Katarina Steinwachs walks us through the European Library conference in Leipzig last March; a major event to start off the European EXPLOIT project. The three key-note addresses looked at the importance of libraries from different angles: Michael Naumann - The political task for the transfer of knowledge in Europe; Bob Fryer - Libraries in the learning society - access to knowledge and information for skills, democracy and social change; Frans de Bruine - The role of libraries in the information society. Presentations by Lorcan Dempsey and Barbara Lison described the two main fields in which European co-operation adds distinctive value to the work of libraries.
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This conference was the major event to start off the European EXPLOIT project, a project funded under the 4th framework research programme of the European Commission to promote its libraries programme and to encourage take-up of research results of this programme by the libraries and other related players in Europe. The partners within the project are the Deutsche Bibliotheksinstitut (German libraries institute), the UK Office for Library and Information Networking, the British Council and die Deutsche Bibliothek. Other activities will include workshops, a database with detailed information about research projects and their results, and a web-based magazine 'Exploit Interactive' with articles and features from the European library world. |
The conference was aimed at decision makers at a political level as much as at an audience directly or indirectly concerned with the application of new technologies in the fields of knowledge production, storage, dissemination and use. The three key-note addresses looked at the importance of libraries from different angles while the two presentations by Lorcan Dempsey and Barbara Lison described the two main fields in which European co-operation adds distinctive value to the work of libraries: the development of a technological infrastructure, and the development of new services for users. The panel discussion then looked at the technical and human elements of a European cultural network and what has to be done to make it really happen.
The political task for the transfer of knowledge in Europe
In his presentation Michael Naumann, State Minister for Culture and Media, Bonn, concentrated on three aspects: the role of libraries in society, the impact of new technologies on libraries and their services, and the achievements and prospects of the European Telematics for libraries programme.
There are about 96,000 libraries in the countries of the European Union of which 25,000 are of medium or large size, and they have an important role to play in the fields of science and academia, research, continuous learning, pastime, entertainment, lifestyle etc. However, their approximately 1.5 billion publications are not necessarily freely accessible for the public: many are either too valuable or in a state of decay or the existing (print) catalogues are not detailed enough to provide access to all the information that exists.
The new digital technologies make it possible to overcome the following three limitations of print material: the material link between content and form, the linearity of texts, and the limited mobility of printed texts. Information in digital form, on the other hand, can easily be changed, can be searched for certain pieces of information, and be accessed from and transferred to anywhere in the world. By using new technologies access to existing print material can also be improved by providing widely accessible data (electronic catalogues) about these materials. By employing new technologies libraries will be in a position to offer "electronic access" to information for their users, i.e. direct access independent of time and place; multiple access to much used information; easier access to information that has been difficult to find; and virtual links to multimedia resources.
Two major challenges which also have to be addressed by politics are the archiving of information (i.e. making sure that digital material can always be accessed with the existing hardware and software) and free access to information for all citizens, ensuring its "fair use".
The European programme Telematics for libraries has over the last 10 years developed Europe-wide links and co-operation between libraries (recently also including libraries from Central and Eastern European countries), supported about 100 research and development projects for telematics applications for libraries as well as concerted actions and accompanying measures which involved altogether about 400 institutions, helped public libraries to develop new services, supported the development of common standards for data exchange, and made access to digitised material (e.g. valuable manuscripts) throughout Europe possible.
The continuation of the programme under the 5th framework programme for research and development of the European Commission will even go further. It will encourage the traditional "memory institutions" like museums, archives and libraries to collaborate in the development of an integrated access to decentrally held collections in whichever format, eventually leading to an electronically linked network of these institutions throughout Europe.
Much still remains to be done: communication and co-operation beyond system boundaries (for example with publishers, learned societies) and the quality of services must be improved, decisions must be made regarding uniform standards, open system interfaces, the use of the Internet, and models must be developed for the long-term archiving of materials. And it is important to always remember that technology is the means for the transfer of and access to knowledge and culture, not an end in itself.
