Andrew H. Wang Executive Director OCLC Asia Pacific

1. The Impact of Information Technology on Library Operations in the Past Three Decades and What to Anticipate for the Future CALA Mid-West Chapter Annual Meeting May 3, 2003 Andrew H. Wang Executive Director OCLC Asia Pacific

2. Evolution of Library Information Technology • Papermaking and printing • Microfilming • Telephone • Typewriting and duplicating • Computers • Mainframes, mini-, and micro-, laptops, palms • CD ROM and DVD • Telecommunications networks • Campus networks, the Internet, and wireless • The Web

3. Co-existence of Information Technologies • Paperless society prophesized in 1960’s, but demand for paper has continued to increase • New and old technologies co-exist • Microfilm and paper • TV, radio, and newspaper • Internet, telephone, and postal service • New technologies stimulate an increase in information flow and cause a re-distribution of the use of existing technologies

4. Paradigm ShiftFrom Traditional Library To Digital Library Library Building => Virtual Library (You go to the library => The library comes to you) • Traditional Library • Design, size, location of the library building • Other than warehousing library materials, library building has other important societal functions • Digital library • Electronic resources, hardware, software, telecommunications

5. Paradigm ShiftFrom Traditional Library To Digital Library Ownership => Access • Traditional library • “Buy and own” books and journals, etc. • Digital library • “Annual subscriptions” for access

6. Paradigm ShiftFrom Traditional Library To Digital Library Just In Case => Just In Time • Traditional library • 80% of books and journals, etc. “purchased and owned” have never been used • Buy and own – “just in case” • Digital library • Document delivery, print on demand, pay per view, etc. – “just in time”

7. Paradigm ShiftFrom Traditional Library To Digital Library Unlimited Use => Pre-Defined Limited Use • Traditional library • “Buy and own” books and journals, etc. for unlimited use by any users • Digital library • Number of simultaneous logons (concurrent users) • 12 month subscriptions • By registered users only

8. Paradigm ShiftFrom Traditional Library To Digital Library One At A Time => Many At A Time • Traditional library • One book or journal can be read by one user at a time • One user can read one book or journal at a time • Digital library • One database can be accessed by many users at the same time • One user can access many databases or journals at the same time

9. Paradigm ShiftFrom Traditional Library To Digital Library Take Your Time => Don’t Waste My Time! • Traditional library • Users wait for weeks or months for the library to purchase books or journals or through ILL • Users spend hours or days going through printed pages to find and compile information needed • Digital library • Users want the information right away!

10. Paradigm ShiftFrom Traditional Library To Digital Library Isolation => Cooperation • Traditional library • Do everything by myself and for myself • Digital library • Cooperation to eliminate unnecessary duplication of efforts • Cooperation to increase resources through sharing

11. Is WWW A Digital Library? WWW is very resourceful and useful, but • Too much information on WWW is not wanted • Much information wanted is not on WWW on a free-of-charge basis • Information on WWW is disorganized • Authenticity and reliability • It is there today, but gone tomorrow WWW is digital, but not a library!

12. Shall We Make WWW Part of the Library？ • As a library portal • CORC (Cooperative Online Resource Catalog) • QuestionPoint • Integration

16. Your library is here to serve you through the Website!

17. Patron

18. A Global Cooperation Model Request Manager Member Profiles Requesting Library Patron Answering Library Librarian QUESTION QUESTION NOTIFICATION NOTIFICATION Results Store SEND ANSWER GET ANSWER RESOURCES Simultaneous Access to Multiple Catalogs, Web Resources, Print Resources, Subject Specialists Searching the Knowledge Base EDITED Q & A Knowledge Base

19. Web sites & databases Call others Look up In references Own knowledge Real Time Local (Chat) Interaction Example Inst 1 Patron Ref Lib Ref Lib Local KB Librarian Chat window Patron Chat window Librarian Chat Monitor Library web page Global KB

20. Ref Lib Ref Lib Ref Lib Ref Lib Ref Lib QuestionPoint Global Component • LOCAL DIGITAL REFERENCE SOLUTION • QuestionPointLocal/Regional Component • LSSI • Convey • Locally created solution • -------------------------------------- • Exhausted local knowledge or seeking expertise globally. Question answered. Submit question to global component Request Manager Routes to best-fit profiled institution Profile DB Profiled institutions available for question services Global Administration- Q & A Editing Global KB

21. A Digital Library Integration Example OCLC ILL Link Document Supplier Link End Users Web Electronic Database Resources Cataloging Metadata OCLC Z39.50 Or Web Single Source for Multiple Resources FirstSearch -A&I -Full Text -Union Catalogs netLibrary eBooks eJournals QuestionPoint End Users

22. The Library and The Information Technology • Shall libraries be driven by the information technology? • Shall libraries play an active role in making use of the information technology?

23. Thank you! Questions? 敬請指教！ 王行仁 敬謝