ELAG and its strenghts Paula Goossens

2 ELAG: ITS START –INTERMARC End ’60: MARC (USA, UK) beginning ’70: ‘European’ MARC format needed From formats to common interest in issues of software develpoment –INTERMARC software subgroup ’79: birth of INTERMARC software group ’84: more representative name : ELAG (European Library Automation Group) Main activity: yearly seminars

3 ELAG objectives In depth discussion of library ICT applications Informal exchange and promotion of ideas and experience in the field Main topics technical for participants with computing background

4 Programme of the ELAG seminars (1) PAPERSPAPERS WORKSHOPSWORKSHOPS PROGRESS REPORTSPROGRESS REPORTS FORUMFORUM Presentation of commercial productsPresentation of commercial products_______________________________________ SOCIAL EVENTSSOCIAL EVENTS –Common ‘coffee’ breaks and lunches –Evening events –Visit of hosting library, of hosting organisation, etc. ALL in 3 days! ALL in 3 days!

5 Programme of the ELAG seminars (2) PAPERS PAPERS 1.The topic of the seminar 2.Interesting projects in the country that hosts the meeting 3.Any other interesting current project 4.EX. of ELAG to 13 papers!

6 Programme of the ELAG seminars (3) WORKSHOP - Discussion in small a group of a topic of interest - 5 to 10 workshops in parallel - 4 to 5 sessions of more then 1 hour - Outcome: report presented to plenary audience - Ex. ELAG / One member participates in one workshop

7 Programme of the ELAG seminars (4) Progress reports (last year) library ICT progress –Each participant reports the library ICT progress in his organisation or in his country readon beforehand –The participants read the reports on beforehand sessions for questions –There are 2 special sessions for questions and comments on these authors themselves give reply -The authors themselves give reply –Ex. ELAG

8 ELAG meetings: CONCEPT (1) OPEN INFORMAL BUSSY, and at the same time RELAXING HIGH TECNICAL and SCIENTIFIC STANDARD ALL members and institutions PARTICIPATE actively IN THE ORGANISATION A kind of ‘open club’ of library ICT professionals

9 ELAG meetings: CONCEPT (2) OPEN –Everyone is welcome –Special efforts to attract colleagues from less wealthy countries –No registration fee

10 ELAG: organisation of meetings (1) Members: 350 – mailing list Board: –open to all members –meets once a year (10 to 20 members) –sets up the programme –gets invitations from hosting organisations Banced coverage of different regions in Europe Seminars :3 days

11 ELAG: organisation of the meetings (2) Host of seminar –Local organisation –Web site with all info –Publication of proceedings National library Netherlands –ELAG mailing list Annoncements Discussion –ELAG archive

12 ELAG: organisation of the meetings (3) Financial aspects –All delegates responsable for own expences –The hosting organisation takes care for most of the costs –The commerciel sponsoring varies, the host takes the initiative

13 ELAG and the digital library (1) Examples of papers –1998: Digitization of rare documents: a solution for preservation of and access to data / A. Knoll (Nat. Library, Prague) –1999: The Agora hybrid library project /R.Russell (UKOLN, Bath ) –2000: Electronic resources: from their deposit ‘BIBLINK’ to their long term preservation ‘NEDLIB’ / E. Freyre (BNL, Paris)

14 ELAG and the digital library (2) Papers –2001: Document delivery from digital archives / A. Knoll (Nat. Library, Prague) –2004: Norwegian Digital Library/ K. Abelsnes (Norv. Archive, Library and Museum Authority, Oslo) : Finnish National Library Network / E.P; Keskitalo (Helsinki University Library) ELAG archive:

15 ELAG archive Latest interesting topics Evolution of a suject over time Spread of participation Who are the key players …

16 ELAG: Other interests From inside: Summer courses (begin. ’80) –Strong interest from ELAG members to transmit knowledge to students –No proper financing found From European Commission (mid. ’80) –Reshaping the conferences landscape in Europe –Part of Liber –ELAG: give up a number of originality and –Freedom From Universities –Knowledge used at different levels

17 ELAG and its strenghts The current state of the programmes The developers themselves present their work in early stages of realisation The active participation in the workshops The good contacts The follow up of the developments in Europe The nice atmosphere The archive of the activities