Promoting a subject gateway: a case study from EEVL (Edinburgh Engineering Virtual Library)
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/14684520010320130 |
| Published date | 01 February 2000 |
| Date | 01 February 2000 |
| Pages | 59-64 |
| Author | Roddy MacLeod |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Library & information science |
Promoting a subject
gateway: a case study
from EEVL (Edinburgh
Engineering Virtual
Library)
Roddy MacLeod
1. Introduction
Although the development of EEVL, the UK
gateway to quality engineering information on
the Internet, has been well-documented
(Moffat, 1996; Kerr and MacLeod, 1997;
MacLeod and Kerr, 1997; MacLeod et al.,
1998), a brief summary of the service's key
milestones should assist this case study and
will help to place it in the context of wider
subject gateway progress.
The lead site for the EEVL service is
Heriot-Watt University Library, with
technical input provided by the Institute for
Computer Based Learning (ICBL). Partners
include Cranfield University, the University
of Edinburgh, Cambridge University,
Imperial College of Science, Technology and
Medicine, The Nottingham Trent University,
the University of Sheffield, and the Institution
of Electrical Engineers. Members of staff in a
number of other institutions provide
assistance and input on a voluntary basis.
EEVL was originally one of several Access
to Network Resources (ANR) projects which
were established by the Electronic Libraries
Programme (eLib) in 1995. eLib itself was set
up by the Joint Information Systems
Committee (JISC) in response to the Follett
Report (Joint Funding Council's Libraries
Review Group 1993), which made
recommendations on how information
services could respond to the growth of
student numbers and the rapid increase in
academic knowledge and information. EEVL
was launched as a free public service in
September 1996, and since that time has
received 2.5 million ``hits'', excluding
graphics. Originally funded for two years,
extensions to funding enabled the service to
continue under the auspices of eLib until July
1999. Since August 1999, EEVL has received
funding from JISC via the Resource
Discovery Network (RDN). RDN is a co-
operative network consisting of a central
organisation, the Resource Discovery
Network Centre (RDNC) and a number of
independent service providers called hubs,
which work together to provide fast and
convenient access to the best Internet
resources available. EEVL is now part of the
Internet Hub for Engineering, Mathematics
and Computing (MacLeod, 1999).
The author
Roddy MacLeod is EMC Co-ordinator, Heriot-Watt
University Library, Edinburgh, Scotland. E-mail:
R.A.MacLeod@hw.ac.uk
Keywords
Libraries, Virtual reality, Internet, Information retrieval,
Engineering
Abstract
Describes the development of the Edinburgh Engineering
Virtual Library (EEVL) (http://eevl.ac.uk) and outlines the
services offered. The potential market for EEVL is
discussed, and a case study of promotional activities is
presented.
Electronic access
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is
available at
http://www.emerald-library.com
Service profiles
59
Online Information Review
Volume 24 .Number 1 .2000 .pp. 59±63
#MCB University Press .ISSN 1468-4527
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