Coherence and Invisibility: The Library Behind the Curtain

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Coherence and Invisibility The Library Behind
the Curtain
John M. Saylor Director, Engineering
Library jms1_at_cornell.edu
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Coherence and Invisibility- The Library in the Net
John M. Saylor Engineering Library jms1_at_cornell.ed
u 1/28/04
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Coherence and Invisibility the Library in the
networked environment
John M. Saylor Director, Engineering
Library jms1_at_cornell.edu
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Outline -Some Definitions -Some
Questions -Brief History of Libraries -Role
value of the Library -Librarys Social Ethic
-Coherence Invisibility
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Some Definitions
Coherence- the quality of logical connection and
orderly relationship of parts - Vannavars
memex? Invisibility- the quality of not being
perceivable by the eye Scholarly work- a work
that makes no unsupported assertions Intermediary-
a third party who facilitates an interaction
between two other parties
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Outline -Some Definitions -Some
Questions -Brief History of Libraries -Role
value of the Library -Librarys Social Ethic
-Coherence Invisibility
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What is a networked Information System?
Evolutionary perspective digital libraries as
institutions that are the continuation of
libraries (library automation and digitization as
the link between libraries and digital
libraries). Revolutionary perspective technical,
organizational, economic/legal layers on top of
the Web that render existing libraries obsolete.
-lagoze 1/26/04
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Are these Libraries?
http//www.google.com/corporate/today.html
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When you are asked to look up something
relevant to your academic work Where do you go?
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Outline -Some Definitions -Some
Questions -Brief History of Libraries -Role
value of the Library -Librarys Social Ethic
-Coherence Invisibility
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Brief History of Libraries -for over 5000 years
cultures have established libraries whenever
social, political, and economic developments have
enabled them to record and collect knowledge.
Libraries today are products of innovation that
began 150 years ago. -many different kinds of
libraries developed by organizations such as
kingdoms, churches, governments, universities,
public, professional societies. -also other
libraries such as commercial lending libraries,
subscription libraries, and other privately
funded libraries. -All libraries have been and
are defined by their respective funding sources.
-Todays discussion is primarily concerned with
academic/scholarly libraries.
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Outline -Some Definitions -Some
Questions -Brief History of Libraries -Role
value of the Library -Librarys Social Ethic
-Coherence Invisibility
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Core functions of higher education  -
teaching, - research, - dissemination of
knowledge through publication, - preservation
of and access to the scholarly record in
libraries.  -In The Idea of the University A
Reexamination, Jaroslav Pelikan Yale, Prof. Of
History http//www.mellon.org/programs/highered/l
ibraries/Content.htm
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Cornell University Librarys goal to provide
support for the universitys academic priorities
through both the knowledge base we offer in our
collections and the services we provide to the
campus community.
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The Librarys Role
The library is an information service whose
primary role is to add value (increase access) to
information resources for a specified
community. Libraries (along with other cultural
memory organizations) are an essential component
of the nations information infrastructure.
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Librarys Goal - increase value of Information
Objects (IO) Value of IO access value content
value Access value 1/the time it takes to
access the IO (objective) Content value value
of the IO to an individual user at a given time
(subjective)
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Library services add value and provide access by
selecting and then - collecting
(acquisitions), - organizing (cataloging) -
conserving, - preserving, information,
knowledge, evidence, data discourse, and culture.
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Library Services
delivery -acquisition, -circulation,
-ILL, -preservation, -systems mediation
-cataloging, -reference, -collection
development http//campusgw.library.cornell.edu/ B
oth services have enabling technologies
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Outline -Some Definitions -Some
Questions -Brief History of Libraries -Role
value of the Library -Librarys Social Ethic
-Coherence Invisibility
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What is the social ethic, purpose and
objective of the organization (entity) that is
doing the selection?
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What is the social ethic, purpose and
objective of the organization (entity) that is
doing the selection? -Service not
commerce -Access enhancement not revenue
production
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Library Ideology (Traditional) http//www.ala.org/
ala/oif/statementspols/statementsif/librarybillrig
hts.htm
Library Bill of Rights (1949) The American
Library Association affirms that all libraries
are forums for information and ideas, and that
the following basic policies should guide their
services. I. Books and other library resources
should be provided for the interest, information,
and enlightenment of all people of the community
the library serves. Materials should not be
excluded because of the origin, background, or
views of those contributing to their creation.
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Library Ideology (Traditional) http//www.ala.org/
ala/oif/statementspols/statementsif/librarybillrig
hts.htm
-Library Bill of Rights (1949) II. Libraries
should provide materials and information
presenting all points of view on current and
historical issues. Materials should not be
proscribed or removed because of partisan or
doctrinal disapproval.
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Library Ideology (Traditional) http//www.ala.org/
ala/oif/statementspols/statementsif/librarybillrig
hts.htm
-Library Bill of Rights (1949) III. Libraries
should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of
their responsibility to provide information and
enlightenment.
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Library Ideology (Traditional) http//www.ala.org/
ala/oif/statementspols/statementsif/librarybillrig
hts.htm
-Library Bill of Rights (1949) IV. Libraries
should cooperate with all persons and groups
concerned with resisting abridgment of free
expression and free access to ideas.
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Library Ideology (Traditional) http//www.ala.org/
ala/oif/statementspols/statementsif/librarybillrig
hts.htm
-Library Bill of Rights (1949) V. A persons
right to use a library should not be denied or
abridged because of origin, age, background, or
views.
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Library Ideology (Traditional) http//www.ala.org/
ala/oif/statementspols/statementsif/librarybillrig
hts.htm
-Library Bill of Rights (1949) VI. Libraries
which make exhibit spaces and meeting rooms
available to the public they serve should make
such facilities available on an equitable basis,
regardless of the beliefs or affiliations of
individuals or groups requesting their use.
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• Library Ideology (Modern)
• -Keystone Principles (1999)
• http//www.arl.org/training/keystone.html
• Access to Information as a Public Good
• Scholarly and government information is a "public
  good" and must be available free of marketing
  bias, commercial motives, and cost to the
  individual user.

