Future Directions in Digital Information

David Baker has published widely in the field of Library and Information Studies, with 19 monographs and over 100 articles to his credit. He has spoken worldwide at numerous conferences and led workshops and seminars. His other key professional interest and expertise has been in the field of human resources, where he has also been active in major national projects. He has held senior positions at several institutions, including as Principal and Chief Executive of Plymouth Marjon University, and Emeritus Professor of Strategic Information Management. He has also been Deputy Chair of the Joint Information Systems Committee (Jisc). Until recently he was a member of the Board of Governors of the Universities of Northampton and South Wales. He is Chair of the Board of the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance. He is a leader in the field of library and information science. Dr Lucy Ellis is Senior Associate of David Baker Consulting and Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Exeter, UK. She is currently working as a consultant with a number of HE and FE institutions to transform their governance, research and scholarly activity. Along with David Baker she is Editor-in-Chief of the Elsevier Major Reference Work Encyclopedia of Libraries, Librarianship and Information Science (Elseiver, 2025) and Series Editor for two Elsevier book series dealing with information structures in HE titled Digital Information Reviews and Advances in Information. Her background is as a lecturer, research scientist and project development consultant

"What are some of the future directions for digital information, based on current practices, policies, and partnerships? This book provides some reasonable assumptions and details from thirty-four library leaders from around the world…..The multinational approach to this book is its primary advan tage, since it allows glimpses into the wider viewpoints and challenges of libraries and information organizations around the world on these topics. I highly recommend this book for librarians involved in digital activities and planning in higher education." --Journal of Electronic Resources Librarianship"This is a valuable compilation that conveys a diversity of approaches to meet organisational goals, make advances for user groups and help with optimising quality digital information resources, along with introducing concepts such as surveillance capitalism. As a snapshot in time, the book contains some valuable accounts and references to a period during which many of us have rapidly shifted our practice and participation with a focus on digital content." --Journal of the Australian Library and Information Association

• 1. Future directions in digital information: Scenarios and themesPart One – Strategy and Design2. Current research information systems and institutional repositories: From data ingestion to convergence and merger3. Effective strategies for information literacy education: Combatting 'fake news' and empowering critical thinking4. Designing library-based research data management services from bottom-upPart Two – Who are the users?5. The power of accessible knowledge: Universities, suppliers, and transparency in the information age6. Who is the online public library user?7. Digital culture: The dynamics of incorporation8. Information behaviour in an online universityPart Three – Where formal meets informal9. Mobile technology and educational games in HE10. The evolving role of library collections in the broader information ecosystem11. Social media as a professional development tool for academic librarians　Part Four – Applications and delivery12. Closing the digital skills gap: Working with business to address local labour market policy13a. 'It’s all online!' Creating digital study resources for orchestral musicians13b. Library acquisition, delivery, and discovery for a creative university13c. Digital transformation trends in education14. Transforming reference work into teaching: From a librarian to an information literacy-oriented university professorPart Five – New Paradigms15. Envisioning Education 4.0—A scenario planning approach to predicting the future16. Data-driven modelling of public library infrastructure and usage in the United Kingdom17. How can the specific skills of the librarian in a digital context be used in the future?18. The user as a data source: The advance of surveillance capitalism19. Future directions: Emergent process; constant invention; sum totalAppendix: Delphi questions