How digitisation is disrupting libraries

How digitisation is disrupting libraries

There is gloom in almost all the industries facing the blunt force of disruptive technologies. Disruption is the reality of our time, and we should accept it rather than fighting the truth. Hence, we need to prepare for it and better still, evolve with it. In the library and information science landscape these days, the community is abuzz with terms like digital libraries, electronic libraries, and hybrid libraries. At a time when information is just a click away, the library reference desk has been rendered obsolete. Print books look like collectibles, almost like antiquities from a distant past.

As a result, the way we access and consume information is morphing dramatically, even when it comes to learning and skilling. This might be the defining problem of our generation. Is content too democratised in terms of who can create it? In a world full of content creators, do we not need the gatekeepers of knowledge, who give some semblance of quality control through peer-review and consensus?

As digital libraries combine technology and information resources to allow remote access, they enable teachers and students to take advantage of a wider range of reading material and communicate information easily outside the formal learning environment. Furthermore, as long as students have an Internet connection, digital libraries are accessible anywhere and at any moment. Apart from these, digitised libraries will also allow integration of different types of learning to take place.

Advantages and disadvantages

To stay relevant and battle this challenge, public library systems across the world should reinvent themselves by digitising their collection, and create a virtual library that can be accessible from any computer. In fact, many libraries have already started this activity. Similar to every new technological disruption, there seem to be some great advantages of the system. Some of the positive outcomes of digitising libraries include:

Storing content physically has always been a challenge. With ever-shrinking space for archiving, digitisation offers a handy solution.

Information retrieval becomes easier for the readers as they can search for a particular information through the entire collection immediately.

Content, old and new, can quickly reach the masses. Therefore, many public libraries are rushing to push as much content as they can onto online so that readers can read genealogical records, historical maps or rare volumes without leaving their home.

However, there are some adverse effects as well. They include the problem that most people are accessing these materials online and do not visit the library physically. Perhaps, the biggest challenge that libraries face, in terms of digitisation of content, is that of piracy. This is one of the key reasons for the limited inflow of popular new titles. Publishers and authors are concerned that books, once online, can easily be copied and shared without authorisation or permission. Hence, libraries have been building their digital collections with the electronic versions of century-old classics not covered under copyright or the so-called back-catalogue books that are unlikely to appeal those who pirate books. They are stocking up on an array of 'How-to' and other non-fiction titles. But when it comes to bestsellers, the digital cupboard is often predictably bare.

Apart from piracy, another challenge of digitising libraries is that of maintaining library-users' right to privacy. The information sought, received and resources consulted, borrowed, acquired or transmitted must remain confidential. The International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) views privacy as integral to Freedom of Expression, as stated in its Internet Manifesto. This includes:

Librarians must respect the privacy of internet users in the library and strive to ensure the confidentiality of the resources and services that they use.

Librarians should not keep a record of internet use more than what is required by the law, retain such records no longer than it is required, and protect the integrity of records at all times.

The role of libraries and librarians is evolving. In this connected world, enabling readers to find new content is no longer their core competency. Neither it is clerical nor administrative in nature; rather the role of a librarian is that of a person who establishes relevance. Librarians tell us what's relevant, what's peer-reviewed, and what source of knowledge we can trust.

The future of libraries, as an institute, is in our hands - authors, publishers, and readers. Disruptive technologies will continue to emerge and change our behaviour. However, the role of a library is much bigger. Libraries will continue to absorb new technologies in the way they function. Certainly, there are challenges ahead, but I am hopeful they can be met and overcome.

(The author is with Wiley India, New Delhi)