KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE AND LIBRARIESKNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE AND LIBRARIESFatt-Cheong CHOYUniversity Librarian

Nanyang Technological UniversitySingapore

1. MAIN FOCUS OF LIBRARIES

Cataloguing & classification

Circulation

Reference

Acquisitions

Collection development

Subscriptions

Technology & systems

Provide access to literature

Delivery of Delivery of document document to usersto users

Print collection

E-resources

AV materials

2. NEED TO CHANGE FOCUS

Diagnosis & advice

Pharmacy

ACCESS &COLLECTION

USERS’ SPACE

Most libraries should focus on increasing their

presence and roles in facilitating

knowledge transfer & exchange of our

users instead of centering our work on the provision of access to literature.

3. CHANGES IN ACCESS PROVISION ROLE

Library control accessLibrary build collection – User use collection on site

Library becomes invisible agentElectronic documents delivered to the user desktop

Loss of continuous access when library funds are inadequate

Electronic resources – lease rather than ownership

Reduce access provided by library to usersScholarly communication crisis

More content available outside of libraries

Open access journal and institutional repositories

More open access mandates

Mega book digitization projects

New forms of publications live solely on the web

4. GLOBAL DIGITAL LIBRARY?

Emergence of global digital library

Libraries

OA Journals

Institutional repositories

Digital libraries

Google print, scholar

Pre-print servers

Websites, blogs

Rise in availability of literature on the Internet

Decrease in importance of

libraries in providing access to literature

OCLC Study -Only 1% of users

start search from a library

web site

NEW STUFF – e.g.datasets

Publishers?Google?Libraries?

WHO PROVIDE ACCESS

5. LEARNING FROM GOOGLE SEARCH BOX

Libraries

OA Journals

Institutional repositories

Digital libraries

Google print, scholar

Pre-print servers

Websites, blogs

Libraries constructing their own pieces in the digital world

Research libraries – book digitization projects | National libraries – archiving websites | Academic libraries – Institutional repositories | Others – hosting e-journals & other contents

World Cat (OCLC)

OAISTER (U of Michigan)

One search box

Lesson from Google

6. OBSTACLES TO ACCESS - OPPORTUNITY

Content locked up in IP rights and access control

Need subscriptions and payment to access

Sheer immensity of contentMake discovery and location difficult

Complexity of contentNeed good grasp of information infrastructure for non-superficial use

Problems in using contentNeed skills in selecting, evaluating and interpreting content

Require more intensive interaction with users

Libraries should play important roles in these

7.1 ACCESS TO E-CONTENT

Are users using library supplied content?

Commercial

Scholarly worksDisseminationRecognitionReputation

Open source

Establish

Advice

Integrate

Profit Paid service

Finance

Negotiate

Troubleshoot

Manage

OCLC Study (2005) – Only 10% of students said library fulfilled their info needs from their websitePoints to greater need to create awareness & greater interaction with users

7.2a MAKING AN IMPACT ON USERS

UsersLibrariansMismatch of expectations

Low expectations of librarians

Unfamiliarity

Raise expectations

Demonstrate value

EXAMPLES

Information architect for research group – Be personal reference librarianHost weblogs for courses – participate in e-learning activities

Help individual set up their virtual library

7.2b MAKING AN IMPACT ON USERS

Intensive – Lack of resources & sustainability

Practical approach

Doing is more important than

Alternative? – decreasing engagement

Give personal attention & understand real needs

Engage gradually – learn as we do

Use new tools (e.g. web 2.0)

Convince library staff

Need good relationship with users

Users’ studiesFuturologists’ predictions

Asymmetry of knowledge - Help users narrow gap through instruction & guidance

7.3 RAISING INFORMATION LITERACY

USERS LIBRARIANS

Use information superficially - UCL Study (2008) – Users search horizontally; Navigating & not using; “Dumbing” down of skillsDoes not invest time or effort in acquiring information skills

Natural interest, skills & strength in information use

Knowledge of information worldExperience from daily work & problem solving

Instructional services

More than teaching use of specific tools & resourcesHolistic approach – develop independent learning skills & strategies in interacting with information environment Services, not just classes

7.4 LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

Constructivist approach

LifestyleStudent centered

Responding to shift in learning pedagogy

Enhancing self-learning & education environment

Using print books has unique learning advantages over digital

Isaac Asimov – “I received the fundamentals of my education in school, but that was not enough. My real education, the superstructure, the details, the true architecture, I got out of the public library”Enhance structure, organization and services to focus on exploration, discovery

Collaborative spacesInteractive spacesSocial spacesCommunity spaces

KnowledgeKnowledgeExchangeExchange

7.5 BEYOND ACCESS – KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE

Literature Documents Use KnowledgeDeliver

LIBRARIES ???

Knowledge creation

Focus more on knowledge creation, transfer, exchange

Reading

Using literature

Making sense of information

Declining reading skills

Assimilating knowledge

Transforming reference to digital environment

Having access to documents is just a mean to an end. Knowing what to do with the document & deriving value from it is more important.

Beyond promotion

Personal bibliographic software

8. FINALLY

GlobalDigital Library

Individual library

USERS’ SPACE