Telematics for Libraries Program
Encyclopedia
A program of the European Commission
, the Telematics for Libraries Program has the ambitious aim of unifying access to information
throughout the nations of Europe
. This program was launched in 1990 and has since established numerous projects to facilitate in this goal. At the time of its enactment, the Telematics for Libraries Program sought to establish four complementary objectives:
Taken as a whole, these objectives seek to remedy the problems associated with information overload, and establish a unified and simplified way of finding and using information scattered throughout the world.
Examples are numerous of projects initiated through the Telematics for Libraries Program. CANDLE(Controlled Access to Network Digital Libraries in Europe) is a project dedicated to digital
collections, and facilitates access to these collections through low-cost library
management software. This is a collaborative approach between libraries and publishers that encourages publishers to provide digital content while addressing licensing
and access control issues. This project has members in several European countries(Greece
, Spain
, United Kingdom
, etc.) In France
, Gallica is a relatively new server
that will provide users remote access to digital documents contained at the Bibliothèque nationale de France
in a variety of formats. The primary aim of this project is for evaluation purposes; to present a multitude of documents and examine their usability through a system of networks. One final example of a program through the Telematics for Libraries Program is the Cultivate UK Web portal. This is a sort of national website
, which allows a single point of access for information on European cultural
heritage. This portal will allow for the seamless sharing of information through libraries, archive
s and museum
s alike. Like the programs mentioned above, the end user is the primary beneficiary of this simplified method of distributing information.
Throughout the 1990s, 820 proposals were submitted under the Telematics for Libraries Program throughout Europe, and 82 projects were launched involving over 400 individual organizations. This program continues to promote programs whose ultimate goal is to create a more user-friendly and integrated environment for information seekers throughout Europe.
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
, the Telematics for Libraries Program has the ambitious aim of unifying access to information
Information
Information in its most restricted technical sense is a message or collection of messages that consists of an ordered sequence of symbols, or it is the meaning that can be interpreted from such a message or collection of messages. Information can be recorded or transmitted. It can be recorded as...
throughout the nations of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. This program was launched in 1990 and has since established numerous projects to facilitate in this goal. At the time of its enactment, the Telematics for Libraries Program sought to establish four complementary objectives:
- Computerized bibliographies
- Library networking and interconnection of systems
- Innovative library services
- Technology-based library products and services
Taken as a whole, these objectives seek to remedy the problems associated with information overload, and establish a unified and simplified way of finding and using information scattered throughout the world.
Examples are numerous of projects initiated through the Telematics for Libraries Program. CANDLE(Controlled Access to Network Digital Libraries in Europe) is a project dedicated to digital
Digital
A digital system is a data technology that uses discrete values. By contrast, non-digital systems use a continuous range of values to represent information...
collections, and facilitates access to these collections through low-cost library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
management software. This is a collaborative approach between libraries and publishers that encourages publishers to provide digital content while addressing licensing
License
The verb license or grant licence means to give permission. The noun license or licence refers to that permission as well as to the document recording that permission.A license may be granted by a party to another party as an element of an agreement...
and access control issues. This project has members in several European countries(Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, etc.) In France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Gallica is a relatively new server
Server (computing)
In the context of client-server architecture, a server is a computer program running to serve the requests of other programs, the "clients". Thus, the "server" performs some computational task on behalf of "clients"...
that will provide users remote access to digital documents contained at the Bibliothèque nationale de France
Bibliothèque nationale de France
The is the National Library of France, located in Paris. It is intended to be the repository of all that is published in France. The current president of the library is Bruno Racine.-History:...
in a variety of formats. The primary aim of this project is for evaluation purposes; to present a multitude of documents and examine their usability through a system of networks. One final example of a program through the Telematics for Libraries Program is the Cultivate UK Web portal. This is a sort of national website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
, which allows a single point of access for information on European cultural
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
heritage. This portal will allow for the seamless sharing of information through libraries, archive
Archive
An archive is a collection of historical records, or the physical place they are located. Archives contain primary source documents that have accumulated over the course of an individual or organization's lifetime, and are kept to show the function of an organization...
s and museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
s alike. Like the programs mentioned above, the end user is the primary beneficiary of this simplified method of distributing information.
Throughout the 1990s, 820 proposals were submitted under the Telematics for Libraries Program throughout Europe, and 82 projects were launched involving over 400 individual organizations. This program continues to promote programs whose ultimate goal is to create a more user-friendly and integrated environment for information seekers throughout Europe.
External links
- ftp://ftp.cordis.europa.eu/pub/ist/docs/digicult/impact.pdf
- http://cordis.europa.eu/libraries/en/libtrain.html
- http://www.uclan.ac.uk/research/centre/cerlim/reports/odinrep.htm
- http://www.cni.org/regconfs/1997/ukoln-content/repor~14.html