Hybrid Electronic Access and Delivery in the Library Networked Environment

Introduction

HEADLINE (Hybrid Electronic Access and Delivery in the Library Networked Environment) is one of the Hybrid Libraries projects funded under the Electronic Libraries (eLib) Phase 3 programme of the UK Higher Education Joint Information Systems Committee.

Aims of the Project

This three-year project began in January 1998 and aims to design and implement a working model of the hybrid library, in actual academic environments. In accordance with the aims of the Hybrid Libraries programme, the project will present the user with a wide range of library resources, regardless of physical form, via a common Web-based interface. So information from a networked CD-ROM, an electronic journal accessed over the Internet, or a book on the library shelf, should all be presented, depending on which format is most suitable to the needs and location of the user. Information delivery will be provided in a variety of formats, such as electronic, print, inter-library loan and order processes. The subject focus will be economics, finance, business and management, although the project aims to demonstrate portability of the model to other subject areas.

Description

The HeadLine model for the hybrid library is based around the user with a user-dependent managed environment as a fundamental part of the project design. The system will have access (via the login process) to the user’s administrative details such as status, subject area and registered courses, and will use this information to provide a tailored and supportive environment. The system will retain feedback from the user’s actions, providing a mechanism for the user profile to develop with time.

Resources

The project will make use of the diverse resources available at the partner sites and users will have access to the following types of material:

• Local course-related materials - reading lists, exam papers etc;
• Catalogues (local consortium catalogues, M25, clumps via Z39.50, COPAC etc);
• Primary sources (electronic journals, DECOMATE, locally digitised materials);
• Secondary sources (BIDS, IBSS, ECONLit, SOSIG, Biz/Ed);
• Financial datasets;
• Government information;

The access media and delivery methods for these resources differ greatly. Delivery methods range from proprietary Windows interfaces to Web-based products and formats may be numeric, graphical, bibliographic or full-text. This will create a diverse resource base to include in the model and will also provide the project team with a number of interesting technical, copyright and licensing problems to solve.

Evaluation and Dissemination

Evaluation will be used to assist project design and to gain user feedback on the model; mechanisms will be developed to incorporate user feedback and evaluation into the design, content and delivery of the service. The project will seek to communicate results and findings throughout the academic, library and higher education community. The HeadLine Website (http://www.headline.ac.uk) will be the focus for dissemination, but the team will use journal articles, conferences and other activities to publicise the project. As prototype components of the system become available for online testing, "guest" access will be provided via the Website, subject to any copyright restrictions.

Key Deliverables

The project aims to develop the following:

• A working model for consistent access to library materials regardless of physical form, transferable across broad subject disciplines and a range of different higher education environments;
• A user-dependent dynamic Web environment within which to manage individual access to the resource base;
• Mechanisms for incorporating user feedback and evaluation into the design, content and delivery of the service;
• Exploration of licensing and copyright issues involved in providing access to the broad range of hybrid library materials;
• Continuous dissemination of results and progress of the project.

The project partners are the London School of Economics, the London Business School and the University of Hertfordshire. Development work will be carried out at the LSE and the LBS, with all three sites participating in developing the user requirements model, testing the model and contributing to user evaluation studies. Due to their diversity of structure, subject focus and student population, the sites provide a good cross-section of the user profiles and organisational situations found in higher education institutions. In this way portability of the model between various sites and environments will be ensured.

Contacts