The November meeting suggested a further range of possible issues. Indeed the discussion ranged far beyond research priorities as such, seeking to define a series of desirable outcomes. New organisational models might emerge, for example 'federating services'. A national body might be needed, however, to 'broker' or mediate between sectors. There was much discussion of the need for mapping to ensure we were aware of research and relevant initiatives across sectors and indeed throughout the community.
Information flows and the value and impact of networked information needed to be better understood.
The desirability of a workshop on economic modelling was also agreed. But some felt that education in the LIS field was not equipping students with the basic technical skills they needed. It was felt that the British Library should play a role in pulling together the results of individual projects and initiatives and ensuring their wide dissemination. My personal conclusion from the many discussions I have had with colleagues over the past few months on priorities for the next phase of digital library research is that there is a growing consensus. We stress, however, that we would be happy to consider any proposal that will address the impact of digital and networking technologies on libraries and information, welcoming particularly proposals in the field of public libraries or community information.