Forum for Interlending

Interlend 2002

All change

Towards the Unknown Region

Forum for Interlending

• workmanlike and practical

• classically simple

• gap-filling intermediary

• out of the spotlight

• unsung and too little appreciated

• relevant to the 21st century ?

Towards the Unknown Region

“Where neither ground is for the feet,

Nor any path to follow.

No map there, nor guide ….

All is a blank before us.

All waits undreamed of in that region,

That inaccessible land”.

Towards the Unknown Region

• a few have organised their own way

• some have been pushed

• some have sat still

• most have gone round in circles

Towards the Unknown Region

• dramatic changes in context, agenda, ICT

• regional issue a constant theme

• lack of L&I Sector consensus

APT Report (1995)

“that Regional Library Systems in England & Wales be strengthened…. to enable them to expand their activities across the full range of co-operative library & information services and to act as a channel of communication and consultation between their members and national bodies”.

David Owen (1997)

• LINC should take a lead in getting Regional Library System boundaries re-drawn to match those of the incoming RDAs

• “an essential prerequisite of being able to be an effective part of the new initiative”

LA Record (12/98)

“The Regional Library Systems have reacted positively to the suggestion of taking a role within the Government’s new regional cultural structure. However there is still a wide diversity of views”.

A radical current context

• a Government with new ideas on democratic renewal, social inclusion, access and opportunity

• libraries seen as having a key role

• a global telecoms & publishing web

• restructuring & repositioning in publishing

• explosion of end-user interactions

Positive factors

• Government forcing the e-pace

• a socially inclusive infrastructure developing

• a UK-wide ICT training programme

• a crusade on equalities & disadvantage

• economic value recognition of ICT

Positive factors

• an incremental increase in the amount of electronically-accessible information

• a drive towards professional focus and joining-up

• a political push for devolution – so networking even more important

Some powerful negatives

• licensing, copyright, intellectual property

• quality, validity, validation of sources

• access, freedom, censorship

• bias and cross-media control

• access tools suitable for all

• information awareness v ignorance

• competence, training, support

Negative factors

• data usability ; precision of navigation tools

• content creation & digitisation

• quantity overload

• revenue implications, sustainability, pace of change

• inertia or hostility, silo mentalities

• bureaucracy

2020 Vision

• Connectivity

• Content

• Competences

The Knowledge Economy

“Ministers recognise that in a world driven by global competition and technological advance, the UK’s future is dependent on its ability to foster creativity, education and learning, and channel them into innovation, competitiveness and productivity. In addition there is a need to address problems of social exclusion and disaffection caused by educational under-performance and subsequent lack of employability”.

2020 Sub-text

• “Providing universal access to the products of the human mind”

• echoes the comprehensiveness required in the Library Acts

• a new type of connectivity / access

Millennium Facts : Leif Eriksson and the Internet

“The statistics say it all. Of almost 200m Internet users around the world, 80m are Americans. They buy, they sell, they chat, they learn, they have sex, and even give birth on the World Wide Web. E-life is real life”.

USA v UK

• USA = 80m Internet users @ 1 hour per day

• UK = 8.2m users @ 17 minutes

• USA = local calls free, pc’s half the price.

• USA = 60% own 1, 20% own 2

• UK = telecoms charges reducing with BT Surftime, Learning Stream etc

Domestic UK Internet Access

• 22.4m households have TV

• 19% have digital

• cable / satellite access

• Internet TVs

Business UK Internet Access

• problematic

• restricted

• fears re commercial confidentiality, hacking

• externalise effort and risks

• opportunity for us ?

Modernising Government

• 2005 target date for access and services

• Radio Local Area Networks

• 6,000 UK Online centres

• 4,300 in public libraries by end 2002

Challenge to the RLS’s

• spotlights and gauntlets

• visionary and avant-garde in their time

• catalogue sharing

• book interlending

• the medium rather than the message

• variable track record

Reasons for reappraisal

• versatility of ICT

• durability of the printed artefact

• expanded horizons for access and content

• new strategic networks

• Government policies : Our Information Age

New Horizons

• continuing need for free flow of books and printed articles

• a whole new armoury to add value

• audiovisual, interactive, fluid

• breaking the bonds of the physical artefact

• higher quality, higher content

• universally applicable

The Choice to be Made

• recorders and transporters of artefacts

or

• regional information management

• regional professional leadership

Shrinking Traditional Platform

• Why Requests Fail (David Parry, 1997) :– Academic traffic 93% direct to BLDSC– Public libraries 60% satisfied by BLDSC

• SWRLS Annual Report 2000/01 :– 60% of loans from BLDSC/Non-SW Libs

• still need for regional clearing house ?

Instant Books !

• “Making a book will be no more difficult than making a caffè latte”

– Henry Topping (Managing Director, Bookers)

What do we need ?

• ICT investment in the virtual region

• regional e-mail for information requests

• regional management of information needs

• digitisation of regional resources

• direct public access to bibliographic signposting & content

• electronic document delivery

Is a regional LIS tier needed ?

• intellectually and technologically– perhaps not

• by Government policy – yes– helps strategic planning– helps democracy/access/accountability– addresses natural territoriality

What of the future ?

• Resource / British Library / CILIP

• Regional Development Officer– Geoff Warren– [rdo@stagborough15.freeserve.co.uk]

• 9 Regional Strategic Development Officers

• new Regional Agencies

• priority-setting

Wider Libraries Agenda

• identify and value whole sector

• take forward Empowering the Learning Community

• strategic mapping of each Region

• work with CONARLS on resource discovery & resource sharing– pan-regional interlending & transport

Stuart Brewer’s Vision (1995)

• 1) be a regional focus of LIS expertise• 2) market, promote and work for the enhancement

of LIS services• 3) be a single coherent and efficient source of

advice to other regional bodies, DCMS, LIC • 4) represent the profession• 5) input to policy-making• 6) be partners in implementing a national

information policy

Stuart Brewer’s Vision (1995)

• 7) develop regional LIS planning

• 8) provide or channel development funding and support. Organise EC projects

• 9) support ICT developments

• 10) co-ordinate acquisition

• 11) encourage cross-sectoral co-operation

Stuart Brewer’s Vision (1995)

• 12) provide regional input to national strategies, policies & programmes on :– support to new authorities post LGR– lottery advice– preservation, conservation & disposal policies– research programmes – development plans, standards, benchmarking,

performance measurement, assessment, registration, good practice

– NVQ assessment

A Continuing Role

• New Strategic Directions

• helping to create the virtual bookshelf

• recognising the new role of the Region

Thinking outside the Box

• the message as well as the medium

• flexibility and guidance role

• Web-literacy and expertise

• evaluation and advice

• backstage to up-front

• enablers and doers

In the Ideal Interlending World

• sit in my armchair / deckchair

• palm for any subject or published item

• have it to view, print or recreate

• identify and reserve it

• get it delivered

• pay direct online

Where is the Regional Dimension?

• in ownership

• in local pride

• in achieving inclusivity

• in achieving comprehensiveness– e.g. Hatrics– e.g. voluntary sector

Where is the Regional Dimension?

• in the Resource / British Library / CILIP agenda– lateral thinking– imaginative ICT applications– contributing to economic development– contributing to lifelong learning– contributing to social inclusion

The Unknown Region Reached !

Definitely a change for the

better !