From CD to the Internet Phil Bradley Internet Consultant http://www.philb.com

Once upon a time

In a library far, far away… Books chained to a shelf. ( National Geographic , August 1999 edition, p.118.)

Books chained to a shelf. ( National Geographic , August 1999 edition, p.118.)

Books were A valuable resource They could be used to control knowledge To limit access Artefacts in and of themselves Librarians Were gatekeepers to knowledge Arranged and organized information A help and a hindrance

Books were

A valuable resource

They could be used to control knowledge

To limit access

Artefacts in and of themselves

Librarians

Were gatekeepers to knowledge

Arranged and organized information

A help and a hindrance

Online databases

The Rise of CD-ROM It was not due to the cost £500+ for a single drive running at single speed £10,000 for a CD-ROM jukebox It was not due to installation The installation card The cabling The software

It was not due to the cost

£500+ for a single drive running at single speed

£10,000 for a CD-ROM jukebox

It was not due to installation

The installation card

The cabling

The software

Software problems Incompatibilities Assistance “ It’s not my job” Management objections “ It’s new. It’s expensive. It might not work. It might work!” Publishers objections Danger to print products

Software problems

Incompatibilities

Assistance

“ It’s not my job”

Management objections

“ It’s new. It’s expensive. It might not work. It might work!”

Publishers objections

Danger to print products

Different library practices Users needed access to computers They wanted to print things Things would go wrong Different demands were being made Librarians had to learn the basics of technology Opening up computers Installing software Troubleshooting

Different library practices

Users needed access to computers

They wanted to print things

Things would go wrong

Different demands were being made

Librarians had to learn the basics of technology

Opening up computers

Installing software

Troubleshooting

Even more problems CD-ROM products were expensive Really, really expensive Selection criteria? ‘ Knock on’ effect Increase in interlibrary loans Re-organizing online searches Library layout and design

CD-ROM products were expensive

Really, really expensive

Selection criteria?

‘ Knock on’ effect

Increase in interlibrary loans

Re-organizing online searches

Library layout and design

And yet….

http://www.soi.city.ac.uk/informatics/is/drrg/survey95/survey95.html

Reasons for growth Standard format (High Sierra, ISO 9660) Robust Cost per (disc) unit cheap, easy to replace Convenient Increasingly wide variety of titles Easier to use than online Prices continually fell

Standard format (High Sierra, ISO 9660)

Robust

Cost per (disc) unit cheap, easy to replace

Convenient

Increasingly wide variety of titles

Easier to use than online

Prices continually fell

“ Everything in one place”

It made life easier Greater control Better financial planning Ease of use Data became separated from delivery mechanism End users could access data themselves End of the gatekeeper, entrance of the facilitator

Greater control

Better financial planning

Ease of use

Data became separated from delivery mechanism

End users could access data themselves

End of the gatekeeper, entrance of the facilitator

And… Excitement! “ CD-ROM has been the most exciting thing to happen in libraries for years, bringing the power of interactive searching to users and library staff in general, not just a privileged few professionals” Joan Day. ‘Training end-users of CD-ROM’ in CD-ROM in libraries: Management issues. Bowker Saur 1994

Excitement!

“ CD-ROM has been the most exciting thing to happen in libraries for years, bringing the power of interactive searching to users and library staff in general, not just a privileged few professionals”

Joan Day. ‘Training end-users of CD-ROM’ in CD-ROM in libraries: Management issues. Bowker Saur 1994

The beginning of the end … of chained knowledge Everything in the one place, which was the entire library – any computer, any where, any time – the ‘Bacardi of the library’ Process hastened by networking CD-ROM drives

… of chained knowledge

Everything in the one place, which was the entire library – any computer, any where, any time – the ‘Bacardi of the library’

Process hastened by networking CD-ROM drives

Networking Early installations ‘ Multiplatter’ in Charing X Hospital library Polytechnic of Central London Access to information from the desktop No longer necessary to visit the library The possibility of outreach Training end users more important than ever

Early installations

‘ Multiplatter’ in Charing X Hospital library

Polytechnic of Central London

Access to information from the desktop

No longer necessary to visit the library

The possibility of outreach

Training end users more important than ever

Changing roles Facilitator even more important Choosing databases Making them work Training on finding data Outreach! Change in use of the data In an electronic format it could be manipulated and repackaged

Facilitator even more important

Choosing databases

Making them work

Training on finding data

Outreach!

Change in use of the data

In an electronic format it could be manipulated and repackaged

More change Library availability 24/7 Dial-in access Creation of personal databases EndNote Reference Manager End user becomes the publisher

Library availability 24/7

Dial-in access

Creation of personal databases

EndNote

Reference Manager

End user becomes the publisher

Changing costs ‘ Free’ actually made money Decreasing cost of storage space Decreasing cost of CD-ROM drives Publishers seeing old paradigms changing Role of copyright Production of data onto CD-ROM locally

‘ Free’ actually made money

Decreasing cost of storage space

Decreasing cost of CD-ROM drives

Publishers seeing old paradigms changing

Role of copyright

Production of data onto CD-ROM locally

And then… Time for a new challenge Availability of storage space CD-ROM networks change the delivery mechanism CD-ROM becomes the method of data delivery Information becomes even more available

Time for a new challenge

Availability of storage space

CD-ROM networks change the delivery mechanism

CD-ROM becomes the method of data delivery

Information becomes even more available

AND THEN…..

AND THEN…..

The Internet Promised more Slower speed initially Desktop access Knowledge available to everyone Online vendors provide access via the interwebthingie and not by CD-ROM Increased access time makes CD-ROM redundant

Promised more

Slower speed initially

Desktop access

Knowledge available to everyone

Online vendors provide access via the interwebthingie and not by CD-ROM

Increased access time makes CD-ROM redundant

Not forgetting DVD Memory Sticks PDAs Mp3 and video players

DVD

Memory Sticks

PDAs

Mp3 and video players

And moving into… Use of RFID Personalized search engines Mobile access to material Increasing importance of the mobile access device Which you won’t want to lose, so may wish to…

Use of RFID

Personalized search engines

Mobile access to material

Increasing importance of the mobile access device

Which you won’t want to lose, so may wish to…

Chain it up.

Thank you! Phil Bradley, Internet Consultant Website: http://www.philb.com Weblog: http://www.philbradley.typepad.com

Phil Bradley, Internet Consultant

Website: http://www.philb.com

Weblog: http://www.philbradley.typepad.com

Attributions The Time Internet slide from http://www.jmusheneaux.com/03b.htm Shark fin image from http://www.marine.usf.edu/images/sharkfin.jpg Insurance photograph from http://www.pictureit.co.uk/

The Time Internet slide from http://www.jmusheneaux.com/03b.htm

Shark fin image from http://www.marine.usf.edu/images/sharkfin.jpg

Insurance photograph from http://www.pictureit.co.uk/