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1 – 10 of over 33000UK Office for Library Networking
Networking is one of the most important issues currently facing the library and information community. The convergence of computing and communications technology is affecting the…
Abstract
Networking is one of the most important issues currently facing the library and information community. The convergence of computing and communications technology is affecting the creation, management and use of information in ways not witnessed since the introduction of printing with movable type.
Margaret Kendall and Sarah Wilkinson
Enhanced communication between citizens and local government is envisaged as a key role for the proposed UK public library network. Improved internal partnerships between the…
Abstract
Enhanced communication between citizens and local government is envisaged as a key role for the proposed UK public library network. Improved internal partnerships between the library and local government departments and representatives will be required. An example of the potential for the development of partnerships with social services departments is discussed, drawing upon recent research reports. However, an emphasis on citizenship information alone would be unfortunate. Partnerships with other information, advice and community networks will be essential to further the aims of increasing social inclusion through electronic networks. This recommendation is supported through a review of partnerships throughout the history of community information, and discussion of recent initiatives including the growth of community information and community information networks in the UK.
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Farzana Shafique and Khalid Mahmood
This paper is part of a doctoral research which aimed at proposing a national information system for educational administrators in Pakistan. However, this paper only aims at…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper is part of a doctoral research which aimed at proposing a national information system for educational administrators in Pakistan. However, this paper only aims at identifying what an information system is composed of and does; defining the information infrastructure (i.e. libraries/information centers and networks) needed for the development of a national educational information system; identifying the nature and design of the information infrastructure in Pakistan; and ascertaining the problems and gaps existing in the information infrastructure of Pakistan and why they exist.
Design/methodology/approach
The study is based on review of the available literature. For the literature search, valid sources of published and unpublished information were consulted (i.e. books, journal articles, reports, conference/workshop proceedings, theses and dissertations).
Findings
Many library/information centers and information networks are working in the educational domain of Pakistan. The position of academic, national and special libraries is also presented in this review. The basic weakness traced in this review is in the infrastructure of library/information centers and information networks and disintegration of available information sources. The information does exist within libraries/information centers and information networks but the educational administrators have problems in tracing this information. As a result, available information is not being utilized properly in educational planning and development in Pakistan. There is a need to pool the existing information sources, services and networks in one place to form a well‐integrated information system that may provide a holistic and complete overview of education enterprise for realistic planning and resource allocation.
Originality/value
This paper is the first to present the current position of the available libraries/information centers and information networks within the educational domain of Pakistan. Such a review may help the designers of educational information systems.
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This article identifies the changes that libraries and information centres (LICs) need to undergo for networking, and lists the existing communication networks (INDONET, ERNET…
Abstract
This article identifies the changes that libraries and information centres (LICs) need to undergo for networking, and lists the existing communication networks (INDONET, ERNET, NICNET, GPSS, RABMN, INET) and libraries and information networks (INFLIBNET, DELNET, BTIS, SIRNET, TIFACLINE, CALIBNET, MALIBNET, BONET, MYLIBNET, PUNENET, etc.) in India. It mentions the paradigm changes that LICs undergo, challenges to their networking, and also highlights the role of IT in transforming traditional LICs into a digital mode. It discusses the various Governmental policies that led to the development of national information infrastructure, the inadequacies of the infrastructure, the status of IT application in Government, and the challenges in converting library contents into computer readable form. It concludes that, although India has drawn up ambitious plans, it has not seen the benefits that could come from employing these facilities to improve the socio‐economic conditions of its citizens or help it emerge as an economic superpower.
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Peter Smith, Peter Stone, Colin Campbell, Hugh Marks and Helen Copeman
EARL (Electronic Access to Resources in Libraries) is a collaborative approach to establishing a national networked information and resource sharing service for public libraries…
Abstract
EARL (Electronic Access to Resources in Libraries) is a collaborative approach to establishing a national networked information and resource sharing service for public libraries in the UK. This paper provides information on the early stages of EARL during 1994 and 1995 which resulted in a pilot demonstration service being developed as a result of a scoping study. The achievements to date are then outlined and these include membership of EARL by 120 library authorities who use it to provide e‐mail facilities, creation of web pages, access to databases and the development of EARLweb which provides a gateway to a number of Internet resources likely to be of use in public libraries. The current work is described including the British Library funded project, Readiness, the work of the Task Groups and collaboration with European partners. In conclusion the challenges presented to EARL members in the future are included.
