Martin Myhill

Virtual research environments – a Web 2.0 cookbook?

Purpose – This paper aims to consider the potential use of Web 2.0 tools as the basis for the creation of a virtual research environment. Specific features of the Web 2.0 world are explored because of their suitability for this purpose.Design/methdology/approach – The concepts of virtual research environment and Web 2.0 are defined and the theoretical merits of using Web 2.0 tools are considered against the key components required for the successful implementation and operation of a VRE in the context of the UK academic sector. The most relevant Web 2.0 tools are considered on a brief, individual basis before being mixed together to construct a desktop‐based VRE based on a web browser. Final sections explore the role for the librarian in this user‐led environment and whether the approach described has global application.Findings – A VRE based on Web 2.0 technology is not only viable but a certainty. However, some desirable features of a VRE may have to wait until Web 3.0 tools become available.Research li...

Time for change. A personal insight into library systems' implementation : experiences at Exeter University Library

In 1998 over 1,000 library systems were sold worldwide. Many libraries, faced with users’ demands for increased system functionality, are considering purchase of new systems. The key to a successful implementation is proper management of time; time for planning, time for data conversion and time for the new system’s introduction – the consequences of undue haste may abound for many years. Each of these stages has many considerations including legal procedures, drafting of the system specification or a review of the functionality of available products, detailed conversion issues relating to differences between old and new systems, training and future development or product support. A short case study of the University of Exeter’s change from LIBERTAS to INNOPAC demonstrates many of the issues arising during a successful implementation.

Canute Rules the Waves?: Hope for E-Library Tools Facing the Challenge of the "Google Generation".

Purpose – To consider the findings of a recent e‐resources survey at the University of Exeter Library in the context of the dominance of web search engines in academia, balanced by the development of e‐library tools such as the library OPAC, OpenURL resolvers, metasearch engines, LDAP and proxy servers, and electronic resource management modules.Design/methodology/approach – Report of survey findings in the context of similar, recent research and articles.Findings – The survey confirmed the very high usage, ease of use, confident use and user satisfaction in web search engines as the predominant means of accessing academic information. The survey also reveals the considerable use, user confidence, and search success of Exeters various e‐library tools. A number of variations have been detected between user groups including part‐time groups, disabled users and those who do not own personal computers.Practical implications – The paper confirms popular conceptions about how academic users access information ...

A MAP for the library portal: through the labyrinth of online information sources

Purpose – This paper aims to describe the first year of implementation of the Innovative Interfaces Inc. Millennium Access Plus (MAP) portal at the University of Exeter Library, UK.Design/methodology/approach – The paper provides a description of the features of MAP and a case studyFindings – In as little as 25 years, online information provision has been transformed. This has largely been uncontrolled, yet the resources now available offer rich returns for the data‐hungry end user. Increasingly, many users require their information immediately and really do not care where it is stored. Such demands, coupled with librarians’ natural tendency to apply order, have led to the development of library portals which aim to solve the problems arising from trying to navigate this labyrinth of information. The MAP portal is one such product. Using the NISO OpenURL standard, MAP offers three main elements – contextual linking via WebBridge, one step “multi” searching using MetaFind and resource authentication throug...

Electronic library and the former Soviet Union and Mongolia

Economic difficulties facing the countries of the former Soviet Union and Mongolia as a result of recent political changes are constraining funding for education. However, there is a growing provision of facilities afforded by the electronic library in these countries. Evidence afforded by three European Union funded projects at Yaroslavl’ State Pedagogical University (Russia), Tashkent State University (Uzbekistan) and the Mongolian State Pedagogical University, shows that the Internet is already firmly established in such countries and that users are poised to maximise the benefits. These are not all dependent on western information sources. World Wide Web sites, for example, are rapidly developing in the former Soviet Union bringing an unparalleled window on Russian resources. Difficulties in the introduction of the electronic library in these countries include reliability and performance of systems, sceptical attitudes of many academics, and cost. The latter is the most serious long‐term factor as externally funded projects come to an end and institutions struggle to meet even their salary bills. Economic development especially in Mongolia and Uzbekistan may overcome this problem before very long, endorsing the global nature of the electronic library.

Snakes and ladders: towards a post‐maturity evaluation index of integrated library system ownership

Although the integrated library system increasingly dominates the information activities of library staff and users, there are very few objective measures available by which to evaluate its medium to long‐term impact. This article moves towards the production of a simple, numerical index of ILS evaluation. It applies a variety of context‐dependent evaluation methods to the different phases of the ILS lifecycle culminating in a draft index of evaluation. Although this methodology and index should not be regarded as a finished product, it should act as a useful starting point for further comparative studies, particularly those that seek simple ways to incorporate relevant, less‐subjective criteria into the ILS evaluation process.

Evaluating and Measuring the Value, Use and Impact of Digital Collections

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New Approaches to E‐reserve: Linking, Sharing and Streaming

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