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Sharing knowledge and information: three views of the future

Sharing knowledge and information: three views of the future. David Bawden City University London. A view over the next 20 years. based on reality - current trends with some prediction - futurology imagination - science fiction. Prediction is very difficult, especially about the future

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Sharing knowledge and information: three views of the future

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  1. Sharing knowledge and information: three views of the future David Bawden City University London

  2. A view over the next 20 years • based on • reality - current trends • with some • prediction - futurology • imagination - science fiction

  3. Prediction is very difficult, especially about the future (Niels Bohr)

  4. Dangers of prediction • failure of imagination • failure of nerve (Arthur C Clarke)

  5. Current trends • economic situation • a digital world • web 2 • new generations • the ‘cloud’

  6. Economic situation (UK) • generally bad for information services but • some sectors do well (law, health ..) • ‘library brand’ flourishes • renewed enthusiasm for the ‘real’ • and for sharing of knowledge and expertise

  7. A digital world • digital is now the normal form of information (particularly, reference, business, academic) • most information is born digital, and lives and dies digital but • the real book and the physical ‘library place’ do not go away

  8. ‘Information Commons’ (Sheffield University)

  9. ‘Discovery Centre’ (Winchester)

  10. Web 2.0 • ‘to Google’ is a verb in the English language • Amazon.com is ‘the bookshop’ • Wikipedia is ‘the encyclopedia’ • Facebook, Twitter and blogs are the natural way of communicating information • Will all books soon be e-books ?

  11. Libraries and Web 2 • Fight ? • Collaborate ? • Copy ? • Ignore ?

  12. New generations • Gen X, Gen Y, Google generation • young people’s information behaviour is totally different • or is it ?

  13. The ‘cloud’ • Information resources and software held on networks, with wireless access from any place • Where then is • The collection • The ‘information place’ • ‘my’ information

  14. Summary of trends • a mixed picture • some clear trends • but also counter-movements • the future is not as clear as some commentators tell us

  15. Three scenarios • Business as usual • Changing landscapes • Into the clouds

  16. Business as usual • rely on library ‘brand image’ • build on continuing desire for the collection and the ‘information place’ • establish consensus (truce ?) with newer forms of information communication

  17. Changing landscapes • changing image and name • Information Commons, Discovery Centre, Idea Store • some services close, others expand • greater integration with wider institution • Business (KM), education, culture • creative balance physical / digital

  18. Into the clouds • new concept of ‘collection’ • no physical ‘information place’ • preservation ? • information specialists become • consultants / advisers / educators • researchers / ‘publishers’ R Fox, Library in the clouds, OCLC Systems and Services, 2009, 25(3), 156-161

  19. Conclusions • the future is not certain • it will not be as we expect • It will be more important then ever to share knowledge effectively • library / information services will survive and thrive (but not as they are now) • we can influence our future

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