Libraries, library services & library public

Historical perspective & evolutionary trends Tefko Saracevic, Rutgers University 1

Explore:

 What are libraries all about?

 What role did they play & are playing in: SOCIETY, HUMAN AFFAIRS, HUMAN COMMUNICATION?

Tefko Saracevic, Rutgers University 2

Role

Library ...”contributes to the total communication system in society.” “Though the library is an instrumentality created to maximize the utility of graphic record for the benefit of society, it achieves that goal by working with the individual, & through the individual it reaches society.” Jesse H. Shera, 1972 Tefko Saracevic, Rutgers University 3

Library ...

 Devoted to organization, preservation & use of human knowledge records  Not only as a particular inf. system, but also as an

social, cultural & educational

institution  throughout human history  across boundaries of culture, nations & times Tefko Saracevic, Rutgers University 4

Role of libraries in:

 Culture  Knowledge & scholarship  Organization of knowledge  Education  Governance  Popular access  Communication & use of information Tefko Saracevic, Rutgers University 5

Culture

 Permanence & preservation essential for continuity of a culture  Libraries provide memory external to any individual  Also provide for unity  Convenient storage & utilization  Preservation of records & artifacts of knowledge from graphic to images & sounds Tefko Saracevic, Rutgers University 6

Knowledge, scholarship

 Idea of collecting world’s knowledge in one place  Alexandria Library, British Library, Library of Congress  Libraries fundamental for scholarly work, research  Model of librarian as a scholar vs. professional  Selection vs. all inclusive  ‘knowledge most worth having’ Tefko Saracevic, Rutgers University 7

Organization

 Availability  inventory of a collection  of many collections - union catalog  of writings - bibliography  librarian as bibliographer  Access  bibliographic organization  subject organization classification, indexing ...

 Arrangement  physical arrangements  intellectual arrangements Tefko Saracevic, Rutgers University 8

Education

 Early connection between academic education & libraries  started as “book stationaries”  Indispensable today  Popular education & libraries  American public library movement  Children & libraries  Growth of school media centers Tefko Saracevic, Rutgers University 9

Governance

 Earliest libraries: rulers, courts  Depositories of laws, regulations, decrees  Copyright - intellectual rights  Dissemination of inf. by government  Use in political processes  Intellectual freedom  constant battle, controversy Tefko Saracevic, Rutgers University 10

Communication & use

 Related to organizations, disciplines, businesses  support of their mission  Special libraries & inf. centers  Information explosion  growth of inf. industry  Communication explosion  growth of networks  Changing orientation to access & use Tefko Saracevic, Rutgers University 11

Popular access

 From Romans:  facilities for everyone seeking knowledge  “made the talents of men property of all”  Orientation to group of users  active seeking wider audience  local identity, structure  Modern library  emerged at the end of 19 cent.

 continues to this day  but also in transition Tefko Saracevic, Rutgers University 12

Post-industrial, post capitalist society - change

"The basic economic resource is no longer capital, nor natural resources (the economist’s “land”) nor "labor." It is and will be knowledge. . Value is now created by "productivity" and "innovation," both applications of knowledge to work. The leading social group of the knowledge society will be "knowledge workers" knowledge executives who know how to allocate knowledge to productive use, knowledge professionals, knowledge employees." Drucker, 1994 Tefko Saracevic, Rutgers University 13

Transitional challenges

 Inf. increasing in value 

not

automatic increase in value of library & inf. services in present configuration & structure  Changes in models  from ‘just-in-case’ to ‘just-in time’ to ‘just-for-you’  access becomes paramount electronic resources & networks Tefko Saracevic, Rutgers University 14

Transitional challenges (cont.)

 New ‘players’ in inf. serv.

 increased competition  growing competition for funds  Needs for justification & evaluation of results  From users & use perspectives  What provided? What value?

Tefko Saracevic, Rutgers University 15

On the horizon

 Evolving a ‘new’ library beyond the modern one  Digital libraries  Effect of technology  Through open access create libraries for individuals  individual selection & access  create private spaces  Librarian as enabler  Importance of knowing how individuals use information Tefko Saracevic, Rutgers University 16