This workshop will examine the future landscape of digital library research and practice. While conventional facilities of digital libraries, for example indexation, search and browsing of collections of static texts are well understood, there is growing demand for a richer range of content including dynamic data streams, linking of heterogeneous content and automated analysis. We aim to uncover the common agenda for the features of future digital libraries, and the corresponding challenges for research and practice. Contributions from both theory and practice, and from technologists, information scientists and researchers in human information behaviour will all contribute to this workshop.
The workshop will bring together researchers and practitioners from information retrieval, information interaction, information science, user experience, and digital libraries. The needs of future digital libraries, emerging requirements, and known barriers will be identified from different and complementing perspectives. We aim to bring together these varying insights to provide complementary viewpoints and deepen the community’s understanding of what the major priorities should be. We aim to be inclusive: anyone with an interest in digital libraries, however peripheral, however academic or practical, is invited to join this workshop. Each of these potential participants has a stake in the future of digital libraries research, and should have a voice in setting an agenda.
We encourage submissions from across the range of experience, from early-career research and practitioners, to the most experienced and senior roles. From our own experience, we also are aware that different cultural expectations and requirements also impact on future needs and position papers examining national and cultural perspectives are particularly welcome.
Submissions should be made by 17th September 2021, and consist of at most two sides of A4/US letter covering:
A new challenge, or area of challenges, for DL research or practice
Concrete proposals for how research and practice should respond to the challenge (e.g. initial research questions, potential methods)
A short bibliography (4-10 items) setting the content of the proposal
A short biography (up to 100 words) per author.
Accepted submissions will be given the opportunity to present a short 5-10 minute talk on their nominated problem.
To submit a paper, send it via email to: george.buchanan@unimelb.edu.au
Attendees are encouraged to present their own concerns and ideas during the workshop, but these will not be allocated a fixed time in advance. There is no need to submit a proposal to participate in the workshop, which will be focussed on discussion rather than on presentations.