Collaboration with DSpace@Cambridge

This is a quick hello from the CARET-based developers on the project, Raymond and Bert!

So far in our portfolio of widgets we have Huw's "Library widget", we have CamLib, a mobile version of that widget currently in beta release - and a prototype version of an Exam Papers widget written by Harriet, a previous Arcadia fellow.

As Huw explained in an earlier post, there are two main types of widget - those that retrieve data, and those that alter data. All of our widgets so far are primarily about the retrieval of information - the next new widget will be one focussed on alteration: a DSpace Upload Widget. This will make it easier for users to contribute content to our institutional repository: DSpace@Cambridge.

To facilitate this, we'll be collaborating with the DSpace@Cambridge team, who are based at the UL. Bert and I met with the DSpace team last week to kick this off.

Et in Arcadia ego

Avid followers of this blog will have spotted references to the Arcadia programme, a three-year programme funded by a generous grant from the Arcadia Fund to Cambridge University Library. The grant will enable us to explore the role of academic libraries in a digital age, create new programmes and services, particularly for undergraduates -- and also to improve the external environment of the library.

If this sounds like your cup of tea, you might also be interested in the Arcadia project blog, written by many of those involved in the project, as Arcadia Fellows or supporters. This includes a surprisingly large number of the CULwidgets team!

Project Plan Post 5 of 7: Project Team Relationships and End User Engagement

Dr. Dan Sheppard will manage the project from CARET, and brings extensive software development expertise and also project management experience of cross-departmental projects, particularly with the University Library.

A project board, comprising representatives of Cambridge University Library and the University of Cambridge Centre for Applied Research in Educational Technologies will take responsibility for overseeing the project:

• Patricia Killiard, Head of Electronic Services and Systems, Cambridge University Library
• John Norman, Director, Centre for Applied Research in Educational Technologies
• Dr. Laura James, Chief Operating Officer, Centre for Applied Research in Educational Technologies

News flash!
Dan is this term's Arcadia Fellow at the University Library, so Laura is stepping into the breach as interim project manager. We look forward to having Dan back for the bulk of the project...


We will follow a lightweight, agile development model, aiming to deliver frequent rough prototypes for user testing with students where possible, and staff outside of term. This approach has delivered successful JISC projects before, and is closely linked to the JISC Users and Innovation Development Model. In addition, we will apply our expertise in user-centric design which derives from the JISC Academic Social Networking project - this has shown us how to carry out really good user testing.

Project Plan Post 2 of 7: Wider Benefits to Sector & Achievements for Host Institution

The integration of library resources and services with the University's VLE and social networking sites, particularly iGoogle and Facebook, is an institutional priority for Cambridge University Library. The Arcadia Fellowship Programme, based at the library, has already explored student information needs and identified the potential value of delivering library materials and resources to students in their workspaces in addition to conventional library-managed interfaces.

Through a partnership between the library and the Centre for Applied Research in Educational Technologies (CARET), which develops and manages the VLE Cambridge has made significant progress in this area, having developed the Cambridge Libraries iGoogle Widget. This already provides most of the example functionality outlined in the call, enabling students to view their library profile, view and renew loans, and view and cancel requests (it lacks only the ability to pay library charges). It is fully integrated with the University's authentication system, and is currently live in Facebook, iGoogle and CamTools, the University's Sakai-based VLE. One strand in this proposal would be to document and share the code for the widget in its current state.

The Library and CARET will build on this foundation, to provide a joined-up and relevant combination of library services and resource delivery outside the traditional library environment. We will extend the use of widget functionality to the delivery of other library materials - such as exam papers, reading lists, handouts, content from the institutional repository, and generic subject lists. It will make use of university identifiers to retrieve student course details from CAMSiS, the student registry system and this course information will be used to provide relevance in the delivery of library materials. The result will be a potentially powerful model of evaluating student profiles to provide relevant library services alongside appropriate teaching materials.


A further stage of development will focus on mining these course materials for links to library resources. This will enable us to start delivering relevant library content to students beyond the immediate library web environment. We envisage that one deliverable of the project will be a clear outline of the next steps in this area, and possible implications.



This project is a partnership between the University Library and CARET, a strong combination in terms of both skills and institutional roles. The University Library is the main provider of content for the support of teaching and learning in the University, and is repositioning itself to support the processes of teaching and learning more directly. CARET are leaders in the development of innovative educational technology, and are also the developers and operators of CamTools, the institutional VLE.

This project will produce a number of widgets delivering access to library content within social networking sites and VLEs in partnership with the Centre for Applied Research in Educational Technologies. It will explore opportunities for making content delivered through widgets relevant to the user by linking to course-codes held by the student registry. The project will assist the wider take-up of widgets for library-related content by making the code for the existing widget and those developed through the project openly available along with documentation and guidance.

Hello

We're just setting up the project! Here's a picture of the project team (comprising people from CARET and the UL).


From left to right:

• Katy Cherry (user testing)
• Raymond Chan (developer)
• Bert Pareyn (intern developer)
• Verity Allan (QA)
• Huw Jones (developer and librarian)
• Dan Sheppard (project manager)
• Laura James (temporary stand-in project manager)

Dan is currently away being an Arcadia Fellow at the library, and I'm holding the fort until his return.