[Web4lib] Virtual Library from scratch

[Steven E. Patamia, Ph.D.]

If you want to approach a full service (in terms of what your existing
library offers) virtual library, some of your key problems are:

1.  Digitizing content provided now, but not already in digital form  -- or
obtaining from elsewhere already digitized.

2.  Dealing with issues of copyright and that will suddenly appear as
physical copies are replaced by electronic ones that can be simultaneously
used by multiple patrons.

3.  Selecting and acquiring the software system you will need.

4.  To whatever degree you provide periodicals and journals, but don't
already have licensing that supports off-site access, negotiating affordable
electronic subscriptions and meeting publisher requirements for constraining
access to true patrons.

5.  staffing changes needed.

6. (My personal favorite).  Once you go virtual, what it the justification
for automating one library when instead you might join in a consortium with
others to scale up the solution and have it serve multiple communities to
achieve economies of scale.  (Question: how far should this go?  Purely in
terms of content delivery and access just how many libraries are needed?
 See #7 below.)

7.  Identify what physical attributes remain essential or at least viable
once you automate access to content.  This strains you to identify what
physical site services are essential to your identity and your ability to
service a physical community.  In other words, what should not, maybe even
*must not* be virtualized?

Thats a start<g>

On Tue, Mar 30, 2010 at 3:13 PM, Thomas Edelblute <TEdelblute at anaheim.net>wrote:

> As the Anaheim Public Library is downsizing staff and reducing open hours
> to the public, Library Administration wants me to help create a Virtual
> Library presence for the stated purpose of "Developing and deploying twenty
> first century library services that use the Internet and social networks to
> connect with users and promote library value."
>
> So my first step toward this is to brainstorm for ideas on accomplishing
> this.  That is where you come in.  If you were given this assignment, what
> would you try to do?
>
> Thomas Edelblute
> Public Access Systems Coordinator
> Anaheim Public Library
>
> First determine what you want to achieve, then obtain the best technology
> to attain that goal.
>
>
>
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-- 
Steven E. Patamia, Ph.D., J.D.
Personal Cell: (352) 219-6592