We will be celebrating in two weeks time (January 27) the first anniversary of our new University library. It is a good occasion for a quick evaluation of the impact in the university life and I’m going to do so with a vision of future online access to scholarly content. In particular, I will mention the efforts that are being carried out in order to make the new library a true library 2.0, but I will also suggest how to go beyond the 2.0 model so as to approach a much more effective 3.0 model.
Lo comenté el viernes pasado en clase: el curso 2008-09 va a ser para mi un año especial, el año en el que se inaugura la nueva biblioteca de la universidad en la que trabajo.
Biblioteca de la Universidad de St. Andrews (Escocia)
Las bibliotecas han sido los espacios que más me han fascinado durante mi formación como estudiante. Me gustaría destacar la de la Universidad de St Andrews (que utilicé durante el curso 1983-84), porque pese a que fuera pequeña, tenía un encanto especial, por su luminosidad y hermosas vistas. Además fue la primera de mi periplo internacional. También quiero citar las de Edinburgo (1983-84), Joule y John Rylands (Manchester, 1984-87), Saarland (Saarbrücken, 1991), NMSU (Las Cruces, 1998) y Koldo Mitxelena (Vitoria-Gasteiz, 1991-99).
Biblioteca de la New Mexico State University (EEUU)
De alguna manera, disponer de un espacio de biblioteca comparable a alguno de los citados me hace revivir entrañables recuerdos como estudiante.
Volviendo al asunto principal, los artículos que han escrito mis alumnos con motivo de la inauguración de la nueva biblioteca, dentro de la asignatura Gestión de fondos digitales, son:
Yesterday I received a very exciting mail from our University Library’s manager, Nieves Taranco. The mail was a bitext, because Deusto is an officially bilingual institution, and official mails should always be Spanish-Basque bimails (i.e. bilingual mails). For those who understand Spanish 😉 I’ll reproduce some fragments below.
The message anounced the imminent move of all Library contents from the old building to the new one, designed by Rafael Moneo, which is almost ready at the other side of river Nervión. The new construction promises many new opportunities, not only because of the tremendous conditions it exhibits in terms of space and technical equipment, but because Nieves in particular, and University leaders at large aim at making the new site a true CRAI (Learning and Research Resource Centre, by the way a recent widespread trend, eg UPF’s).
The acronym does not sound very appealing, and reminds me of a well known supercomputer brand (CRAY). I really prefer the more classical name “Library”, or “Biblioteca” in our case. So better than CRAI I’ll like to see it as Deusto’s new Biblioteca 2.0 (despite Ismael El-Qudsi or Antonio Fumero disqualifying 2.0 vogues – trendy people tend to dislike trends when they become too popular).
I have to say that today am particularly excited because, only one day after Nieves’ mail, I’ve met Lorena Fernández and Iñaki Fuertes (our Web 2.0 guru, the former, and the head of the University’s Computing Service, the latter) and have warranted of plans to convert the new place into a true 2.0 library space. They have invited me to join a brain storming session planned for the weeks after the August vacation.
I cannot wait, so here are some of the things I believe should be combined into an integrated virtual working sp
ace:
These ideas have to be more carefully analysed and weighted, but in my oppinion are among the most obvious ingredients for the desired learning resource centre. More proposals, please!
Some recommended references
Library 2.0. (2008, June 20). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 23:56, July 10, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Library_2.0&oldid=220592582
Laura Cohen (2006, November 8). A Librarian’s 2.0 Manifesto. Retrieved July 10, 2008, from http://liblogs.albany.edu/library20/2006/11/a_librarians_20_manifesto.html
From the mail by Nieves Taranco:
Liburutegi berriaren egoitza berrian bilduma bibliografiko guztia jasoko da, ia 900.000 bolumen, euretatik 400.000 monografiak; aldizkako argitalpenen 11.000 izenburu, euretatik 5.000 “biziak” (oraindik ere hartzen direnak); Antzinako Funtsa eta Funts Historikoa, 60.000 bolumenekin, XIV. eta XIX. mendeen artean inprimatutako lanekin, etab.
