Energy Science and Technology Virtual
Library Environment Overview

Concept:
The Department of Energy's Office of Scientific and Technical Information (DOE/OSTI) is leading the development of an Energy Science and Technology Virtual Library Environment among DOE and non-DOE collaborators to leverage collections and capabilities and to maximize use of energy-related scientific and technical information (STI).

The Environment is envisioned as an ever-expanding information infrastructure where users can effectively interact with information to gain knowledge in a manner that maximizes return on intellectual investment, time, and effort.

It will be content based, supported by enabling technologies, and driven by user needs.

Key Elements:
There are seven essential elements that together establish the framework of the Virtual Library Environment:

• Contributors are those entities that provide the building blocks for the Virtual Library Environment, contributing content, technology, and related resources. Contributions may come from any source, and consideration for inclusion will be based on relevance, scope, quality, and potential benefit.
• Users are researchers, scientists, engineers, project managers, program managers, academia and their associated information professionals who need energy-related scientific and technical information. The needs of these users will drive the design of the Virtual Library Environment.
• Content and subject scope consists of collections of energy-related information, data, and associated resources regardless of the source, structure, or form in which they reside. The content is the basis for the Environment and is organized to facilitate its identification, location and use. Content includes full text information, bibliographic and other metadata, and non-traditional literature and data. Interconnectivity of information is a key to the concept of searching across diverse collections.
• Technology is the enabling factor, aligned with emerging capabilities and interoperability standards while addressing the functional needs of users. Seamless integration of information resources, retrieval and delivery mechanisms, data analysis and collaboration tools, all with customizable user interfaces, will be accessible via a web-based infrastructure.
• Access and use of the distributed information provides opportunities for information discovery in addition to the potential for data manipulation, analysis, and project collaboration. Finding aids to facilitate access will be available and bibliographic fields within collections will be mapped to maximize access and use. The user's ability to locate, identify, combine, manipulate and retrieve information will be the focus of the Environment.
• Administration will involve corporate-level policy guidance through an Advisory Board with representation from a crosscutting group of peers with a common interest in maximizing the benefits of energy-related scientific and technical information. Steering committees may be formed to address focus areas of the Virtual Library Environment. The autonomy of the contributors to administer their contributions will be maintained.
• Programmatic missions and interests of the various partners, both within and external to DOE, will be supported by the Virtual Library Environment. Each partner will bring particular strengths, capabilities, capacities and resources into the broad framework that will serve to support programmatic missions and interests. OSTI will coordinate DOE's contribution and facilitate the establishment of the Environment consistent with the Department's missions and interests.

Benefits:
Both contributors and users can expect to benefit in a variety of ways and in a manner that fosters the continued growth of the Virtual Library Environment.

Contributor Benefits:

Optimizes scientific productivity and innovation in a cost effective Environment.

Facilitates involvement in new models of communication and collaboration.

Stimulates interest and access as part of a wider system while maintaining the autonomy of current collections and systems.

Highlights source acknowledgment and contribution.

Increases the availability of special collections not widely accessible nor publicized.

Enables integrated access to legacy databases.

Increases possibilities for reciprocal agreements and partnerships.

Provides opportunities to influence and frame the expanding information network through feedback and evaluation channels.

User Benefits:

Integrates information access for users who currently sift through many sources.

Leverages collections and capabilities through collaboration among industry, government and academia.

Improves cohesiveness of distributed energy-related scientific and technical information.

Maximizes functionality by integrating information collections and virtual workspace areas.

Increases availability of comparative data and encourages cross-pollination of ideas.

Enables more effective use of information.

Broadens timely access to newly available information.