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To: Staff in UK HEI=92s. Apologies for cross-posting. If we have not sent this to your subject lists, we would be pleased if you would forward it on our behalf. RE: JISC Circular 12/98 Ordnance Survey Digital Map Data - A opportunity = to learn about the benefits to the HE community through the experience of th= e eLib Digimap Project The JISC has recently sent a consultation paper (JISC Consultation Paper (JISC Circular 12/98) on Ordnance Survey Digital Map Data) to Heads of HEIs, with copies to Librarians and Information Service Directors: available at http://www.jisc.ac.uk/pub98/c12_98.html The Circular describes the (revised) outcome of their negotiations with t= he Ordnance Survey (OS). JISC is consulting prior to their final round of negotiations; it also seeks to ascertain which HEIs would be interested i= n subscribing to the package on offer, asking for responses by 28 October. We have recently sent an invite to the Librarians and Information Service= s Directors and Computer Centre Directors in UK HEIs for them to nominate a representative from your institution, in order that s/he may learn more about the Digimap trial online map system. This is currently being evaluated as part of the JISC eLib Programme. We are doing this at the request of the JISC in order to assist universities and other HEIs in preparing an informed response to the JISC Consultation Paper. The JISC agreed to fund the Digimap project as part of the eLib Programme. It began in April 1996 with the aim of investigating what map librarians and end-users actually want to do with OS digital map data, thereby to ascertain how best to provide an appropriate national service. As part of the project, staff and students in six universities (Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Newcastle, Oxford and Reading) have had unprecedented access to Ordnance Survey digital map data during the 1997/8 academic session, making maps and extracting data from a Web-based online system. For the purpose of the project, the Ordnance Survey has made available a range of OS digital map products, including approximately 3 per-cent of Land-Line, the largest and most detailed product in their national topographical database. (The offer contained in Circular 12/98 refers t= o 30% national coverage of Land-Line.) The evaluation of the full variety of usage of OS digital map data (by individual users, by lecturers and students in the classroom, and by 'map librarians' providing reference services) and of the local support structure required, has been an important part of the project. Much has been learnt and summary reports are currently being written. The Digimap trial service will continue to be available to the staff and students at each of the six participating universities for a further academic year (1998/9), as part of Digimap.Plus, a 2-year project in the eLib 3 Program= me. A summary description of the Digimap project and an indication of the online service provided is given at the URL http://digimap.ed.ac.uk/ The offer described in Circular 12/98 is a considerable advance on the outcome of previous negotiations. Access to OS digital map data by the U= K academic community has been an objective for a long time, but academic staff and students have little actual experience in its use to draw upon = in order to assess the worth of the JISC/OS package. The six universities which helped by participating in the Digimap project now have some experience to draw upon, albeit with a test, project-based service. We ha= ve monitored their experience, both map library reference queries and direct end usage, and this has helped us to identify =B7 where to upgrade and modify the functionality of the Digimap system s= till further =B7 the types and level of support required to use the data effectively =B7 the widespread demand for both maps and data across all faculties. We wish to share this information during the coming month of October. Accordingly, we are offering the opportunity to learn more about Digimap = to a representative from each HEI potentially interested in subscribing to t= he JISC/OS package. In the first instance this can be through contacting th= e Digimap Helpdesk (e-mail [log in to unmask] or telephone 0131 651 1239). We have also planned a series of half day workshops at various locations throughout Great Britain during October at which there will be the opportunity for a demonstration of the online trial system currently bein= g used (Digimap v0.5), learn more about how the OS data is being used by th= e participating institutions and hear an outline of the plans for a service grade system. The workshops will be held in the afternoon of the followin= g days (subject to final confirmation): Monday October 12th University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh Wednesday October 14th University of Leicester Thursday October 15th Senate House, University of London, London Friday October 16th University of Manchester We have obtained permission from Ordnance Survey to provide the nominated individuals with a guest userid/password to the Digimap Trial Service for= a limited period. Registration forms will distributed at the workshops. If you would like to be the nominated representative of your institution = to attend one of the workshops, please contact your Librarian and Informatio= n Services Director or Computer Centre Director, both of which will have received a letter inviting them to nominate a representative for your institution. Since time is short, we would appreciate knowing as soon as possible if your institution wishes to send a representative. Taken together we hope to help universities/HEIs in the following ways: t= o understand the range of digital map data on offer in Circular 12/98; to envisage how staff and students might be provided with a national online service; and to appreciate the wide-ranging uses to which the OS digital map data would be put - in other disciplines as well as Geography. Pleas= e contact the Digimap Helpdesk ([log in to unmask]) if you would like to purs= ue this. Your sincerely The Digimap Team Data Library Main Library Building, George Square, University of Edinburgh, EH8 9LJ Tel: 0131 651 1239 Fax: 0131 650 3308 E-mail: [log in to unmask]