DigiCMB's Universe

This Universe will be the representation of my activities on the web. Used tools and trics, but also an overview of created widgets, toolbars and weblogs
Guus van den Brekel (Namro Orman) is Coordinator Electronic Services of the Central Medical Library of a large academic teaching hospital in the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG). He is a Medical Information Specialist as well as IT coordinator and responsible for Library Services Development and Innovation.

Developing and delivering library services in the users workflow is my main focus. In workshops and presentations (http://www.slideshare.net/digicmb) he delivers a strong plea for a focus-shift for librarians, a focus on the environments “where the users are”, instead of expecting them to come to us. Exploration of relevant user environments, the use of new web-based technologies with Web 2.0 elements and a more structural, technical re-design of library information systems, is needed to deliver library services and resources at the place of need. In the next few years, the further development of social, educational and research networks, semantic search techniques and online personal start-page tools, will be dictating how users will look and search for information. The introduction of the Library Toolbar (http://tinyurl.com/33po8s) and his paper “Into the User Environment” (www.eahil.net/newsletter/journal_2007_vol3_n1.pdf) was well reveiced in the European Medical Librarians community and beyond. The development of -and systematically offering- of “Library widgets” to users plus a Netvibes Universe (www.netvibes.com/cmb) for educational and instructional purpose is latest project. Multi-User Virtual Environments (MUVEs), as Second Life, are interesting because of the great implications these environments will have on education, training and social life, but also on the exchange of information. In 2006 an NLM Grant-funded project “Providing Consumer Health Outreach and Library Programs to Virtual World Residents in Second Life” (http://tinyurl.com/3d696n) was started in which he and his organization partnered. In 2007 a new project followed with the purpose to create exhibits, programs, and awareness about accessibility and assistive technology (http://tinyurl.com/2arbma) and about virtual world accessibility in general for Second Life residents, but specifically for people with disabilities. More information about Guus can be found at his personal blog called DIGICMB , http://digicmb.blogspot.com