VirLib II Electronic Document Store
General introduction to VirLib II - the second phase of the VirLib project
The first phase of the VIRLIB project made it possible to examine each aspect of the Belgian virtual library,
both from a technical and a legislative point of view. An inquiry among users has shown that the universities
ULB and UIA are ready to start using electronic information. An electronic and modular pilot system of ordering
and delivering documents as well as several image databases have been developed at UIA and ULB.
In the second phase of the VIRLIB project the stress is on the development of a real delivery service of electronic
documents added to Impala , i.e. the Belgian system of managing and transmitting
interlibrary requests for loan. In other words, the system VIRLIB II will enable the interlibrary loan department of any
scientific library affiliated to the Impala network to deliver directly to the users workpost, in electronic format, any
article asked for by the user in question.
More precisely, VirLib II will consolidate and improve the Acquisition module of the electronic documents (when a paper
document is digitalized, it is automatically converted into an electronic document which the user can read) and develop
a PDF server in order to deliver the documents to the user.This system - VirLib II - shall be tested in a real environment
so as to make it entirely available to the other Belgian scientific libraries within the framework of the ProVirLib project.
Simultaneously, VirLib II will keep a documentary eye on the technical, commercial and legislative evolution of the diffusion
of electronic documents. The technologies for the diffusion of information (security, format of electronic documents, watermarking,
meta-data etc.) are indeed in constant evolution. The same is true for the legislation and the contracts with providers of electronic
information. In the end, electronic documents coming directly from the editors will be integrated in the Belgian electronic document
delivery system of interlibrary loans.
Last update: 31/05/1999, send your questions and comments to VIRLIB2