Information Technology Section
Strategic Plan
2008-2009
Mission
The Information Technology & Innovation Section (IT&IS) serves to promote and advance the innovation and application of information technologies (IT) to library and information services in all societies and countries, through activities related to standards, education and training, research, and the marketplace.
Goals
1. IT&IS will investigate, evaluate, and communicate knowledge and practical advice about information technology innovations that have or could become significant potential for library services in present or in future, but which have not been widely adopted for different reasons.
Professional priority: (k) Representing libraries in the technological marketplace.
Actions:
1.1 Explore solutions and applications for library personalised services such as electronic reference services, electronic document delivery and recommender systems. These topics will be addressed by different activities of the section: specific sessions, support actions and web-based information.
1.2 IT&IS will pay special attention to the integration of library and information services into heterogeneous applications and institutional service-sites (compare also 4.1)
1.3 Establish web 2.0 services for the communication of technologies and strategies supporting Library 2.0 Innovation. Therefore ITS hosts a dedicated SIG.
2. Develop and promote technologies and services supporting Digital Libraries. Communicate new developments in Digital Library Services and standards to relevant committees.
Professional priority: (k) Representing libraries in the technological marketplace. (f) Promoting Resource Sharing (g) Preserving Our Intellectual Heritage
Actions:
2.1 Promote discussion of technological innovations and open source applications in digital library management
2.2 In collaboration with the Preservation and Conservation Section, encourage innovation in technology supporting long term conservation of digital storage and preservation.
3. IT&IS will investigate, evaluate, and communicate knowledge about applicable IT for access to information resources, with special attention to needs regarding regions where telecommunication networks are of low capacity, or are not easily affordable.
(Professional priority: (d) Providing unrestricted access to information.
Actions:
3.1 IT&IS wants to serve the progress of IT-use in small libraries with a special interest in developing countries. IT&IS will explore the application of Open Source and distributed services supporting those libraries – encouraging tutorials, case studies and resource development of distributed technologies, web & library services supporting those libraries.
3.2 These will be addressed in conference events and information dissemination through the IT&T web 2 services.
4. IT&IS will identify and promote standards, guidelines and best practices for the management of information and IT resources and improve efficiency and service level of library operations, and interoperability between library systems and between library services and other information services. This includes issues such as metadata and data structures, data manipulation techniques and long-term availability of electronic information (See also 2.2).
(Professional priority: (i) Promoting standards, guidelines, and best practices) (f) Promote resource sharing
Actions:
4.1 Promote dissemination of standards, best practices and experiences in topics such as open source software, DCMI, MARC, XML, digital preservation and metadata. These will be addressed in conference events and information dissemination
through the Tech Watch web pages.
4.2 Liaise with major standard bodies and development groups.
4.3 Monitor projects and recommend best practices regarding the integration of library management systems with other applications such as courseware, portals and digital repositories. Especially focussed is the topic of standardized search interfaces (eg. SRU/SRW), machine to machine services communication (SOAP, WSDL) and machine-based transfer of meaning in the context of the semantic web. These will be addressed in conference events and information dissemination through the IT&T web.2 services.
5. IT&IS will encourage and support projects within the scope of the strategic plan by maintaining close contacts with other IFLA sections and Core Activities, as well as with other international associations and organizations focused on IT.
(Professional priority: (h) Developing library Professionals)
5.1 Liaise with other IFLA Sections and encourage IT&IS membership to provide exchange and feedback on new or revised IFLA standards, guidelines and studies.
5.2 Liaise with other national and international associations to enhance dissemination and cross-fertilization of activities.
5.3 Liaise with IFLA ALP (Advanced Librarianship Programme) and eIFL to support initiatives towards promoting Information technology competencies.
