Local services and Community Memory: knowledge sharing and policy support Let’s map the future 28 February 2003 Rob Davies MDR Partners

PULMAN: Public Libraries Mobilising Advanced Networks IST FP5 Thematic Network (May May 2003) Strengthen performance, achieve potential of public libraries in new economic, social and cultural roles Spread strategic initiatives across Europe –Develop cross-domain and cross-sectoral agendas for local services Exchange knowledge, experience, good practice –Promote digital services and best practice centres

PULMAN Target Audiences PULMAN    Practitioners  Policymakers   Local cultural services (Museums and archives)

The E XT ended PULMAN Network

PULMAN activities Guidelines on digital services (25 languages) –social policy, management, technical (second edition) Consensus-building –36 national workshops (autumn 2002): participants –European level workshop Policy Conference, Oeiras, Portugal, 13/14 March 2003 Ministers, policy makers, senior practitioners Human network: country co-ordinators/‘support groups’ Training attachments at centres of excellence Dissemination: PULMANWeb –country contacts, profiles,newsletter, news, links,registry of distance learning materials, guidelines

PULMAN Manifesto

e-Europe 2005 priorities and local cultural services Modern public services –e-government, e-learning, e-health –interactive –broadband –multiple platforms e-inclusion - ‘an Information Society for All’ –digital skills/lifelong learning –public and domestic access points –special needs –remote areas Applications and content –local content creation and service design

Where local cultural institutions stand: achievements Knowledge of user requirements Physical focus Very large existing usage –eg public libraries c 190 million in 36 countries Skills - local instititutions have or can be developed Tradition of supporting access to information content Progress in many EU countries in: –introducing digital services –educational role and learning support –allowing citizens to have hands-on access (eg PIAPs)

Where local cultural institutions stand: challenges Delivery institutions and services need faster change/reingineering in response to changing user needs Continuing disparities between countries –national and local strategies, programmes and funding nb enlargement agenda –cross domain policy making and partnerships –extent of digitisation of local content –ease and relative cost of technology integration –local archives need greater support

Community Memory - local services agenda (1) Broader local services partnerships to deliver e-Europe –libraries, museums and archives at local/regional level –education sector/children –voluntary sector/NGOs/ community information and advice –economic sector (eg cultural tourism) Friendly on-line services to meet user needs –accessible - ‘Heritage for All’ approach –help unlock, disclose, make accessible local digital content –help individuals and organisations create content –sense of localisation/personal engagement vs globalisation –link up present and past

Community Memory - local services agenda (2) Socio-economic and technical environment –understanding or mapping communities and their needs –public/private partnership –role of software/telecoms/integrators: real web services? Policy agenda for local services –level playing field within CH sector eg local archives –benchmarking, co-ordination of policy: measure impact –develop LIB-ECON database : cross-domain, electronic –enlargement and international co-operation eg building on PULMAN-XT, CULTIVATE-Russia

Technical agenda: view from early 2003 Highly-automated content creation and digitisation Personalisation of content creation and access Audiovisual/multimedia content creation/delivery –help local institutions exploit broadband Seamless interactive access to local resources –wider cross-sectoral interoperability, local/ national Usability –Interfaces –Access through non-computer channels, mobile, digital tv Use of emerging semantic web technologies –resource creation, discovery, retrieval, preservation

Preparatory action required? Knowledge and consensus building –better understanding: what’s happening across Europe inc policies –standards and approaches to digitisation, preservation, services –translate best research applications to local services –guidelines, best practice, local centres of excellence Encourage/assist wider local takeup of innovation –pilot services, reingineering experiments, build on TRIS Connect IST outcomes with national/structural funds and objectives for local services –training programmes

PULMANWeb