1. NET SERVICES AND PUBLIC LIBRARIES TODAY

Definitions 

• information 

• home page 
  • Lake Placid Public Library (US)

• services or service oriented
  • Timmins Public Library (CA)
  • Trondheim Public Library (NO)
  • Cornwall County Library (UK)
  • Salisbury Public Library (AU)
  • Internet Public Library (US)

Electronic services and factual  information

• online  
  • how can I use the library's services from home / school / work?
• in the library 
  • what can I do there
  • what's going on?
• new terminolgy
• traditional approach

Mogens: what is most important is that the site keeps the user interested, curious, and that there are no other distractions. The group thinks that there will always be both factual information and electronic services on the site (reflecting the hybrid library).

Restriction or freedom for the library's internet site 

• restriction by local council portal/domain
  • Andøy Public Library (NO)
• own domain
  • Levanger Public Library (NO)
• freedom to be a library!
  • Vejle Public Library (DK)

• wide understanding of books, literature in society, documentation
• specialists in organising access to information 
• specialists is providing choice!
• clear role in society
• skills that are understood

The group agreed strongly that the content of the library's net site must be formed by librarians working in the field.

Are small and large libraries equal?
Are small libraries being left behind?

An anomaly

• Physically small, digitally large

Expectations

• internet equalises
• same legislation
• decentralised access to quality
• promise of seamless access 

• access to own printed/digital resources : small catalogue
• reduced ability to finance end-product information
• reduced ability to redeploy personnel
• difficulty updating a small staff

Marge: the staff are often few in small libraries in Estonia, and sometimes nobody has an understanding of information technology. The state is helping. Päivi: it has been time-consuming training staff in small libraries, but the group remarked that in several countries (Slovenia, Finland, Denmark) the state has been active here, for example net-based IT courses for library staff.

Alternatives being considered 

• Editor sharing
• Maintenance sharing
• Consortium agreements

Mogens: Consortium agreements widely used in Denmark. Päivi: Alle Finnish information sources are free. Foreign sources are negociated by the state and distributed to the region and then the local library, costs being shared at all levels. The EU directive about access only to electronic books in own library is a problem.

Goals for small libraries

• own interface
• seamless access
• equal access for all users

Even though members in the group came from so varied institutions as the state, large libraries and small libraries, all agreed on these points for small libraries. After all, the internet by nature gives everyone equal access.

Changes in relationships 

• The library system

• co-operation leads inevitably to development
• development inevitably generates modernisation
  • parallel net service development
  • sharing skilled staff
    • need for structured co-operation between local, regional, national libraries
      • need a climate for cross level working

Päivi: About 80 % of Finnish libraries have regrouped into subregions of about 10 libraries. Not the same boundaries as county or region. This has led to good co-operation that has benefited small libraries. Mogens: Silkeborg library now has to find solutions for 4-5 neighbouring municipalities as result of local government reorganising, reducing the number of local councils from roughly 250 to 100. Darja: Now all public libraries in Slovenia (2,02 m. inhab.) share one catalogue. The group agreed that co-operation is more important now than ever before for small libraries, and that some force is necessary. All agreed that the ultimate responsibilty lies with the state.  Members from Slovenia, Denmark and Finland agreed that co-opertion with national services has increased dramatically.

• contributing to goals in the community
  • workforce / the cornerstone company and information access
  • good place to live
  • proven use of new technology
  • attract the young
  • stem depopulation

measuring the users' needs:

• the hybrid library
• span between the ultra-cyber and the ultra-typographic 

Marge: What young people want is forcing changes.                   Irena: We are working on a net-based activity workshop for children in Slovenia Mogens: There is a great interest in self-service. Remote control for book location/shelf placing not suitable for small libraries. Radio frequency tags instead of barcodes. The group thinks that there will always be both factual information and electronic services on the site (reflecting the hybrid library).

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