Date: Tue, 1 Apr 2003 08:32:31 +0530
From: Subbiah Arunachalam <arun(a)mssrf.res.in>
Lane, Megan. "[21]Is This the Library of the Future?" [22]BBC
News Online (18 March 2003)
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/2859845.stm) - Written in a
rather whimsical style, this short article makes a serious
statement about the direction in which libraries are evolving. The
word 'library' may eventually be dropped from our vocabulary, to be
replaced by the 'idea store'. Books are being displaced by
computers, multimedia content, playgrounds, thematic displays, and
cafes. This is proving extremely propular, given the surge in
client population. The library locales mentioned are local,
however, the transformation of libraries is universal. - [23]MG
Lynch, Clifford A. "[24]Institutional Repositories: Essential
Infrastructure for Scholarship in the Digital Age" [25]ARL: A
Bimonthly Report on Research Library Issues and Actions from ARL,
CNI, and SPARC p. 1-7 (February 2003)
(http://www.arl.org/newsltr/226/ir.html) - In this article,
Clifford A. Lynch, with his usual clarity and insight, overviews
institutional repositories, discusses their strategic importance,
examines key issues, considers how they may promote infrastructure
standards, and speculates on possible future developments. He
defines an institutional repository as "a set of services that a
university offers to the members of its community for the
management and dissemination of digital materials created by the
institution and its community members." A repository could contain
research materials (including data files), teaching materials, and
documentation about the institution. A critical function of a
repository is the long-term preservation of this information. Lynch
voices three concerns about repositories. First, they should not
become a tool for enforcing administrative control over faculty
works. Second, they should not be unduly constrained by policies
designed to promote other agendas such as creating virtual
e-journals (although they may contribute to this effort by
providing essential infrastructure that supports it). Third, they
should not be established without institutions making
well-considered, long-term commitments to their operation. On this
point, he notes that: "Stewardship is easy and inexpensive to
claim; it is expensive and difficult to honor, and perhaps it will
prove to be all too easy to later abdicate." Lynch feels that
repositories will promote progress in the areas of preservation
formats, identifiers, and digital rights management. Over time,
most higher education institutions will have repositories, and
other types of institutions may as well. The "federation" of
repositories will become an increasingly important area for
experimentation. - [26]CB
Pace, Andrew K.. The Ultimate Digital Library: Where the New
Information Players Meet Chicago: American Library Association,
2003. - This highly readable and provocative book should be
required reading for any librarian who wishes to pay attention to
where the field is heading. Although Pace may not be able to tell
us with any certainty where we will end up, he knows the current
hot spots and he touches on them all. From the pivotal relationship
between libraries and vendors to competition from dot.coms, the
changing face of public services, and the erosion of basic reader
rights, this slim volume belies the span of territory covered
inside. You may not have all the answers after reading this book,
but you'll know some key questions and will have pondered them
along with one of the sharpest minds of the profession. Strap
yourself in and take the ride. - [27]RT
