In exploring the landscape of Information Futures, we started with a review of significant changes in the environment: changes that are creating an always-connected, visual society; scholarly practice that is increasingly crossdisciplinary and collaborative, blurring the boundaries between a researcher and a learner; the disruptive nature of much technology-enabled change and possible institutional reactions; and the expected contributions of universities to local, national and global society.
Next we touched on the history and current state of scholarly information at this institution, understanding both the highs of our aspirations and some of the limitations that space and resources have always imposed. We also compared ourselves to other institutions and looked at some of the diversity of approaches to common challenges.
Finally we examined our aspirations as a university and the questions they raise for the future of our scholarly information, infrastructures and spaces. We explored the tensions of supporting focused research priorities in a university which seeks to be comprehensive; the extent of our commitment to making our underlying research data available; the balance between discipline-based libraries for postgraduate study and libraries which expose students to a breadth of scholarship; the tension between opening up our collections to the world and preserving exclusivity of access as a distinctive aspect of the Melbourne campus experience.
Where to from here?
Staff and students are encouraged to participate in the Information Futures discussion forums, listen to the visiting experts, raise their own topics and discussions via the web site and explore topics of interest amongst themselves. Responses are welcome via informal and formal submissions. As a university we value the diversity of opinions that will enrich and inform the debate.
We know the conversation will be fun and engaging for many, but eventually it must reach a conclusion. As the Vice-Chancellor said at the recent Heads and Deans Conference a good strategy will also close the door on some things.
We have asked many questions, and for the most part there is no obvious answer. Some of the choices we face are difficult or uncomfortable. By engaging with them candidly and constructively we will collectively shape a 10-year strategy for the University’s scholarly information and technologies, a strategy that will 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.