AARLIN: An Australian Approach To Managing E-Collection Access

1. AARLIN: An Australian Approach To Managing E-Collection Access Earle Gow La Trobe University Bundoora, Victoria, Australia e.gow@latrobe.edu.au

2. The Problem -1 • Exponential growth in the range of digital resources has changed the information landscape • Users challenged by a multiplicity of navigation interfaces and search syntaxes • Users have reacted by staying within their comfort zone

3. The Problem - 2 • Researchers finding it increasingly difficult to find appropriate information from among the plethora of digital and analogue resources • Range and diversity of search interfaces causing confusion • Need to provide users with streamlined access to information • Need to save the time of researchers and academics

4. Proposed Solution • Multiple pathways to information require new ways of organising e-collections • AARLIN was established largely to solve the information seeking problems faced by users • Primary purpose of AARLIN to establish collaboratively a portal to allow users seamless access to a range of print as well as digital information resources

5. AARLIN Background • AARLIN = Australian Academic and Research Library Network • Idea developed during a CAUL strategic meeting in March 1999 • Funding provided by the Australian Research Council in 2001 for a pilot • As a result of the success of the pilot, the Department of Education, Science and Training provided funds under the Systemic Infrastructure Initiative to roll out the system to university libraries that wished to participate • 21 universities are members of the project

6. AARLIN Objectives • To develop a national portal framework for seamless access to information • To display selective or comprehensive listings of available e-resources, such as databases, OPACs, web sites and other electronic information resources on the AARLIN portal interface from which users may make selections for frequent use • Integration with university wide portals and e-course management systems

7. AARLIN Service Model Users User Preferences Context sensitive extended services SDI or Alerts User logs on Portal Displays resources according to user profiles Authentication Script OpenURL metadata Search gateway Local Authentication Resolver Systems Z39.50 HTTP SQL Federated searching of multiple e-resources

8. Consortium Approach • Based on a centralised server model • Localisation undertaken by individual participants • Model based on the sharing of configured resources

9. Advantages and Disadvantages • Advantages • Political • Financial • Staffing • Technical • Disadvantages

10. The Future • AARLIN Business Plan • Possible Future Enhancements • Integration with university wide portals • Integration with e-learning or course management systems like WebCT or Blackboard • Chat, email, interactive and video conferencing facilities • Provision of 24x7 collaborative reference and help services on a national scale

11. Concluding Remarks The AARLIN system aims to assist users by providing the equivalent of a “google-like” portal to search for resources which are pushed to them on the basis of their teaching, learning or research profiles. The significance of AARLIN is that it takes the commitment of libraries to the provision of quality services to another level of sophistication. The aggregation of effort in the consortial model provides palpable evidence that this is a way forward for academic libraries.