Information Technology programmes

Case Study
Renardus

The IST Programme project Renardus aims to build a single service allowing users to search and browse existing Internet-accessible resource collections distributed across Europe. Between January 2000 and June 2002, the project will investigate technical, information and organisational issues, build a pilot system and develop a fully-operational service. The project builds on previous research in the area of subject gateways for the academic and research community. UK partners include the Institute for Learning and Research Technology at the University of Bristol and UKOLN, the UK Office for Library and Information Networking at the University of Bath. URL:

http://www.renardus.org

Case Study
INFO2000

Bridgeman Art Library in London, Bildarchive Preussischer Kulturbesitz in Berlin and La Réunion des Musées Nationaux in Paris are partners in the Artweb project, funded under the INFO2000 programme. Artweb describes itself as a ‘vitual shopping mall’ where publishers can access fine art collections from prestigious European art archives, select works for publication and obtain copyright information. The combined resource will intially amount to 300,000 works of art from museums, artists and collections across Europe and will be available in English, French and German versions. The project derives from the need of art collections to survive commercially, and selling reproduction rights to publishers represents a vital source of revenue. However, the project is seen as having potential for education and research, perhaps by allowing academic institutions access on a subscription basis

Source: Realising multimedia potential: development projects supported by the INFO2000 programme. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 1997.

Case Study
TELEMATICS FOR LIBRARIES

The UK was one of six European countries involved in a Telematics for Libraries project to develop services for blind and visually impaired users in public and academic libraries. The TESTLAB project included test sites at Preston Harris Library in Lancashire, Manchester Central Library and the Tameside Visual Impairment Centre in Cheshire.