Virtual specialist library
A virtual specialist library ( ViFa ) is a special form of a virtual library .
Since scientifically relevant information and documents in a subject are usually distributed worldwide, virtual specialist libraries offer standardized access ( web portal ) for researching and providing information. These can be available in various forms of publication - for print media , for example, digitization and transmission via a document delivery service or interlibrary loan is necessary. Most virtual specialist libraries also offer a systematically organized index of professionally relevant web sources.
The establishment of virtual specialist libraries was supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG) until the end of 2014 in the “Distributed Digital Research Library ” funding area.
history
Since 2001, the virtual specialist libraries, which are mostly located at academic libraries that also look after the subject in question as special collections on behalf of the DFG, have had a joint web portal at www.virtuellefachbibliotheken.de .
As of August 2003, the Virtual Libraries then presented together with the information networks and the EZB the portal vascoda . This has been technically supported by the North Rhine-Westphalia University Library Center since April 2005 , but has not been further developed since 2010. Vascoda was discontinued as a research portal on January 14, 2011. After the Vascoda Association was dissolved at the end of 2011, the vascoda portal was also discontinued.
Since mid-January 2012, Webis has served as an information and exchange portal for the virtual specialist libraries and special collection area libraries. With the expiry of the funding, some ViFas that were affiliated to the special collection areas will no longer be continued or converted into specialist portals. For example, the Eastern European Virtual Library has been replaced by the Osmikon research portal .
criticism
Compared to other libraries, the virtual specialist libraries are chronically underfunded. Since they do not have their own library holdings , their supporting institutions often do not provide funds for personnel costs and technology on a permanent basis, as is otherwise customary for a larger branch library .
Examples of virtual specialist libraries
- Propylaeum Specialized Information Service Classical Studies
- Virtual specialist library for German studies
- Virtual library of musicology
- Virtual specialist library of pharmacy
- Virtual specialist library for political science
- Virtual specialist library for international and interdisciplinary legal research <intR> ²
- Virtual library for theology and religious studies
See also
Web links
- Specialized portals . List of virtual specialist libraries and specialist portals (alphabetical). Webis blog (formerly on the Vascoda blog).
- netbib-wiki: Virtual Libraries ( Memento from November 29, 2011 in the Internet Archive )
Individual evidence
- ^ Michael Hohlfeld: vascoda portal offline . Vascoda blog. January 14, 2011. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
- ^ Michael Hohlfeld: Message from the board of directors on the dissolution of vascoda eV . In: vascoda blog. December 8, 2011. Retrieved December 8, 2011.
- ↑ webis blog . Retrieved February 2, 2012.