Editorial

Citation

Ashcroft, L. (2005), "Editorial", New Library World, Vol. 106 No. 5/6. https://doi.org/10.1108/nlw.2005.072106eaa.001

Editorial

The Digital Library Federation has been proactive in coordinating efforts to define requirements and suggest solutions for electronic resource management. Electronic resource management has become increasingly complex and challenging in light of the amazing growth of electronic collections and the increasingly central role they are playing in libraries, the large budgets involved in acquisition, the endless variation in packages offered by hundreds of players in the market, frequent changes in business models and the a lack of automated tools to deal with the complexity of electronic resource management. The Digital Library Federation Electronic Resource Management Initiative has led the way in scoping the requirements for developing new tools and has provided the community with an appropriate data model and set of specifications. The article by Sadeh and Ellingsen provides an overview of the trends and standards in electronic resource management. It examines the challenges brought about by the rapid growth of electronic resources and the complexity of managing e-collections. The authors deal with this highly topical issue in a clear manner, uncluttered by technical jargon. Their article portrays the scope and functionality of electronic resource management systems, both in the context of management and in aiding collection development decisions, and describes the collaborative process through which one vendor, Ex Libris, developed its Verde system.

The Public Library Buildings awards (run by CILIP’s Public Libraries Group) have been revamped. There are four new categories which focus on key areas of practice rather than size of library. They are:

1. 1.

   “Partnership” – new libraries built or refurbished in partnership with other agencies;

2. 2.

   “Architect Meets Practicality” – new/refurbished libraries of significant architectural interest but also practical and user-friendly;

3. 3.

   “Interior Design” – new/refurbished libraries that effectively combine light, space, people movement, colour and design; and

4. 4.

   “Heart of the Community” – new/refurbished libraries designed to enhance, regenerate and/or tackle social inclusion, and/or innovative service delivery deriving from this.

The article by Xia focuses on aspects of interior design. Questioning whether traditional study layout needs to be revisited in light of the changing landscape of library services with the expansion of electronic resources, this research uses Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to analyze data observed in a university library over a period of time. It identifies the changing preferences for study space which can assist the management and planning of library spaces.

The Whatcom County Rural Library District, Washington is fighting a subpoena to force it to disclose names and addresses of people who borrowed the book Bin Laden: The Man Who Declared War on America. When an unnamed library user found a passage that could raise concern handwritten in the margin of the book, he/she contacted the FBI. The FBI asked for more information on the book. The library’s policy is not to release details of user records, as it argues that the information is constitutionally protected. This is just one of a growing number of legal challenges to the Patriot Act and other anti-terrorism policies. Winston’s article addresses the need for ethical and informed leadership in professions in general and in library and information science in particular. He notes that attributes needed by leaders relate to effective decision making, such as exhibiting good judgement, making tough decisions and exhibiting integrity. He highlights the need for a greater focus on ethics in educational programs to prepare future graduates for the ethical challenges they will face, concluding that there is need for a multi-pronged approach in order to ensure a well-developed understanding of ethical issues among those in the profession.

Information literacy was the theme for the Presidential year of Sheila Corrall, the first President of CILIP in 2002. She called a meeting at the end of her year in which experts and practitioners concluded that the term was not used or understood consistently across all sectors in the UK. Many differing definitions can be found, but CILIP’s definition is “Information literacy is knowing when and why you need information, where to find it, and how to evaluate, use and communicate it in an ethical manner”. Another recent definition originated in the Unesco-sponsored meeting of experts on Information Literacy in Prague (the Prague Declaration): “Information Literacy encompasses knowledge of one’s information concerns and needs, and the ability to identify, locate, evaluate, organize and effectively create, use and communicate information to address issues or problems at hand; it is a prerequisite for participating effectively in the Information Society, and is part of the basic human right of life long learning”. In his article, Agee considers concerns regarding basic literacy, aliteracy and lifelong learning. He discusses the situation involved in a lack of ability to read, write or reason resulting in limited capacity for successfully engaging in technology or future lifelong learning. This is also placed in the context of how marginalised groups are unable to participate fully in their societies. He concludes that librarians who encourage development of reading and writing can make significant contributions to the profession, local cultures and the global community.

With new deals struck by the National Library for the Blind (NLB), more books that hit the headlines will be available to people with visual impairment. In 2004, instant access for people with visual impairment was provided to all six winners of the Dagger awards from the Crime Writers Association (CWA) due to an initiative between the NLB, CWA and the Foyle Foundation. The books were produced in Braille and will now be converted into other formats such as audio and large print. Fewer than five per cent of books in the UK are ever produced in formats usable by people with visual impairment. NLB says that this is because charities with limited resources are the main providers of books for visually impaired people, and NLB is calling on UK publishers to work collaboratively with charities to increase the numbers. In her article, Todaro focuses on the current status of library services for visually impaired people in Argentina. She provides an interesting account of such services in Argentina, and findings of her research suggest that the libraries surveyed could improve their services for visually handicapped people, and that a new model of service should be considered.

Provision of information to communities is taking innovative forms. Islington has been successful with a simple idea of providing mini-libraries in convenient places. The mini-libraries are housed in the community centres of Islington’s six largest housing estates. Openings coincide with evening bingo sessions, youth clubs, etc. The venues are very relaxed, drop-in environments with friendly staff – and they offer readers a say in what they want the library to stock. When a Merton branch library was closed for refurbishment, the stock (all rather shabby) was shelved in the waiting room of the local station. This was not staffed, but a notice invited passengers to return the books or not, as they wished. The results have gone beyond all expectations by attracting classic non-users – and graffiti and other vandalism at the station has almost vanished. Tran considers a different aspect of community information in her article. She discusses her research into how community information networks (CINs) are used by public libraries in New Zealand and key factors in adoption of the internet for CINs. A case study approach is taken to explore the application of a particular theory to the diffusion of CINs. Conclusions include discussion of influencing factors on CIN development and areas which require further research.

Linda Ashcroft