UT Knowledge Management Center

The University of Texas at Austin has established the UT System Knowledge Management Center (KMC) designed to "expand access and application of digital library services and extend the knowl-edge management function to include digital publishing, publishing on demand, and virtual library services while continuing to maintain traditional library collections."

The Knowledge Management Center will be a major component of The UT System Information Technology Initiative, developed under the guidance of the UT System Office of Telecommunications and Information Technology, headed by Dr. Mario J. Gonzalez, vice chancellor and chief information officer.

Susan K. Phillips, associate director for Technical and Networked Services at the UT-Austin General Libraries, will manage programs of the Knowledge Management Center, while Mark McFarland, electronic information program officer of the General Libraries, will oversee the centerís technical infrastructure.

The KMC formally establishes the existing collaborative endeavors of the UT system libraries and builds upon the cooperative digital library and electronic information projects, all of which were previously operated under the rubric of the UT System Electronic Reference Project.

The KMC’s goal is to complement the strengths of traditional collections, expand existing services and programs, and create entirely new options for access to scholarly information for the UT System community, including distance learners.

The General Libraries Digital Information Literacy Office, under the direction of Elizabeth Dupuis, will play a major role in the creation of the training component of the KMC program. Designed for the World Wide Web, the orientation will be available to people around the state and across the country. Since many students are familiar with and interested in game-like interactions, the project will have a theme and aim to engage their curiosity and imagination. Each component will have a review section where students can assess for themselves if they feel comfortable with the material.

The Web site address for the UT KMC is http://www.lib.utsystem.edu