Apologies for cross-posting
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The BUILDER Hybrid Library Project has just released the following
demonstrators and reports, which will be covered at the BUILDER Project
Conference on 10 - 11 January 2001 [http://builder.bham.ac.uk/conference] :
1. Hybrid Library Demonstrator
The BUILDER Hybrid Library Demonstrator aims to demonstrate 'seamlessness',
where all resources are accessible through the same interface. It also aims
to demonstrate profiling, where the resources offered are relevant to the
needs of the individual user. To enter the BUILDER Hybrid Library
Demonstrator you must become one of five character users. Our characters
cover the whole spectrum you would expect to find in an academic library.
All have their own individual needs and concerns. An evaluation of the
Hybrid Library Demonstrator has just been completed with groups of students
at the University of Birmingham and results will be reported on in a
forthcoming BUILDER evaluation report.
Available at: http://www.builder.bham.ac.uk/hld
'Find out more' buttons will be added to this demonstrator to show how the
key features of the hybrid library have been implemented by BUILDER.
2. Metadata Index Demonstrator
The aim of this demonstrator is to produce a high level metadata index to
printed and electronic information resources held in a variety of formats
(for example, Web-based resources, electronic online databases and CD-ROMs).
The Metadata Index is populated by Liaison Librarians and other Information
Professionals within Information Services. The Metadata Index links up with
the Talis Library Management System via the Talis Tools. The metadata
records therefore consist of bibliographic information from Talis, linked
together with additional information stored in a Talis Tools database. This
additional information can include details about access restrictions (e.g.
that a particular resource requires an ATHENS username and password) as well
as a description of the resource. In this way, the Library Management System
is extended so that it becomes a Hybrid Library Management System. The
advantage of this system is that there is a single updateable resource which
can be used by a number of information professionals, to provide quality
resources for students. This resource can be rendered through a whole host
of Application Interfaces.
Available at: http://builder.bham.ac.uk/mdi
Find out more at: http://builder.bham.ac.uk/mdi/introduction.asp
3. 'An Evaluation of the Impact of the BUILDER Hybrid Library Project.'
October 2000
This summative evaluation report takes an overview of the impact the Project
has made on stakeholders from within and outside of The University of
Birmingham. Central to this report is data drawn from focus groups with a
range of Information Services staff at the University of Birmingham and
semi-structured interviews with senior University managers which took place
originally in 1998, but were repeated in 2000.
HTML: http://builder.bham.ac.uk/reports/html/impact.asp
Adobe PDF: http://builder.bham.ac.uk/reports/pdf/impact.pdf
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"BUILDER aims to develop a working model of the hybrid library within both a
teaching and research context, seamlessly integrating access to a wide range
of printed and electronic information sources, local and remote, using a
Web-based interface, and in a way which will be universally applicable."
BUILDER is supported as part of the Electronic Libraries Programme (eLib)
which is funded by the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) of the
Higher Education Funding Councils.
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