LLinE Lifelong Learning in Europe

Editorial - Users' needs in focus

All educational, training, media and information institutions as well as cultural heritage institutions offer possibilities to realise the ideas of lifelong learning. Libraries, museums and archives are living a time of major reconsideration of working methods, goals, target groups – the whole vision of the role and mission of the former sanctuaries and repositories of information. It is not only the revolution in the accessibility of electronic, electronically mediated and documented information and knowledge. It is the demand to open up to new audiences and users, to serve the information in the way to make it relevant to people who never before thought it as their realm. To make these ‘repositories’ serve not only those who already know them and use their services.

What then is the difference between for example a library and an educational institution from a learning user's viewpoint? In a library, learners define their information needs themselves. In organised education, the modules to be learned are defined primarily by the teacher. This is the difference between a library and all forms of THE media as well. Daily journals, magazines, TV and radio produce mainly ready-made packages, reflecting more or less the interests of the background institution of the media concerned.

The whole library machinery is organised SOLELY for the situation when someone needs information or knowledge. Information needs can be profound or trivial, libraries are ready to help in finding answers. The tools in the library – how dull they might sound – catalogues, classification systems, index terms, interlending, exist only to help to find the requested content from the ocean of information. The possibility to get help from the educated staff adds remarkably to the value of the service. In times of overwhelming amounts of information, systematic and quick search possibilities get new significance.

Chargeable web materials are often very important for learners. Here, libraries still serve in their traditional role: they offer documents which, for example due their high price cannot be accessed by individual citizens themselves. They also teach new media literacy skills to their users.

In addition,WiTH the user-focused starting point, libraries at their best offer further pleasures in modern societies. They are non-consuming places – there is no pressure to spend money in libraries. Vice versa: people can spend time ‘legally’ in their good and stimulating surroundings. Most libraries also offer silence, which nowadays is a rare commodity.

It is difficult to imagine democratic, learning and creative information societies without open access to information and cultural heritage. Libraries, archives and museums do fulfil a big part of this demand.

In many articles and project accounts in this issue, the development is described with concrete examples. I hope they offer new co-operation perspectives between adult education, information and cultural heritage institutions.

Tuula Haavisto
Senior Library Advisor, MSSc