The DELIVER Project: Overview

1
The DELIVER ProjectOverview Impact

• John PaschoudDELIVER Project Manager
• Digital Libraries and VLEs, Leeds 15th December
  2003

2
Where do Virtual Learning Environments and
Library systems really overlap?

• VLE classifies resources by purpose
• course, lecture, date (of use), topic
• some resources created for a teaching purpose
• LMS classifies resources by content
• author, title, subject, date (of creation)
• (or, Whats the best way to be sure JISC will
  fund our project?)
• Reading lists!
• This was the focus of Project DELIVER

3
Guiding premises

• A broader interpretation than traditional
  reading lists any citeable resource must be
  included
• Reading list compilers are an important group of
  users
• so too are Library back-office staff
  (acquisitions, etc)
• Involves cultural organisational change (as
  well as the technical sort)
• Solutions to be implemented by LSE and De
  Montfort University
• Experience to be documented for use by the wider
  community

4
Baselines

• At DMU
• Talis LMS
• WebCT and Blackboard VLEs
• No RL facility in LMS
• Wide range of solutions in use for RLs, by
  departments individual tutors
• Low level of Library staff resources for direct
  support of RL processes

• At LSE
• Sirsi Unicorn LMS
• WebCT VLE
• Many RLs in Unicorn (but functionality
  maintenance poor?)
• Some well developed (hand crafted) e-coursepacks
• Tutors own RLs as Word docs / html / other
• High level of Library staff support for taught
  courses

5
LSE RL in Unicorn
6
Structure of the Project (1)

• User Needs Analysis
• Students, Academics, Support staff
• Requirements Definition
• Core RLM, E-resources links, Organisational
• Selection Design of Solutions
• Implementation
• Evaluation
• Simple, eh?

7
Structure of the Problem
8
Structure of the Project (2)

• User Needs Analysis
• Students, Academics, Support staff
• Requirements Definition
• Core RLM, E-resources links, Organisational
• Selection Design of Solutions
• Three (very different) solutions for Core RLM
  assessed
• In-house development defined to fill gaps
• Implementation
• Core RLM solutions chosen by DMU and LSE
• Client and middleware components built by ANGEL
• Organisational changes discussed with Library
  VLE staff
• Evaluation
• of the two Core RLM solutions
• of the Project, and in-house tools

9
Impacts on DMU and LSE

• At DMU
• TalisList RLM evaluated in-use
• Library decision to adopt TalisList permanently
• Better communication between academics,
  departments Library
• ANGEL tools used for resource-finding in new
  Blackboard VLE template

• At LSE
• ReadingListDirect RLM evaluated in-use
• Library decision to sign long-term contract (for
  Sentient Discover)
• Better cross-promotion links between VLE
  Library services
• ANGEL tools used to improve resource-finding from
  existing EL Ejrn services

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Library area in WebCT (LSE)
11
TalisList student view
12
RLD student view (LSE)
13
RLD - purchase options (LSE)
14
Impacts on the community

• Published independent product evaluations
  enabling better-informed decisions
• at least four current HE library RLM purchases
  are using the DELIVER reports as a significant
  source
• Added functionality and robustness to Open Source
  ANGEL ResourceManager
• browser clients for SmartLinkFinder will also be
  available as OSS
• Contribution to (and supplier involvement in)
  development of IMS Resource List Interop standard

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What next? - Implementation plan at LSE

• Year 1 (AY 2003-4)
• Download existing 2002-3 RLs from LMS to RLM
• maintain basic RL service as in LMS
• Publicise provide training support via
  liaison librarians, IT Cluster teams, CLT
• Integrate ANGEL tools with existing Library
  e-resources e-journals management
• Year 2 (AY 2004-5)
• rollout full functionality
• encourage RLM as School-wide means of producing
  managing RLs
• Monitoring evaluation

16
Update on uptake at DMU and LSE

• At DMU
• 67 module lists available on TalisList, more in
  progress.
• Lists created edited by library staff, but
  considering direct access by academic staff, if
  there is a demand.
• Direct links to reading lists from within
  BlackBoard VLE.

• At LSE
• Library Learning Support staff training
  completed by Sentient in November 2003.
• Work schedule planned for data migration (from
  Unicorn LMS) by Feb 2004.

17
Documents

• User Needs Analysis Final Report
• lthttp//www.angel.ac.uk/DELIVER/deliverables/UNA_f
  inal.docgt
• RLMS Evaluation Report
• lthttp//www.angel.ac.uk/DELIVER/deliverables/RLM_a
  nalysis.docgt