OACIS for the Middle East (Online Access to Consolidated

Information on Serials)

Presentation to the Middle East Studies Association

and the Middle East Librarians Association

November 2003

Simon Samoeil, OACIS Project Manager

Yale University

OACIS Partners:

Cornell University Ohio State University

Universitaets-und Landesbibliothek of Sachsen-Anhalt in Halle, Germany

University of Pennsylvania University of Michigan

University of Texas University of Washington

Yale University

Home Page - http://www.library.yale.edu/oacis/

Project progress and targets over three years

• Year One:- A prototype database to be in place, with selected records from the participating U.S. libraries.  - A prototype Web-interaction interface for record display will be mocked up and tested.  - Feedback of the participating/partner libraries will be sought at several points prior to the completion of a prototype. - The first Middle East intern will have worked on the project, both by learning about its design and contributing to its development from a Middle Eastern perspective. 

Project progress and targets over three years

• Mid-Year Two:- All existing compatible records for the partner U.S. libraries will have been loaded.-Begin loading records from overseas participants with compatible standard formats. - Open the Web site for outside viewers as a work in progress.- Seek feedback from a wider group of users, through online modes such as e-mail and electronic surveys.

Project progress and targets over three years

• End of Year Two:- Complete the Web-interaction entry form.  Libraries with records already loaded can edit. - Load records of additional U.S. libraries and the German partner.- Load titles from Middle Eastern partners.- Train second intern who will begin developing a plan for incorporating his/her library’s serial titles into OACIS. - Travel to Germany to exchange systems skills and work on the project with the Halle staff during Year Two. - Start planning for the document delivery pilot project.

Project progress and targets over three years

• Year Three:- Continue loading additional participant libraries' records. - Begin work on importing and including descriptive information in vernacular scripts using Unicode as the encoding medium.- Implement the proposed European site. - Add holdings of additional overseas libraries, in part as recommended by our key partners abroad.  - Travel to the Middle East to help establish a World Wide Web server and mount OACIS at the selection location. The third Middle East intern will be instrumental in this task.  - Implement our pilot document delivery project.

Potential Middle Eastern Partners:

University of Jordan, JordanAmerican University of Beirut (AUB), Lebanon

Balamand University, LebanonTishreen University, Syria

Assad National Library in SyriaThe American University in Cairo

Arab Institute for Human Rights in Tunisia