Library leaders on digital libraries and the future of the research library

Abstract

This panel presents perspectives from a group of research library leaders on the evolving relationships between the body of systems, services and technologies associated with digital libraries and the institution of the research library. Four panelists and the moderator will consider many questions, including whether libraries are being too timid or overly aggressive in engaging the world of digital libraries; the extent to which digital library technologies may threaten the future of the research library; and how changes in the practices of science and scholarship due to information technology and digital content will help shape the future of the research library and the integration of digital library technologies. We will also examine the possible roles of research libraries in helping to make digital library projects sustainable. The panel will also include time for questions from the audience.

Some Features of Developing Electronic Libraries

“…The libraries should tackle the problem of lack of unified access to electronic resources, should evaluate their reliability and relevance, which will dramatically increase the quality of information services. Experts tend to include the following features that characterize the effectiveness of electronic libraries [9]:  book collection maintenance and the use of the machine-readable copies of the documents solve the main library problem by preventing the deterioration of their original;  information requests of the library users are fully satisfied, and a user gets the information whenever and wherever;  the efficiency of presenting the required document and information to the users is significantly increasing;  new image of the library offering information in non-traditional media is formed, and the significance of the library performance is increasing;  the information culture of the readers, library staff and their computer literacy rate is rising, and it is of great importance as the highly information cultured man can be more easily oriented in constantly changing environment and is not afraid of innovations and changes;  multimedia devices presenting text, audio and video data enable to better understand the materials, so that the information is accepted as a whole, that is, by numerous senses at the same time.…”