VirLib II Electronic Document Store

ProVirlib


1. Introduction

The ProVirlib project complements the VirLib II project. Its main purpose is to disseminate the Virlib II system in order to accelerate the electronic delivery of documents within the Belgian interlibrary lending system.


2. Partners and contacts

Partners and contacts


3. The Objectives

During the first phase of the project, the VirLib II system will be installed in six university libraries. Both the professional and end users will make an evaluation of the system, analyzing its technical aspects, its functionalities and its user-friendliness. The evaluation criteria will be clearly defined.

In a second phase ProVirLib will devote itself to the dissemination of the Virlib II-system to all potential partners of the Belgian PIB-system through organizations such as VVBAD, VOWB, ABD/BVD and CIUF.

Awareness raising campaigns will be developed and adapted to the general research public as wel as to specific users of different types of libraries and documentation centres.

Professional associations - libraries and information centres - will play an important part since they maintain well-established contacts with the end users.

4. Workplan of ProVirLib


WP1: Horizontal extension preparation

Coordination ULB
Partners UIA,KBR
Start date Month 1
End date Month 9
Prerequisites None
Objective Preparation of the involvement of the six libraries (associate partners) into the VirLibII system.
Tasks of this WP 1.1. Choice and contact with the six new libraries.

1.2. Technical guidelines.
1.2.1. Definition of the technical requirements to install the VirLib system.
1.2.2. Technical instructions to install the VirLib system.

1.3.1. ILL service guidelines.
1.3.2. Definition of the ILL service requirements to run VirLibII.
1.3.3. ILL service manuel to run VIRLIBII.
Result Technical instructions and ILL service instructions
Deliverable Technical instructions manual to install VirLibII system (French and Dutch) and ILL service manuel to run VirLibII (French and Dutch).


WP2: VirLib system installation

Coordination UIA
Partners ULB,KBR,KUL,UCL,UG,ULg,NDP,VUB
Start date Month 10
End date Month 12
Prerequisites Completion of ProVirLib WP1 and VirLibII WP4
Objective Installation of the VirLib system in 6 libraries.
Tasks of this WP 2.1. Installation of the PDF server software.

2.2. Training of the ILL staff.
Deliverable Report on installation.


WP3: VirLibII system evaluation

Coordination ULB
Partners UIA,KBR,KUL,UCL,UG,ULg,NDP,VUB
Start date Month 13
End date Month 22
Prerequisites Completion of WP
Objective The target of the system evaluation is to assess the quality of the service, its effectiveness and its friendliness by new partners.
Tasks of this WP 3.1. Definition of evaluation criteria and specification regarding:
3.1.1. The technical aspects of the services.
3.1.2. The functionalities of the services.
3.1.3. The PIB librarians.
3.1.4. The end users.

3.2. Implement evaluation test scripts.

3.3. Complete evaluation sheets.

3.4. Record statistical information.

3.5. Analyse the results of evaluation.
Result Evaluation and recommendations for WP4
Deliverable Evaluation Report


W4:Dissemination

Coordination KBR
Partners ULB,UIA,BVD/ABD,VVBAD,CIUF,VOWB
Start date 1 september 1998
End date 31 augustus 2000
Objective The purpose is to reach the end users as well as the information providers. The actions will focus more on awareness raising than on training, because the technology used in VirLib will make the use of the system self-evident and ease of use has been taken into account during the design of the system.
The sensitizing actions will be adapted to the various target groups:
  • The end user (infodesk and demonstrations at book fairs, brochures).

  • Users of different types of libraries and documentation centres (university, libraries, college libraries, company libraries, large public libraries : demonstrations).

  • Professional groups involved in suppying information (librarians, library educations : seminars, workshops).

  • Professional groups needing frequent and quick access to literature (e.g. doctors, lawyers : demonstrations, seminars, brochures).
    • Professional associations will be set at work for most activities (organising seminars, distributing brochures, setting up infodesk at the meetings of the society...). Staff members of the professional associations will assist in organising the activities. Accordingly some professional associations of librarians and documentalists have been proposed as partners. Since they recrute their members from the wide variety of libraries, they are very well placed to identify and to reach the interested public. The project will also contact professional associations of users of information (e.g. the scientific association of Flemish general practitioners.
    This means used include : demonstrations, seminars, workshops and courses, brochures, leaflets tutorials and other printed materials; electronic presentations; exhibition displays.

