Digital services in

Public Libraries

Jens ThorhaugeDanish Agency for

Libraries and Media

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Do we agree on the vision?

• To establish a coherent digital library covering all fields of media and library services from baby- to researcher level

• Corresponding with the library space

• Aiming at all citizens with segmented services and building on partnerships of all kind

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How do we get there?

• Establish a convincing strategy

• Demonstrating capability by good working examples on new services

• Lobbying and marketing for a new political understanding of a library concept meeting the needs in the knowledge- and innovation society

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Digital means ’change’ and ’divide’

• The gap between analogue and digital media is growing

• The ’traditional’ library still works well but we loose more and more users if we do not move faster building digital libraries

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The digital medialandscape is part of a bigger agenda

• The knowledge and innovation society

• The changed economic balance between Europe and the new economies

• The fragmentation of social life and growing tension

• Needs for better skills

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A European agenda

• Knowledge societies imply globalisation and a new competition pattern – jobs are moving east

• The answer to the challenge is ’innovation’ based • on more research, better education, lifelong

learning, a strong identity and cohesion in society.

• We are in badly need of all these elements facing illiteracy, social tension in a more and more multicultural society+

• the fragmentation and cultural changes in the ’late modern society’ are roaring for counter strategies

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E-book service is also part of a bigger agenda

• An e-book platform is not enough• Developping a new library concept

– Public service concept: services for all citizens, segmentation

– Competting with other information services: the library niche

• Creating new organizational frames– No library is an island: (inter)national

development– Partnerships– Break up of traditional library collection

oriented organisation

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A new library concept

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Analogue and digital services should be integrated

• The library space is for public libraries still the hub

• The activities in the four spaces of the new library concept are virtual & real

• The programmes support the agenda of society, from innovation to democratic inclusion and participation

• Partnerships basic for organisation

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Some Danish steps so far – integrating virtual and real services

• Paul’s Giftshop• Home work online• Literatureweb• Ageforce• Danish Digital Library

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The website forms a universe of its own

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The web for literature is a new intermediary

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Homework-online hits boys that are not visiting the library

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Empowerment of 50+

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Next

• Danish Digital Library – state and municipalities unite

• Integrated acces/federal search to all relevant material

• Open source and SOA• National solutions on infrastructure, licensing and

webservices• Local priorities and presentations, local profile in

library space and programme• Basic collection of web-media for all libraries

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The library space remains - but virtual services are part of it as water taps in a household