The Virtual Reading Room Pilot
Project
2001-2003 |
The Virtual Reading
Room was a three-year pilot project
to investigate the role that electronic
versions of Core Curriculum materials
might play in building a technologically-enhanced
teaching and learning environment
at Columbia in support of undergraduate
education.
The first phase
of the VRR project included the
selection, in consultation with
faculty, of specific titles from
the Contemporary Civilization (CC)
syllabus for possible digitization. Since
virtually all works in the CC syllabus
are assigned to be read in modern
critical editions, the next step
was to initiate discussions with
publishers and other copyright holders
to secure permission to use their
publications in the VRR project.
From the initial list of works assigned
for CC, permissions were able to
be obtained for nine titles within
the pilot project's timeframe. (See
VRR Title Listing.)
An outside vendor
was then selected for scanning and
conversion, with the aim of generating
basic HTML versions of the printed
texts that could be used for reading
and study or for classroom demonstration. At
the same time, a standards-conformant
TEI/XML version was created for
possible later use in developing
course-related presentations or
for otherwise repurposing within
the framework of the VRR project.
The project came
to a close in 2002. The preliminary
assessment was that -- although
the goals of the project had been
meant -- the site was in fact not
heavily used by undergraduates,
nor did Core Curriculum instructors
feel the project was of great value
for instruction. At
the same time, alternative commercial
sources for online texts were becoming
available that could be used for
instruction and teaching.
Acknowledgements
Columbia University Libraries would
like to thank the following publishers
for their generous participation
in the Virtual Reading Room Pilot
Project.
Broadview
Press
Hackett
Publishing Co.
HarperCollins
Northeastern
University Press
Penguin
Putnam Inc.
Random
House Inc.
Viking
Press (Penguin Putnam)
Columbia University Libraries staff
who worked on this project included:
Ree Dedonato, Linda L. Rath,
Bob Scott, and Stephen Davis.
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