A tale of binary bricks and mortar: building a virtual library
| Published date | 11 September 2007 |
| Date | 11 September 2007 |
| Pages | 328-337 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/07378830710820916 |
| Author | Bert Coenen |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Library & information science |
THEME ARTICLE
A tale of binary bricks and mortar:
building a virtual library
Bert Coenen
Law Library K.U. Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
Abstract
Purpose – To provide a technical and practical analysis of the interactive floor plan developed by
and for the law library at the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium.
Design/methodology/approach – The different steps in the development process are described,
from original idea to conclusion.
Findings – Though some steps in the process are described fairly technically and detailed, the paper
is by no means a step-by-step guide to developing similar applications, it briefly touches the principles
and concepts that make the application work.
Originality/value – This paper describes the conception and development of a new type of library
application. A truly interactive floor plan, unlike traditional static floor plans found on most web sites,
was developed to create an actual virtual library. The concepts and techniques described in this paper
could prove useful for other libraries wanting to create a similar application.
Keywords Libraries, Design,Office layout
Paper type Case study
Introduction
Anyone who is ever sat at the information desk of a library for even a very short while
will know how much time is spent each day giving directions to patrons; directions to
anything, to rooms, copiers, printers, journals and books.
In order to unburden the staff at the desk and to enable users to find their way
around more easily, the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium library developed an
interactive floor plan for use on the information kiosk and on the web site. The floor
plan can be accessed from this page: http://tinyurl.com/2hyb9w. Just click on one of the
call numbers (e.g. 2C SOC 10) to launch the application.
The uses of this floor plan extend well beyond what traditional floor plans do:
.It can be used as a basic navigational aid, in that it will show users where the
different rooms and facilities of the library can be found.
.A searchable list of keywords allows users to visually display the location of
certain books, journals and sections in the library.
.It can also be used as an extension for, or an alternative gateway to, the
university’s OPAC. If a user asks for the location of a certain section in the
library (say, European Law), he or she can request a listing of all the books in
that section from within the floor plan. Vice versa, if a user finds a copy of a book
in the OPAC, he or she can instantly view the location of the book in the library.
None of this is done using static images, the application is database driven, and the
library views are generated in real time, making the system easily adjustable to
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/0737-8831.htm
LHT
25,3
328
Received 27 February 2007
Revised 28 March 2007
Accepted 10 June 2007
Library Hi Tech
Vol. 25 No. 3, 2007
pp. 328-337
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
0737-8831
DOI 10.1108/07378830710820916
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