Comments on: What Do Electronic Resources Mean for the Future of University Libraries? http://www.dancohen.org/2007/07/26/what-do-electronic-resources-mean-for-the-future-of-university-libraries/ Covering the intersection of digital technology and research, teaching, and learning in the humanities, including search, data mining, website development and design, and programming. Mon, 12 Jul 2010 21:24:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Michael http://www.dancohen.org/2007/07/26/what-do-electronic-resources-mean-for-the-future-of-university-libraries/comment-page-1/#comment-13 Michael Tue, 31 Jul 2007 16:00:28 +0000 http://www.dancohen.org/2007/07/26/what-do-electronic-resources-mean-for-the-future-of-university-libraries/#comment-13 It is worth considering what “library” means. According to the OED, a library is both a place and a collection. If one is using this definition, then there is a contradiction in the first sentence quoted above. As for the future of libraries, the history of libraries suggests that technological changes will broaden the resources and spaces (as well as services) that constitute, in particular instances, a “library.” For example, the primary way that library users have accessed library collections has changed over time—from the librarian to the printed catalog, from the printed catalog to the card catalog, from the card catalog to the online catalog—and it is changing now, from the online catalog to a collection of online discovery tools. Libraries can offer and save time for researchers, by facilitating better discovery and use of information resources. Libraries can also, in another sense, offer and save time for culture, by endeavoring to ensure the persistence of past and current resources for the future. It is worth considering what “library” means. According to the OED, a library is both a place and a collection. If one is using this definition, then there is a contradiction in the first sentence quoted above.

As for the future of libraries, the history of libraries suggests that technological changes will broaden the resources and spaces (as well as services) that constitute, in particular instances, a “library.” For example, the primary way that library users have accessed library collections has changed over time—from the librarian to the printed catalog, from the printed catalog to the card catalog, from the card catalog to the online catalog—and it is changing now, from the online catalog to a collection of online discovery tools.

Libraries can offer and save time for researchers, by facilitating better discovery and use of information resources. Libraries can also, in another sense, offer and save time for culture, by endeavoring to ensure the persistence of past and current resources for the future.

]]> By: Alexis http://www.dancohen.org/2007/07/26/what-do-electronic-resources-mean-for-the-future-of-university-libraries/comment-page-1/#comment-12 Alexis Mon, 30 Jul 2007 16:50:04 +0000 http://www.dancohen.org/2007/07/26/what-do-electronic-resources-mean-for-the-future-of-university-libraries/#comment-12 As handy as things like Google X, Y, and Z are, as rad as Yahoo Pipes, and as wonderful as feed readers and open databases are, there is one thing that is always in demand, especially now that we risk becoming bogged down in <i>too much</i> information. Time. Librarians can offer us time. Until web standards become a reality, and until individuals are willing to dig in with actual, honest to god programming, finding the time to aggregate, parse, sift, and store information is the largest headache we face. Sure, I might have the time to <i>find</i> information. But I do <i>not</i> always have the time to read through it all, even in the situations where I have the know-how to write a scraper to do part of the task for me. What I wouldn't give for someone who I could just send a ton of URLS to, a few important search terms to look for, and then just say, "automate it." I think librarians need to start looking a lot harder at expanding their services from finding information (which people more and more seem to be able to do themselves) to helping people make sense of the information they do find. They need to help with automation and parsing...something which I think might keep them busy for a long time. As handy as things like Google X, Y, and Z are, as rad as Yahoo Pipes, and as wonderful as feed readers and open databases are, there is one thing that is always in demand, especially now that we risk becoming bogged down in too much information.

Time.

Librarians can offer us time. Until web standards become a reality, and until individuals are willing to dig in with actual, honest to god programming, finding the time to aggregate, parse, sift, and store information is the largest headache we face. Sure, I might have the time to find information. But I do not always have the time to read through it all, even in the situations where I have the know-how to write a scraper to do part of the task for me. What I wouldn’t give for someone who I could just send a ton of URLS to, a few important search terms to look for, and then just say, “automate it.”

I think librarians need to start looking a lot harder at expanding their services from finding information (which people more and more seem to be able to do themselves) to helping people make sense of the information they do find. They need to help with automation and parsing…something which I think might keep them busy for a long time.

]]> By: Gardner Campbell http://www.dancohen.org/2007/07/26/what-do-electronic-resources-mean-for-the-future-of-university-libraries/comment-page-1/#comment-10 Gardner Campbell Sun, 29 Jul 2007 20:09:12 +0000 http://www.dancohen.org/2007/07/26/what-do-electronic-resources-mean-for-the-future-of-university-libraries/#comment-10 I suppose some of this depends on what "gateway" means. As advisors on information architecture, search, bibliographic resources, digital repositories, and the like, librarians will be more important than ever before. As the one-and-only-portal for proprietary databases, overpriced journals, LoC subject-heading arcana, and the like, they risk being walking contradictions, Mr. and Ms. Atoz's in an increasingly open-content world, or at least a world mediated more by global online services and less by "gatekeepers" at particular institutions. I'll be reading this article with interest. Thanks for the link. And welcome to Word Press! I suppose some of this depends on what “gateway” means. As advisors on information architecture, search, bibliographic resources, digital repositories, and the like, librarians will be more important than ever before. As the one-and-only-portal for proprietary databases, overpriced journals, LoC subject-heading arcana, and the like, they risk being walking contradictions, Mr. and Ms. Atoz’s in an increasingly open-content world, or at least a world mediated more by global online services and less by “gatekeepers” at particular institutions.

I’ll be reading this article with interest. Thanks for the link. And welcome to Word Press!

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