Into the future with Learnir

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What is a library?

If the image that flashes through your
mind is row upon row of dusty tomes,
think again. Today’s library is crammed
with information in every form you can
think of, and some forms you may not yet
have encountered.

Most of us know that huge changes
have taken place in how we store and
retrieve information. The problem is that
the shift has taken place so rapidly that
our imaginations simply haven’t had time
to catch up. Luckily, at Douglas College
we have a team of librarians committed to
helping us file a disk or two among the
texts in our mental picture.

“Tt is getting more and more difficult
to define what — and where — a library
is,” says Audio-Visual Librarian Susan
Ashcroft, responsible for building the
College’s A/V, sound recording and
multi-media collection.

“New technologies, especially the
Internet, have produced the concept of the
virtual versus the physical library. We
need both — the more choices the better
— but technological growth is happening
in a time of shrinking resources. This has
had a huge effect on the profession and on
the services we provide.”

One immediate challenge is to
continue the process of collection
conversion while maintaining access.

“We need to keep up with the world
of information, we need to make sure
people can get to it, and we need to help
them determine if what they find is
accurate and relevant,” says Ashcroft.

Circulation Librarian Patti Romanko,
who recommends technology for the
Library system, agrees. “The concept of
‘the library without walls’ will continue
to challenge us. Technology is
developing so quickly that it’s still hard
to predict the possibilities.”

In the next two years, Romanko
advises, the Douglas College library will
be shifting from its current terminals to a
web-based, graphical-interface PC
system. “This is a huge cost issue, but
our server is changing over. We’ ve had

the existing system for six or seven years,

and it’s been great, but it’s so limited
compared to what we could be doing.”

“The issues we're looking at right
now are, How will we pay for this new
technology? How will we promote the
computer skills and information literacy
students need to use it effectively?”

 

 

Those who are still getting used to CD
ROM should also know that the Libra
now looking at the transition to Digit

Versatile Disk ROM (DVD ROM), whic!
allows for the full integration of video
format and interactive multi-media CD

ROM.

“One disk might incorporate sounds,
moving images, text or comments in
multiple languages and educational
software,” Ashcroft says. “This offers
incredible teaching potential.”

She sees librarians increasing their
consultative work with faculty, to select
appropriate multi-media materials and
integrate research skills with course
content. And once students get into the
new technologies, Ashcroft agrees with
Romanko that librarians must play a
greater role in teaching information surfers
how to evaluate what they find on the web.

“Actually, I’m thrilled to be a librarian
at this time in history,” she adds. “I’m
constantly challenged, and I’m constantly
learning.” ff