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ZHANG Xiaolin / Disruptive changes and the post-library era: Toward supply-side structure reform of knowledge services 015

knowledge. The building and collection are among the scenarios, resources and tools exploited
to serve readers. ② Where is the library? As a service mechanism, the library services should
be merged into users’ workflow with the help of technologies. ③ What does the library do?
As the expert and professional institution in knowledge discovery, organization, distribution
and conservation, the library should contribute to research, innovation, teaching, study and
even diversified knowledge-intensive social activities, and help users to organize knowledge
infrastructure, connect knowledge environments, transform digital knowledge process, utilize
and create knowledge. The library should be an innovation incubator based on knowledge
and its analysis and computing. Benefiting from its thorough understanding of knowledge, its
commonweal nature, neutrality, spirits and experience in serving users as well as the ability to
unite enterprises and institutions, the library can develop to be a better innovation incubator, the
Creation Library.
As a matter of fact, it is not something of a novelty to integrate knowledge infrastructure
with users’ dynamic knowledge. The Shanghai Tech University (2017) converted its knowledge
management system from institutional repository to the platform enabling knowledge analysis
and decision. It can also make real time analytics of knowledge production and relationships of
the university, colleges, research groups and individuals with multi-granularity and from multi-
dimensions. The Getty Museum (2017) developed the Getty Scholars’ Workspace on the basis of
its digital image service system, which enables researchers to organize their image files, link to
resources in the Getty Museum and carry out collaborative art-historical research. The BL (2017)
set up the BL Lab which enables the public to use their own digital collection and analytical tools
(or analytical tools of their own design) to do research. There are other similar applications, such
as LC Lab (2017), Harvard Library Lab (2017). The Digging into Data project (2017) that many
international institutions partake in have been recruiting publicly researchers to do data analytics
utilizing resources and data of their own institutions, which is another open knowledge service
mechanism. In China, some information institutions have provided information analysis services,
which is explicit representation of knowledge services.

3.3 Stimulating the supply-side structure reform of knowledge services

Undoubtedly, it will continue to be a significant task for some libraries to promote and provide
reading services. However, we have to realize the demands of the scientific and technological
community for knowledge innovation, the enterprises and industries for technology and market
innovation, 8 million graduates each year for innovation and starting a business, peasant-workers
for discovery and learning to elevate themselves and the public for evaluating reliable knowledge
in safety and health. We should acknowledge the contradiction between ever-growing needs
for knowledge discovery, learning and innovation and inadequate, not in-depth and unbalanced
knowledge services. The public’s wishes in knowledge discovery and innovation should be