Our electronic future: key issues

1
Our electronic future key issues developments
for ICT in Public Libraries and their impact on
children

• Penny Garrod
• UKOLN
• University of Bath
• Bath, BA2 7AY

Email p.garrod_at_ukoln.ac.uk URL http//www.ukoln.ac
.uk/
2
UKOLN

• national focus of expertise in digital
  information management
• based at the University of Bath
• funded by
• JISC (Joint Information Systems Committee Higher
  Further Education sector)
• Resource The Council for Museums, Archives and
  Libraries
• plus project funding (e.g. EU and JISC)
• around 27 staff
• carries out applied research (e.g. in metadata),
  software development and provides policy and
  advisory services

3
ICT in UK public libraries focusing on young
users

• Key Questions for librarians
• What do todays children and young people want
  from libraries?
• What are their expectations?
• What sort of services should libraries be
  providing?
• What do they actually need?
• How can libraries link in with schools, social
  services and all the other agencies dealing with
  children?
• How can libraries attract and retain children
  and young people?
• Can/should public libraries collaborate with
  private sector ethical issues money needed to
  sustain and develop services public libraries
  offer free services.

4
UK children creating library services to meet
their needs and expectations

• Children are increasingly consumer oriented and
  materialistic
• Their worlds revolve around popular culture TV
  pop and football stars films, computer games
  etc.
• They like and use modern technology its
  cool (82 of 14-16 year olds own mobile
  phones) use games computers
• They like the Internet and interactive media
• Many have poor literacy skills and find reading
  difficult and books boring

5
What do children need?

• Help with literacy, numeracy and ICT skills
• develop information literacy/ research skills
  foster inquiring minds
• encourage reading and promote books as relevant
  to their lives libraries as places to hang out
  with friends and use ICT
• develop the creative imagination thinking
  skills
• motivate them to learn and to experiment with
  books, the Internet and multimedia
• ?Can ICT in libraries help with these?

6
Learning from the best examples of good practice
Library Websites Portal approach developed
designed specifically for children young people
links to quality assured educational resources
pre-selected sites
Interactive features
Quizzes and games Submit book reviews Links to
other library materials videos, DVDs, CDs etc
..
Publicise homework clubs out of school activities
filtering software has limitations
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Examples of good practice

• Web-based services
• Treasure Island UKOLN 1997 pilot for Stories from
  the Web
• Stories from the Web Birmingham Libraries
  (website clubs)
• Library web sites
• Suffolk County Council childrens Book Zone
  fun sites links and activities
• Hillingdon - links include National Grid for
  Learning approved site e.g. Dots Den
• Nottinghamshire Libraries builds on young
  childrens interests

8
Treasure Island the website
http//www.ukoln.ac.uk/services/treasure
/
9
One of three Treasure Island activities
10
Stories from the Web
http//www.storiesfromtheweb.org/index.htm
11
Suffolk County Council - Cyberlibrary for children
12
London Borough of Hillingdon
13
Nottingham childrens page
http//www.nottscc.gov.uk/libraries/
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ICT in Libraries possible future scenarios?

• 3rd generation mobile phones PDAs converged
  technologies
• Ebooks graphic books key school texts
• Virtual libraries focus on websites and
• e-learning - less on buildings and bookstock
• Web sites increasingly adopt commercial models
  e.g. Amazon
• Shared Information Environment schools, museums,
  libraries, colleges, health social services
  retail media share resources work in
  partnership. (public sector ethos versus
  consumerism?)

15
Conclusions

• ICT represents opportunity to capture hearts and
  minds of young people and make libraries relevant
  to their lives
• Reading and literacy harness interactive
  capability of the Internet to encourage children
  to read and improve literacy and information
  skills
• 21st century children have high expectations
  based on consumer models and are happy using
  modern technology
• Examples of good practice but not widespread
  invest in children- they are the future
• Any Questions?