Libraries and publications of the future

For sustainable growth, job creation and innovation, Luxembourg has chosen to rapidly develop high quality university and public research infrastructures and transition to a knowledge society. Europe, through its "Digital Agenda" has chosen to maximise the social and economic potential of ICT.
In order to achieve these goals, high quality knowledge in all fields must be available not only for University and Research Centers but for the whole population. Lifelong learning and cultural commons need to be promoted actively. This was one of the motivations to modernise the library sector and to invest in new built infrastructures for the National Library and the University of Luxembourg.

Though printed material will not disappear, a rapidly increasing amount will be in exclusively digital format (the focus of this document) either licensed from publishers, made accessible under Open Access regimes or through digitisation of printed originals. The internet continues to have a big impact on knowledge creation and cultural creativity through vastly facilitated networking and availability of very large amounts of information. The organisations endorsing this document have taken up the challenge to respond pro-actively to this evolution.
This document is a guide to help readers understand a number of current challenges and opportunities for digital culture and science, relevant to libraries, research organisations as well as research and library funders.