In this document library and information community is used to refer collectively to the diverse group of organisations and agencies responsible for the creation and supply of information services and products to end users. It includes libraries of all types, commercial and non-commercial information providers , publishers of electronic and print materials, booksellers, campus and network user support services and others. Networking is used to refer to the network connectivity services available to the community and to the information services, communication and cooperative arrangements they enable.
Networking is one of the most important issues currently facing the library and information community. The convergence of computing and communications technology is affecting the creation, management and use of information in ways not witnessed since the introduction of printing with movable type.
Librarians are among those foremost in recognising the tremendous opportunities offered by networking for revolutionising the provision of information. As this provision moves progressively from local to national and global levels, access is widened and conditions created for developing significantly more effective and efficient services.
Networks empower the end-user. The evolution of a range of integrated information services, incorporating new forms of electronic publication, anticipates the 'virtual library' where materials can be retrieved directly at the user's workstation without constraints on location, or time of day.
If the full benefits of networked library and information provision are to be achieved there is a need for a strategy which ensures that the process is co-ordinated, optimised and funded. An effective national policy for library and information networking should result in a planned infrastructure, both for the physical network and for the services which run on it. This infrastructure must not only enable maximum functionality today, but ease the development of tomorrow's new networked information services. Policy makers in the United Kingdom at all levels need to recognise the national, economic and cultural imperatives of investing in this infrastructure. This is essential if the UK is not to lose out internationally in terms of industrial competitiveness, scientific research, education and scholarship.
The library and information community is very diverse and networking is a complex area involving numerous organisations and individuals, but the 'key issues' are of importance to all if a coherent national information networking policy is to result. The problems associated with developing such a policy are as much economic, legal, political and social as they are technical.
The library and information community cannot implement a strategic plan on its own. At each stage it must look for people prepared to listen and with power to take decisions. This statement of 'key issues' is intended to encourage listening and provide a stimulus to action!
There is an urgent need to improve awareness and understanding of the nature, applications and impact of networking and how it can be used to extend information provision and library operations and services.
Proper understanding of the issues involved is an essential prerequisite for the implementation of an effective national policy. This need relates not only to senior library managers, but also to policy makers, funding agencies and the wider community.
In the UK there is a growing but insufficient awareness of what can be achieved using networks. Senior library managers must accept that they have a major responsibility in this area or face the possibility of being overtaken by events. One of the best ways of raising awareness is to encourage and enable the provision of services that clearly demonstrate the benefits of network applications.
The energies and skills of all relevant organisations must be positively encouraged and co-ordinated in order to increase knowledge and understanding of information networking nationally.
UK library and information networking requires a coherent national policy and planned investment, with government and the public and private sectors working together in a positive fashion.
Libraries are traditionally considered within a context defined by such words as 'arts', 'culture', 'education', 'heritage', 'recreation'; however libraries' resources and librarians' information handling experience are also very relevant to the process of wealth creation and to the national economy. This fact is already recognised by many of the UK's overseas competitors. The Commission of the European Communities (CEC) has made it clear through its various programmes that it also regards library and information networking to be of prime importance to Europe.
The UK has never had an official national information policy. Economic realities now mean that such a policy needs serious consideration. Increasingly it is those with the commercial power in the field who will control development in service provision. This may not always be in the national interest. Money, though a vital resource, is not the only one needed. Other important factors are clear vision, expertise, good management and not least, enthusiasm. Much of the driving force behind present information networking developments have resulted from the voluntary effort of dedicated individuals. This enthusiasm must continue to be harnessed.
The UK is fortunate in having a single highly effective and reliable nationally funded nationwide academic and research network in JANET (Joint Academic Network). When JANET is upgraded by SuperJANET the UK will be provided with a powerful high capacity network capable of supporting voice, video and data communications in an integrated fashion.
