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“[T]he archetypal image of a university is a community of scholars clustered around a library, drawing on and adding to a growing archive of codified knowledge…”[2]
Melbourne’s future is defined through the metaphor of the triple helix: a public-spirited institution defined by tightly-bound strands of research, internationally recognised teaching and continuous knowledge transfer, each reinforcing the other. Binding these strands is the process of scholarly communication: the creation, evaluation, synthesis and dissemination of knowledge through scholarly information.
It is therefore entirely appropriate that, following the work of the Curriculum Commission, we explore the place of scholarly information in realising our commitment to being one of the finest universities in the world.
Melbourne has rich collections of printed scholarly publications, cultural materials and archives befitting a university of its age and stature. Yet our ability to collect even a fraction of what is currently published is overwhelmed by the sheer volume of production, by escalating costs and by our ability to manage, make accessible and maintain such collections. And whilst the Internet has the potential to make knowledge more widely available, competitive pressures are encouraging greater protection of intellectual property and copyright. Digital content does not guarantee that access will be free. The vast amount of information becoming available in digital form creates the paradox of overload and challenges our capacity to locate and preserve relevant, high-quality information.
The fates of research libraries and universities are inter-twined. Disruptive technologies challenge the practice of scholarship — changing the ways in which knowledge is created, sparking opportunities for new forms of synthesis and dissemination and making possible new ways of learning. The boundaries of the helix are blurring.
In 2008 the Information Futures Commission will engage the University community in a critically important discussion — a consultation process that will shape a 10-year strategy to position the University as a leader in the application of scholarly information and technologies to underpin next-generation research, teaching, learning and knowledge transfer, binding the strands to achieve the Growing Esteem vision.
I look forward to your participation in this conversation.
Professor Glyn Davis
Vice-Chancellor