While we were working on the development of international library buildings, we visited the Bibliotheca Alexandria, where the Internet Archive had created a partnership. They were working on the development of digital libraries with Egyptians digitizing knowledge resources. They were ahead of their time. They had established a strong relationship with the future, which started with a digitization program.
I recently met the Internet Archives representatives about their open libraries project and found it fascinating, an initiative that channeled digital scholarship to a world-wide audience. It also echoed my own desire to create libraries in unexpected places and build services that they didn’t know existed. Visit Aaron Cohen Associates, LTD
Visionaries in Library Science
Shiyali Ramainrita (S. R.) Ranganathan, who influenced many library professionals, changed the relationships between libraries and books, readers and services. When I think about his advice that the Library is a growing organism and every reader needs pathways to scholarly resources; it is a good foundation to begin work.
Five Laws of Library Science
1. Books are for use
2. Every reader, his/her book
3. Every book, its reader
4. Save the time of the reader
5. The Library is a growing organism
Books are for Use
In the twenty first century, with the ever increasing importance of sharing knowledge, countless, diverse connections arise through the development of institutional repositories. We are following the developments of the Digital Services, because Libraries – as aids, are a source for inspiration.
We need to make sure collections are accessible. Through controlled digital lending services – libraries can reassert their place in the scholars world. Through Diane Zable and Emily Rimland and Ranganathan, we can prioritize access to provide alternate ways of conceiving knowledge. The library discovery process starts with encouraging the use of a collection. If the materials are online, we need our libraries in the cloud.
Every reader, his/her book
It is often an intuitive attraction to the diversity of library collections, and, in a certain sense to the discovery process. The walls of libraries should be receptive to new resources and research pathways. On the other hand, the libraries need new funding strategies. There is always someone who just says if you need a book can just buy it, but patrons cannot own all the resources they need, nor do they want to. The library collection provides interdisciplinary opportunities for success.
Every book, its reader
Of all the different services libraries provide, I think that the outreach librarian has been neglected. Library outreach is often-overlooked by the community until you need help. The library is a place to make connections and build trust. This can be joining a zoom meeting or a one on one session.
Storytime entails both connecting the child to literacy and educating them about what books can do for them. According to Diane Zable and Emily Rimland, if patrons leave with nothing else but the knowledge that the library can help them, we have done our job and we have taken this third law to heart.
Save the time of the reader
It was our first international library workshop, also my own first collaboration with CILIP, and one of the first library planning workshops in the UK. We met at the University of Manchester and toured the learning commons, learning about the different types of spaces. However, the real innovation was going on behind the scenes, at a digitizing station in the back room.
For Aaron Cohen Associates, LTD, user experience are a reverse obsession that contrasts with the physical library building entrance — how we deliver library services is critical. How we incorporate new types of access through library catalogs using authentication management solutions is critical. The services to support the book as an object and the services to support digital object9s) are more important than ever, and we have always worked on making it easier for the library patron to get what they need fast.
The Library is a growing organism
Looking back at our library planning experiences, it is very clear that curating the library collection is critical to success. Aaron Cohen’s notion that the library should aspire to be a Skillshaus (more on that in the future) or a Collaborative Platform, is echoed in Ranganathan and his work; one does not limit the library solely to the display of books, but provides a myriad of public activities that supports its discovery system.
We need to intellectually and practically invest in the library of the future. Start with the five laws of library science and build from there.
See other Links:
The Library’s Value – Print and Digital Books Endure.
The Economic Value of Library Systems
CONTACT US TO DEVELOP NEXT GENERATION LIBRARIES (PHYSICAL AND DIGITAL)
