3 results
15 - A user-centred approach to the evaluation of digital cultural maps: the case of the VeriaGrid system
-
- By Rania Siatri, Technological Educational Institute (TEI) of Thessaloniki, Greece, Emmanouel Garoufallou, Technological Educational Institution (TEI) of Thessaloniki, Greece, Ioannis Trohopoulos, Veria Central Public Library in Greece, Panos Balatsoukas, Loughborough University, UK
- Edited by Peter Brophy, Jenny Craven, Margaret Markland
-
- Book:
- Libraries Without Walls 7
- Published by:
- Facet
- Published online:
- 09 June 2018
- Print publication:
- 15 May 2008, pp 147-158
-
- Chapter
- Export citation
-
Summary
Introduction
In the European Union the digitization of cultural heritage resources has been promoted though various initiatives, such as the Lund principles, which resulted in a European wide framework for the digitization of cultural heritage (e-Europe 2001), the Information Society Technologies (IST) programme, which funded research on the digitization and access to cultural heritage collections through several projects (IST, 2006), and the European Library initiative, which developed a network of digital cultural heritage resources among the members of the European Union (The European Library, 2006). The digitization of cultural heritage resources (CHRs) has significant implications for the developing economy of digital cultural tourism in Europe. It implies the development of:
• the online availability and accessibility of digital CHRs
• the development of a network of digital CHRs
• the promotion of CHRs to a geographically dispersed audience of educators, learners and tourists
• the marketing and promotion of CHRs across the globe.
On the other hand, several factors can impede the development of digital cultural tourism in Europe, such as the shortage of technical infrastructure, the absence of a coherent cultural policy and the lack of innovation and knowledge transfer mechanisms, as well as the ignorance of users’ needs and budget constraints (Manzuch and Knoll, 2005; Tanner and Deegan, 2003).
The Central Public Library of Veria (CPLV), a major provider of online information services to the Greek public, has convinced cultural heritage institutions of the city of Veria:
• to rethink their role in the society in the new electronic era
• to make their rich collections of CHRs easily accessible to the public via the internet and other technologies, such as laptops and mobile phones
• to compile an inventory of digital CHRs and other instruments useful to the public.
In particular, the CPLV, through the LIGHT project (www.light-culture.net), developed the ‘VeriaGrid’, an online digital cultural map of the city of Veria to bring to light the cultural resources managed by local museums, libraries and other cultural organizations of Veria. The VeriaGrid system provides users with the opportunity to navigate across the map and visit various cultural sites, such as churches, museums, libraries and archaeological sites (see Figure 15.1).
5 - Online services versus online chaos: evaluating online services in a Greek academic library
-
- By Emmanouel Garoufallou, Principal Lecturer, Technological Education Institution of Thessaloniki, and Director of Deltos Research Group, Greece, Rania Siatri, Lecturer, Technological Education Institution of Thessaloniki, and Deputy Director of Deltos Research Group, Greece
- Edited by Peter Brophy, Jenny Craven, Margaret Markland
-
- Book:
- Libraries Without Walls 6
- Published by:
- Facet
- Published online:
- 08 June 2018
- Print publication:
- 18 May 2006, pp 35-44
-
- Chapter
- Export citation
-
Summary
Introduction
In recent years Greek academic libraries have moved from providing only traditional services to the provision of hybrid services, keeping a balance between traditional and electronic services. The financial support that Greek libraries received from the European Commission (EC) assisted them in employing electronic services to meet the demands of our information society. Currently some academic libraries are undergoing the process of assessing their new electronic services in order to evaluate their use and improve their efficiency. One such is the Central Library of the Higher Technological Educational Institution of Thessaloniki (ATEI-T). This paper presents the outcome of an ongoing independent study carried out during 2005 by the Deltos Research Group, which aims to investigate user satisfaction with online library services and accessibility issues relating to library websites.
