Library "In the Flow" of things

I was struck by the simple truth of the last statement in this paragraph. Especially now, users are very impatient -- or maybe, they are amazingly patient -- with trying to figure out and find information provided by the library. --mp

From Lorcan Demsey (17 July 2005)

In the flow. The library wants to 'fit in' with the working practices of their users. In the network world this increasingly means fitting in with emerging network workflows (net-work-flows?). These may be demand-side user combined workflows pulled together from RSS feeds, toolbars, and the growing number of network services like Flickr. Or they may be supply-side pre-fabricated flows, as in a learning management system for example. Users expect services to be visible in their environment, not to have to break into the library environment.

Library organization [off-topic]

Lorcan Dempsey -- June 27, 2005 -- Libraries, maps and platforms
http://orweblog.oclc.org/archives/000713.html

...
This aligmnent of 'horizontal' and 'vertical' services will be one of the most interesting things to watch over coming years in the library space. My view is that one of the major changes we will see is that more operations are moved into horizontal 'shared services' so that libraries can concentrate on creating value in their vertical, user-oriented services. These 'horizontal' services may not start out as 'platform' services in the sense that they are made available through web services and can be stitched recombinantly into other applications. However they will move in that direction.

Libraries and the system vendors which serve them cannot afford to build the full range of services which will be needed to meet user expectations and service ambitions moving forward. Think of virtual reference, repository infrastructure, recommender systems, metadata creation, exposure to search engines, directory and registry services, knowledge bases, selective web harvesting and preservation, aggregated repositories of open access and other materials. The list could be extended considerably. This is one reason why I think that some of the most interesting questions facing libraries are organizational: what organizational frameworks will best secure these services, and what will be the balance between local and shared or third-party activity?