The InformationAustralia Project at the Southern Tablelands Regional Library

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The InformationAustralia Project at the Southern
Tablelands Regional Library

• Janet Smith
• Regional Library Manager

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InformationAustraliaProject Participants

• Yarra Plenty Regional Library Service (Melbourne,
  Vic)
• Brisbane City Council Library
• Northern Regional Library Service (Moree, NSW)
• Thuringowa Library Service (far north QLD)
• Southern Tablelands Regional Library Service
  (Goulburn, NSW)

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Project Objectives

• Develop better access to Australian print and
  online resources through an Internet based
  portal
• Develop a new business and funding model for
  access to these resources and the material from
  the National Librarys collection to support
  public library needs
• Enable document delivery through direct access to
  online resources or via the Australian
  interlibrary resource sharing network and
• Evaluate the service and the needs of Australians
  for access to online resources and collections in
  the nations libraries.

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Prime deliverables of the pilot

• A working portal
• Data about the information needs of Australians
• A business model applicable to all Australian
  public libraries

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InformationAustralia Portal

• The NBD, containing information on more than 36
  million titles held in Australian libraries
• Full text articles from the top 200 Australian
  journals and article references on Australian
  political, economic, legal, social and cultural
  affairs via APAIS full text
• PictureAustralia providing integrated access to
  more than 960,000 online images from 34 cultural
  institutions across Australia
• Directories such as the Australian Libraries
  Gateway database, Maps Directory and Oral History
  Directory and
• Links to other online services and information
  resources such as Mura Gadi, AskNow! And
  Australian Govt. Publications

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Why Southern Tablelands Regional Library wanted
to Participate

• E-Delivery of information/services is appropriate
  in our region
• Population 48,000
• 20,000 sq kms area
• 38 of population library members
• Poor transport facilities
• Growth of Internet Access
• Changing demographics

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Why Southern Tablelands Regional Library wanted
to Participate

• Benefits to STRL Library Members
• Ease of access to information
• Compliments other services
• Portal concept attractive to users
• Encourages self service
• Encourages acceptance and use of other e-services

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User Feedback from Participating Sites

• Simple search through single portal to vast
  resources
• 24/7 access
• Good delivery time for loan/copies
• Negates disadvantages of remote communities to
  information access
• Makes NLA collections available
• Free ILL

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INFORMATIONAUSTRALIA26,000 SEARCHES
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ISSUES

• Authentication
• Telecommunications
• Training
• Workload

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The InformationAustralia Project at the Southern
Tablelands Regional Library

• Janet Smith
• Regional Library Manager