Libraries in the learning society - access to knowledge and information for skills, democracy and social change
Bob Fryer, who was Chair of the group advising the UK Secretary of State on matters concerning adult learning and who is the author of the report Learning for the twenty-first Century (1997) spoke about the role of libraries in the learning society.
Lifelong learning is viewed by politicians in the UK (and elsewhere) as a vital means to support individual development, make people active citizens, contribute to social cohesion, combat social exclusion and contribute to the development of a profound skills base and prosperity of a people. In a risk society, characterised by ubiquitous change, uncertainty, globalisation, an information explosion, contested knowledge, a challenge of sustainability and dangers of division and conflict, learning has to take new forms.
Libraries can be key players in the learning society, meaning a society in which learning throughout one's lifetime is a normal thing. They can provide access to information and communications technology, provide advice and guidance. To be most efficient and effective they need to link with other institutions in the education field to build a network of learning centres and local strategic partnerships and plans. All these institutions need to change to be welcoming and accessible, flexible and diverse. They must invest in research and development on a national and European scale and engage in dissemination and application of information, also by means of new technologies.
Governments, on the other hand, have to change as well. They must learn to work together between their individual departments, launch sustained campaigns, have a clear and focused policy and work with other governments on a European and international scale. The UK government's Green Paper "The learning age" making explicit reference to the role of libraries in our era, and the paper "The new library - a people's network" are encouraging steps in this direction.
The role of libraries in the information society
The emerging Information Society was the first emphasis of this presentation. It is characterised first by the developments in the technology field, like data compression and broadband technologies, secondly by the convergence in the information industry characterised by digitisation and multimedia, thirdly by competition in the information market through internationalisation and deregulation, and fourthly by the increased choices for the user. The different forms of content of the past (photography, telephony, publishing, computing and video entertainment) make way for the concentration on function in the future, characterised by the convergence of the different media forms.
In Europe the private sector is leading this process through infrastructure, applications and content development, but the public sector, and especially the EU are facilitating the new media environment through the development of a vision, the creation of appropriate conditions (e.g. legal framework, encouragement of experimentation) and the catalysing of the transformation processes.
The fifth framework programme for research and development (1998 - 2002) is one integrated programme for information and communication technologies, divided into four key actions: development of services for the citizen, electronic commerce, multimedia content, and essential technologies and infrastructure.
Traditionally libraries were the gatekeepers to information, knowledge and learning, the custodians and organisers of the cultural and intellectual record, safeguards of equality of access and keepers of the heritage of the past and the present for the future. In the future, and under the new framework programme, libraries will have to integrate themselves into the networked society and co-operate with other cultural institutions like museums and archives. They will have to develop new economic strategies, better understand user needs and demands, develop skills of staff and users and develop new services. The research priorities will lay in the field of integrated access to distributed and diverse resources, large repositories, preservation and access strategies. The general focus is on content rather than on form. Libraries must understand the political agenda to make sure they are strong players in the information society.
Computing and networks - infrastructure and institutions in a shared network space
While the first speakers looked at the big picture regarding the role of libraries in our times Lorcan Dempsey looked at the necessary infrastructure and the institutions to deliver effective information services.
He spoke of the emergence of a shared network space in which offerings (contents) have to be filtered, integrated and managed to be useful resources. Supply and use chains converge, labour with regard to content production and dissemination of information is divided in new ways, and active users require learning environments and support for the re-use and re-packaging of information. Roles and relationships of information producers, users and intermediaries are repositioned.
Technology has helped to automate certain tasks (like circulation, access to databases) and to manage collections, without necessarily changing workflows or roles substantially. So far the question has been: "What effect does technology have on this or that (traditional) task?" But technology is also used to create repositories of data and metadata, to enable the flow between different repositories and repositories and the user, to control access, to provide authentication to documents and to start off electronic commerce.
