Web Editorial: Introduction to Issue 17

We would like to thank all of the readers who participated in the Ariadne Web Survey, part of an evaluation of the Ariadne project being carried out by Dr. Anne L. Barker, Department of Information and Library Studies at the University of Wales Aberystwyth.

The results of the survey will be of particular interest to those of us involved with the development and delivery of upcoming electronic publications. One such publication will be 'Exploit Interactive', the UKOLN deliverable in the Exploit project, funded under the EC Telematics for Libraries programme. This pan-European magazine will be available around the turn of the year.

In this issue's, A New Publication for a New Challenge, John MacColl and Lyndon Pugh discuss their proposal for a web and print magazine for Information and IT professionals in UK Higher Education. They invite interested parties to discuss this proposal and help define a strategy encompassing the entire design, management, editorial remit and production process.

The articles in issue 17 are in keeping with the theme of organisational change; a process within which many of us have found ourselves, and may now accept as the norm. In View from the Hill, Mark Clark reminds us that "Change won't go away. It is an opportunity, not necessarily a threat, and adjusting to it is essential. To do otherwise may carry greater risks."

In Why Give it Away?, David Haynes, et al. give a preliminary report on some interesting issues that have emerged in their investigation of devolved budgets. Clive Field introduces some of the basic issues and concepts of organisational change in Building on Shifting Sands: Information Age Organisations. Nicola Harrison, Project Assistant at Edinburgh Engineering Virtual Library (EEVL), describes her experience of teleworking in her article, Teleworking from Home.

The eLib Update reports include: DEDICATE: a European Telematics project for online professional development in information literacy and user education, and VERITY, a European Telematics project.

In the Metadata column, BIBLINK.Checksum, Ian Peacock and Andy Powell describe a proposed algorithm for calculating a checksum for Web pages. The BIBLINK project is funded within the Telematics for Libraries programme of the European Commission. It is investigating the bi-directional flow of information between publishers and National Bibliographic Agencies (NBAs) and is specifically concerned with information about the publication of electronic resources.

In his regular columns, Brian Kelly introduces document management systems, and also reports on the recent Netskills Institutional Web Management Workshop from Web Focus corner. The workshop programme included presentations from twelve members of the UK Higher Education community, together with a presentation from a member of the British Council and a commercial design company.

Tracey Stanley looks at Ask Jeeves : the Knowledge Management Search Engine. Down Your Way looks at the electronic university and the virtual campus; De Montfort's 30,000+ students on 10 campuses, it is an institution where technology and web-based teaching are delivery mechanisms for campus-based students. In 'Interface' read about The IT man's Tale; Phil Brady's approach to managing a service that contains the contradictions, contrasts and variety of a modern academic information service is based on a few solid principles.
Planet SOSIG continues its review of the main SOSIG subject sections, highlighting the resources that the Internet can offer to those working in the different fields of the social sciences.

Reports from the recent conferences include Ian Winship's article about electronic library related activity at this year's American Library Association Conference. Included are a few quotes from the conference that you'll want to remember:
"I pressed F1, but you didn't come over to help."
"If they are clicking they are looking for information. If they are typing we tell them to stop because they are using Hotmail."
"The most important issue in electronic delivery is printing."

Also included are reports from the UKOLUG 20th birthday conference, and Information Ecosystems about UKOLN conference held in Bath University.

Enjoy the issue.

Author Details

Philip Hunter
Ariadne Web Editor
UKOLN
University of Bath
Bath
Email: p.j.hunter@ukoln.ac.uk