Implementing the virtual library: the ELINOR project at De Montfort University

The ELINOR (Electronic Library and INformation Online Retrieval) project to develop a digitized collection of undergraduate texts and other learning materials has been operating at De Montfort University since March 1992. This paper provides an overview of the project in both its pilot stage and during the scaling-up phase which will end in May 1996. The paper describes the background to the project, the main features of the technology in use, the user interface, and user reactions. Also outlined are some of the issues arising from negotiations with publishers. We detail the results of the pilot and the way in which these have influenced the strategy for scaling up, and conclude by considering the challenges remaining if the research project is to be translated into the operational activity of the library service.