INFORUM 2011

The Evolving Digital Library and What Must Be Done to Stay Relevant

Author

George Machovec, Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries, United States

Documents to download

• Full text

• Presentation

Abstract

The library and information communities are going through unprecedented changes. Libraries are rapidly evolving from a paper to digital presence and the physical library is redefining itself for a new role. This presentation will focus on some of the key transformational changes of our time including – the emergence of eBooks and what they mean for collection development and new ways of purchasing; the threat and opportunities of the digital distribution of eBooks and media which could leave the library as an outsider for popular materials; the growth of discovery interfaces and how they are changing the ways libraries present themselves; the role of digital repositories as the new “special collection” and university storehouse; the emergence of social networks and how we integrate with these tools; the popularity of mobile interfaces and what it means for our user interfaces; and the evolution of consortia as regional and national power brokers for purchasing. In order for libraries to remain economically viable and relevant for user needs the institution must simultaneously change on many fronts.

Author's professional CV

George is the Associate Director at the Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries a position he has held since 1993. He was head of systems at Arizona State University (ASU) Libraries from 1987–1993 and from 1977–1986 he was a reference librarian and head of the Solar Energy Collection at ASU. George is the managing editor for The Charleston Advisor which provides in-depth reviews of products and services for libraries as well as monitoring trends in the information marketplace. He has published many articles, book chapters and books relating to digital libraries. Some specific areas in which George has been involved in the last decade include the deployment of a regional union catalog, the development of an electronic resource management system and link resolver called Gold Rush, involvement with a digital repository project and cooperative purchasing of electronic resources.