Information Futures

To understand how Melbourne compares with Australian and overseas institutions we reviewed statistical data about usage and resource levels of services, size and usage of collections, and investment in collections and infrastructure.
People and capabilities
In general Melbourne students have good access to technologies such as personal computers, mobile phones, MP3 players and the Internet. While the [...]

“The data deluge is affecting scholarship and learning in ways both subtle and profound.” (Borgman p8)
In shaping a strategy for the next decade we must reflect upon some key strategic questions to inform our choices.
In a decade’s time how do we believe:

researchers across different disciplines will access, analyse, create and disseminate research data, research outputs, [...]

Here, too, the choices are multi-faceted and not mutually exclusive. They may be broadly categorised across the following dimensions:

Collection spaces

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Study spaces

Open shelving (fewer items)

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Closed access on campus (more items)

Any time, anywhere access

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Physical characteristics and nature of books and artefacts

Physical browsability and serendipity

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Online tools for sophisticated searching, recommendation and discovery

Quiet study spaces

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Collaborative [...]