Lorcan Dempsey differentiates between three main areas in which technology is being developed: the technology of trust and identity (referring to the authentication of documents, encryption technology, preservation of authors' rights and to identifiers); the technology of community (making communication easier and more personal), and the technology of memory (used to preserve information). Many issues still remain unresolved, like the necessary transfer of information from one software platform to a more advanced one in order to retain its accessibility and not to build on a "house of cards" which may collapse one day.
For the traditional institutions like libraries new questions arise and roles and relationships to other cultural and educational institutions and to their customers and stake-holders and the commercial world have to be redefined.
The European libraries programme has so far concentrated on three areas: the development of the technology (Z39.50, EDI, SGML, shared space, interconnection, infrastructure), of new services and access to information (combined building blocks, automated supply chains, brokerage of access to information), and has looked at the development of issues related to the roles and relationships of libraries and on issues of copyright and commerce.
In the future the physical, digitised and the born-digital parts of intellectual records need to be managed complementary and must be preserved. Equal access must be ensured, taking into account the interests in the whole production and dissemination chain (authors, publishers, libraries, users). Users and the resources should be brought together in congenial "assembly places".
Innovation through international co-operation - the telematics projects as a chance for modernising Europe's libraries
Networked library services are developed through three different but interlinked foci: within the context of their own local environments; through international networking of libraries and of libraries and publishers; and by developing libraries into a value-added interface to the networked information world of the internet.
The first steps in creating a Europe-wide infrastructure are to interconnect libraries with each other, to provide access to computerised catalogues on an international level, and to develop innovative services, new tools and products for libraries.
Barbara Lison presented the (projected) results of some of the projects supported under the EU libraries programme, selected because they either develop a new library service or revolutionise an existing one:
ILIERS (integrated library information education and retrieval systems) is a multimedia library information system for users of a public library which provides access to electronic information of different provenience through a single user interface. LISTED (library integrated system for telematics-based education) widens the traditional service spectrum of public libraries by integrating access to multimedia material designed for continuing education activities. CHILIAS (children in libraries: improving multimedia virtual library access and information skills) is a multimedia children's library connected to the traditional services but extending those by providing tools for the development of multimedia competencies and creativity of children. TESTLAB (testing systems using telematics for library access for blind and visually handicapped readers) improves access to electronic library catalogues for visually handicapped library users. ONE II (online public access catalogue network in Europe) will create a Europe-wide catalogue for library and museum collections with functionality for ordering, issuing and electronic document delivery. DIEPER (digitised European periodicals) develops an online-infrastructure for the provision of a central access and full-text retrieval functionality for digitised journals. BALTICSEAWEB (geographical user interface for network-based Baltic marine environment information system) develops an integrated system for access to different databases with elaborate retrieval facilities.
Developments through projects like those and the relationships established between libraries in Europe during such activities will now provide the building block for further research and development activities under the new framework programme 'Creating a user-friendly information society'.
Participants:
The participants of the panel discussion were invited by Prof. Lehmann to discuss the theme of and make recommendations for a European cultural network. Each of the participants gave a short statement followed by a discussion between the members of the panel and with the audience.
The term 'European cultural network' refers to a whole system of factors and relationships, operating in a complex and changing environment. It resists an easy and concrete definition. 'Network' refers to both, a physical infrastructure and to links between individuals and between institutions and organisations and the relationships between those. 'Cultural network' includes in addition a reference to the contents exchanged or used over the networks and, possibly, also to the types of organisations involved in their development. Consequently the discussion concentrated on a number of individual factors within this complex system, and on their interrelation.
With regard to the physical infrastructure those were mainly the developments in information and communication technologies, the consequences of those developments for society as a whole and the library sector in particular, and the role of Europeans and certain sectors of societies in this global process; With regard to the links between individuals and organisations reference was made to the history of research co-operation in the libraries field in Europe and in the individual member states as well as the links between researchers and professionals as a result of joint research activities. The networks are established to provide wide access to content which is increasingly produced in new ways. Its production and dissemination as much as its new format and the importance of the integrity of this format were discussed, as was the whole issue of protecting the rights of the creators of intellectual works and the necessity of providing access to them in new forms. There are many organisations involved in building the European network of culture, of which libraries and the librarians are only one player. How they with their traditional organisational structures will have to change in order to stay in the game was discussed, as were the new requirements for the librarians with regard to their capability of managing and developing the infrastructure, structuring the contents, and assisting their users in accessing the contents and finding the information needed in the new environment.
