Table of contents: issue39

A National Archive of Datasets

editor — Thu, 29 Apr 2004 23:00:00 +0000

Jeffrey Darlington describes how structured datasets produced by UK Government departments and agencies are being archived and made available to users.

The National Archives has been building up a collection of UK Government datasets since 1997 under a contract with the University of London Computer Centre (ULCC) [1]. The archived datasets are available to users free of charge through the World Wide Web and are known as the National Digital Archive of Datasets (NDAD) [2].

Seeing Is Believing: The JISC Information Environment Presentation Programme

editor — Thu, 29 Apr 2004 23:00:00 +0000

Chris Awre reviews the JISC Information Environment Presentation Programme and offers an insight to the outcomes of recent studies.

When using various Web sites for work or leisure most of us have favourites that we start with and prefer interacting with. The reasons why we prefer one site over another may not be clear to us, but the interface of many Web sites is commonly tested to make using them as easy and straightforward as possible. Making that interface between the user and the functionality of the Web site intuitive and easy to navigate will encourage users and increase traffic. In the commercial world this can lead to higher sales or greater awareness of a product.

RDN/LTSN Partnerships: Learning Resource Discovery Based on the LOM and the OAI-PMH

editor — Thu, 29 Apr 2004 23:00:00 +0000

Andy Powell and Phil Barker explore the technical collaboration currently underway between the RDN and the LTSN and describe the RDN/LTSN LOM Application Profile and its use to support resource discovery.

Over the last eighteen months or so, the UK Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) has been funding some collaborative work between the Resource Discovery Network (RDN) Hubs [1] and Learning and Teaching Support Network (LTSN) Centres [2]. The primary intention of these subject-based RDN/LTSN partnerships was to:

Towards the Digital Aquifer: Introducing the Common Information Environment

editor — Thu, 29 Apr 2004 23:00:00 +0000

Paul Miller discusses current efforts by UK agencies to collaborate on a Common Information Environment that meets the diverse needs of current and future consumers of digital content and services.

aquifer n: underground bed or layer yielding ground water for wells and springs etc

Can We Save Our Audio-visual Heritage?

editor — Thu, 29 Apr 2004 23:00:00 +0000

Daniel Teruggi describes PrestoSpace, the new FP6 Integrated project for the preservation of our disappearing audio-visual heritage.

Memory is our major link to the past; it has greatly influenced the evolution of humankind. Since the beginning of humanity, we have sought to preserve memories through the creation of artefacts that will transcend our own lifetime and so assure ourselves some form of posterity, perhaps even eternity. For some time writing has been the major complex medium of preserved reality. Not only does writing record human actions, beliefs and emotions, but it is an intellectual tool in itself, giving a temporal perspective on our thought as well as providing increasing levels of abstraction.

IT for Me: Getting Personal in South Yorkshire Public Libraries

editor — Thu, 29 Apr 2004 23:00:00 +0000

Liz Pearce and Neil Smith introduce the IT for Me Project which aims to provide personalised access to online resources in South Yorkshire's public libraries.

Personalisation has become an increasingly salient topic in the UK library and information management sector, yet to date much of the work undertaken has been in the academic and knowledge management sectors [1]. However, the South Yorkshire-based IT for Me Project [2] is looking to bring personalised access to online resources to public libraries. The project, which began in October 2003, will create a Web-based platform to provide access to personalised resources.

Filling Institutional Repositories: Practical Strategies from the DAEDALUS Project

editor — Thu, 29 Apr 2004 23:00:00 +0000

Morag Mackie describes some strategies that can be used to help populate an institutional repository.

DAEDALUS [1] is a three-year project based at the University of Glasgow funded under the JISC Focus on Access to Institutional Resources (FAIR) Programme [2]. The main focus of the project has been developing institutional repositories to hold content ranging from peer-reviewed published papers to theses and working papers.