Tietolinja
01/2005

Abstracts in English - Tietolinja 1/2005

A control system for the digital library

The digital library service has three components: the library system, the information retrieval portal and the document management system. It is a big challenge to develop these into a package that best serves the user. The steering system is how we attempt to do this in Finland.

The control system consists of an Online Service Group and three Expert Groups. The Online Service Group is responsible for the strategies and the overall management. The Expert Groups focus on Hardware, Software and standards, and Impact assessment. The members are nominated by the Finnish libraries and the work is co-ordinated by Helsinki University Library, the National Library of Finland. Experts form HUL are also active in all the groups.

For further information, please, contact

Ms Kristiina Hormia-Poutanen,
Head of National Electronic Library Services
Helsinki University Library
P.O.B. 26, FIN-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
Email: kristiina.hormia(at)helsinki.fi

 

Closing a chapter in the Triangle project

In Spring 2005 all the three systems, Voyager, MetaLib and ENCompass, that make up the digital library service concept in Finland - the Triangle - are in production. However, this does not mean that the books can be closed altogether, this is not the beginning of the end but rather the end of the beggining. There are new systems to be integrated into the concept, which means that the process continues until somebody has developed an extensive toolkit for electronic contents management. This is not likely to happen very soon, either.

This article discusses the tools that have already been integrated to the Triangle, and the ones that are currently being considered

For further information, please, contact

Mr Juha Hakala, Director of IT
Helsinki University Library
P.O.B. 26, FIN-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
Email: juha.hakala(at)helsinki.fi

The Digital Library is thriving in Australia and New Zealand

In Spring 2005 the writers of this article made an excursion to Canberra and Wellington in - literally - the other side of the world. The objective of the trip was to benchmark the National Libraries of Australia and New Zealand in order to get ideas for the development of the digital library services and digital object management system of our own library. These two libraries have been pioneers especially in the field of digital library services, and therefore we were especially interested in these issues. However, the article discusses also library catalogues and local customer services.

For further information, please, contact

Mr Esa-Pekka Keskitalo, Systems Analyst
Mr Jani Stenvall, Senior Systems Librarian
Helsinki University Library, Database Services
P.O.B. 26, FIN-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
Email: esa-pekka.keskitalo(at)helsinki.fi,
jani.stenvall(at)helsinki.fi

 

What is database maintenance?

A Union Catalogue Database is like a house. It will soon be run down if it is not constantly repaired.  The Helsinki University Library Database Services employs six people whose job is to help the Systems Librarians with the task of keeping the LINDA Union Catalogue and the ARTO Article Reference Database in ship shape, mainly by removing duplicate entries, editing holdings records and correcting errors generated in conversion processes. Arne Hedman, who is responsible for LINDA, has been working with them for a decade. This article is based on his own experiences and an internview with the current Maintenance Team, and it highlights this important back office work that very few people know of.

For further information, please, contact

Mr Arne Hedman, Systems Librarian
Helsinki University Library, Database Services
P.O.B. 26, FIN-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
e-mail: arne.hedman(at)helsinki.fi

The Annual FinELib Meeting

The FinELib consortium for licensing online materials for Finnish libraries arranges an annual meeting for information, training and discussion. In May 2005 this event took place for the sixth time, and the main themes were quality and impact assessment.

For further information, please, contact

Ms Katri Jäntti, Training Secretary
Helsinki University Library, National Electronic Library Services
P.O.B. 26, FIN-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
Email: katri.jantti(at)helsinki.fi