NEW HOSTS FOR EARL SERVICES
The EARL Consortium for Public Library Networking Management Board is pleased to announce the successful placement, continuation and future development of its critically acclaimed national demonstrator services to new host organisations - CoEast, UKOLN, and the People's Network.
Viv Griffiths, the Chair of EARL Council, acknowledged what EARL has achieved, stating “EARL has made a huge contribution to raising the stakes for libraries, in the world of network information and has been an inspirational example of what collaboration and unselfish partnership can do.”
Ask A Librarian, EARL’s national digital reference service, and Familia, EARL’s local history and genealogical resource, has been placed with Co-East (http://www.co-east.net), the collaborative, resource-sharing body for library authorities in the East of England. The Family History and Ask Task groups, steering groups composed of national library representation, will continue to support the services, and will support Co-East in its development plans. The new URLS will be http://www.ask-a-librarian.org.uk and http://www.familia.org.uk. Anyone having problems accessing these sites after 30 September should refer to the CoEast home page for information.
The Network Services Policy issue papers will be hosted by one of the original partner organisations, UKOLN (http://www.ukoln.ac.uk), the national centre for network information management. In addition, UKOLN will carry forward the work of the task group, together with the People’s Network team and the Library Association. UKOLN has been a Strategic Partner of EARL since its inception, has been represented on the Management Board, and has managed the production of the issue papers.
After 26 September, the EARL domain, earl.org.uk, will automatically point to an EARL services referral page(http://www.peoplesnetwork.gov.uk/earl.html), which will be hosted by the People’s Network (http://www.peoplesnetwork.gov.uk). From that date, the EARL website will no longer be accessible. The People’s Network will also host Get OnLine, http://www.peoplesnetwork.gov.uk/netbase/index.html, EARL’s listing of library authorities services. All requests for updates to this service should be addressed to Helen Baigent ([log in to unmask]).
The following EARL Partner library websites can be found at their new URLs:
For the Westminster Libraries Information Gateway, please go to: http://www.westminster.gov.uk/libraries/gateway/
For the Westminster Music Library Catalogue of Orchestral Sets, please go to:
http://www.westminster.gov.uk/libraries/services/special/music/notes.cfm
For Midlothian Libraries, please go to:
http://www.midlothian.gov.uk/Community/Library/LibButs/Library_Home.asp
For Newport Libraries, please go to:
www.newport.gov.uk/living/leisure/libraries
Robin Yeates, [log in to unmask], at LITC SouthBank University can be contacted for information about the LONGITUDE Toolkit.
General questions about EARL can be directed to EARL Management Board Chair, Colin Campbell ([log in to unmask]).
Notes for Editors from EARL
1. EARL is the preferred name for The EARL (Electronic Access to
Resources in Libraries) Consortium for Public Library Networking. For
six years, EARL has provided public libraries with such successful
national networked services as Ask A Librarian, Familia, EuroGuide,
Magnet, among others. In addition, it gave public libraries a higher
technical profile, through advocacy and research, and by offering
guidance and support through the Networked Services issue papers and a
series of events.
2. Further information may be obtained from Linda Berube,
Research and Development Co-ordinator, EARL, Gun Court, 70 Wapping Lane, London E1W 2RS; Tel: +44 020 7702 2020; fax: +44 020 7702 2019; E-mail: [log in to unmask]; URL : <http://www.earl.org.uk/>. (after
September 34th, questions can be directed to Colin Campbell at [log in to unmask]
3. Co-East (http://www.co-east.gov.uk) operates on a Consortium basis to pursue both the technical solutions required for sharing resources regionally and also has established itself in the long-term as a body, working across the East of England to deliver, at an operational level, a fully fledged Inter Library Loans system.
4.UKOLN (http://www.ukoln.ac.uk) is a national focus of expertise in digital information management. It provides policy, research and awareness services to the UK library, information and cultural heritage communities. UKOLN is based at the University of Bath.
5. People's Network Development Team at Resource: the Council
or Museums, Archives and Libraries(http://www.peoplesnetwork.gov.uk/).
The team, in partnership with Home Country strategic bodies SLIC, LISC (Wales) and LISC (Northern Ireland) manages the most comprehensive programme of public ICT provision supported by the Government. It will deliver a network of 4,300 ICT learning centres in UK public libraries with training support unmatched by other projects and a critical mass of digital content to support learning which will pave the way towards establishing future public-sector content provision on the web.
The EARL Consortium for Public Library Networking
http://www.earl.org.uk
Linda Berube
Research and Development Co-ordinator
[log in to unmask]
Gun Court 4th Floor
70 Wapping Lane
London E1W 2RS
tel: 020 7702 2020
fax:020 7702 2019
________________________________________________________________
Sent via the WebMail system at alumnet.simmons.edu
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