While some movement towards opening JANET to a wider community is happening, current official policy still places constraints on non-academic/research membership. JANET is being developed so that it could be used more widely. but a major resource question which needs to be addressed urgently is how these developments should be progressed and funded.
There is a need for:
Different sectors of the information community have different types and levels of network access, different priorities and expectations, different roles, and different sources of funding. Several groups now exist, and more are forming, to promote the interests of various of these overlapping sectors. A means is required whereby the specific interests of these groups are recognised, while ensuring maximum relevant participation in areas of common interest. This especially relates to the development of standards and to representational and lobbying activity.
Ways must be found to make certain that the interests of all sectors of the library and information community are represented - public, academic, government, special libraries and bibliographic and other agencies, as well as creators of information.
Standards must be implemented if the full potential of library and information networking is to be realised.
Implementation of standards is central to making possible a flow of information in the new information cycle between the range of information providers and the end-users. Widespread interworking between systems must be the goal.
The following requirements have been identified:
Effective use of the large range of information databases, publications and services available on the networks nationally and internationally can only be achieved by the development of standard network tools.
The complexity of the networks and the information resources available on them results in a situation which can be compared to attempting to find items in a huge library without staff, catalogues, indexes and guiding.
To develop a genuine 'information infrastructure' it is not enough just to have the information and the connectivity provided by the physical network. 'Tools' are needed to: find the information, provide access in a uniform way to the variety of services offered, and facilitate easy interaction with them.
The principal 'tools' required are:
These 'tools' must be developed using appropriate standards.
Networking strategy should extend the concept of resource sharing beyond interlending, or collection development, to the provision of unified sets of services across groups of libraries with users offered integrated access to distributed resources.
Interlending and document delivery have been the most visible resource sharing activities but, though so important, only account for a relatively small proportion of total library transactions nationally. Networking enables cooperation and partnerships between the various types of library and information provider to flourish at all levels.
Library and information services are faced with economic constraints while having increasingly sophisticated user populations with heightened expectations of the information and services which should be provided to meet their requirements. Both academic and public libraries are having to find new ways of meeting the demands placed on them by major changes in the education system. These include expansion of student numbers in higher education; the development of distance and client centred learning and greater reliance on course work within secondary education.
Network users of all types will want information and documents delivered directly to them. There is a need to consider distributed models such as those in France and the USA rather than concentrating only on a centralised solution.
The need to capitalise on existing investment in libraries in order to meet increased demand, with the same or diminishing resources, means that it is imperative to exploit networking of distributed resources to the full. This is leading to a breaking down of geographical and sectoral boundaries. A particular consequence of this is that the problems of charging, accounting and authentication of remote users need to be addressed with urgency.
The networking role of the national libraries, especially the British Library, needs to be defined.
The national libraries will continue to share a major responsibility for collection building although networking provides a means to devolve some collection responsibilities to other libraries. Networking should result in an increase in the number of remote users of the national collections, making them more truly national, and enabling the information to be more accessible to researchers of all kinds. The use of networking to exploit the resources held more fully could, in due course, be a significant factor in meeting increased demands, especially from the expanded higher education sector. The British Library in particular has a valuable contribution to make in this regard.
The national libraries in common with other libraries will need to develop greatly improved methods of document and information delivery.
The new networking context will mean that the national libraries will need to share responsibilities with other libraries as 'partners' as much as 'leaders'.
The rights of the creators, publishers and users of the information available on the networks need effective management and fair legal protection.
Without effective management and fair protection networking will fail to achieve its full potential.
There is an increasing demand, especially in scientific and industrial research, for more speedy and effective delivery of newly published information, together with the guides and indexes to it. At the same time soaring costs mean that libraries are forced to cut back on the purchase, binding and storage of serials. The result is that electronic document delivery is becoming an ever more attractive proposition.
More and more datasets, and commercially produced indexes, directories and guides to published information are being mounted on the networks. In addition the use of networks is having an impact on traditional publishing activities. An increasing number of publications is appearing both in traditional and electronic form. 'Network publishing' can provide both the opportunity for on-demand publishing for the delivery of individual articles, and for the publication of whole journals which need never appear in hard-copy.
