Moving from Find & Get and Towards Use & Understanding

Abstract

Considering the ubiquitous nature of networked computers, the traditional role of libraries is not as critical as it used to be. In other words, the time-honored library activities of collection, organization, preservation, and dissemination of books & journals is quickly being supplanted by the ever-present Google search. Thus, the problem to solve is less about finding & getting information but rather about using & understanding the information found. We continue to drink from the proverbial firehose. This does not foretell the demise of libraries nor librarians. Instead, it represents an opportunity to provide enhanced and value-added services above and beyond our collections. These services can be articulated as action statements such as but not limited to: analyze; annotate; cite; cluster & classify; compare & contrast; confirm; count & tabulate words, phrases, and ideas; delete; discuss, evaluate; find opposite; find similar; graph & visualize; learn from; plot on a map; plot on a timeline; purchase, rate; read at a distance; read closely; read at scale; review; save; share; summarize; tag; trace idea; transform; etc. This presentation elaborates upon these ideas with an emphasis on the possibilities of natural language processing & text mining in libraries.