Editorial

New Services For The New Millennium

The theme of this issue of Exploit Interactive is New Services For The New Millennium. The role of the European Union in developing the Information Society in Europe is addressed by the special feature article by Bernard Smith, head of the Cultural Heritage Applications Unit in the European Commission.

A second special feature article has been written by Steve Coffman, Director of FYI, a research service of the County of Los Angeles Public Library.

The new millennium will herald the start of many projects funded under the Fifth Framework Programme. The Fifth Framework provides a programme known as DIGICULT dedicated to the museums, archives and library communities (sometimes referred to as "memory organisations"). In February 2000 a DIGICULT accompanying measure known as CULTIVATE will be launched. CULTIVATE has a similar but wider remit to the EXPLOIT project. CULTIVATE will establish a European Cultural Heritage Network which will raise the awareness of the IST (Information Society Technologies) Programme for the development and the use of cultural heritage applications in memory institutions across Europe. One key component of CULTIVATE will be the establishment of a web magazine, which, we are pleased to announce, will be produced by UKOLN, the publishers of the Exploit Interactive web magazine.

Other Features in Exploit Interactive

This issue provides regular updates from the Telematics for Libraries Community including reports from the BIBLINK, DIEPER and NEDLIB projects, together with a number of conference reports.

A report is given on the Consolidating the European Library Space event - the final concertation meeting of the European Commission Telematics for Libraries Programme. This event included a presentation by the author on Promoting Your Web Site. The accompanying paper is included in this issue.

We are continuing to make developments behind the scenes to the Exploit Interactive web site. Developments are aimed at improving the service to our readers and to contributors and to help with the management and maintenance of the magazine. As an aid to readers who may be interested in producing their own web magazine, or are interested in the architecture used to provide Exploit Interactive an article provides further information on the workings "behind the web site".

Next Issue

Issue 5 of Exploit Interactive is due to be published in April 2000. So far we have featured articles on the ADVISER, BIBLINK, CASA, CHILIAS, DEBORA, DERAL, DIEPER, ELISE II, EQUINOX, IESERV, LAURIN, LIBERATOR, LISTED, MIRACLE, MURIEL, NEDLIB, PRIDE and VERITY Telematics for Libraries projects. Is it your project's turn? If you would like to provide a report on your Telematics for Libraries project - perhaps news of a recent development (such as a software deliverable or an event) or, if appropriate, a report on the completion of a project, please contact the editor (send email to exploit-editor@ukoln.ac.uk).

We also welcome articles of general interest, which should be relevant to the professional interests of members of the European library and information communities.