Deakin Library wins international acclaim

A widely read international report has confirmed what Deakin students and staff have long known – the university has a world-class library.

The recent New Media Consortium Horizon Report, 2015 Library Edition looks at the five-year horizon for academic and research libraries around the world and examines key trends, significant challenges, and important developments in technology.

The report recognised the Deakin Library for its leading digital literacy programs and noted that library staff advise and collaborate closely with academics and educational designers to deeply engage students in meaningful digital literacy activities and assessment tasks.

It also highlighted Deakin’s partnership with IBM to leverage IBM Watson as a new channel for answering student inquiries 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Machine learning and artificial intelligence is flagged as an integral part of meeting the future needs of library users.

The use of IBM Watson at Deakin has now been recognised for pioneering the ability to combine technology with human intuition.

The report said: “Deakin University in Australia recently partnered with IBM to leverage Watson — a cognitive computer with superhuman expertise. Watson technology is now accessible for all students and faculty through an individualized dashboard that enables users to seamlessly ask questions and receive immediate feedback, tailored to their personal profiles.”

Deputy Vice Chancellor (Education) Professor Beverley Oliver said the Library was a vital part of the learning journey for students.

“The Library has been a key partner in our approach to offering students an education for jobs and skills of the future,” Professor Oliver said.

“The evolving digital literacy program is a critical component for our graduates’ success in getting the jobs of the future.

“Our Library staff are rapid adopters of valuable new technology and have embraced the power of Watson, our new intelligent agent, assisting students with answers to questions at all stages of their learning journey.”

The library edition of the Horizon report is a widely read and closely studied resource due to its comprehensive environmental scan and insightful futures analysis for libraries.

It is a vital resource in informing strategic planning, policy, leadership and practice for libraries –particularly in relation to the rapid adoption of enabling and empowering technologies.