2006 Awards for Excellence

Citation

(2006), "2006 Awards for Excellence", Program: electronic library and information systems, Vol. 40 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/prog.2006.28040daa.002

2006 Awards for Excellence

The following article was selected for this year’s Outstanding Paper Award for Program: Electronic library and information systems

‘‘Digital London: creating a searchable web of interlinked sources on eighteenth century London’’

Robert ShoemakerUniversity of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK

Purpose – To outline the conceptual and technical difficulties encountered, as well as the opportunities created, when developing an interlinked collection of web-based digitised primary sources on eighteenth century London.Design/methodology/approach – As a pilot study for a larger project, a variety of primary sources, including the Old Bailey Proceedings (OBP), were digitised and then interlinked using names. The paper outlines the solutions adopted for dealing with uncertainties in record linkage and for displaying a range of different historical sources while preserving their archival integrity.Findings – Records should be linked with varying degrees of probability, allowing users to participate in the choice of which records truly concern the same individuals.Research limitations/implications – Further work is necessary to create mechanisms for allowing users to specify levels of certainty in record linkage, and to develop methods for searching and displaying results when working with multiple collections of archival sources.Originality/value – This paper shows the potential of combining XML markup with flexible record linkage strategies to interlink complex collections of digitised sources. The resulting source will allow historians to ask new historical questions; in this case concerning the role played by individuals in shaping the evolution of social welfare provision in London.Keywords: Archives management, Digital libraries, History, United Kingdom

www.emeraldinsight.com/10.1108/00330330510627926

This article originally appeared in Volume 39 Number 4, 2005, Program: Electronic library and information systems

www.emeraldinsight.com/authors

The following articles were selected for Highly Commended Awards this year

‘‘Impact of the internet on delivery of reference services in English public libraries’’

Margaret JaySheila Webber

This article originally appeared in Volume 39 Number 1, 2005, Program: Electronic library and information systems

‘‘Open access, open source and e-theses: the development of the Edinburgh Research Archive’’

Richard JonesTheo Andrew

This article originally appeared in Volume 39 Number 3, 2005, Program: Electronic library and information systems

‘‘Towards improved performance and interoperability in distributed and physical union catalogues’’

George MacgregorFraser Nicolaides

This article originally appeared in Volume 39 Number 3, 2005, Program: Electronic library and information systems