Report: The Future of Research and the Research Library
Panlibus has an excellent summary of the recently published, "The Future of Research and the Research Library," report from the Denmark’s Electronic Research Library (DEFF).
Sarah Bartlett writes,
It’s ambitious [the report]. Very ambitious. It’s also universal in its scope – only occasionally delving into Denmark-specific structures and scenarios.
Essentially, the report seeks to answer the following questions:
+ Does the research library have a future?
+ What future roles are open to the research library?
+ Would a roadmap be useful?
[Snip]
By and large, this isn’t an easy read. It’s highly theoretical and enormously broad as I’ve said. However, the report does present a very digestible history of the research library. Space constraints preclude even an attempt to do this justice, but what I will say is that it clarified in my mind many unanswered questions about how precisely the research library model has been disrupted.
[Snip]
The other interesting thing about the historical narrative of this report is that it presents a degree of historical continuum in the relationship between the research library and more focused problem-driven innovative activities in the broader economy.
Again, Bartlett's summary post on Panlibus is nothing short of "in-depth" and we've selected only a few paragraphs.
The full text of the complete report is available online.
The research library has several types of users and usage. Some are directly aware of the functions of the library, but increasingly libraries have users that are not aware of the functions of the library. The researcher reading papers in an e-journal, access to which is provided by a library, is not necessarily noticing the essential function of the library. Indirect usage is also important when a function is performed based essentially on knowledge and information provided through the available services of a research library.
Sources: Panlibus, Denmark’s Electronic Research Library (DEFF).
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