JISC

Researchers' interactions within a digital environment at the British Library are set to help JISC and similar organisations lead the future of research.

The way that people interact with never-seen-before research tools, thought-provoking content and futuristic design in the new 'Growing Knowledge: the evolution of research' exhibition will provide clues to how research is changing and what researchers want to experience from the library of the future.

Created to encourage engagement and debate, researchers will be able to physically interact with tools such as Sony’s 360-degree Autostereoscopic Display, a Microsoft Surface Table and HP/Haworth interactive research pods as well as view all the content and tools online.

Working with JISC and the Ciber Research Group, part of UCL, library users and exhibition visitors will be invited to leave their feedback with discussion groups for postgraduate students to explore some of the issues in more depth, for example: How do physical spaces support digital research? Do any of the tools help with some of the research problems they encounter?

Sarah Porter, head of innovation at JISC, said: “Part of JISC’s approach to technology for education is to consult with researchers and other library users so that we can channel our energy and investments into areas that are really going to make a difference.  When we help with the evaluation of this exhibition we will be looking to understand further the place of digital tools in libraries for the benefit of teachers, students and researchers.   It’s an opportunity to explore how innovative technologies can support people finding resources in virtual spaces as well as the physical library.”

Richard Boulderstone, the British Library’s director of e-strategy and information Systems, said: “Over the last year we have been speaking to teams of researchers across the UK and around the world, getting a taste of how research is changing.  We’ve met with researchers from archaeologists and performance historians to bioinformaticists, who are using the power of technology and the web to generate more collaborative and intuitive research models."

Growing Knowledge will explore some of these disciplines as well as others, allowing visitors to interrogate, both physically and online these areas and listen to explanatory videos from experts, who will also reflect on how research is changing, and how it may in the future.

Richard continued: “We hope Growing Knowledge will inspire and intrigue in equal measure. For the British Library, it gives us an opportunity to define the role we will play in this brave new world. Growing Knowledge is also an exciting collaboration with a range of our partners.  The Library works closely with many partners to help fill gaps in our knowledge and this exhibition provides an opportunity to work together to understand how researchers will use these tools in the future.”

The exhibition will today be formally opened by Andrew Miller MP, chair of the science and technology committee, exhibition researcher in residence Dr Aleks Krotoski and British Library chief executive, Dame Lynne Brindley.  Growing Knowledge runs from 12 October 2010 to 16 July 2011.

In partnership with BBC, one part of the Growing Knowledge exhibition will explore whether social media tools and online networking support researchers in their work.
 
Contribute to the debate through a short survey

Visit the exhibition online