Electronic document delivery services and network publishing have significant economic implications for authors, publishers and libraries and raise major copyright and licensing issues which must be resolved. In the case of users the costs of networked information could well create a situation where access to it is narrowed rather than broadened unless stable and predictable charges can be established.
Discussion should take place at the earliest opportunity with those bodies addressing the above problems nationally and internationally.
There must be full understanding of the impact of European Commission policy on the development of library and information networking in the UK.
Europe's goal of strengthening its information resources and industry in relation to the United States and Japan and the CEC's commitment to the ISO Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) protocols have major implications for the UK library and information community.
Networks span the world. International standards are of central importance, but at present there is divergence between the United States and Europe. Full migration to the OSI protocols is the eventual aim, but librarians, information specialists and others face the practical problems of having to make decisions using the protocols and products which are available to them. The proposed user education initiative to create greater awareness of the standards that affect libraries must pay particular reference to the implications of European legislation on procurement.
There is considerable activity in Europe with regard to IT, networking and the development of a European information infrastructure. A number of members of the UK library and information community are already participating and playing a leading role in this work, but it is also very important that a coherent view be presented to the rest of Europe of what is happening in the UK.
Librarians and information specialists need to explore their role as mediators of networked information on behalf of end-users. The professional associations have a major responsibility in this connection.
All levels of staff require a programme of continuing education and training.
Entrants to the profession must have curricula which are relevant to the new directions of the management of libraries and information services.
The strong tradition in UK libraries is for library services to be based on local holdings. Increasingly, however, networked information is being delivered and services made available direct to end-users without the need for intermediaries; nevertheless, many end-users will still require help and instruction and training in information navigation skills. The technical skills of future librarians will have to be considerably greater than they are today. It is important that the information handling expertise they possess is not wasted and that they play a key role in this area. Failure to recognise their special contribution would be detrimental to the whole information infrastructure.
'Technical knowledge' is used above, not in the narrow technological sense, but meaning full knowledge and understanding of how the new networked library and information facilities can best be exploited. In addition, there must be no ignorance of the implications for the resourcing and maintenance of those traditional services which will continue for many years.
Departments of library and information studies must fully understand the significance of networking to libraries, information services and their users and be aware of the vital importance of standards and information resource issues. Departments should be encouraged in and assisted with research and curriculum development. The British Library Research and Development Department has a major role to play in supporting research that underpins the growth and development of education and training.
The UK Office for Library Networking (UKOLN) was established in November 1989 by the British Library R&D Department to work in association with the Centre for Bibliographic Management at the University of Bath.
In December 1990 UKOLN announced as its primary goal for 1991/1992 the development of a coherent strategy for the effective use by the UK library and information community of the national and international computer and telecommunications network infrastructure for the provision of services. The principal means for achieving this goal were:
The topics of the six Workshops were: 'Networking and the Bibliographic Record' 'Networking and Public Libraries', 'Network Publishing', 'Networking and Resource Sharing', Network Resource Guides and Access Tools', and 'Library Systems and Networking'. These Workshops produced 'recommendations' on many of which action has already been taken, either by UKOLN, or by other interested players and some significant initiatives have resulted. Further information can be obtained by contacting:
UKOLN Tel:0225 826580 The Library Fax:0225 826838 University of Bath email:ukoln@bath.ac.uk Claverton Down BATH BA2 7AY
This statement of key issues has been developed from the Workshop recommendations, the National Conference papers, and associated discussions. In addition the views of the members of UKOLN's Steering Committee and the Workshop planning teams have been influential in prioritising the issues and developing particular emphases. The preparation of the document has been a cooperative exercise and, therefore, individual attributions for views quoted have not been given. UKOLN is grateful for the considerable support and encouragement which has been received from all concerned.
Issued January 1993