JISC Cambridge Library Widgets Project

For those of you who thought widgets were bits of plastic that made beer fizzy, a new project to open your eyes. The JISC Cambridge Library Widgets Project is a collaboration between the University Library and CARET, aiming to deliver a joined-up, relevant and accessible suite of library services through small, portable web interfaces (or widgets).

The UL, CARET and Arcadia already have a history in widgets. They are a perfect tool for fast, lightweight development, for trying out ideas, and for knitting together the stuff of academic life. The UL and CARET collaborated on the Cambridge Library Widget - info (and screencast) here: http://www.lib.cam.ac.uk/toolbox/camlibwidget.html and recent Arcadia Fellow Harriet Truscott did an enormous amount of work on an exam papers widget, which is one of the ideas we'll be taking forward.

We'll also be looking at interfaces for mobile devices, at integration with DSpace (our institutional repository) and with CamSIS (our student registry), and at some fun, innovative tools for the future.

We'll be blogging here: http://culwidgets.blogspot.com/ and I'll also be adding any major updates to the Arcadia blog.