Stating the problem: the grammar of repositories

Abstract

Purpose – Libraries face a “selling” job on the relationship between print and digital as the mode of delivery for content. Too often it is limply said that “everything is on the web” when we know that it is not or that licensed access to the content is not always available. The Lyon’s Declaration promotes freedom of access to information, yet libraries live and work with this paradox. How will the ambitions of the Lyon Declaration be met? So while it is ironic that everything is said to be on the web while it is not, we have powerful evidence of their dynamic purpose and value. This conference series has dealt with this confronting riddle, evolving and refining, but not quite finding the defining moment. The purpose of this paper is to explore the many interfaces here. By understanding this paradox of print and digital we should see the future of the repositories and libraries more clearly and position them more exactly. Design/methodology/approach – The paper explores the rich divergence of responses to the use and development of repositories and proposes future directions. It is an experiential paper as well as one guided by future planning perspectives. Findings – There is a need for a reconceptualisation of the role of print repositories blending in digital solutions together with the more traditional solutions. There is also a strong need for repositories to collaborate internationally in order to be able to render their own work and collections valid and effective in a much wider context. Originality/value – This paper is a series of observations and lessons. It is an extension of practical and managerial work in developing and managing repositories and their collections both in Australia and in Hong Kong. It is a collection views designed to stimulate and potentially guide library practitioners who are thinking and working in this area.