This document discusses the future role of libraries in supporting e-science. It makes three key points:
1. E-science aims to enable new forms of distributed, collaborative, multi-disciplinary and data-intensive science through the use of information technology. This will require libraries to manage large amounts of scientific data and improve access to information.
2. The future "hybrid library" will combine physical and virtual collections, providing organized access to intellectual works wherever they are located. Institutional repositories will be important for publishing data and integrating it into the digital research cycle.
3. Libraries will need skills in data management, curation and providing discovery and access tools for e-scientists. Physical library spaces may also
3. IATUL Porto, May 21, 2006
The Role of Libraries
in the Context of e-Science
Dr Anne E. Trefethen
Oxford e-Research Centre
Anne.trefethen@ierc.ox.ac.uk
4. IATUL Porto, May 21, 2006
e-Science Goals
• to enable new forms of science that are
– distributed
– collaborative
– multi-disciplinary
– information-intensive
– data-intensive
• to use information technology to
– leverage data as a form of science capital
– to manage the “data deluge”
– improve access to scientific information
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Crystallographic e-Prints
Direct Access to Raw Data
from scientific papers
Raw data sets can be very large and these
are stored at National Datastore using SRB
server
(eBank slides courtesy of Liz Lyon and Jeremy Frey)
12. IATUL Porto, May 21, 2006
The hybrid library
‘The dominant user view of a library is of a
physical space. But libraries are services which
provide organised access, to the intellectual
record, wherever it resides, whether in physical
places or scattered digital information spaces. The
‘hybrid’ library of the future will be a managed
combination of physical and virtual collections
and information resources.’
Reg Carr, Oxford University
13. IATUL Porto, May 21, 2006
Conclusions
• Publication of data and “paper” becoming
integrated in the digital scholarly research cycle
• Libraries will move further to the “hybrid” model
– Institutional repositories
• e-Science brings with it the data deluge – needs
for data management and curation skills
• e-Scientists also need library training in discovery
and access
• Have implicitly touched on Open Access but as
policies begin to apply to data as well as
publication research outputs, then the above will
be even more so.
21. Visually defined query
What is this?
Data
it is an amphora
… and here are similar objects
in the archive
Allowing innovative vision
techniques– Andrew Zisserman
22. Collections of the future?
Library Services of the future?
Data mining, visualisation?
23. Libraries – information infrastructure ?
Shannon Mattern,
Library as Infrastructure
Future tense
– digital/physical divide
- cultural?
24. Implications for use of collections
Digital platforms have
enabled new forms of collaboration
allowed bringing together of disparate collections
democratised the experience and interpretation of heritage
collections,
have complemented and not replaced the richness and importance
of a physical encounter
have provided the context to give the physical collection its
prominence
29. Rethinking our space…
opportunity to rethink the RSL
to provide collaborative space to
support interdisciplinary working
to integrate a broader set of
information services
to think of collections beyond library
collections
30.
31. Rethinking the division
ASUC?
Focusing on the “Value proposition” within the University
Identifying areas we might work better across the division – digital strategy,
commercial activities
Sharing best practice and building on successes across the division
32. Contributing to the mission of the
University
The University Collections contribute to
Improved research capabilities and collaboration
Enhanced learning experience
Supporting widening participation and broadening access activities
Increasing public engagement
33. GLAM share their globally significant collections to inspire research,
learning and enjoyment for the advancement of knowledge and a
better understanding of the world we live in.
Gardens, Libraries and Museums