This report attempts to summarise the discussion according to the aspects defined, in terms of a cultural network with reference to the wider environment in which those processes are happening.
Ariane Iljon put the assumption for discussion that the new information and communication technologies (ICT) will not just be new tools in our social fabric but that they are becoming a factor which will change our way of life and the organisation of our societies from the inside. The purpose of public cultural and educational institutions like libraries in this century has been to help maintain a democratic value system for the society. Value systems now have to be mutated to the new order of things with the help of these institutions, which also have to change at the same time. For Ms Iljon the key question for the institutions is not the "why?" or "what?" of the changes, but how organisations should go about changes, which is always difficult to assume and requires time, particularly for public institutions with set practices and habits. She stressed her belief that public cultural and educational institutions must work together. 'Convergence' of the purposes of those institutions or at least a common approach is desirable. Other issues mentioned include the question of the future role of those institutions in society, and on whether there is such a thing as a 'European cultural resource'.
Michael Naumann, admittedly only an amateur user of computers and the internet, drew attention to the fact that 3.6 billion Euro will be spent in the ICT field over the next four years by the European Commission, while the budget for the cultural programmes will consist of about 167 million Euro only. He put this down also to the fact that decision makers believe to have discovered a new source of added value, and to another psychological side effect: according to Naumann most managers both in politics and in the private sector, do not find the time to read and thus suffer from intellectual 'malnutrition'. They hope, maybe subconsciously, that by using networked resources knowledge can be accessed easily by just pressing a button. This hope is then also applied to the solution of economic problems.
Arnoud de Kemp in his contribution referred to the strong political will to support the development of ICT applications, sometimes with the danger of paying too little attention to the real needs and sustainability of projects and project results, and thus risking the loss of existing services or institutions.
Ariane Iljon, however, pointed to the fact that the percentage of the budget in the ICT field had in fact slightly gone down over the last 10 years. She also emphasised that the principle of subsidiarity, i.e. the principle that the European Commission should only support activities that cannot be better handled at national or even regional level but to which European co-operation would add value, is more often applied to cultural issues than to research in the ICT area, where the added value of international co-operation is obvious.
Klaus-Dieter Lehmann emphasised that there has not been a parallel development on a European level with regard to the aspects of the contents stored on the networks, like copyright, access gateways or structure of contents, but that activities have so far concentrated mainly on the infrastructure.
Ariane Iljon reminded the audience of a European hearing on libraries 12 years ago prompted by a Resolution of the Council of Ministers at which many of the questions were asked that are still relevant today. It was accepted that, notwithstanding national responsibilities in this area, there was indeed a need for action on a European level which would bring benefits both in economic and cultural terms. This hearing gave impetus and led to the so-called Libraries programmes under the research framework programmes III and IV.
Knut Föckler spoke from the perspective of the private sector and the role telecommunication companies play in providing the networks and harmonising their approaches on a European level. But also for the network providers it is obvious that it is the contents that matter, and they therefore also support initiatives for the production of content (e.g. between schools in Europe).
Arnoud de Kemp emphasised the importance of good planning and co-ordination of all projects in the area of network infrastructure, be it on national or European level. Project stake-holders and participants must address the question of what will happen to the project and possible pilot applications once the project budget has been used up. He also requested better co-ordination, especially between the different Länder in Germany, and between national and European activities.
Personal networks are developed and strengthened by joint research projects. Ariane Iljon believes that the many co-operative projects launched over the last 10 years in the libraries area have been instrumental in changing perceptions within that area. The new Fifth Framework Programme will provide new opportunities for experimentation and of a new type. It can also be used to experiment with and develop common approaches between different cultural and educational institutions and thus help to build new personal networks between members of those organisations on a European level.
