John MacColl

Virtuous learning environments: the library and the VLE

This paper describes the growing use of virtual learning environments (VLE) in learning and teaching in UK higher education. The distinction between content management and its presentation by web delivery systems is discussed. The way in which academic libraries should be involved in the development of these environments is explored with reference to Project ANGEL ‐ a project funded by the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC). Overlap between virtual learning environments and electronic reserve systems in libraries is discussed in the context of the requirement that academic libraries assert their role as resource information managers in their institutions. Discharging this function will require genuine partnership between academic librarians and course tutors, and a fuller integration of the library into the course creation and delivery processes.

Project ANGEL: an open virtual learning envoronment with sophisticated access management

This paper describes a new project funded in the UK by the Joint Infor mation Systems Committee, to develop a virtual learning environment which combines a new awareness of internet sources such as bibliographic databases and full-text electronic journals with a sophisticated access management component which permits single sign-on authentication.

Cataloguing the World Wide Web: CORC at Edinburgh University

This article examines Edinburgh University Library’s experience of using OCLC’s Co‐operative Online Resource Catalogue (CORC). It discusses the project phase of CORC, its functionality, including automatic metadata harvesting and its ability to map between MARC and Dublin Core metadata formats. It also looks at how CORC fits into Edinburgh University Library’s policies regarding web resources, highlighting benefits and concerns associated with the system.