http://www.umich.edu/contents/About.html (PC Press Internet CD, 03/1996)
Information Gateway Project
The University of Michigan Information Gateway project is operating under the
Digital Library program, a joint effort of the
University of Michigan Library, the
Information Technology Division, and the
School of Information and Library
Studies.
The Digital Library program is directed by Wendy Lougee.
The Information Gateway project is still in its development phase, in which
we are conducting a census to identify and catalog the digital and networked
resources of the University, and developing a framework for presenting these
resources to the world.
Background
The Digital Library Program was established to create a comprehensive, well
coordinated, and cohesive environment for the information resources of the
University and to create for users the means to locate, organize, and use
information. To that end, the digital library should provide both a unified
view of UM resources as well as the flexibility for alternative portals to
information systems and services.
Two critical goals for the Digital Library Program encompass the creation of
an "organizing framework" for information resources and the development of
tools to locate and access information resources available to the campus
community. A project is proposed to address these dual goals of organization
and access.
Goals of the project
The Information Gateway project will create a service for organizing and
facilitating access to information resources available to the University of
Michigan community. The proposed structure and systems would meet the
following objectives:
- provide a conceptual structure(s) for information resources and services
available to the campus community (i.e., a structure for intellectual access
to these resources),
- provide, whenever possible, a uniform mechanism for identifying available
information services,
- provide a logical point of entry into the campus information
environment, while allowing the potential for multiple views of information
or methods of access,
- provide client access to information systems and services available to the
university community,
- incorporate access to legacy (i.e., non-distributed, non-client-server)
and proprietary systems,
- incorporate user authorization and authentication and transparent
linkages to other client programs,
- allow users to locate and navigate among the resources in the
information environment in an independent fashion,
- create a system which demonstrates the value of structure and
organization of information to information creators and stewards to encourage
participation in the systems and adherence to campus standards, and
- develop a system built upon an open architecture that is
standards-based, scalable, and portable to the major platforms supported on
the University of Michigan campus.
Project Development Strategy
A project working group will develop an initial implementation of the Gateway
in response to the objectives described above. The prototype should focus on
current known information systems and services available to the UM community
(the initial selection of such systems/services to be identified by the
working group), but should create a framework and taxonomy which anticipates
potential resources.
In addition, the group should:
- Recommend the scope of information "collections"/services to be included
in the "Gateway" framework.
- Identify the necessary resources and recommend a management structure for
ongoing support of the service.
- Define a strategy for promoting campus awareness of the Gateway.
- A prototype should be developed for implementation by June 1, 1994.
Who are we?
The Information Gateway working group consists of:
Our group acts in consultation with:
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University of Michigan Information
Gateway project
UM-Gateway@umich.edu