Information 2000: a Dutch view
| Pages | 151-154 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/eb045145 |
| Published date | 01 March 1992 |
| Date | 01 March 1992 |
| Author | G.M. van Trier |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Library & information science |
Brief
Communication
Information 2000:
a Dutch view
G.M. van Trier
Raad van Advies
voor
Bibliotheekwezen en
Informatieverzorging (Netherlands Council for
Libraries and Information
Services),
Prins Willem
Alexanderhof
5,
Postbus
95314,
2509 CH Den
Haag,
The Netherlands
1.
Introduction
At the end of
1990
The Netherlands Council for Libraries and
Information Services (RABIN) decided to carry out a fore-
casting exercise covering the information services sector
as
a
whole. Several important issues for the study were derived
from the Information UK 2000 study; however, the design of
the RABIN exercise is different. Firstly, RABIN commis-
sioned a research organisation in Tilburg (IVA) to carry out a
Delphi study. A questionnaire was sent to nearly 200 infor-
mation experts in the field of medicine, law and the general
public. The answers of 94 experts were analysed for the next
stage of the research: the outcome of the questionnaire was
discussed by three groups of experts selected from the people
who completed the questionnaire. The results of this exercise
are published in a separate report.
In addition to the Delphi study, G.M. van Trier, senior staff
member of RABIN, made a report with a more in-depth treat-
ment of new technologies, trends, experiments and problems
in the information field. The conclusions and recommenda-
tions of this report are presented below.
2.
The importance of information retrieval and
the use of new technologies
The free flow of information, which is a leading principle in
the information field, is fundamental to social values essential
in a democratic society such as the freedom of communica-
tion and the growth of knowledge. This principle, however, is
qualified by the protection of privacy and of intellectual
property.
Sufficient innovative power is needed for the information
sector
to
retain and enhance its social impact. That
is
why new
technologies will have to be implemented; to improve inter-
nal operations as well as to develop new — especially elec-
tronic — information products and services.
The government should promote the development of elec-
tronic information services and products, which will contri-
bute to the availability of a large variety of information
sources. Moreover, it will provide incentives to the develop-
ment of the information
sector,
which is of importance to the
national economy.
3.
Technological trends
The main technological trends can be characterised by a few
keywords: digitisation, miniaturisation and networking.
The digitisation of all types of information (text, images,
speech and sound) provides new opportunities for informa-
tion use in all sectors of society. On the other hand, new prob-
lems arise: the information flood and the inadequacy of fam-
iliar structures require new control mechanisms. Solutions
can be found, so far as the technology is concerned, in hard-
ware and software developments.
The main hardware developments are faster processors,
new machine architecture, increasing storage capacity of in-
formation media (hard disks, optical media) and new chan-
nels for information transport (optical fibre, satellites). The
storage and transmission of large quantities of data are also
made possible by new compression techniques in hardware
and in software.
Software is being developed in the direction of advanced
techniques for information storage and retrieval and en-
hanced transparency of equipment.
Miniaturisation of equipment allows the information user
to be more
mobile.
On the other hand,
so
much information is
on networks that mobility restrictions can be imposed. New
working procedures are emerging: teleworking, teleconfer-
encing and distance learning. Digitisation and increasingly
powerful and intelligent systems are all trends in telecom-
munications; examples are broadband communication, Value
Added Networks and ISDN.
Various networks will co-exist, such as national PTT net-
works, local and regional cable TV networks, broadcasting
networks and satellite communications. Coordination and the
allocation of network facilities
will
be important policy issues.
Research should be encouraged into issues of information
retrieval techniques for large full-text databases and multi-
media information, focusing on the application of advanced
computer and information science techniques such as artifi-
cial intelligence, linguistic technology and neural networks.
The
research
should,
if possible, be carried out in cooperation
with institutions
in
other European countries.
The
Federation
The Electronic Library, Vol. 10, No. 3, June 1992 151
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