There is a well-known need for a standard set of infrastructure tools that can support high-end computing, practical digital library use, inter-institutional collaboration tools, and integrated video applications. In September of this year, an Internet2 team, which includes EDUCAUSE and SURA, was awarded an NSF cooperative agreement, jointly with the GRIDS Center, for development and implementation of Middleware infrastructure. In this talk, Dr. Klingenstein will provide an overview of the initiative and will outline the integrated objectives for the first year.

The Web Document Digital Archive Pilot Project, a joint effort between OCLC, Inc. and the Government Printing Office, will create a toolkit for archiving digital documents, and an OAIS-compliant digital repository for archived objects. The first phase, which will run in the second half of calendar year 2001, will test a set of modifications to the OCLC CORC interface specifically for creating preservation metadata, and will experiment with a base set of preservation metadata elements. The second phase, scheduled for early 2002, will test spider/harvest/capture capability, and will initiate an OCLC-operated digital repository. OCLC began this work in response to a GPO call for "an archive and the tools to use it." Two additional partners have been added for the initial phases, and more will be sought.

This session updates the latest activities of the UCLA/Pacific Bell Initiative for 21st Century Literacies. The presenters will discuss activities over the past year, including construction of workshops and curriculum for education and information specialists. This session will describe plans underway for two new projects:

1. a policy initiative to bring stakeholders together to identify a set of digital divides and to agree on indicators for what would constitute narrowing each divide.
   
2. a project to build adaptive systems that will deliver the same set of back-end content to different user groups in ways optimized for that particular group (including different interfaces, vocabulary mapping, level of discourse, etc.).
   

The Metadata Encoding and Transmission Standard (METS) provides a generalized framework for encoding descriptive, administrative and structural metadata for digital library objects. Developed as a Digital Library Federation initiative, METS provides an XML encoding format for digital library objects that was designed for application as a Submission Information Package (SIP), Dissemination Information Package (DIP) and Archival Information package (AIP) within the Open Archival Information System reference model. This session will provide background on the initiative, an overview of the XML scheme which defines the METS syntax and related technical efforts in the METS initiative, and discuss future development of the standard.

Today's information seekers demand prompt gratification. Google and other Internet search engines provide quick access to a wealth of information. What about the wealth of materials available on library shelves -- how do we bring that to the user's desktop? How do we provide the same ease and convenience of online retail vendors to the library environment? The NISO Circulation Interchange Protocol, currently available as a Draft Standard for Trial Use, uses the power of current web technology to bring a key component of the library infrastructure, it's circulation system, into the web environment. IT links those circulation systems into a larger information delivery infrastructure. The panel will discuss the protocol and three application areas including Web Self Service, Direct Consortial Borrowing and Circulation ILL Interchange.

The NDLTD has become a worldwide initiative under the leadership of an international steering committee and the support of an active group at Virginia Tech. Its program areas include a wide range of issues that address various aspects of the development of electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs): standards and methods for document preparation, metadata, union catalog, preservation, education and training of students, and digital libraries. In addition, NDLTD has sponsored a major annual conference and has promoted the development of ETD programs in higher education institutions through campus visits, an informative website, and preparation of training materials. A guide to the development of ETDs and ETD programs is being published with the support of UNESCO.

This year, a strategic planning committee is reviewing the programmatic areas of the NDLTD and developing some scenarios for organizational models that will provide the best infrastructure for the continuing development of the NDLTD program. Two members of the committee will lead a discussion of the NDLTD and solicit ideas and concerns from session attendees as input into the strategic planning process.

Since NDLTD programs relate to many other efforts - dealing with educational innovation, enhancing campus (digital) library infrastructure, expanding access to (student-authored) content and research results generated on campuses, and technologies like the Open Archives Initiative - all are invited who might liaise with such activities.