Project Manager 

Owen Stephens
Systems Librarian,  Bedford Library Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham Surrey TW20 0EX
Tel: 01784 443331

Fax: 01784 477670

Email: owen.stephens@rhul.ac.uk

Project Director  

David Sweeney
Director Information Services
Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey TW20 0EX

Project Contacts

Owen Stephens
Systems Librarian
Bedford Library, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey TW20 0EX
Tel: 01784 443331

Fax: 01784 477670

Email:owen.stephens@rhul.ac.uk

Gerard Bennett,
Systems Librarian
Information Systems and Library Services (ISLS), University of Westminster, 3rd Floor, 115 New Cavendish Street,  
LONDON W1W 6UW

Tel: 020 7911 5147

Fax: 020 7911 5093

Email: G.J.Bennett@wmin.ac.uk

Simon Perry
Systems Development Officer (Library)
Information Systems and Library Services (ISLS), University of Westminster, 3rd Floor, 115 New Cavendish Street, 
LONDON W1W 6UW  

Tel; 020 7911 5000 x3771

Email: s.e.perry@westminster.ac.uk

 
Period
1 October 2002
to 31 July 2003

Introduction

Aims and Objectives

Project Methodology

Final report and other deliverables January 2004

Implications/ Deliverables/ Stakeholders  

Links

Documentation

Introduction

OLIVE is a collaborative project between Royal Holloway, University of London, and the University of Westminster. The project is a practical exploration of the OpenURL as a method of linking between VLE (Virtual Learning Environment) software and digital library resources at both reference list and learning object levels.

Aims and Objectives

Firstly to OpenURL enable reference lists held within the VLE to allow the seamless linking from the reference to the full text online (when available), to document delivery services, or to offer location services (e.g. look up the reference on a library catalogue). Secondly, to OpenURL enable the VLE at a learning object level to allow the LOM (Learning Object Metadata) to be passed to an OpenURL resolver, which could then offer appropriate resources, based on the LOM (this could be full-text journals, websites or other digital objects)

The specific objectives were:

·                Working implementations of the OpenURL at reference list level within the LearnWise VLE and the Blackboard VLE, using SFX as an OpenURL resolver

·                Best practice guide for the OpenURL enabling of reference lists within a VLE

·                A specification for the OpenURL for learning object metadata that could be registered as part of the OpenURL standard

·                A working implementation of the OpenURL at a learning object level within the LearnWise VLE and the Blackboard VLE, using SFX as an OpenURL resolver

·               Best practice guide for the OpenURL enabling at a learning object level within a VLE

Project Methodology

OLIVE developed and applied OpenURL implementations for Reference Lists in two specific VLEs. The implication of this was that a user of the VLE (e.g. a tutor) could create a list of references within the VLE, and they would automatically include links to full-text online where it was available, or to other useful information sources (e.g. a library catalogue, or resource list). OLIVE developed and applied an OpenURL implementation for a Learning Object. This aimed, in theory, to allow a list of relevant resources to be generated easily, based on the Learning Object Metadata. This could allow the user to find Learning Objects created by the same tutor, or that are designed to fulfil the same learning objectives, or simply to generate a list of relevant resources for the Learning Object.

Implications/ Deliverables/ Stakeholders

OLIVE aimed to produce tangible developments within two specific VLEs which would have wide coverage in the HE and FE communities (LearnWise and Blackboard). It aimed to develop techniques applicable with other VLE packages. OLIVE aimed to produce best practice guidelines for OpenURL implementations within VLEs. The results of OLIVE were presented at suitable conferences, and disseminated in the appropriate literature, as well as via the project website.  

Links

JISC Linking Digital Libraries with Virtual Learning Environments Programme (DIVLE)

Blackboard

Learnwise

Paracite

Documentation

Project Overview