Traditional institutions and services belong to the infrastructure, too. Reimar Lüst described how the recipients of scholarships by the Humboldt-Foundation need libraries and reading rooms to slowly find their way into the German society. 'They first make friends with the library and thus get to know Germany step by step'. Various of the speakers pointed to the danger that budgets for traditional library services and the acquisition of print material are being cut to provide money for the development of the new infrastructure.
Michael Naumann drew attention to the fact that the 'content world' must be looked after and that the genesis of content must not be endangered. Threats include the fact that existing copyright was not created for an electronic world and now has to be adapted.
Arnoud de Kemp said that new rules are necessary for the use of information in electronic form. At the moment authenticity and integrity of electronic documents is not always guaranteed.
A contribution from the audience made a strong plea for democratic copyright regulations for electronic documents. The rights of the authors must not be exaggerated and the general public must have democratic access to information in all formats, not just for study purposes. Fair licensing agreements and a legislation for the utilisation of information are necessary. Michael Naumann replied that one needs to be careful not to limit the rights of the weakest link in the chain - the authors.
Michael Olsen reported from the US that Internet has become one of the biggest libraries. Many pupils and students in the US only use resources they can access through the internet. It is easy to use, cheap (at least in the States) and available 24 hours a day (contrary to most libraries). The obvious problems connected with this are that much knowledge, still only produced in print form, is neglected. Also there is much problematic material on the internet, and the reliability of the material cannot be guaranteed.
He is convinced that the printed word will not soon be obsolete, as it is a genius invention; not everything can be digitised, and there is a preference for reading printed paper rather than a computer screen.
However, the experience with US pupils and students seems to demonstrate that the young generations in this society get used more and more to only using content available in electronic form. The same may happen in Europe in just a few years time and will have implications on the balance between print and electronic information.
Knut Föckler emphasised the importance of public-private partnerships in the ICT sector and described the "Schulen ans Netz" (connecting schools to the net) initiative of Deutsche Telecom which has already connected about 12,500 schools to the internet over the last 3.5 years. He sees many areas for co-operation with the public sector such as libraries, especially in the area of content and access provision and thus the development of new services. He also pointed to the main deficit encountered today: the lack of suitably qualified personnel to produce multimedia contents. His department now spends about 30% of the budget for training measures, and it is still felt that the competencies of users, especially also 'multipliers' such as teachers, are insufficient.
As already described above Ariane Iljon pointed to the possible convergence of purpose of different public cultural and educational institutions such as libraries, archives and museums when tackling issues of ICT applications like interoperability and standards as well as preservation of the cultural heritage of Europe and the training of staff and users in the new applications. All these institutions are potentially important players in the development of European cultural networks. The new research framework programme of the European Commission takes this into account (or possibly stimulates it from the outside).
Klaus-Dieter Lehmann urged librarians to articulate themselves and tell the public what it is they want to develop and offer in the future. Librarians have to gain competencies in the application of ICT, they must understand the end-users' needs and help the end-user to develop the skills necessary for the use of the new technologies. This was echoed by Arnoud de Kemp who thinks that libraries have an important role to play with regard to helping to increase acceptance of the new media, and with regard to structuring contents for the networks and thus making them accessible.
If you have any comments on this article, please contact the editors (exploit-editor@ukoln.ac.uk).
Katarina Steinwachs
Head of Information
The British Council
Hahnenstraße 6, 50667 Köln
Tel: 0221 20644-0
Fax: 0221 20644-36
Email: katarina.steinwachs@britcoun.de
 Katarina Steinwachs is Head of Information at The British Council in Köln. |
For citation purposes:
Katarina Steinwachs,
"Beyond the Old Limits - New Roads Ahead for Europe's Libraries",
Exploit Interactive, issue 2, 20 July 1999
URL:
<http://www.exploit-lib.org/issue2/leipzig/>