    Contents of brochures and other publications, infodesks, seminars, etc.
    The following items will be dealt with :
  • Objectives of VirLib, services provided by VirliB.

  • Technology needed : for the end user, behind the screens.

  • Contrast with the present situation of document delivery and inter-library lending.

    • The need of going to a library.

    • Limited opening hours of libraries.

    • Delivery Time.
  • Price.
  • Technical requirements for the user (access to Internet, WWW, PDF, or services through the library).
  • Copyright and consequences for the use of delivered documents.
  • For librarians : what are the technical requirements for participation (for enabling their members to order documents and/or in order to send documents to a library).


    • Brochures and other publications.
    The use of the system cannot be fully explained unless it is illustrated with concrete examples (screenprints).

    Exposition desks.
    The quality of the delivered documents can be illustrated with outprints.
    Electronic presentations.
    Consist of a simulation of the order process on one pc + printer.

    Demonstrations.
    Demonstrations should preferably show the complete process starting from searching a document through the WWW-access to catalogues up to reading or printing the requested document on the workstation of the enduser.
    Locating the title of a periodical and ordering and receiving an article can be demonstrated to end users. Demonstrations will preferably make use of materials belonging to the institution where they take place.
    The administrative handling of a request and the scanning-process can be demonstrated to a public of information professionals (demonstrations should take place in one of the VirLib libraries).


    WP5: Management

    Coordination KBR
    Partners ULB,UIA
    Start date Month 1
    End date Month 24
    Objective 2.1. Coordinator

    Daily management of the project.
    • Administrative contacts withe the Office for Scientifique, Technical and Cultural Affairs (OSTC) (i.a. sending reports, asking for advance payments by the partners, surveys of expenses by each partner).

    • Coordination of administrative and scientifique activities.

    • Drawing up of the initial report, half-yearly activity reports and the final report.

    • Organization of technical meetings and of meetings for the validation of interim reports.

    • Diffusion of information and organization of information activities.

    • Follow-up, with each specific partner, of financial management.

    • Follow-up of the progress of the different tasks, in collaboration with the person responsible for each task.
    2.2. Management Commitee

    • Highest authority in project management.

    • Validation of initial report, half-yearly activity reports and the final report.

    • Meetings:

      • Before the start of each task to enable the partners to come to an agreement on very specific matters of contents as well as on administrative matters.

      • Following the drawing up to the report at the conclusion of each task, in order to validate this report.

      • Whenever one of the partners asks for it.
    2.3. Institution responsible for each task.

    • Charged with the progress of the activities relating to this task, together with the other partners of the task and the coordinator.

    • Organization by mutual agreement with the coordinator, of technical meetings with the partners of specific tasks, whenever this appears necessary.

    • Drawing up of the final report regarding each specific task.
    2.4. Partners.

    • See 2.3. when the partner is responsable for a specific task.

    • Personal administration for the personnel under his authority and sending any relevant information to the coordinator.

    • Management of functioning and equipment. sending of equipment list to the coordinator.

    • Financial management. Asking for advance payments and sending of financial reports through the coordinator.

    3. Decision-making proces.

    Whenever possible, the decisions of the Management Committee are taken unanimously. Otherwise, a majority vs. minority vote is required. In case of a tie, the coordinator's vote shall be decisive. The coordinator invites the partners to the meetings and sends them, at least one week before the day of the meeting, the agenda as well as the required enclosures. The coordinator draws up the reports of the meetings. The agenda, the required enclosures and the reports are sent to the OSTC for information.

    4. Validation of reports

    The reports contain the names of the authors (institutions, possibly individuals). The coordinator numbers the reports in accordance with a preestablished shedule. The reports have to be validated by the management committee, unanimously or by means of a majority vs. minority vote. In case of a tie, the coordinator's vote shall be decisive. The reports are public.

    5. Meetings

    There are two types of meetings:
    • Management meetings of the Management Committee.

    • Technical meetings of the partners within the framework of one specific task.
    6. Communication between partners

    As much as possible by email or fax.

    7. Dissemination of information

    • Without interruption, reports in specialized periodicals.

    • Reports at the occasion of specific national and international meetings.

    • At the end of the project: workshop regarding the project.

    • Dissemination of information through a WWW-server (document store).


    Last updated: 05/11/1999 , send your questions and comments to VIRLIB2