LofT Notes 12 - 2/20/2004

In this Issue:

• Fedora™ 1.2 Software Released
• Sirsi Rooms
• Census of Electronic Resources for American Studies
• Robertson Media Center Site Revised
• Secure Connection for Virgo
• Task Force on Electronic Services for Alumni
• Repository Text Delivery Committee Report
  

Fedora™ 1.2 Software Released

Version 1.2 of the Fedora™ digital object repository management system was released as open source under a Mozilla public license on December 22, 2003. Fedora is a foundation upon which interoperable web-based digital libraries, institutional repositories, and other information management systems can be built. Continued development is on schedule for periodic new releases through early 2005.

http://www.lib.virginia.edu/digital/resndev/fedora.html
http://www.fedora.info/

SIRSI Rooms

A one year test implementation of Sirsi's Rooms product will commence spring 2004. What we refer to as "Rooms" is actually a bundle of different tools. First is an OpenURL Resolver, a service and protocol that will make it easier for our users to get directly to full-text versions of article in electronic journals. A database maintains information on what articles and versions of articles the Library has access to. Links in bibliographic databases (and potentially in Virgo) go to that server (the resolver), check for versions that our users can have access to, and guide them there. Second is Single Search (metasearch), which supports combining several databases into a single search, ideally integrating the results and eliminating duplicates. Resources searched could include commercial databases, the Virgo catalog or other opacs, and the Repository and other local databases. Last is the Rooms Context Management System, which provides a database and templates for managing web resources. The database allows easy reuse of links and the templates allow the links to be integrated into Web pages (called "Rooms" in the products parlance, hence the product name) with a minimal knowledge of html.

A Planning Team has submitted a report on priorities fir the test implementation that is available on the Planning Team website. A SIRSI Rooms Steering Committee has been charged to oversee the pilot implementation of the Sirsi Rooms software, assess and evaluate it, and recommend whether the University libraries should purchase the Sirsi Rooms product for full production implementation. Members: Beth Camden (co-chair), Jim Campbell (co-chair), Garry Barrow, Heidi Dodson, Karen Marshall, Esther Onega, Gabe Rios, Gary Stottelmeyer, Guy Mengel (ex officio).

Census of Electronic Resources for American Studies

Check out this new feature in the American Studies Information Community. This annotated directory of American Studies resources on the web was developed by Professor Alan Howard, the American Studies Graduate program, and IATH under a Mellon Foundation grant. Karen Marshall participated in the design of the Census, and Chris Ruotolo implemented the custom Scout Portal delivery application that will support the resource as it grows.

http://infocomm.lib.virginia.edu/toolkit/SPT/SPT--Home.php

Robertson Media Center Site Revised

The web site for the Robertson Media Center has been revised and redesigned, and launched to the public during the first week of classes, so check out the new look and organization.

http://www.lib.virginia.edu/clemons/RMC/

Secure Connection for Virgo

Virgo's WebCat public interface is now running on a secure connection. Users may or may not get a prompt that alerts him or her to the fact that he is about to enter a secure web page (and when he leaves a secure site), depending upon the user's browser settings. A lockbox icon should appear at the bottom of IE Explorer or Netscape throughout a user's Virgo session. Users have been justifiably worried about sending their SSNs over an insecure connection. The Library is investigating other methods of identification, but until then this step is a safeguard for our users.

Task Force on Electronic Services for Alumni

A group has been charged with identifying usable and useful electronic information services (i.e., access to databases) that the Library might provide for alumni, including necessary support services so that alumni can gain maximum benefit from the databases offered. The group will investigate the best databases and services to offer alumni by identifying successful models at other institutions (e.g., the University of Pennsylvania, Cornell, and others), learning what is included and how those services are provided, and exploring how they can be applied at UVa. Members: Esther Onega (chair), Garry Barrow, Jim Campbell, Warner Granade, Chris Larson, Paul Rittelmeyer, and Mike Plunkett.

Repository Text Delivery Committee Report

The Repository Text Delivery Committee has issued a report on issues and tasks necessary for implementing electronic text delivery through the developing UVa Library Central Digital Repository.

http://www.lib.virginia.edu/digital/reports/Text_Delivery_Report.html