_KBL(sm): A Registry of Library Knowledge Bases_

[Gerry Mckiernan]

              _KBL(sm): A Registry of Library Knowledge Bases_

     For a new registry, I am greatly interested in identifying library-created or library  -related Knowledge Bases. A Knowledge Base / Knowledgebase may be defined viewed as a database with a focus on empirical or practical knowledge. In recent years, Knowledge bases have become common components for many businesses and services. The  RealNetworks "RealSystem Knowledge Base" 

                                    [ http://service.real.com/kb/  ]
is an excellent example of a technical support knowledge base.

     I am interested in library-created OR library-related Knowledge Bases. 

An excellent example of a library-created knowledge base is  "VID Knowledge Base 2000-2001" for the Virtual Information Desk of the Pennsylvania Inter-Library Online Library (PILOT) 
 
                                  [ http://157.62.21.5/vid/vid-kb.asp ]
AND

The Collaborative Digital Library,  "a database of annotated resources indexed by research group, title, url, keywords, and comments * that serves as a virtual bookmark file for teams of researchers working asynchronously and remotely on projects.

            [  http://www.kie.berkeley.edu/cool_library/library_home.html ]
            [ http://www.kie.berkeley.edu/cool_library/library_search.html ]

AND

Perhaps the most sophisticated Knowledge Base is that planned as part of the OPAL Project, "an eighteen month research project which is exploring the development of a fully automated online 24/7 reference service for students." [BTW: OPAL = Online Personal Academic Librarian]

                            [ http://oulib1.open.ac.uk/wh/research/opal/ ].

"The project team is currently developing and testing a prototype automated reference system designed to answer common questions from OU distance learners."
 
                          [ http://oulib1.open.ac.uk/wh/research/opal/intro.html ]
SEE ALSO:

"The OPAL Project: Developing An Automated Online Reference System For Distance Learners" in the June 2001 issue of D-Lib Magazine.

                            [ http://www.dlib.org/dlib/june01/06inbrief.html ]

  Examples of library-related Knowledge Base could/would include:

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
 
    [ http://www.update-software.com/cochrane/product-cochrane.html ]

"Cochrane Reviews are full text articles reviewing the effects of healthcare. The reviews are highly structured and systematic, with evidence included or excluded on the basis of explicit quality criteria, to minimise bias."

AND

The ÆGIS Clinical Trials Knowledgebase 

                    [ http://www.aegis.com/pubs/trials/index.html ]

Perhaps the sophisticated Knowledge Base, I've discovered are those offered by Proteome, which provides "a variety of products and services to integrate the accumulated knowledge from the research literature with genomic information and software tools to produce a powerful resource for bioinformatic scientists and biologists of all disciplines." 

                                  [  http://www.proteome.com/ ]

[The Proteome  knowledge bases are built upon the review, extraction, and synthesis of information and data from peer-reviewed journals] [WOW!]
 
   Over the coming weeks, I will be adding these and other Library Knowledge Bases to a new Web-based registry titled: 

                       KBL(sm): A Registry of Library Knowledge Bases 
            [  http://www.public.iastate.edu/~CYBERSTACKS/KBL.htm ]

 As Always, I Welcome Any and All contributions, queries, comments, nominations, Cosmic Insights, Etc. Etc. Etc.  [I am NOT interested in corporate Knowledge Bases per se]

Articles, reports, studies, school papers or projects regarding Library Knowledge Bases are also of major interest for a planned General Bibliography [I am NOT interested in literature about Knowledge Bases per se]

Gerry McKiernan
The Basic, Knowledgeable Librarian 
Iowa State Library
Ames IA 50011

gerrymck at iastate.edu