As ever Robert has hit the nail on the head, and isn't the lack of robust
comment from the sector to his contribution most interesting.
What he says strengthens the argument for a Public Library UK!
I recall some 6 or 7 years ago (may be more), when Laser started its push to
get the public library sector involved in and interested in , what was then
called 'The Superhighway'. It was difficult indeed, and eventually 13
forward thinking chiefs put their support and money behind the initiative.
But even when it finished Earl still did not have all UK library authorities
on board.But we were trying to achieve a national infrastructure for public
libraries, and it has all taken so long, and Robert is right about the
dependencies.
I remember also the sterling work we did at Laser to get acceptance by Janet
to allow public libraries on. We had some superb allies in HE and great
progress was made. Alas a very negative response from some in the public
library sector prevented the final hurdle being achieved.
I also recall the support Laser and Earl got from UKOLN, and the creation of
the post, now held by Penny, to get a higher profile for public libraries in
this internet world, and some of the successful things UKOLN alone, and
working with Earl, have achieved to raise the profile of networking in the
public library sector, and to communicate to the wider sector many many
relevant matters and issues about networking.
Networking is and should be National, International, with local, action, but
as Robert says we don't have the structure in place to achieve it. This is
not the first instance of a fundamental topic on this list which is ignored
by the people at the top of the public library sector.
Cilip is a membership body and covers the needs in that regard of the whole
profession. SCL have come under criticism itself on this list for not
getting its own web site in order.
Frances
----- Original Message -----
From: "harden" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, May 02, 2002 5:18 PM
Subject: No national dimension (was: purpose of lis-pub-libs...)
> There may be more significance to this topic than meets the eye. Why do
> public libaries have to depend on an academic mailing list? Because they
> have no reliable way of setting one up for themselves. The problem is not
> technical, it's organisational.
>
> There is no national infrastructure within the public library sector for
> doing anything. All planning, funding and decision making is local.
> Public library networking couldn't have happened if it had been left to
> local public library authorities to organise. To get it done required
> national bodies *outside* the public library service to take the lead and
> channel the funding. Networking is a classic candidate for thinking
> globally, acting locally but the public library service in the UK has no
> existence except locally. It has no mechanism of its own for the wider
> strategic thinking that ought to inform local action. That's also why
> there's no marketing of the public library service as a whole, no
> co-ordinated asset management, no investment planning and no systematic
> exploitation of the Internet as a means of developing library services.
>
> Networking exposes the tension between 21st century technology and our
> exclusive reliance on a 19th century localised organisational structure.
> At root this discussion about Lis Pub Libs is a symptom of the absence of
> a public library dimension beyond the local. I reckon we'll see more
> symptoms as more public librarians discover more things they want to do
> on the network and find that the organisational structures aren't there
> to enable them.
>
> Museums have used the Internet to give themselves a national collective
> profile. They didn't do it by relying solely on local or regional
> infrastructure.
>
> Robert Harden
>
> __________________________
> [log in to unmask]
> www.harden.dial.pipex.com
> __________________________
|