XiaoXia Yao, Ling Chen and LongJi Dai
China Academic Library and Information System (CALIS), funded primarily by the Chinese Government, is a nationwide academic library consortium in China. As one of the two public…
Abstract
China Academic Library and Information System (CALIS), funded primarily by the Chinese Government, is a nationwide academic library consortium in China. As one of the two public service systems in “Project 211”, in China's ninth five‐year plan, CALIS plays a multiple resource‐sharing role among the participating libraries. During past five years, CALIS has established a three‐tiered coordination and management network comprising national information centers, regional information centers and member libraries. In addition, a number of resources have been developed or imported which have made considerable improvements to the service to Chinese higher education and also accelerated the growth of CALIS. The target for CALIS is to build the China Academic Digital Library within the next five years. Currently, CALIS is doing research on the strategies and development of digital library systems, with cooperation and coordination from member libraries. With the development of “digital service environment”, “public service platform”, “imported and self‐built resources”, “service network”, etc. the digital library and information system will be established. The extension of digital library consortium resources and services will thus operate in a digital, networked environment. This paper provides information about the background, initiatives and the strategic plan of CALIS, illustrating how it operates and what it provides.
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Edwin S. Gleaves, Edwin S. Gleaves, Jose Marie Griffiths, Rita Hamilton, Edward G. Mahon, Tamara J. Miller, Sandra S. Nelson, Sidney Owen and Linda L. Phillips
When, back in 1994, I spoke to the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science (NCLIS) on the state of network development in Tennessee, I began by saying, “In…
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When, back in 1994, I spoke to the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science (NCLIS) on the state of network development in Tennessee, I began by saying, “In Tennessee, as in many states, network development is multidimensional, multidisciplinary, multifaceted, multilateral, multidirectional—and therefore multi‐confusing.”
Chris Sugnet, Henriette D. Avram, Rowland Brown, Clifford A. Lynch, Susan K. Martin, Ron Miller, C. James Schmidt, Sharon Walbridge, Louella V. Wetherbee and Bruce Ziegman
When the initial library networks were established in the United States, they provided affordable, online automation services that were available from virtually no other source…
Abstract
When the initial library networks were established in the United States, they provided affordable, online automation services that were available from virtually no other source. The surge of automation experienced by American libraries for the past two decades has altered the historical relationships that characterize library cooperation. Local networks are being created and machine‐readable products previously available only from the networks are now being packaged on optical media and distributed to individual institutions. With these technological advances, the need for, services offered by, and financial viability of the networks have begun to undergo dramatic change. This is also a time of great opportunity for libraries and networks. There is on the horizon what may be the infrastructure for a national information network. The realization of this network will require close cooperation of librarians, who have embraced the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) Reference Model for networking, and members of the academic and research community, which is still relying heavily on the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocols (TCP/IP) for communications purposes.
LASER is leading a number of different projects involving various forms of networking between public libraries. All the current collaborative projects are summarised, but the main…
Abstract
LASER is leading a number of different projects involving various forms of networking between public libraries. All the current collaborative projects are summarised, but the main part of the article is devoted to the major initiative, Project EARL The motivations for the project are outlined and the three tiers of planned services for EARL participants are described: Connect, Information and Developments.
The Internet may well come to provide many members of the public with their best chance of access to public information. This article serves to update readers on two different…
Abstract
The Internet may well come to provide many members of the public with their best chance of access to public information. This article serves to update readers on two different approaches to assist public libraries to connect to the Internet; the Library Association Millennium Bid and Project EARL (Electronic Access to Resources in Libraries). In the first section of the article, the LA/EARL/UKOLN Public Libraries Networking Adviser reviews the exploratory Library Association Millennium Bid, the response by the Millennium Commission and the subsequent development of the new joint Library Association and Library and Information Commission bid. In the second section, she reviews the accelerating momentum of Project EARL, a consortium of 40% of UK public library authorities, and the establishment of Development/Special Interest Groups. The Millennium Bid and Project EARL seek to provide public access to the resources of the Internet, and to create new resources and services, through the UK public libraries community. Both projects have the potential to impact on public libraries into the next century and to deliver public information into the heart of every UK community.