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The future is hybrid: libraries in the 21st century

20th February 2001, Geoffrey Manton Building, Manchester Metropolitan University, Rosamond Street West, Manchester.

A one day workshop presented by the eLib hybrid library projects, co-ordinated by UKOLN and supported by the DNER.

Programme

08:45 Registration / Coffee

09:10 Welcome to Manchester Metropolitan University - Professor Stephen Kirby

Professor Kirby is Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

09.15 Opening address- Professor Colin Harris

Professor Colin Harris is University Librarian at the Manchester Metropolitan University and was formerly Director of Academic Information Services at the University of Salford and Director of the Centre for Research on User Studies at the University of Sheffield. He is a member of the JISC Committee on Electronic Information, the JISC ASSIST Advisory Committee and the Resource Discovery Network Steering Group. He was a member of the RAE panel on Library and Information Management 1996 and is a member of the same panel for 2001. He is the Editor of the New Review of Academic Librarianship , Editorial Co-ordinator of the New Review of Information Networking and a member of the Editorial Board of the New Review of Information and Library Research. He was formerly Deputy Chairman of CALIM: the Consortium of Academic Libraries in Manchester and is currently Deputy Chairman of NoWAL: North West Academic Libraries. He was for thirteen years a non-executive director of Talis Information and has been involved in consultancies for HEFCE, JISC, Unesco, the British Council, the Organisation of American States, the International Development Research Centre and the Hong Kong UGC institutions.

09:30 Overview, eLib Phase 3 Hybrid Library strand - Maureen Wade

Maureen Wade is Deputy Librarian at the London School of Economics.

Compare and contrast: 5 different angles on the Hybrid Library

09:45
Presentations begin

Chair: Dick Hartley - Head of Department of Information & Communication at Manchester Metropolitan University

09:45 BUILDER - the DIY Guide

Presenter - Ian Upton - Technical Development Officer

The Hybrid Library Construction Kit. The BUILDER project has created a number of practical demonstrators highlighting elements of the Hybrid Library. It has done this in a very low-tech way - using off the shelf packages and simple scripting techniques. This 'nuts and bolts' talk takes a look at some of the BUILDER demonstrators along with the technology used to produce them. Come along and see what we have done. You may be surprised how easy it is to implement some of this stuff yourself!
Ian Upton is the Technical Development Officer for BUILDER and is responsible for all technical aspects of the project. Ian has been involved with developing 'enabling' computer infrastructure and software for the last ten years. Previous work has included Information Services (University of Birmingham - developing and supporting collaborative Internet workspaces), The Centre for Computer Based Learning (University of Birmingham - developing computer based support materials and network infrastructure for teaching), Research Machines (RM - developing turnkey solutions and networks for primary schools) and the BBC (designing and producing educational software for primary school children). He also used to design computer games....

10:15 Modelling the Hybrid Library: An Overview of the MALIBU Project.

Presenter - Valeda F. Dent

The session will provide an overview of the MALIBU project, focusing on the major components of the project and its deliverables.

Valeda F. Dent began her post as Senior Project Manager for MALIBU four months ago. Previously, she was Director of the Residence Hall Library program and an Adjunct Lecturer at the School of Information, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA, appointments to which she will return upon completion of her yearlong position with MALIBU.

10:45 Coffee break

11:00 HeadLine - 2 million users need 2 million hybrid libraries

Presenter - John Paschoud

The hybrid library model developed by the HeadLine Project has focused on a web portal (the "Personal Information Environment") which provides each user with a completely customised view of the library collections in which they are interested - not cluttered by any of the resources they don't consider relevant. The model also recognises multiple holdings of resources, which may be more or less accessible to any particular user, due to physical location, licence conditions or access rights. "Personal" library views may also represent the interest scope of groups (such as students on the same course), so some resource requirements may be common, and the portal model may offer some useful possibilities for group interaction.

John is Manager of the HeadLine Project and is based in the Library of the London School of Economics. He is also responsible for several other e-library initiatives in which the LSE is involved, has been a chartered information systems engineer since 1990, and has worked in a variety of ISapplication fields for over 20 years. His main spare-time occupation is politics.

11:30 Agora - From Research to Product

Presenter - David Palmer

The major achievement of the Agora project has been the translation of the Hybrid Library Management System definition into a workable Hybrid Library.

The Agora software provides truly integrated access by way of cross-domain searching as well the integration of electronic delivery with traditional interlending. It is proof of concept software that has taken research through to product.

