1. From Catalogues to Networks 1 Dr. Stefan Gradmann Universität Hamburg / Regionales Rechenzentrum stefan.gradmann@rrz.uni-hamburg.de www.rrz.uni-hamburg.de/RRZ/S.Gradmann From Catalogues to Networks Library Systems Evolution in Digital Scenarios or How to face a paradigm shift? or simply ¡Dissident Talk!

2. From Catalogues to Networks From Catalogues to Networks / Book Conference Madrid 21.10.2007 / 2 Overview Conference Programme: Change and Incertitutde Past, present and future evolution of the scholarly information continuum...... and the position of libraries A triple paradigm shift caused by networked, digital scenarios...... the de-construction of the 'document' notion...... and how this is likely to affect digital libraries' information architectures Evolution or Revolution? Do we need to keep the librarian role??

3. From Catalogues to Networks From Catalogues to Networks / Book Conference Madrid 21.10.2007 / 3 A few words regarding 'Library Systems' Libraries as systems for information management... vs. library automation systems Distinction doesn't really matter: The latter anyway share the fate of the former! Discussing library automation systems exclusively thus doesn't make much sense (except within the small circle of software vendors depending on that particular market niche) And beware: much of what I have to say mainly applies to academic libraries and may be less pertinent outside academia! and I will be exaggerating excessively!

4. From Catalogues to Networks From Catalogues to Networks / Book Conference Madrid 21.10.2007 / 4 Books and Libraries in Digital Context: Change and uncertitude...... as reflected in the conference programme! With respect to 'books'... Book Survival in Academic Landscapes of the Future (James McCarthy) Reinventing the book culture for the 21st century (Prof. Carel Stephanus De Beer) Los libros en el mundo digital (Ana Nistal) What Is Our Future: The Codex and/or Electronic Media? (Dr. Brian M. Owens,)... or 'E-Books'... The E-Books in Libraries (Kamani Perera / Dinesh Chandra) Students’ Reactions towards e-Books in a University Library Collection (Noorhidawati Abdullah) Millennial Attitudes Towards Books and E-Books (Dr. Arlene Nicholas / Dr. John Lewis)... and librarians: La nueva habilidad del bibliotecario: Alfabetización en la gestión y la información (Prof. José Morillo-Velarde Serrano)

5. From Catalogues to Networks From Catalogues to Networks / Book Conference Madrid 21.10.2007 / 5 Books and Libraries in Digital Context: Change and incertitude... and a controversial assertion! Caused by 'the web' (?): Into the World of Hybrids: The what and how of why the world of the web will be different (Prof. Lawrence Lessig) And a bold statement: „... the information architecture of the book [...] provides a solid grounding for every adventure we might take in the new world of digital media.“ (Conference brochure) An excellent starting point for dissident talk! Starting from a broader picture of the scholarly information continuum and of its evolution.

6. From Catalogues to Networks From Catalogues to Networks / Book Conference Madrid 21.10.2007 / 6 Linear Information Continuum using traditional cultural techniques author = write review = read+ write publish = print apprehen d = read quote = write annotate = write manage (library) = write (create meta- data, describe, classify)

7. From Catalogues to Networks From Catalogues to Networks / Book Conference Madrid 21.10.2007 / 7 Linear Information Continuum Electrified emulating traditional cultural techniques author = 'write' (Office/LaTeX ) review = read+ 'write' (Office/LaTeX ) publish = 'print' (PDF) quote = 'write' (Office/LaTeX ) apprehend = read annotate = 'write' (Office/LaTeX ) manage (library) = automated library functions metadata creation / 'write' PDF or other print analogue format

8. From Catalogues to Networks From Catalogues to Networks / Book Conference Madrid 21.10.2007 / 8 Linear Information Continuum... going digital author = generate XML/XSLT review = e- annotation (public?) publish = stabilise, version, add identifier reference = i dentify, 'point to', reference microstructure s, quote? apprehend = 'read'?? annotate = e-annotate Inline? Linked to 'document'? How? manage = digital libraries?? ? XML+ XSLT

9. From Catalogues to Networks From Catalogues to Networks / Book Conference Madrid 21.10.2007 / 9 Scholarly Information Continuum a triple paradigm shift annotate manage apprehe nd reference author publish review Erosion of the linear / circular function paradigm Functionality is not any more entirely determined by traditional cultural techniques and related metaphors – and is not yet entirely determined by digital and still emerging technology De-Construction of the 'document' notion in a digital, networked context Doc

