Wednesday, April 28

 

UK Libraries are getting half as many people borrowing as before detailed in a BBC News Item, What can libraries do to recapture their waning custom?

The most popular area of the Library in Stornoway seems to me to be the Public Computers, allowing access to the Internet. You are able to access census data stored locally on these PCs. Libraries are able to offer Cinema content from the BFI.

If eBooks don't have the same physical constraints of normal books, there can be copies made of an eBook as required.

What are the licensing regulations of an eBook?

If it is similar to ordinary books then a token system could operate. Your token would be valid for the time of lending.

Libraries should make their websites the place for getting material as much as their physical location. I hope their is significant investment being made in Connectivity and Collaboration for all UK Libraries, as they are a data center, It just happens that the data is in the form of paper based books currently. Also having a unified web prescence, Libraries tend to have websites on their local council's site, so the experience can change dramatically between different libraries.

UK Libraries have a very significant archive of information, they need to take steps to make sure it can be utilised effectively in the coming years.

Update: New York Public Library has a great looking website Link via Jeffery Zeldman

posted by 12345 11:18 AM