Closing Keynote: Compass for an Odyssey
Posted by digitalodyssey on June 9, 2008
Speaker: Jutta Treviranus
Adaptive Technology Resource Centre, University of Toronto
Treviranus began her closing remarks by pointing to the seeming decline of library fortunes. From OCLC’s report on the perception of libraries, we see that in the battle of libraries vs search engines, search engines have won out. Libraries are facing cuts and closures, and in many ways physical and online bookstores are becoming for-profit libraries.
On the other hand, Treviranus suggests that all is not lost, and that with technology, libraries have new strengths and tools. Libraries are at a significant moment in history, able to harness the power of technology to create and store content, to provide seamless access to the information that we have at our fingertips. Like many strengths, however, technology is a double-edged sword, and in this case technology can create a divide between those who know how to work with the digital world and those who do no. As well, we can create new (and better?!) barriers through the use of thoughtless design.
To take advantage technology, libraries must understand and address the wide variety of challenges. These challenges include:
Publishing
- academic institutions are in the peculiar position of having to purchase academic research articles that was created by their faculty in the first place. Libraries must buy this information back, often times in formats that are not accessible.
Open document formats
- We need to make sure the formats are accessible from the start
Copyright
- Libraries are likely in the best position to know what is at stake, and so we have an obligation to use our influence to shape copyright legislation
Web 2.0
- In the web 2.0 world, only the popular wins out. Libraries have an obligation to promote different values of content, which might mean highlighting the obscure
Mobile Technologies
- Libraries must adapt our services to fit different contexts
Design
- of Library applications
- of digital media
- of online spaces (with over 600 libraries in 2nd Life, how can we influence that space to accommodate all users?
- of 3D Collections, making accessible to all users
We don’t need SuperLibrarians to address all these challenges, according to Treviranus.
Instead, we need committed librarians fulfilling traditional roles.
