Digital Library Strategies for Distance Learners

Roy TennantThe LibraryUniversity of California, Berkeley

Being in Their Face and Out of Their Way

http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/~manager/Presentations/ICDE/

Outline

Libraries and Distance LearningBarriers to the FutureFactors Affecting BarriersThe Impact of Network AccessWhat to DoBeing “In Their Face”Being “Out of Their Way”

Libraries & Distance Learning

The traditional situation: telephone reference assistance requests and books by mail

The future situation: all of the above, plus... network access to the library catalog, abstracting and

indexing databases, full-text, digital images, multimedia resources, etc.

online, real-time reference assistance without long-distance telephone charges

Barriers to the Future

Lack of access to a personal computerPoor or missing network infrastructureLack of computer skills

Factors Affecting Barriers: Computer Access

Prices are dropping dramatically In many countries (not all) the economic

and educational climate is improvingRegional learning centers can make

computers available to studentsAwareness grows that higher education

and computer skills are necessary for success

Factors Affecting Access: Internet Access

Satellite systems reduce the need for in-country physical infrastructure

Costs are likely to declineRegional learning centers would reduce

the need for personal connectionsThose who work will increasingly be

connected through their place of employment

Factors Affecting Barriers: Computer Skills

Information skills are likely to become more important and valued

Computers are likely to become more accessible

We can work to make our systems more intuitive and easier to use

The Library: The Good

Has the capability to deliver information to the remote user for no (or less than before) incremental cost

Can provide users with access to a vast array of information resources without coming to the library

The Impact of Network Access

The Library: The Bad & Ugly

Must organize access to a vast array of resources

Must increasingly provide filtering services to reduce the choices or guide the user to the appropriate one

Must find ways to serve the needs of those who are remote (not always in distance!)

Must carry on with existing services

The Impact of Network Access

The User: The Good

Access to an incredible array of resources, with most just a few clicks away

Easy (and often cheap) communication24x7 access (no closed doors)

The Impact of Network Access

The User: The Bad & Ugly

Must cope with being faced with a bewildering number of choices, often with very little guidance as to which is most appropriate for a specific need

Must learn new technologies and techniquesMust cope with a lack of visual cuesMust cope with a lack of convenient

assistance

The Impact of Network Access

Miscellaneous Impacts

Remote online library collections become more accessible than your print collections

You are no longer the solution of first resortThe rules of convenience and “good enough”

can leave your users underservedThe improvement of services to network

users often improves services for in-house users as well

The Impact of Network Access

What To Do: Your Role

Guide users to the best resources (both print and digital) for their need

Use every channel at your disposal (online help, phone reference, online reference...)

Get those resources to them (mail, fax, network)

Be active instead of reactive

What to Do: Specifically

Insert yourselves into your campus’ distance learning planning process

Find out how other libraries support distance education

Establish a robust networking infrastructureAssign responsibility for managing library

participation in distance learning initiativesReconfigure your services for the distance learner

— be “in their face”

Being “In Their Face”: Why?Many catalogs and search systems are difficult to

understand and use Users need help at the moment they get stuck —

email is inadequateUnless assistance is obvious and convenient, the

user will remain stuckOther, readily available information sources, can

be convenient but inadequate (web search engines, for example)

Being “In Their Face”: How

Put your reference desk phone number in prominent places in your catalog system and web site

Have a method to get assistance on every search results screen in your control

Consult literature/colleagues/conferences for new ideas on providing service

Keep up with new network-based communication technologies

Being “Out of Their Way”: Why?

Our users simply want to get their work done

Anything extraneous gets in their wayOver-complicated search systems hinder

access for the majority 80/20 rule as applied to search systemsIt’s time to rethink what we’re doing!

Being “Out of Their Way”: How

Simplify the interfaceComplicate the back-end:

Pre-processing the query Post-processing the results Filter options Sort options

Think imaginatively about what makes an effective search system