This study proposes a new vision of Academic Library 2.0 based on Web 2.0 applications. A survey of the academic libraries on Long Island, New York will be conducted to find out: 1) What Web 2.0 applications have been actually used in academic libraries, and 2) What implications Web 2.0 would bring to academic libraries. Finally, this study intends to suggest a framework of Academic Library 2.0 according to the survey and related literature.

Library Wageningen UR is a relatively small, but highly specialized academic library serving a population of about 5900 researchers and 4700 students in the life sciences. To better serve the needs of our users portal functionality has been introduced gradually to our Desktop Library. A beginning was made with the implementation of portal functionality with the development of subject oriented portal pages, where patrons will find a selection of bibliographies, core journals, reference works and selected websites. There was a need for these pages, since the list of ‘shortcuts’, was found to be too overwhelming for newcomers. However a guided selection system for the library resources failed to meet the requirements of these newcomers to help them with the selection of the right library resources to start their queries. These subject-oriented pages are XML pages generated by queries on our library catalogue. At this moment there are about 110 different subject oriented portal pages. In discussion with our customers the usefulness of these pages has always been stressed, especially for newcomers to the various specialities, but not for the researchers themselves Our second approach to the implementation of portal functionality was the possibility of personalization of library functions. ‘My library’. Personalization means in our case: selection of favourite bibliographies and databases; a virtual lending desk (services of renewals and tracking of reservations); alerts on new additions to the library catalogue and in house created bibliographies; Table of Content alerts for the majority of our journals; SDI alerts for end users on our Ovid/Silverplatter databases; and last but not least, in of May 2003 we introduced world wide access for our patrons to our collection of 4000 electronic journal and databases through EZproxy. This was a long anticipated advancement of the personalization functionality since Library Wageningen UR has a highly mobile internationally oriented client base. Currently about a third of our clientele has subscribed to the various ‘My library’ functionalities. To date we have not introduced ‘one search’ functionalities as they have become the fashion in library portals. Currently a team is working at the implementation of Metalib with SFX. This software will be integrated in the subject oriented portal pages. It is further envisioned that patrons, will be able to construct their own starting page where the customer oriented ‘myLibrary’ functionality will allow users to construct ‘myPortal’. In that case they can selected their favourite journals, reference works, websites etc… The backbone of all these functionalities is our library catalogue build on a Minisis system with custom build web interface based on open URL.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the displays and exhibitions in university libraries. It was conducted by questionnaire survey on six theses: Frequency and purpose, Staffing, Funding, Space and safeguards, Subjects, materials and sources, and Marketing. The results reveal that most libraries held displays and exhibitions and thought displays and exhibitions as marketing and educational ser-vices to patrons. But supporting resources such as staffing, funding, space, security, and facilities were informal and scant. To improve the displays and exhibitions, this paper suggests that libraries should pay more resources and concerns on displays and exhibitions to achieve the marketing and educational goal. Besides, librarians play important roles in displays and exhibitions. To plan a professional and successful displays and exhibitions, librarians need more support on training, display knowledge and credits.

This is a presentation from the ULA Conference on Knowledge for Development, Colombo, June 2007. Rural poor people particularly in developing countries do not get the knowledge and information which they need for their day to day living. Yet, there are no mechanisms for making this knowledge available. This marginalized sector includes small farmers, fishermen, micro-entrepreneurs, small businessmen, unemployed youth etc. They need information for day to day life, such as daily weather forecast, market prices of agricultural produce, how to treat a crop disease, where to get application for the policemenâ s vacancies, addresses of local masonry persons, etc. Local content is what is most important. Many times, such information is available freely, but the needy person does not get it because of lack of awareness. Such information has to be collected on daily basis from the right sources such as agricultural departments, meteorology offices, bank branches, primary health centers or wholesale markets. The information has to be disseminated through the fastest media such as Internet, community radio, loudspeakers, community newspapers or interactive meetings. Higher education libraries need to work closely with the various agencies, both in government and private sectors and the civil society in order to find out the knowledge requirements of the poor and research into how to package it and deliver efficiently. The paper gives examples of successful knowledge initiatives for the poor in five countries : Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India, Nepal, and Malawi.