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Library Ideology (Modern) -Keystone Principles
(1999) http//www.arl.org/training/keystone.html 2
. Need for Bias-free Systems and for Libraries to
Create These New Systems Libraries are
responsible for creating innovative information
systems for the dissemination and preservation of
information and new knowledge regardless of
format.
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Library Ideology (Modern) -Keystone Principles
(1999) http//www.arl.org/training/keystone.html 3
. Affirm the Idea of the Library as a Nexus for
Learning and the Sharing of Knowledge The
academic library is the intellectual commons for
the community where people and ideas interact in
both the real and virtual environments to expand
learning and facilitate the creation of new
knowledge.
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So are these Libraries?
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Question? Do you agree? Despite the expanding
scope of library services, more people seem to
claim that they never go to the library anymore
because everything they need is online.
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Outline -Some Definitions -Some
Questions -Brief History of Libraries -Role
value of the Library -Librarys Social Ethic
-Coherence Invisibility
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Coherence - a result of the goal to increase
access value.
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Invisible Library - a consequence of increased
coherence?
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• Does information technology promote access or
  decrease access?

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• Does information technology promote access or
  decrease access?
• It promotes control which can be used to do
  either.

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References

• M.O. Thirunarayanan. From Thinkers to Clickers
  The World Wide Web and the Transformation of the
  Essence of Being Human. http//www.acm.org/ubiqu
  ity/views/m_thirunarayanan_8.html
• Tim Bray. The Death of Scholarship? 5/22/03
• lthttp//www.tbray.org/ongoing/When/200x/2003/05/22
  /StudentLookupgthttp//www.tbray.org/ongoing/When/2
  00x/2003/05/22/StudentLookup
• Kate Ehrlich The Invisible World of
  Intermediaries A Cautionary Tale. Computer
  Supported Cooperative Work, Volume 8 ,  Issue 1-2
   (February 1999) Special issue a web on the
  wind the structure of invisible work Pages 147
  - 167 
• Christine L. Borgman. The invisible
  libraryParadox of the global information
  infrastructure. Library Trends Spring 2003, 51,
  4. Pg.652-674
• Ross Atkinson. Library Functions, Scholarly
  Communication, and the Foundation of the Digital
  Library Laying Claim to the Control Zone.
  Library Quarterly, 66,5.pp239-265