Brophy, 'NEWS FROM EUROPE', LIBRES v4n02-3 URL = http://hegel.lib.ncsu.edu/stacks/serials/libres/libres-v4n02-3-brophy-news LIBRES: Library and Information Science Research Electronic Journal __________________________________________________________________ ISSN 1058-6768 August 28, 1994 Volume 4 Issue 2/3 Quarterly LIBRE4N2 BROPHY I would like everyone to join me in welcoming Dr. Peter Brophy as our regular columnist from Europe. His columns will focus on current events as they affect libraries in Europe. If you have comments or suggestions for future columns, information on how to contact Dr. Brophy is availableat the end of the column. Leslie M. Haas Editor, News and Announcements LIBRES lhaas@kentvm.kent.edu *********************** NEWS FROM EUROPE By Dr. Peter Brophy ********************** A very considerable amount of library and information science R&D funding is currently available from the European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union (which, to confuse matters, used to be called the European Community or EEC).The *Libraries Programme* forms part of a R&D programme in the area of "telematics", a term taken from the french "telematique" meaning telecommuications+computing+information and therefore referring to the provision of data, information and communication services across local and wide area networks. The Libraries Programme is providing support totalling over 15 million pounds sterling to LIS research and development. The Libraries Programme has been running since 1991 and has issued three "Callsfor Proposals", the last of which is still in the negotiation stage. However, the projects chosen for support from the first two Calls are now well under way and some have just been completed. the following list gives a flavour of the kind ofthe work which is being carried out. Investigation into Greek language transliteration problems (HELEN) The main goals of the project are: * the development of advanced transliteration software for the conversion ofbibliographic records into and out of the Greek character set; * the promotion of the wider use of consistent and reversible transliterationstandards. Machine-readable records for Greek language materials exist mostly in transliterated form. Past practices in transliteration have been diverse and the use of reversible schemes limited, in the Greek alphabet. The project is developing software to aid the conversion of bibliographic records between the Greek & Roman alphabet languages. The structure of the bibliographic record, the format, and the relationship of key data elements to authority files will be used to enhance the transliteration software. In the process, research will be carried out on name authority issues and transliteration standards and practices. The software will be designed as general purpose modules for use in a stand- alone environment but will be tested operationally by being integrated into a library system in Greece. ****** Electronic Data Interchange for Libraries and Booksellers in Europe (EDILIBE II) The objective of this project is the standardised electronic information exchange of business messages between libraries and booksellers in Europe. EDILIBE I, a Libraries Programme preparatory pilot project, examined the business messages BISAC, TRADACOMS, EDIFACT and ANSI X.12 and analysed X.400 communications facilities available in four countries. The consortium has also produced an EDIFACT recommendation for four library orientated business message types, namely: quoting, ordering, order response and invoicing. The present phase of the project involves the implementation of OSI based EDIFACT and X.400 software in each of the participants' systems, inter-operability testing and support of the standardisation of the process for the library related EDIFACT subsets. ****** Library Information enquiry and Referral Network (LIRN) The project is developing an electronic enquiry and referral service forEuropean libraries based on the ISO 9594/CCITT X.500 Directory standard.The concepts and feasibility of the service will be defined and evaluated during a pilot operation using business as a subject topic. The project will develop a pilot enquiry and referral service between 3 library communities in Portugal, U.K. and Belgium. The services and architecture of LIRN will bestudied and defined. Information regarding the subject of business will be held in a distributed database and this will be based on the X.500 Directory standard. ****** Electronic library image service for Europe (ELISE) The project will model a system which will provide access to full colour image information banks held in libraries in three Member States, through the: - design and establishment of a bank of full colour images and associated text for real-time remote access in participating libraries; - modelling of interconnection between participating image banks using ISDN; - demonstration of the pilot and communications model. The field of image information management in libraries has been underexploited in comparison with textual information and library automation. The availability of the technology at affordable cost, the convergence of interests in educational use of images and image-heldmaterials, and the emerging image information market all testify to the timeliness of, and act as stimuli to, library system developments in the field of colour imagebanks. The project will investigate: the technical requirements of establishing full colour image banks in libraries; the associated storage and retrieval mechanisms; client needs and design interfaces; and the technical requirements for international interconnection of image-bank systems. ****** Rapid Information Display and Dissemination in a Library Environment (RIDDLE) The objective of this project is to study the feasibility of scanning the contents pages of technical journals with a view to including the information on the individualitems in each issue in on-line library catalogues. The principal objective of the project is the feasibility study but it is also anticipated that