Upload
uriel-schmidt
View
220
Download
2
Tags:
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
“Libraries Driving Access to Knowledge”
Norwegian Library AssociationAnnual Meeting, Hamar 2010
Ellen R. TiseIFLA President 2009-2011Stellenbosch University
General introduction
General introduction on Presidential theme
How do and can libraries drive access to knowledge?
My agenda
Access to knowledge initiatives
General introduction
• Libraries at a critical juncture• Library evolving along a new continuum• Demands a revisit of the roles and
functions of libraries and librarians in the digital era
• Ubiquity of information and the challenge of the library as place calls for re-examination of founding principles
• Libraries have, without doubt reached a watershed in the evolving digital era
General introduction
The question is, do librarians have the commitment and valour to come to the fore and stake their claim as the key drivers to access to knowledge, orare librarians going to persist with their buns sensible shoes and shushing people as noted by Howells and wither into oblivion?
General introduction
• Move away from traditional focus of organising collections to making resources available
• Relevant platform to focus on the ‘larger social and cultural forces’
• Enhances the capacity of the librarian to uphold the value of freedom and equitable access for all
• Decline in the use of physical collections and services
• However, gate count has increased significantly
General introduction
• Gathering of information never been easier
• We are at a historic juncture• Hold on gathering of information as
the focus, or step into new territory• Adopt something fuzzy, far more
process than product• Less tangible, although more
valuable
General introduction
• Decline in physical use lends itself to another paradigm shift
• Ownership to Access• Fixation of adequacy of collections
replaces with adequacy of access• Ownership not practical anymore –
immediate access is• Exponential growth institutional
repositories and open publishing models• Virtual Access or iAccess to become the
norm
General introduction to presidential theme Access to knowledge –of great social and
democratic importance - described as a human need, in developed as well as developing countries.
Not only is access to knowledge globally acknowledged as a desirable value, worthy of being promoted and protected; there is also a widely shared feeling that in the ‘knowledge economy” the ongoing expansion of intellectual property law, as well as the way exclusive rights in contents are exercised, actually threatens access to knowledge in many ways.
General introduction on Presidential theme Knowledge is foundational to all spheres
of life Knowledge is produced when information
is absorbed, processed and internalized by individuals
Knowledge is critical for the growth of society
Libraries are critical providers of information
Libraries have an important role to play in the creation of new knowledge
General introduction on Presidential theme
Libraries are vital institutions for the creation, development and sustainability of knowledge societies
Libraries are primary gateways to information an therefore important vehicles for the acquisition of knowledge
Libraries as knowledge institutions provide spaces for information-sharing and learning
Libraries facilitate access to information thereby the means through which new knowledge is developed and made available to all
General introduction on Presidential theme• Paradigm shift from a custodial
approach to libraries driving access to knowledge
• Nothing new, the library sector is well underway in this, to varying degrees around the world and to varying degrees with IFLA members, and
• libraries have always been extremely proactive in engaging new technologies to enhance service delivery
How do and can libraries drive access to knowledge?
1. Become more user-oriented by- bringing libraries and their
resources to the users- empowering users through information literacy, social networking, etc.- enabling access to information (a paradign shift from a custodial approach), and - facilitating the full participation of all citizens in societal activities
2. Become active in advocacy by actively promoting libraries:
- including the perspective of the users in their operations- communicating effectively with stakeholders on library/society matters- driving library policy/ies- facilitating and supporting open access for all- promoting a broader library agenda with key partners- becoming innovative information agents
3. Create partnerships and foster opportunities for convergences with:
- other societal stakeholders such as health workers, teachers, environmentalists, etc.,- commercial/private enterprises- other cultural/knowledge institutions
4. Foster a library as space and place- information for ALL
- opportunities/gateways for social inclusion- “wow” environments and experiences- content in formats that appeal to all library user groups- community knowledge space/s- libraries as safe and trusted public spaces- gate-openers to information
My agenda• Advancing IFLA’s advocacy role
at the international level• Increasing advocacy training
opportunities for librarians• Continuing to position libraries
within the Information Society as drivers of access to information and facilitators of knowledge generation
My agenda• Strengthening existing
partnership• Creating new
paradigms/partnerships within and related to the sector
• Leveraging the emerging global movement of A2K to the benefit of the profession
Digital Library Initiatives Across Europe
• Candle (Controlled Access to Network Digital Libraries in Europe)
• Dieper (Digitized European Periodicals)
• Miracle (Music Information Resources Assisted Computer Library Exchange)
National Digital Library Initiatives
France: Classical Gallica -literary works of the great French writers
Germany: Global Info, the German Digital Libraries Project
Denmark: Danmarks Elektroniske Forsknings-bibliotek (DEF, the Danish Electronic Research Library)
Finland: National Electronic Library, FinELib
Spain: Memoria HispanicaThe Netherlands: Medieval Illuminated
Manuscripts
Summary“Digital libraries and archives
can enable worldwide access to a never-ending supply of distributed information and knowledge that is constantly available, easily updated, and convenient to use.”
Summary“In a manner never quite achieved
before on the same scale, digital library issues are bringing together cooperative groupings of libraries with participation from and funding by public, private, and governmental bodies to discuss common standards, collaborative management, intellectual property rights, electronic publishing, and document delivery.!”
Summary“There are several reasons why
information experts are choosing to create digital libraries: There is not only the need to preserve and conserve materials, but also the desire to increase the customer base by making older and rarer or more-heavily-used documents available to a much wider audience.”
Summary“ Whether they are called
electronic, virtual, hybrid, or digital libraries, it is clear that such entities are becoming more and more prevalent, and that the increasing scope of the Internet is making their accessibility even greater and more likely.”
In conclusion• Libraries in the digital era are poised
to play a critical role in building communities and connecting people.
• The trend for the future of the profession of librarianship, therefore, is towards a community development role whereby librarians can act as facilitators and partners in the development of social capital for their local communities
In conclusion• As libraries evolve to meet new
challenges, they must retain the best of the past and a sense of the history of libraries and of scholarly communication.
• With a sense of history, and a knowledge of enduring values and the continuity of our mission, there must also be the acceptance of the challenge of innovation
ZahaHadid Architects – selected architects for the Library and Learning Centre,
University of Economics & Business, Vienna
The Library and Learning Centerthe centerpiece of the University’s campus
Rick Luce, HKUL May ‘09
THANK YOU!