LIBRARIES IN THE DIGITAL AGE (LIDA)

Dubrovnik, Croatia
21-26 May, 2002
Inter-University Centre http://www.hr/iuc
Don Frana Bulica 4, 20000 Dubrovnik, Croatia.
Course web site: http://www.ffzg.hr/infoz/lida
Course email: lida@ffzg.hr

Themes LIDA2002:

I. INTEGRATING INFORMATION SEEKING AND IR

Outline: Part I of the course will offer an overview on the ongoing discussions, research and development, and open questions concerning the integration of information seeking behaviour and processes on the one hand and interactive information retrieval, including searching of and retrieval from the Web and digital libraries, on the other hand. The reason for the closer relationship between seeking, information behaviour in general and information retrieval activities are located in the digitalisation of almost all information related activities, some of which previously were informal and time consuming. These issues will be related to libraries in general as well as to the more commercial information sectors of society, including the Internet applications.

The speakers will discuss research methods dealing with the integration of information seeking and retrieval. Further, they will address central concepts, such as basic phenomena and processes under consideration, evaluation methods, relevance conceptions, and the relationship between scientific communication and seeking of information and retrieval of pertinent knowledge. In particular, the seminars will deal with longitudinal studies of information behaviour and their research methodology.

In a second part (part B) the speakers will address the more applied aspects of the seeking and retrieval research, in terms of use in libraries in general and digital libraries in particular.




II. INFORMATION SERVICES IN DIGITAL ENVIRONMENTS - PRACTICE AND RESEARCH

Outline: Part II of the course will offer an overview of the recent developments in theory and practice concerning information in the digital environment, use of electronic resources, services, and networks. Special emphasis is made on the information seeking, searching and retrieving aspects on the Web, as an extension of topics discussed in part I on information seeking and information retrieval. In particular, the presentations and discussion will be oriented toward digital libraries and electronically based information resources. Increasingly, libraries are creating own electronic information resources to provide services. Addressed will be the practices and problems of digitisation and of creation of digitally-bourn resources. The nature of library collections in digital environments is changing in fundamental ways. Discussed will be digital collection issues, such as licensing and sharing through library consortia that are springing up in great numbers in many countries. Furthermore, access is changing in fundamental ways. The access processes require libraries to provide not only collections, but also middleware and searchware, and access policies and mechanisms. These will be addressed as well.




Invitation

We are inviting local, regional, national, international, and professional organizations, particularly including various libraries and information agencies, to consider sponsoring and sending participants to this event. We will provide course materials and virtual tutorials so that each participant can communicate, instruct, and transfer topics of interest to its institutions. Thus, we are organizing LIDA to reach a wider audience.

Rationale

Libraries and information systems everywhere are increasingly and greatly affected in all of their functions by the rapid evolution of the digital age. While the growing Global Information Infrastructure (GII), and the Intemet in particular, greatly enhances access to a variety of information resources, it also provides for many new and complex challenges and problems for libraries and information systems, as well as for their creators and users. Not only their processes and services but even their very mission and role is changing. For librarians and information professionals the digital age also brings a need for a constant update of their professional knowledge and competencies.

Purpose

The general aim of the course, started as an annual event in 2000, is to address the changing and challenging environment for libraries and information systems and services in the digital age, with an emphasis on examining contemporary problems, advances and solutions. Each year a different and 'hot' theme will be addressed. This year the theme of the course addresses two topics: information seeking integrated with information retrieval in the digital age, and practice and research related to information services.

Issues

The critical, main issue is ensuring an effective and efficient flow of information from the generators to users of information in the digital environment, and by using electronic resources, services, and networks. This is a complex communication chain with libraries and information systems playing an important, even critical role. This role brings also a number of new requirements. Due to the complexity of these requirements it is no longer possible for information specialists to act without being continuously abreast one methods and techniques and without being informed regularly about new trends and approaches. In addressing information seeking and retrieval as they have been sharpened in the digital environments, issues and responsibilities related to access, design, user behaviour, also over time, and implementation will be discussed. Presentation and workshops about a number of innovative information services and research projects will follow, with a discussion of related challenges and issues for their general implementation.

Orientation

The course is oriented toward professionals and researchers in librarianship, information science, and informatics, as well as from other disciplines interested in this topic. In particular, the course will be useful for practicing librarians and information scientists, for students of library and information science, and for system administrators, system operators, web page managers, and related personnel in library and information systems.

Program

The course will bring together well-known experts from around the world for lectures, discussions, demonstrations, and workshops. The first day of the course will cover information research issues. The second day will be mostly devoted to pragmatic information services, while the third day will concentrate on research related to information services, including their evaluation. One to two workshops are planned at the end of each day, while the fourth day of the course will be mostly devoted to tutorials. The details of the program and information about lecturers can be found on the conference web page: http://www.ffzg.hr/infoz/lida/program.htm

Interaction

The course is intended to be highly interactive. The participants are encouraged to bring their own problems, situations, and solution to involve in discussions.

Virtual tutorials

LIDA web site includes a section entitled "Virtual tutorials," that contains a selection of links to an ever-growing number of publicly available tutorials. In the spirit folia rationale and purpose, the intent is to provide opportunity for self-education and for development and enhancement of educational and training courses. The tutorials cover great many topics related to digital libraries, the Intemet, web page construction, information processing, searching etc. Some of the tutorials are short and to the point, others are advanced and can be taken as a whole course.

Connection

This course overlaps and follows a course and conference on Information Technology and Journalism (20-23 May 2002).