Come and support our student researchers… hear what they’ve been up to:

IM Public Lecture

Student Research- Virtual Reference, Open Source and Zines, L. Brin, A. Stevens, Z. Howarth-Schueler

Date:                Wednesday, 26 March 2008

Time:                11:45 – 12:45

Location:          Rowe 5001

Open Source Software: UPEI’s Virtual Reference Environment Project, Lise Brin

With the continued expansion of the Open Source Software (OSS) community, increasing numbers of versions of Open Source Software exist. This means ongoing improvements, additions and increasing support within the OSS community. Meanwhile, the costs associated with the use and ongoing updates to proprietary software and vendor fees for libraries’ integrated and other electronic systems are becoming burdensome. Also, some proprietary systems allow for very little flexibility and customization.

The University of Prince Edward Island’s (UPEI) Robertson Library is a leader amongst Canadian institutions exploring how Open Source Software might replace currently used vendor-provided and proprietary software, and in rethinking the role and services of academic libraries.

This Reading Course has offered me the unique opportunity to gain practical insight into a non-traditional library initiative by working as part of the Development Team for UPEI's Virtual Research Environment. I explored a combination of software built on Drupal and Fedora systems to create a full-service multi-featured collaborative work environment for academic research teams. I will describe more fully the goals and progress of the project, and report on some of my observations and involvement in the project.

Experiences in Open Source: Creating an Alternative Library Catalogue with Free/Open-Source Software, Amanda Stevens and Zac Howarth-Schueler

What happens when two library and information studies students attempt to create a customized catalogue and circulation system for a small alternative library using a popular open source content management system? This presentation will answer this question.

The Anchor Archive Regional Zine Project is Halifax's independent circulating library for zines (self-published, non-commercial booklets or magazines), and it is in need of an online public access catalogue and circulation system to manage its collection and facilitate access. Drupal is a Free/Open-Source content management system for the web that is highly modular and flexible and increasingly being used for a variety of web-based applications, especially in libraries.

In this presentation, Zac Howarth and Amanda Stevens will discuss their efforts to leverage Drupal's highly modular framework and network of community support to create a customized system that works for the unique collection, patrons, and administration of the Anchor Archive Zine Library.

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JoAnn Watson, MSLIS
MLIS Programme Coordinator
School of Information Management
Faculty of Management
Kenneth C. Rowe Management Building

Dalhousie University
6100 University Avenue
Halifax, Nova Scotia

B3H 3J5

Tel: 902.494.2471
Fax: 902.494.2451
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