Community support framework programmes for Greek libraries
The process of modernizing library services began in 1996, when Greek academic libraries participated in the Second Community Support Framework (SCSF) programme and its special Action of the Operational Programme for Education and Initial Training (EPEAEK in Greek: www.epeaek.gr). Before the SCSF programme, libraries’ lack of information technology (IT) and electronic information resources (EIR), qualified staff and financial resources hindered their efforts to provide adequate services. In addition, the existing teaching and learning methods inhibit library development, and university structures and processes often act as barriers to new ideas and influences introduced by a few professional librarians (Krikelas, 1984; Birk and Karageorgiou, 1988; Skepastianou, 1993; Keller, 1993; Zachos, 1995; Garoufallou, 2003; Garoufallou and Siatri, 1999).
The SCSF programme aimed to modernize and develop library services and establish new IT-based services, to automate library functions, to enrich their collections, to complete retrospective cataloguing, and to increase the number of qualified personnel. New studies show that Greek academic libraries, with support from the SCSF programme, have managed to overcome many difficulties and move towards a more electronic environment (see, for example, Garoufallou et al., 2004).
Nowadays, Greek academic libraries participate in the Third Community Support Framework (TCSF) (second EPEAEK), which runs from 2000 to 2006. The programme focuses on developing portals, digital libraries, digitizing collections, and improving services based on the EIR.
7 - Virtual learning environments and Greek academic libraries
- from THEME 1 - THE INTEGRATION OF LIBRARY SERVICES AND VIRTUAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS
-
- By Emmanouel Garoufallou, Lecturer, Department of Library Science, Higher Technological Educational Institution of Thessaloniki, Greece, Rania Siatri, Librarian/Researcher, University of Macedonia, Greece, Dick Hartley, Professor of Information Science and Head of Department, Department of Information and Communications, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK
- Edited by Peter Brophy, Shelagh Fisher, Jenny Craven
-
- Book:
- Libraries Without Walls 5
- Published by:
- Facet
- Published online:
- 08 June 2018
- Print publication:
- 15 June 2004, pp 66-76
-
- Chapter
- Export citation
-
Summary
Introduction
This paper examines developments in Greek academic libraries using recent research data and the literature and considers whether Greek libraries are ready to support developments in the virtual learning environments (VLEs) of their institutions. To understand the current situation in Greek academic libraries it is necessary to appreciate the Greek higher education system. A description of this is given in the next section of the paper, followed by a summary of the current academic library position. This demonstrates the crucial impact on Greek academic library development of the European Union Second Community Support Framework (SCSF). This discussion leads naturally into the Third Community Support Framework (TCSF), which Greek universities are using to develop VLEs. We describe current developments at the University of Macedonia in Thessaloniki as an example.
Higher education in Greece
Supervision of education in Greece is highly centralized. The Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs controls every level of the educational system through numerous laws and government bodies. Schools, institutions and universities at every level depend financially on the Ministry, which pays all the staff. Furthermore it approves the curricula and controls institutions through a series of centralized bodies.
Higher education in Greece is divided into two levels: the higher education institutions (HEIs), which comprise the universities (anotata ekpaideutika idrimata, AEI, in Greek) and the higher technological educational institutions (anotata technologika ekpaideutika idrimata, ATEI, in Greek), the latter having similarities with the old polytechnics in the UK. AEI concentrate on theoretical and scientific studies and traditional disciplines while ATEI focus on vocational, technological and technical studies. Greece has 34 HEIs (19 AEI, 14 ATEI and the Open University). Education provided by the Greek state is free at all levels and in HE includes free meals for most students and free accommodation for a minority of students.
Educational practices in Greece follow a unique path. The Organization for Publishing Teaching Books (Organismos Ekdoseon Didaktikon Biblion, OEDB, in Greek), under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, publishes one book for each subject or unit for the school sector, and distributes them to schools across Greece. Teachers base their teaching solely on the lectures and exercises in these books. This practice continues at university level.