some pilot/prototype development will be accomplished during the project. The project is looking at the feasibility of integrating the text of journal articles into on-line catalogues and the possibility of generating the text of catalogue entries through scanning of contents pages. The results of the project will not be specific to any one library but applicable to any on-line library catalogue. ****** End-user courses in Information access through communication technology (EDUCATE) The EDUCATE project aims to produce a new type of model self- paced usereducation course in the selection and use of information tools. EDUCATE courses will be basedon the use of modern information technology, and distributed by means of the academiccommunication networks. They will be short - ten hours - and multilingual. They will be designed to be transferable within European environments. They will cover two subject areas: physics and electrical and electronic engineering. The goal is to develop a cost-effective education productthat can be applied in libraries which have not previously had any kind of training programme. It provides an example of the possibility to "leapfrog" course development with the aid of newtechnologies. ****** Extending European information access through mobile libraries (MOBILE) MOBILE is identifying target user groups and their information needs in remote communities or other regions where public library services are currently unable to stimulate or meet demand for information. The technical feasibility of introducing a range of information and document delivery services into existing public library networks, through the full exploitationof information and communication technology, will be investigated. Prototype, multifunctional mobile library and information points will be specified, procured and introduced into threedifferent public library environments. Field trials of the fully-equipped library vehicles of up to 18 months duration will be undertaken in these environments. They will be carefully monitored inorder to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of mobile library services under the specialconditions of each of the three areas. ****** Libraries without Walls: the Delivery of Library Services to Distant Users (BIBDEL) The Project is exploring, identifying and finding ways to improve the availability and accessibility to the remote user of the services provide by modern academiclibrary services. It will demonstrate that library services can be delivered to users at a distance instead of users being required to visit libraries. It recognises that many users who need to study do not have access to the library services they need. Information technology affords an opportunity to make service delivery both practical and cost-effective, but experience of IT utilisation by libraries is spread very unevenly across the European Union. The Project brings together three very different models of provision through the medium of three universities. It will demonstrate how technology and expertise can be transferred between libraries in different states and adapted to the needs of each: it does not aim to produce a single solution for Union-wide adoption but rather a series of solutions each of which will find application in different geographical areas of different states. ****** Musical Information Retrieval System (MIRS) The project aims at developing a relatively low-cost search and retrieve interface to be connected to several specialised musical bibliographic databanks, with the following capabilities: - to allow library users to retrieve information easily from all connected databanks with a single query and a common presentation of results - eventually to allow other similar bibliographical centres to merge data, and define integrated authority files, multilingual thesauri etc. Large musical bibliographical databanks with different technological and bibliographical characteristics have been set up in various Member States. A co-operation network between these databanks could be started with an integrated search and retrieve system. MIRS aims at developing such a system in order to increase availability of this electronically stored information; in the first instance by interconnecting two major databanks and providing facilities for other databanks at a later stage. In order to maximise standardisation and minimise effort, a study containing the service analysis, user requirements analysis and a state of the art survey will precede the project. ****** These examples show how a major funding opportunity is being used to help libraries develop the systems and services which they will need to prosper in the coming decades.The Libraries Programme is also funding some more general investigations, for example into library performance measurement, the use of smart card technology, the use of the SR protocolover X.400 based Store and Forward services and models for national bibliographic data and service provision in Europe. The Programme is now entering a new phase, and funding has been secured for a further 4 years work. FROM: Professor Peter Brophy University of Central Lancashire Preston PR1 2HE United Kingdom Tel: +772-892261 Fax: +772-892937 Email: BROPHY_P@UK.AC.UCLAN _____ Articles and Sections of this issue of _LIBRES: Library and Information Science Research Electronic Journal_ may be retrieved via anonymous ftp to cc.curtin.edu.au or via e-mail message addressed to LISTSERV@KENTVM or LISTSERV@KENTVM.KENT.EDU (instructions below) Papers may be submitted at anytime by email or send/file to: Andy Exon, Ph.D. Editor-in-Chief, _LIBRES: Library and Information Science Research Electronic Journal, EDITORS@KENTVM.KENT.EDU _________________________________ *Copyright Declaration* Copyright of articles published by LIBRES: Library and Information Science Electronic Journal is held by the author of a given article. If an article is re-published elsewhere it must include a statement that it was originally published in LIBRES. 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