Institute Of Museum And Library Services Research Articles

Mobile library literacy: Solutions for a rural environment

Funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the State of Vermont Department of Libraries is beginning a two-year "Mobile Library Literacy" project to discover if mobile library services are a viable means for serving rural and suburban populations in the 21st century. In announcing the grant, Vermont's U.S. Senator James Jeffords described the project as designed "to promote access to books, reading programs, and information through technology. [It] will extend the walls of the library ... and welcome all Vermonters to be part of the learning community."

Digital Star Dust: The Hoagy Carmichael Collection at Indiana University

Funded in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the Indiana University Digital Library Program and Archives of Traditional Music are completing a two-year project to preserve and digitize the university's extensive Hoagy Carmichael collections. When the Project ends in September 2000, the Project team will have preserved thousands of items, including sound recordings, photographs, sheet music, lyric sheets, and more, pertaining to the life and work of this master of the American popular song. Much of this content is already accessible to the public through a multimedia Web site. More digital content and improved search capabilities will be added in the coming months. While the Project builds upon previous experience and expertise, the complexity of the Project has presented numerous challenges. This paper describes some of these challenges and their resolution, along with a brief discussion of remaining issues.

The birth and development of Find-It: Washington State's government information locator service

While the idea of an electronic-based locator system to help citizens easily find information by and about government (commonly known as government information locator systems, or GILS) is not new, Washington State approached the development of its GILS program in a different way. This GILS emerged from the work of a legislatively created, government official/citizen task force designed to increase public access to government information. The Washington State Library (WSL) developed not only a metatag-based locator system, but also a marketing and training program to make government agency participation easier and more attractive. The system itself was developed from the user's point of view to make it more intuitive for users with a variety of computer skills levels. With the assistance of a National Leadership Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), Washington State has successfully replicated its GILS system in several other states and raised the visibility of the issue of state library agency leadership in this aspect of information management. As a result, a growing number of states are developing similar systems. A second IMLS grant to Washington State will formally explore and pursue opportunities for interstate interoperability of locator systems.