‘Holland reads’: use your hands

September 21st 2009

From 23 October until 20 November 2009, the campaign ‘Nederland Leest’ (Holland Reads) will be held. During this campaign, the Dutch Public Library Association will launch a book application on the Microsoft Surface Table. This is a digital table that responds to touch and will be filled with documents, photos and films about the Dutch writer Hella Haasse and her book “Oeroeg”. Several visitors can ‘play’ with the information simultaneously, to their heart’s content.



The Microsoft Surface Table is a so-called “table top with touch user interface”, running on Windows. In other words: the table top is a touch screen, working like a computer. You can stand or sit around it with several people. A keyboard is not necessary; you can operate the screen with your fingers.

In the library sector, the Surface Table is fairly unknown. At the moment, four libraries have started a project developing a News Quiz and an Event Calendar for the surface table. As far as we know, the table is not frequently used for the disclosure of historical material.

The Public Library Association thinks the surface table is very suitable for presenting historical audiovisual sources in the library; it offers a direct, accessible, intuitive interface with which several people can view the sources at the same time. It also provides an opportunity to exchange information and interact socially. Within the framework of Images for the Future, the Public Library Association will explore and develop the possibilities of these means of disclosure.

During the campaign, the table plus application will definitely be on display in five libraries that own this table: the Zeeuwse Bibliotheek in Middelburg, DOK in Delft, the public libraries in Rotterdam, The Hague and Huizen, Laren and Blaricum. Furthermore, the Public Library Association will offer a surface table to several libraries that do not have one, for which a small ‘tour’ will be organised. The libraries and their audience will be introduced to the new sources and discover and experience the various opportunities of this new medium. The libraries that do not have the surface table to their disposal will have access to a derived web application with the same sources.

See also: www.debibliotheken.nl/beeldenvoordetoekomst