Dave has been a librarian since 1987. The majority of his work in the field to up to his move to England in 1998 was with the Canadian government working for Parks Canada administering regional library and records management operations.
Dave commenced working with UEA upon his move here in 1998 as an assistant librarian, responsible for the provision of interlending & document supply services and for reference desk services. In addition, the 'other' fifty percent of his time is spent on project work for the Agora Project with specific responsibilities for the Library Associates within the Project.

12:00 HyLiFe - The hybrid library; HyLiFe's 10 steps to success

Presenter - Peter Wynne

HyLiFe's Ten Steps to Success are a distillation of the HyLiFe Project's evaluation process which has involved three annual cycles of interviews, focus groups and observations in HyLiFe's six partner sites. The Ten Steps, which focus on human and organisational rather than technical aspects, have been found to be essential in setting up effective hybrid library services. Participants at Hybrid Library Workshops 2000 have confirmed their wide applicability.

Peter is HyLiFe's Project Manager. He joined the Centre for Research in Library and Information Management (CERLIM) at Manchester Metropolitan University in 1994. Since then he has co-ordinated a number of UK and European Commission projects, including BIBDEL, EQLIPSE and MIEL2. His research interests include the extension of information services to users at a distance.

12:30 General discussion; Explanation of Workshop options

12:45 Lunch break

13.30 - 15.30 Workshops

HeadLine: Hands-on introduction to Your Own HeadLine Personal Information Environment

Presenter - Anne Gambles

The PIE, HeadLine's hybrid library model, uses portal-type technology to present an information environment that is personalised to its users needs. In addition to providing and facilitating access to a diverse range of resources, the PIE also includes customisationand search functionality. A live demonstration of the HeadLine PIE will be the focus of this workshop. The PIE's interface to resources, and its customisation and search functions will be explained. The workshop will include opportunity for questions and discussion. Each participant will be provided with their own PIE account (accessible from any PC with Internet access) and a copy of "The HeadLine PIE: An Introductory Guide".

Anne Gambles, HeadLine Project Officer, is based at the London School of Economics. She joined the HeadLine team in January 2000. Her main responsibilities are associated with dissemination, resource analysis, interface design and evaluation. She previously spent two years as a Business Information Specialist at the Open University Library.

The MALIBU Search Engine: Exploring User Needs in a Hybrid World

Presenter - Jessie Hey

This workshop will explore the ideas behind and the development of a Global Information Gathering Agent (GIGA) to exploit the hybrid library. Practical details will be discussed. User feedback is helping us define features for future models of information retrieval. Delegates are invited to think about future possibilities in their own environment before trying out a guest id for themselves.

Jessie has worked and researched at the user interface of information provision in a variety of organisations (with both teaching and organising roles) and is currently part of the Southampton MALIBU team in the Intelligence, Agents, Multimedia Group.

Agora - setting the future agenda

Presenter - David Palmer (supported by Geoff Butters)

The Agora workshop will offer delegates a group 'guided tour' of the Agora HLMS (Hybrid Library Management System), including the creation of simple and advanced searches, manipulation of results and the use of landscapes. Following the 'guided tour', attendees will be able to "play" with the Agora system themselves and the workshop will close with a discussion/feedback session with all attendees.

Geoff works for CERLIM (Centre for Research in Library & Information Management) based in the Department of Information & Communications, Manchester Metropolitan University,

BUILDER

Presenter - Ian Upton

BUILDER's Hybrid Library Demonstrator: Ian will walk through the BUILDER Hybrid Library demonstrating how, using BUILDER developed technologies and ideas, how the hybrid library could look. There will be a chance at the end of the session to try the Hybrid Library Demonstrator 'hands on' and for yourself.

15:30 Tea break

15:45 Plenary: The Hybrid Library and the DNER

Presenter - Stephen Pinfield

Many electronic library developments at a national level are now being co-ordinated as part of the Distributed National Electronic Resource (DNER). Strategies for ongoing DNER development are currently being worked out, and in this context, it will be important to feed in significant lessons emerging from the eLib Hybrid Library projects. Ways in which these lessons can be applied in individual institutions are also being considered.

Stephen is Academic Services Librarian at the University of Nottingham. In addition, he has recently been carrying out work for JISC centred on capturing and communicating the lessons of the eLib programme. Before taking up his post in Nottingham, he was Project Leader on the BUILDER project at the University of Birmingham. He has also worked at the University of Leeds and London Business School.
Stephen Pinfield has published articles on a number of topics including team working, database usage, library management and hybrid library development. He is also a member of the editorial board of Program.

16:30 Discussion


16:45 Close

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