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The Digital Library
Challenges and solutions for the new millenium
Bologna, June 17-18, 1999

Copyright


Looking both ways: the challenge to the intermediary in an electronic age / Graham Cornish [*]

Abstract

The role of the library is essentially that of a "neutral" intermediary between creators, owners and users of intellectual property. Attempts to draw parallels between libraries and the retail market are invalid because the basic objectives are different. Legal constraints such as copyright may give libraries certain limited privileges but whether privileges granted to individuals or institutions can survive in the electronic context is questionable. The role of electronic management systems will be crucial. The EU current proposals do not encourage optimism but the advent of digital technology on a large scale opens up all kinds of new challenges and opportunities through alliances with owners and service providers. The library is in a unique position to exploit material in ways not open to traditional publishers and also to develop information products which span different owners and service providers. As a result of this the boundaries between libraries, museums, galleries and archives will be rapidly eroded. The requirements from users will be for dynamic, analytical and critical supply of information in a variety of formats. Interlibrary loan, document supply or image provision will all merge into a single, transparent activity. This raises all kinds of legal issues especially when material is made accessible via a website. Although all this is very threatening to the conventional and traditional world of libraries and librarianship, failure to grasp the opportunities will condemn library services to the margins of the information society.



* Graham Cornish - The British Library Document Supply Centre


N.B. An Italian abstract is also available.

Copyright AIB 1999-06-01, a cura di Serafina Spinelli
URL: https://www.aib.it/aib/commiss/cnur/dlecorni.htm

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