Transforming Knowledge Services for the Digital Age Redefining the Research Library Peter R. Young Director National Agricultural Library ▓ ▓ ▓ Wageningen, Netherlands 21 February 2008 …advancing access to global information for agriculture…

Redefining the Research Library Outline Introduction Transformative Trends –E-Science & Agriculture Global Challenges –Knowledge Services Transition Challenges Digital Research Library Vision

Introduction Thanks to Joke Webbink for inviting me It is a pleasure to visit the Wageningen Library National Agricultural Library: –Serves both USDA and USA –3.8M item collections –265 staff –7 Information Centers –90M annual transactions –Digital transition

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Transformative Trends E-Science and Agriculture Inter-related global challenges Team-based research Inter/multi/trans-disciplinary Data intensive Multi-source channels Knowledge Services Custom personalized Comprehensive Integrated Research Libraries Integrated services Cyberinfrastructure Digital archival, preservation, & curatorial services

Global Challenges Global climate change research Renewable energy alternatives Access to clean water & sanitation Water resource management Animal & human infectious diseases Treatment & prevention Human nutrition Food quality, availability, & safety

Renewable Energy & Food Food, fiber, feed, and fuel –FAO Food Price Index +37% in 2007 Demand for biofuels - tension –Developing nations demand more protein –Widening gap between rich and poor nations Competition & demand for edible & cooking oils increasing

Renewable Energy & Food Global meat demand increase Assembly-line meat factories –High energy consumption –Water pollution problems –Greenhouse gases generated –Corn and grain for feed Total world meat supply –71 million tons in 1961 –284 million tons in 2007 Demand to double by 2050

Inter-disciplinary & team-based –Multi-sector partnerships Technology intensive (E-Science) –Modeling & visualization –Application & method driven –Instrumentation intensive –Large-scale data accumulation Accelerating discovery cycles Focus on capturing processes, not just outputs and outcomes Shared use of resources and results Scientific Research - Trends

Knowledge Services Transition Challenges Search & Discovery Tools Knowledge Content Resources Knowledge Services Transformational Opportunities

Search & Discovery Tools Print Standard index- abstracts Local resource collection Catalog and indices General-use generic tools Libraries as gate- keepers Standard authorities Format-specific Digital Portals & crawlers Linked content Integrated formats Object clusters Discipline specific tools Cross-domain search –browse-able taxonomies –federated search Format agnostic

Content Resources Print Publisher acquired Tangible collections Bibliographic control Fixed editions/titles Collection centric Preservation Facility infrastructure Well-established usage patterns Digital Intangible born-digital Complex objects Non-place specific Fluid and transitory –Dynamic objects Content is king Multi-media formats Metadata registry –Persistent metadata Article-level publishing

Knowledge Services Print Standard text-based Reactive Custodial Generic services –Reference service –Lending service Subscription-based services Private readers Digital Multi/mixed-format Custom services –Consultation –Alerts (Push) – & chat reference Unmediated services –User tracking & monitoring Licensed access –Pay-per-use pricing –Subscription licenses –Digital rights management and protection Multi-source providers –Open source –Competitive offerings

Transformational Opportunities Visible Inspiring Innovative Dynamic Self-Initiating Integrated Convergent Globally accessible Virtual Customer-Centric (CRM) Highly respected & recognized leader Transformational Evolutionary Diverse Awakening Fulfilling Well organized/coordinated Cooperative Premier Enterprising Comprehensive Authoritative, trusted, reliable Openly communicating Culturally significant Diverse support sources Research intensive Responsible costs Interoperative & Connected

Digital Research Library Vision Personal Learning Landscape (Elgg) Web 2.0 Meme Map Web Trends Digital Community Development tools –You Tube –Face Book –Library Thing –Twine It

Digital Age Context

Web Trends Increasing use: fastest growth = non-US –Increased vulnerabilities Broadband increase Improving search functionality Web 2.0 application adoption Software as service Web-enabled portable devices Cloud computing –Microsoft, Amazon Simple DB, Google Computers as customers

Digital Community Development Tools Customized link services & references –“If you liked this…” –Niche community development –69 million visitors Facebook visitors 29 million uses per day 392 million installations –206 million unique You Tube visitors 21 billion minutes Implications of social networking Web 2.0 for Research Libraries

Transformational Changes? Why do libraries need to catalog and create metadata records? –Why not use social networking tools to provide tags? Why worry about access and demand when Google Scholar and Books are so popular? –Why should we be concerned about preservation and stewardship of archival digital content? Will research libraries be marginalized, or is a new paradigm emerging?

Digital Research Library Cyber-Infrastructure Challenges Supercomputer simulations of complex systems require multidisciplinary expertise, computational models & data Enormous data streams from smart sensor arrays Increased power of data mining Data validation and metadata quality enhancement over time Digital archiving and preservation

Global Cyber-Infrastructure Digital Research Library Roles Global cyberinfrastructure (CI) can become a platform for routine, effective distance-independent activities of knowledge communities World-scale collaborative teams can be common place Cyberinfrastructure offers new options for what is done, how it is done, and who participates The digital library community has made large contributions to creating this vision We now have the opportunity (and responsibility) to help make it real

Digital Research Library Vision Online access to complete credentialled, archival literature Stewardship and curation services for enormous collections of scientific data Digital repositories for diverse digital objects as instructional material and works in progress Digitized special collections More continuous (vs. batch) & open forms of scholarly communication Individual and community customization information services