10. From Catalogues to Networks From Catalogues to Networks / Book Conference Madrid 21.10.2007 / 10 De-constructing the 'Document' Notion The work of R.T. Pédauque James P. McCarthy: „As we may think“ (Vannevar Bush, 1946) „Linear Thought in an Age of Non-linearity: Threat of Interactive Technology to the Book“ (Dr. Don A. Grady, Book Conference 2006) RTP Doc (CNRS, http://rtp-doc.enssib.fr): Evolution of the 'document' notion in the passage from printed to digital documents along three paradigms Form (vu='Look at', morphosyntax), as material or non-material structured object Sign (lu='read', semantics), as meaningful instance and thus both intentional and part of a sign system Medium (su='Knowledge, Interpretation, Apprehension', Pragmatics) as a vector of communication, part of a social reality with constituting temporal and spatial processes of mediation Doc

11. From Catalogues to Networks From Catalogues to Networks / Book Conference Madrid 21.10.2007 / 11 A Conceptual Framework for Novel Document Models: some details regarding the three paradigms of RTP-Doc Document = Form: object nature is constitutive Traditional document = medium + inscription Electronic document = structures + data XML-document = structured data + stylesheet Definition: An electronic document is a data set organized in a stable structure associated with formatting rules to allow it to be read both by its designer and its readers. Document = Sign: meaningful nature is constitutive Traditional document = inscription + meaning Electronic document = informed text + knowledge Semantic Web document = informed text + ontologies Definition: An electronic document is a text whose elements can potentially be analyzed by a knowledge system in view of its exploitation by a competent reader.

12. From Catalogues to Networks From Catalogues to Networks / Book Conference Madrid 21.10.2007 / 12 Document = Medium: document als social phenomenon Traditional document = inscription + legitimacy Electronic document = text + procedure Web-Document = publication + measured usage/access Definition: An electronic document is a trace of social relations reconstructed by computer systems. RTP provides elements for re-constituting the document notion...... but only after its current disintegration caused by document resource distribution in networked settings with no (or weak) cohesive forces to compensate the loss of constitutive linearity and integrity that in turn was long guaranteed by closely coupled content and medium in the book culture! This de-construction process profoundly challenges libraries that are vitally rooted in the book culture – and not just etymologically! A Conceptual Framework for Novel Document Models: additional details & back to libraries

13. From Catalogues to Networks From Catalogues to Networks / Book Conference Madrid 21.10.2007 / 13 Metadata and Objects In (digital) library catalogues Document Objects Metadata-Catalogue Author Title Subject URL Author Title Subject URL Author Title Subject URL Author Title Subject URL Author Title Subject URL Author Title Subject URL XML+ XSLT PDF

14. From Catalogues to Networks From Catalogues to Networks / Book Conference Madrid 21.10.2007 / 14 A potential (simple) object modell Current discussion in EDLnet Object 'Landing Page' Metadata HasMetadata Semantic Nodes HasSemantics Com pone nts HasComponents Annotations HasAnnotations HasRelations HasContext

15. From Catalogues to Networks From Catalogues to Networks / Book Conference Madrid 21.10.2007 / 15 Compound Information Objects As conceived in Object Reuse and Exchange (ORE) Units of scholarly communication are compound information objects: Identified, bounded aggregations of related information units that form a logical whole. Components of compound object may vary according to: Semantic type: book, article, moving image, dataset, … Media type: PDF, HTML, JPEG, MP3,... Internal relationship: parts, views, … External relationships (Lagoze, Nelson, Van de Sompel 2007)

16. From Catalogues to Networks From Catalogues to Networks / Book Conference Madrid 21.10.2007 / 16 An alternative and more granular model Object Reuse and Exchange (ORE)

17. From Catalogues to Networks From Catalogues to Networks / Book Conference Madrid 21.10.2007 / 17 Document Objects, Metadata and Semantic Networks as part of future knowledge object networks Semantic Network Economic cooperation skos:prefLabel skos:narrower skos:broader Industrial cooperation skos:prefLabel Economic integration skos:prefLabel Industrial cooperation skos:prefLabel Networked Compound Objects Metadata Author Title URL Author Title URL Author Title URL Author Title URL Author Title URL Author Title URL

18. From Catalogues to Networks From Catalogues to Networks / Book Conference Madrid 21.10.2007 / 18 Wrapping Up: Evolution or Revolution? Chances of keeping the librarian role Erosion of the linear function paradigm together with the de-construction of the 'document' notion fundamentally undermine the basic operating conditions of libraries Libraries are one of the guide fossils of the Gutenberg Age but should not aspire to a similarly dominant role in the digital information continuum! 'Libraries' as we knew them will continue operations for quite some time in hybrid settings – but not as a dominant player in information organisation and management If libraries wish to contribute to future information architectures they need to drop the catalogue paradigm in favour of a object network approach Librarians may substantially contribute to the semantically based network of digital information objects in migrating their controlled vocabularies to Semantic Web environments and linking these to digital resources. Libraries may have a unexpected integration potential due to the re-discovery of real space and haptic qualities that is likely to occur as a reaction to virtualisation excesses! Thank you for your patience and attention!