services and markets
From 96:50 to 96:96
Content will be connected together

45. “The street will find its own uses for things”
The people in the street
Concluding
Thoughts

46. Telling stories about the future
Integrating collections
Making access easy
Showing how progress is supported
Creating an informed society
Investing in Knowledge
Learning, knowledge economy
Creativity and communities
Myberspace – the personal
Information environment
Institutions in partnership
creating virtual collections

47. “ A gateway into different worlds”

48. SEVEN PROPOSITIONS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
Librarians are the gatekeepers

49. “Librarians must love learning”
Proposition 1
Learning is at the heart of the library mission
Learning of all types from the most informal
A ‘one stop’ route to everything – physical or virtual

50. “Librarians must build bridges”
Proposition 2
Reaching out to new audiences
Linking the community to itself
Connecting people to knowledge, culture and ideas
The place where journeys start and a place where journeys end

51. “Librarians must be streetwise”
Proposition 3
Unique closeness to communities
User focus is vital
User-friendly systems
Perhaps the most under-promoted skill of the librarian

52. “Librarians must be innovators”
Proposition 4
Creating new resources, new services
Identifying community trends
Helping communities to develop for themselves
Breaking down traditional barriers to service integration

53. “Librarians must have passion”
Proposition 5
This is a time for action, a time to take risks
If we cannot speak with passion about libraries, who will?
Be confident advocates
“a nation in love with knowledge”

54. “Librarians must be leaders”
Proposition 6
Information management
Metadata maestros!
Information wizards
The people’s professionals
Learn the tactics and strategies of leadership

55. “Librarians must be dreamers”
Proposition 7
Solve 10 impossible problems every day
Defend the past and create the future
Help every citizen to surpass their own hopes and aspirations

56. Chris.batt@mla.gov.uk www.mla.gov.uk
THANK YOU