building a digital library for learning and research

© Carlos Oliveira - FEUP - Internet Librarian International 2000 - 20 March 2000

Carlos Cardoso Oliveira

University of Porto, Faculty of Engineering, Portugal

GAUTI - Information Technology Support Unit, CEO

[email protected]

Building a digital library for learning and research


A few words about Porto

Main city of Northern PortugalWorld Historic PatrimonyCultural Capital of Europe 2001Port Wine Trade Center Champion’s League Football Team

IntroductionIntroduction


The University of Porto

Public University, born in 1911

Largest university in the country with more than 25.000 students and15 schools in two main campus in the city



The Faculty of EngineeringEstablished in 1915,derived from the Nautical School (1762)and the Polytechnical Academy (1837)

6000 Students700 Teaching & Staff6 Engineering Departments8 Undergraduate Courses23 MSc Courses8 PhD in Engineering10 Research Units12 Interface Institutes



Information Technology Support Unit

MissionProvide the strategy and the support for the effectiveuse of information technology in the Faculty

Services• Information Technologies Watch• Training and Awareness activities• Publishing services• Multimedia equipment operation and loan• Multimedia production



The IT connection Point


GAUTI

Public Relations Office

Continuous trainingImage promotionCultural activities

Library

PublishingMarket informationDigital library resources

Computer service

Information infrastructureElectronic user supportNetwork services


My own background

Electrical and Computing EngineerMSc. in Telecommunications

4 years as a Researcher in Telematic Services 3 years as a Commercial Multimedia Producer

CEO of Information Technology Support Unit Teacher in the MSc. Course in Multimedia TechnologyWebmaster of the Library



Information and Workspaces

Hybrid LibrariesHybrid Libraries

Single online interface must provide:

• Information Hub,• Learning Space,• Social Environment

same roles of physical libraries, in the digital world !


Library without walls, but...


Still a crucial role of the librarians in the support of users:

• Quality control and adequacy of content,• Personalized support of users’ needs,• Documentation on the use and training,• Provide easier access paths


Successful Hybrid Libraries


• Still important “the library as a place”,• Integration of legacy, transition and new resources,• Access versus holdings equilibrium,• Provide conventional services using new technologies

Institutional Commitment: Strategic alliance and mutual understanding between the library, the computer centre and the academic staff


The mission: leverage knowledge

Information StrategyInformation Strategy

“People will share what they know and reuse the know-how of others if you make it easy for them, and if you make it worth their while.”

“Knowledge is often as much about who you know as it is about what you know.”



The strategy: focus on key points

Productivitycapture and share best practices,

provide information on current research.

“Up to 25% of R&D investment can be wasted on redundant research.”




Competencyprovide distance learning facilities,

analyze metrics of knowledge use and sharing.

“Knowledge management is as much cultural as it is technological, that a culture that does not foster and reward sharing of knowledge cannot expect technology to solve its knowledge challenges.”




Responsivenessprovide personalized headlines and alerts,

provide expertise information.

“Current systems manage well-known and well-understood events, which is insufficient for the more unanticipated events, like dramatic changes in technology.”




Innovationcreate forums and knowledge bases on

key research areas,

provide information on R&D trends.

“Users frequently spend a lot of time just figuring out where things are before they even begin to think about what they are.”


The Library Web Site


Integrated “one-stop shopping”:

• ease of use,• networked access to electronic information resources• added value to information and resources,• personalized environment,• integration with institutional information architecture



Recommendation

Access

Reviews

Contents

Cover Art

Why not the “Amazon model” ?


Information Infrastructure

Information ArchitectureInformation Architecture

SiFEUP -Information System of the Faculty (since 1996):

• geographical information (buildings, rooms, labs),• courses information (lectures, calendar, classes, readings),• student information (personal data, evaluation),• staff information (projects, publications, service allocation),• administrative information (online services)


Calendar



Administrative forms



Student Information



Library Management Systems


Multi-tier architecture (client, application and data layers)

Integrated system that manages all aspects of your library, for both staff and patrons.

ALEPH 500 modules include:

Web and GUI PAC, Circulation, Cataloging, Serials, Acquisitions, ILL, SDI, Z39.50 access and also provide numerous housekeeping functions, including statistical analysis.


The Information Landscape


Integration of information and work

• Navigational framework with location information,• Niles Endnote Z39.50 access to catalog,• Direct access to records and electronic content by ID,• IP and user access restrictions,• Mail and save searched records,• Searched strategy history,• Contextual help search,


BackOffice Services


• Editing the site information: links, newsletter• Online Library management tools• Communication tools: BBS, webforum, calendar• Administrative documentation: templates, reports• Operation manuals and procedures • Statistics: cataloguing, circulation, search, site



Web catalog search



Link to book homepage



Link to serial homepage



Content search



Link to full paper


Table of Contents enrichment


Would you like to increase materials usage by 45% ?

Would you like to increase access to composite works by 600% ?

Blackwell’s homepage



EI Village



DialogWeb



Proquest Direct



MODELS Information Architecture

“The difference is between integration of connection and integration of operation.”

“The target is to provide complex systems which do not just display results for human consumption, but have some significant understanding of the results; understanding in the sense of being able to re-use them.”



Knowledge Awareness Management

“The most important requirement:

in-depth knowledge of your company's information needs”

Dialog Intranet Toolkit:

• Custom search forms • “Hot Topic" title lists (saved search strategy)• Customized delivery site on your Intranet (Alerts)


Developing Knowledge Spaces

Supporting the Academic CommunitySupporting the Academic Community

Hierarchical Information layers:

• Assets: encapsulate data or behaviours (reusable),• Objects: metadata information record, • Unit networks: linked path of objects,• Annotations: subjective content

Provide citation and linking between research papers



Knowledge base conceptual model

Assets Pool

Object Database

Subject Path

Annotation Layer


Resource based learning


“Students learn from their own use of learning resourcesand the teacher act as a facilitator”

Instructional Management Systems Project:

• standards for locating and operating interactive platform independent materials • support for the collaborative and dynamic nature of learning • incentives and structure for developing and sharing content


Effective use of resources


Teaching information technology skills:

1. Task Definition 2. Information Seeking Strategies 3. Location and Access 4. Use of Information 5. Synthesis 6. Evaluation

IT Watch service provides:

• information seeking behaviour studies,• information consumption analysis,• integration with central information infrastructure


Questions ?

Presentation available at:

http://www.fe.up.pt/~colive/bdllr.ppt

Disclaimer:The opinions stated are those of the author and do notrepresent an official position of the University of Porto.

building a digital library for learning and research

Documents

information hub

personalized support

multimedia technologywebmaster

conventional services

telematic services

learning space

redundant research

current research