This issue of Intercom is sponsored by EBSCO Publishing. Regular columns include the President's column, Community College Newsbriefs, WebViews, and Honoring our Retirees. Besides these columns, this issue has the following: Libraries and Democracy by Brian Haley (President's Column); Reports of New Library Buildings, Remodeling and Hot Spots; Cuesta College: Kevin Bontenball is the 2005 Superstar by David Dowell; Valley College Administrator Named First Woman President of Ventura College by Paul Rubalcaba. Intercom is published three times a year (October, February, May) by LRACCC.

This paper is to be presented at the Symposium on "DSpace Experience for Institutional and Organisation Repository" organised by HP Lab, India University Relations on August 21, 2007 at Gurgoan in the state of Haryana, India. The paper discusses the DSpace repository software implementation at JIIT University Noida in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India for the development of an Institutional Repository (IR), including the problems and challenges faced during the experiment with possible solutions. Screenshots highlight the customization, configuration, and integration activities with DSpace.

Contents include: President's Column; 40 Years of Intercom: Part II: The Origin by Fred Brose; The Cochise College Library Years: Has it only been a year? by Trevor Smith; Community College Newsbriefs, Honoring our Retirees: Le-Huong Pham at Modesto Junior College, 1981-2007; The Federal Research Public Access Act (FRPAA)

Biometrics is the science of measuring physiological or behavioural characteristics that verify a personâ s identity. Biometric identification refers to a technology that uses scanned graphical information from many sources for personal identification purposes viz., fingerprint identification, iris identification, retinal identification, hand geometry, hand, palm, and wrist subcutaneous vein pattern identification, signature identification, voice identification, keystroke dynamics identification, facial feature identification, body salinity (salt) identification, body odor identification, and ear identification. The biometric technology helps the libraries to ensure safety and security to its invaluable collections, infrastructure and human resources. It is a known fact that libraries are not always safe and secure places and they are facing a wide variety of security concerns which includes the theft, mutilation of library materials and other unethical losses. But, it is the duty of the librarian to keep the library buildings, shelves and stacks open and free without losing items to make available or putting individuals at unacceptable risk from the malicious, avaricious or senseless acts of others. Further, the LIS professionals are now handling huge database, provide access to online journals and web-enabled online public access catalogues in the networked digital environment where there are a lot of scope for compute /cyber crimes. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary to ensure better safety and security to the library collections, equipment and staff. In this regard, the biometric technology is a boon for the LIS professionals as it provides a single point of control for administrators to manage access to library resources such as computers, buildings, doors, the Internet, and software applications. In this context, this paper attempts to study the various types of biometric applications available for LIS centres, its prospects and problems as well.

Institutional Repositories (IRâ s) offer the opportunity for academic libraries to collect and preserve and disseminate the intuitions scholarly output. Serving an important service to the community, institutional repositories offer many benefits to the academic intuitions community as well as other people and communities around the world. Institutional repositories make it possible to collect content in one location, capture and provide open access to the intellectual output of a university, as well as preserve content that may be otherwise unavailable or out of publication. It is essential to explore the benefits as well as the challenges of institutional repositories to make sure it is worthwhile to the library as well as the institution. It is also important that the benefits outweigh the costs of this ambitious endeavor. This paper will explore issues effecting libraries operating institutional repositories, as well as explore some of the challenges and benefits to libraries operating an IR. Lastly, this paper will examine the future of IRâ s as it relates to issues in sustainability and viability for institutional repositories.

This is a presentation (28 slides) prepared and delivered in July 2006, as a report to the University of Calgary Library, by the author who was the 2006/2007 Canadian Studies Faculty Research Fellow. Provides a quick summary about libraries and library education in India, and quick pointers to library networks, associations, etc. in the country.