‘Virtual Libraries‘ and ‘Subject Portals‘as Gateways to

Subject Information

Dr. Norbert Kunz, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Osteuropaabteilung,

Japan. Delegationsbesuch, 26.11.2009

Contents

• ‘Virtual Libraries‘ and ‘Subject Gateways‘

• Background: The German System of Special Collections

(„Sondersammelgebiete“)

• The Virtual Libraries of the Bavarian State Library

• Users and Usage

??literature

data basesnew acquisitions

internet resources

holdingsprojects

scientists

full texts

current university calenders

e-

‘Virtual Libraries‘ and ‘Subject Gateways‘ - concepts

• information to be delivered online: independence of location and closing hours

• focus on one subject: abundance vs. relevance

• Parallel search options (metasearch)

• integration of different kinds of relevant and complementary information

• […]•

=> …‘one-stop-shop‘ in the internet

• information must be

– relevant

– as full as possible

– delivered quickly

– easy to handle

– […]

‘Virtual Libraries‘ and ‘Subject Gateways‘ – typical features

• library catalogues

• literature and subject databases

• new acquisition databases

• full text services

• database on internet resources

• document delivery options

• pull- and push-services, alerts

• further subject information: who?, where?, when?, what?

• news corner, newsletter

=> no clear definition on the difference between both types,

in Germany ‘Virtual Libraries‘ tend to be more complex than

‘Subject Gateways‘

The System of Special Collections

Funding in Germany

• Background: unlike other countries there is no unique National Library in Germany

• Established in 1949 by the German Research Foundation (DFG), funding of acquisition budgets

• Modern functions of National Libraries fulfilled by several libraries and information institutions

=> acquisition of foreign countries scientific literature: 22 mainly university and state libraries with national library functions

Guidelines on supraregional Special Collections and Virtual Libraries

• literature and other information ressources nearly on the whole spectrum of knowledge

• scientific information for scientific users

• decentral organization: key institutions with excellent holdings in one or more subjects

• via electronic information systems (WWW): free access - supraregional, suprainstitutional

• Virtual Libraries infrastructure: ideally cooperation of Special Collection Libraries

• In comparison to search engines: stand-alone features

– Integration of traditional and digital information resources of one subject

– librarian competence: indexing and selection of relevant material

– Unhiding the „hidden web“

– connection of metadata with distribution channels (licence, free of charge)

BSB - Special Collections funded by DFG

• Pre- and Early History• Classical Archaeology and Philology• Byzantine Studies• Modern Greece• Roumanian Philology• East, Central East and South East Europe• Albanian Philology• History in general• History of Germany, Austria, Switzerland• History of France and Italy• Musicology• Library, Book and Information Science

http://webis.sub.uni-hamburg.de

BSB – additional special collections (among others)

Bavarica: collection as Bavarian State Library,legal deposit privilege

Bio-Sciences, Medicine: extraordinary holdings esp. of relevant journals

BSB – Subject Portals and Virtual Libraries

• Bavarica

• Biological and medical literature

• History

• Classical Studies

• Musicology

• Romance Studies

• Library, Book and Information Science

• Eastern Europe

Users and Usage - The example of ViFaOst

• oldest Virtual Library of the BSB and one of the first germanwide (online since 2003)• cooperative project: libraries and research institutions• manifold offers• well established in German speaking countries among students and scholars

ViFaOst – Users

• 1.1.-24.11.2009: 130 different IPs (Germany – Saint Vincent & Grenadines)

• totalling > 1.8 million hits,

• 2009: 2 million hits expected

• 10 most intense user countries: >40% of total usage

ViFaOst - Usage

• 2003-2005: yearly increase of usage between 125% and 229%

• 2006: new statistical parameters

• 2007: after relaunch increase of > 380% (compared to 2006)

• from 2008 on: consolidation, rather small increase, but more intense usage

• according to ‘campus activities‘: monthly 110.000 – 180.000 hits

ViFaOst – Usage II

Usage of ViFaOst according to IP in % (1.1.-24.11.2009)

35%

22%5%

24%

4% 6% 4%

Unknown

Germany

Austria/Switzerland

net/com/org/edu

Russia

Non-Russian Eastern Europe

Others