CORDIS Archive

Telematics for Libraries - Projects

LAURIN

Updated: 10 NOV 2000

Additional information is available from the LAURIN Web site (http://germanistik.uibk.ac.at/laurin/)

Action Line

Action line A: Network-oriented Internal Library Systems

Call Topic(s)

Call Topic 2: Tools and methods for the creation and use of library materials in electronic form

Project description

LAURIN is developing a generic model for the digitisation of newspaper clippings.
LAURIN will set up a network, accessible via the Internet, of seven European libraries and archives collecting newspapers and clippings. It will help guarantee that European citizens gain easy access to the index information as well as to the articles themselves. LAURIN is the pilot for a European network, offering a new service that benefits both libraries and archives, and enables European citizens to gain better and quicker access to all kinds of newspaper information.

Technical approach

There are four main project phases: analysis of requirements, acquisition of data, validation and final demonstration.

The LAURIN architecture is based on:

Local Nodes , corresponding to local library systems, which organise clipping information into heterogeneous information bases, composed of relational databases, text bases and multimedia bases. Local nodes are provided with functionality for acquiring clipping information, for indexing, for querying the clipping base and for exporting summary data regarding clippings to the central node.

A Central Node , which puts at user's disposal a query environment, based on Web technology, to issue global queries on the distributed clipping base, formed by the data contribution coming from the various local nodes. The central node hosts a central relational database, in which summary data coming from the local nodes are organised.

Internet Technology is used to allow users to access the system and to keep in contact with the central node and the local nodes, using basic communication protocols and mechanisms provided by the Internet infrastructure (i.e., TCP/IP, Z39.50 and HTTP).

Key issues

The main technical and organisational issues include:

• Creating a software system (code name "libClip") for digital acquisitions to meet the needs of libraries collecting newspapers and clippings.
• Creating a distributed thesaurus with a text-type classification system and a subject indexing system.
• Suggestions for general copyright agreement, at European level, concerning newspaper clippings.

Impact

The LAURIN network will benefit libraries, clippings archives and citizens wanting access to the clippings collections, which will be accessible on a higher level. Instead of clipping manually and supporting the user personally, the librarian will have time for indexing and maintaining an advanced thesaurus system. Therefore the utility of actual librarian work will increase in a quantitative as well as in a qualitative way.

Due to enhanced accessibility of the collections, users already reading collections of newspaper clippings, such as academic staff, students and journalists, will increase their utilisation of the libraries.

New groups of users will discover clipping archives as important information sources. Innovative products and services will help the suppliers to strengthen their position in the software market inside and outside of Europe.

Deliverables

The main planned deliverables, not all of which are public, include:

• Analysis and general design reports
• Analysis of acquisition model
• Copyright solutions for LAURIN demonstrator
• Technical validation plan
• Full demonstrator software and service
• Annual and Final project reports

Additional information is available from the contact below and from the project Web site:
LAURIN Web site.

Coordinator

Other Partners