"The future is now", says library chief

Category: Internet Trends

January 21st 08, 10:30

Libraries must embrace the forward-march of technology if they are to maintain their relevance to young people, the chief executive of the British Library has asserted.

Dame Lynne Brindley said that institutions across the UK should follow the example of the British Library, which is currently working to "digitise" 25 million pages of 19th century literary works.

"Libraries have to accept that the future is now. At the British Library we have adopted the digital mindset and have seized many of the opportunities new technology offers to inspire our users to learn, discover and innovate," she said.

The chief executive was speaking after a study commissioned by the organisation examining the relationship between the web and research habits.

According to the resulting report entitled Information Behaviour of the Researcher of the Future, people of all ages are characterised by impatience when conducting search and navigation, as well as a tendency to expect instant gratification.

The British Library's Turning the Pages 2.0 project invites users to examine online books by digitally turning pages while browsing the web.

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