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Filesharing networks allow users to request and distribute electronic files through their computers, often acting as both a client and a server on the network. Newer versions of computer and handheld operating systems will integrate Peer-to-Peer (P2P) capabilities to harness the file sharing, distribution and communication aspects of the technology. Public libraries will need to take account of this potential in delivering personalised information and services.

Mobile phones and devices
These can give users access to networks because of their wide area coverage. The precise nature of their impact on the services provided by libraries and other cultural organisations remains to be seen. There are several different forms of mobile phone technology:

WAP - Wireless Application Protocol.

• This is a set of standards for providing interactive Internet services to wireless communication devices. A WAP enabled mobile phone allows the user to view Web pages written in WML (Wireless Mark-up Language).

• Mobile messaging or SMS, for example, could be introduced for sending information to users. Libraries therefore need to be flexible when planning their services and keep abreast of the latest developments.

• Some libraries are already developing WAP enabled library Web sites. WAP sites appeared in early 2000, but take-up of WAP phones has been disappointing and the GPRS system may supersede it.

GPRS - General Packet Radio Services

• This is ideal for Internet access and connection can take place through a laptop with a data card or mobile phone attached to it. It has a faster transfer rate than WAP and a higher success rate for connection. European GPRS (2.5G) reached the market in 2001.

UMTS - Universal Mobile Telecommunications (3G)

• This also reached the market in 2001. It is a new rival to GPRS and promises to deliver faster connections and video images,

• Both GPRS and UMTS will eventually allow the current GSM WAP phones and PDAs (or 2G) to access WAP sites with colour photographs, video and sound and not only plain text. They will be continuously connected to the Internet.

PDAs - Personal Digital Assistants

• PDAs are small handheld computers. Some have built-in mobile phones and wireless Internet access but others come with modems which can be used with a mobile phone.

• They can be used to read e-mail and surf the Internet or to play MP3 audio files.

• They are likely to become very common and perhaps to be the main technology used to connect wirelessly to computer networks.

• PDAs will become all-in-one devices, smaller and cheaper but usability issues, such as small screen and keyboard size, remain to be resolved. Many young people are, in any case, already used to small screens and tiny buttons!

SMS - Short Message Service

• SMS is text messaging via mobile phones. This medium is extremely popular with young people and is increasingly used by organisations to distribute information to targeted audiences e.g. mobile phone companies often message customers when they arrive in a different country with details of their service. Many also offer customers the ability to sign up for a range of information alerts, e.g. on a particular football team's results etc. Some shopping centres also allow users to subscribe to information alerts which are triggered as they pass near to particular shops. Libraries, museums and archives could potentially allow users to sign up for similar sorts of services - for example: alerts about new stock, events, exhibitions, notification of reserved items being available, receiving and responding to enquiries by text and so on.

Kiosks
Public access online and Internet kiosks have been available for several years and now form an important part of local authority information and service access strategy in many European towns and cities. Strategically-placed kiosks may reach new users who may not have time to spend at the library on a regular basis and may not have Internet access.

However, significant problems have affected the successful deployment of kiosks including: high initial costs;

• poor location and low use;

• downtime due to hardware failure,

• software problems, or vandalism;

• competition from other more easily available channels of access (e.g. laptops, PDAS and mobile phones);

• insufficient bandwidth

• slow response times.

Lessons learned include:

• need to place kiosks where people have free time, such as shopping centres and cafes

• move away from single-purpose Internet access functions e.g. by offering facilities to check and send e-mail and conduct transactions e.g. pay bills.

Nevertheless, in libraries a well-designed kiosk can deal with a number of tasks such as membership applications, book requests, reference information enquires and provide access to online citizens’ information systems as well as the Internet.

Important decisions in kiosk design include whether the data is loaded locally on a PC at each kiosk or updated remotely, whether the kiosk is offline or connected to a network and/or the Internet, whether it has telephone access to a helpdesk; and methods of anti-vandalism security.

Digital and interactive TV
11 % of Europeans, 33 % in the UK, indicate they use digital television. Some research claims that it will be the most popular means of accessing the Internet in Europe by 2005, though, according to OECD figures for 2000, less than half of European digital TV subscribers were offered e-mail capabilities and less than 10 % of them had access to Web services.

• It is not yet possible to foresee demand for on-line services via digital TV, and how far they will replace Internet access by computer.

• Digital TV is based on a familiar piece of technology and does not face the same psychological barriers as computers.

• It provides access to many more channels than earlier systems and thus offers an opportunity to deliver more local services directly into homes.

• The roll-out of digital television has begun to gather momentum in Europe, with early leadership in France, Spain and The United Kingdom. More than forty per cent of UK homes can access Digital TV.

• Public library services should be aware of the possibilities of taking advantage of medium, perhaps by broadcasting information appearing on their authority's existing websites e.g. details of local public services, councillors and MPs, learning, health and care, leisure and sport and local organisations.

• Libraries, museums and archives have a wealth of content which could be used on digital TV. Libraries need to co-operate with digital TV companies, national and local, to explore the potential for broadcasting such content.

• Libraries could provide access to digital TV in their buildings and mobiles so that those without personal access are not excluded.

• The skills of librarians in delivering digitised services for lifelong learning purposes etc. could be useful to TV companies - another reason for partnership working.

There will be continued advances in the way that digital information is presented with which public libraries must keep in touch so as to provide a modern ‘seductive’ environment for their users. (See multimedia.)

Other important issues include:

• Content and services: the identification of content sources, formats and service types which are suitable for transmitting via TV and other delivery channels.

• Rights: establishment of the structures for identifying and obtaining rights and for payments, which could for example enable libraries and telecommunications service providers jointly to develop content and services. See copyright and legal issues

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