[WEB4LIB] Re: Digital Ecology

[Gerry McKiernan]

Bonjour Andre!

          Thanks for your interest in my posting!

>Gerry McKiernan a Tcrit:
> 
<snip> 
> 
>>      In one possible alternative, one could envision an archival and
access
>> model that mirrors the current print-based systems of local, regional and
>> national collections. Instead of a local library depending on a publisher
>> or service bureau to maintain its electronic collection, the local library
>> could in turn do so. In this model the local library would gradually replace
>> its print-based stacks with stacks of servers [A CyberStacks(sm) [{:->].
>> With appropriate and necessary software and staff, it would 'acquire',
>> 'catalog' and provide 'access' to instititutionally purhased materials.
>> [As many know, many vendors offer local libraries the option of obtaining
>> all purchased files for local loading should a library decide to cancel
>> an Internet subscription to the service.]

>Wow!  I must be going back to the future.  Gerry's ideas are
>taking me back to 1995, when I was doing a review of
>literature of the virtual library.  

   Yes. I have a sense too that such ideas were (and/or are) indeed
considered/under consideration. 

>In my view, the concept of local archiving of e-journals by libraries is very
>possible.  

   I agree! As we have developed systems to solve problems in the past, so 
too will be development systems to solve problems of today and the future. 
[As I like to say, "It will happen because it has to happen".]

>The issues are not technical, but administrative and cultural.  

  Yes. While my proposed vision can be viewed as an extension of current
paradigms and structure, the realization of the vision will require
a re-configuration of our thinking about 'ownership', 'holdings',
'cataloging' and 'access' [Stay tuned for a future posting re: 
_PostModern Digital Cataloging_ coming to a discussion list near you][:->]
 

>Administrative issues: 
>- getting agreement from the publisher(s) to store 
>  electronic journals locally.

  To me this should not be an issue: As we have purchased the 'journals'
should we not be able to 'house' them as we wish?
[Here an analog to print subscriptions]

>- getting funds to buy more computer equipment (servers and 
>  workstations).

   We do need to re-think the nature and associated costs of
our current physical infra-structure within our local institutions.
What is the cost of selecting, purchasing, cataloging, lending, shelving
our current print materials. [Here I see a true role for NSF to kick-start
an appropriate effort]

>- getting libraries to actually agree to work together
>(although  there are many succes stories in that area). 

    I believe this is occurring. Progressive state initiatives
such as OhioLINK demonstrate the benefit of cooperation.

>- getting technical support for the increased number of machines 
>  (servers and workstations).

    Here I think we again need to re-think the role of future librarians
and library technicians. Instead of managing stacks, they manage
CyberStacks(sm) {:->]. In my vision, the research university is no longer
a repository of print material, but a digital collection of orginal and
converted electronic materials. 

>Cultural issues (and breaking old habits):
>- can students afford to pay for printouts everytime they want an article?

   There is an analog here. Students (and others) can freely read
article without paying. If they want a copy, this is there choice
and they pay accordingly. [Certainly paper is good for ephermeral use, but
it certainly does not make sense to print an electronic article and to store
it in a paper folder. It would make better sense to manage the electronic
copy electronically] [Here too we need to think about the oppotunities
presented by the digital medium for access and manipulation] 

>- can the typical library user read a journal article 
>  by staring at a screen for one hour?

   This too is an extension of our current model [It is certainly a 
concern, and I speak as someone who spends a number of hours viewing 
data on monitors]. However, to me _reading_ articles for content
does not utilize the digital medium to it potential. I believe we
need to rethink the entire process absorbing information. There are
very advanced text visualization software and systems that enable
users to 'navigate meaning' and manipulate concepts instead of 
**print-based** method of _reading_. [Dont' Just Read - Navigate!]
[How's that for a future Microsoft slogan]{:->]

                      ***********

BTW: You may wish to visit _The Big Picture(sm)_ my clearinghouse
devoted to Visual Browsing and Information Visualization. I
strongly recommend a read on the SPIRE system developed at the
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Washington State. Here
they developed a systemn where content within a corpus of text is
represented as 'themescapes' - 3-D thematic 'landscapes'.
_The Big Picture(sm)_ is available at:

  http://www.public.iastate.edu/~CYBERSTACKS/BigPic.htm 

                      ************

>- why make a copy of an article that could have been 
>  consulted in the reading room to take notes?

     Why take notes on paper when you could annotate a digital copy of
an article?

>What do you think? 

    Just a few observations on a brisk Sunday morning in central
Iowa.

    But seriously ....

    Thanks for your interest and thoughful response!

    Joy!

/Gerry McKiernan
Science and Technology Librarian and Bibliographer
Iowa State University Library
152 Parks
Ames IA 50011

gerrymck at iastate.edu
http://www.public.iastate.edu/~CYBERSTACKS/

  	"The Best Way to Predict the Future is To Invent It!"
                               Alan Kay