EARL and the UK Electronic Library
| Date | 01 January 1999 |
| Pages | 12-18 |
| Published date | 01 January 1999 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/eb040706 |
| Author | Debora Parr |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management |
EARL and the UK
Electronic Library
by Debora Parr, UKEL Coordinator,
EARL
As the rollout of the People's Network begins
to gather momentum, and programmes of
training and content creation get underway,
EARL is developing a unique resource which
will deliver the national face of the public
library in the UK. This paper sets out the
background to its development and discusses
the three main elements envisaged - an
Internet Resource Guide, a Guide to
Resources in UK Public Libraries, and an
Online Enquiry Service.
Introduction to the EARL
Consortium
The EARL Consortium of UK public libraries and
associated organisations was established in 1995
arising from a project proposal by LASER, the
London and South Eastern Library Region, to
develop the role of public libraries in providing
library and information services over the network.
Through collaboration, EARL is working to
expand the ability of public libraries to deliver
networked information and knowledge-based
services. The Consortium also provides leadership,
policy and advocacy in the field of public library
networking for its partners and a framework for
support and lobbying, for partnerships across all
sectors, and for the identification of research and
funding opportunities.
EARL has a membership representing the home
counties and all regions of the UK. To date c150
library authorities are partners. The Library
Association is one of a group of non-library
partners which also includes the Department for
Education and Employment and the Public Lend-
ing Right. Further support is given through a
range of supporting Partners including Department
for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), UK Office
for Library Networking (UKOLN), Manchester
Metropolitan University, the British Library, the
JISC
e-Lib
programme and West Midland Re-
gional Library System.
EARL's many areas of activities include a full
programme of workshops and events, a range of
publications on all aspects of public library net-
working, developing consortium purchasing, and
the services offered through the EARL Website1.
These include Familia2, a directory of family
history resources in public libraries, Magnet3, a
"hybrid-library" type serials search service offer-
ing location information and some access to
electronic full-text, the online enquiry service Ask
a Librarian4 ,and EARL
WEB5,
a tool for locating
key information resources on the Internet.
The concept of the UK
Electronic Library
Background
The idea of UKEL first took shape following a
presentation by Sue Davidson of the Michigan
Electronic Library6 to the Public Libraries Author-
ity Conference in September 1997. Broad support
for the concept was expressed and a feasibility
study was commissioned for the summer of 1998.
The final results were presented to the Annual
General Meeting of EARL Council in November
1998.
The recommendations contained in the
feasibility study were supported by a general
consensus and have thus formed the basis for all
subsequent UKEL development work. As a part-
nership organisation, this element of support is
crucial and without this wider remit work on the
UKEL would not be able to continue.
It was felt that the UKEL, in developing the
electronic face of the UK public library service,
could fulfil a vital role in supporting public library
users and
staff,
providing effective access to
relevant internet resources and the unique collec-
tions of materials and expertise in libraries across
the country.
The key recommendations of the study were that
UKEL should be made up of three broad compo-
nents:
i) A guide to Internet resources - a guide to
evaluated Internet resources that are
designed for public library users.
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