New service to browse specialist collections and online databases in London's libraries

"London Libraries Development Agency has launched a beta service on the London Libraries website - a tag cloud of keywords, which describe collection content, is presented onscreen as clickable links. This allows readers to browse online databases in London public libraries and specialist collections held by all public and selected specialist and academic libraries quickly and easily. The system makes use of information held in a number of remote databases and brings them together through the London Libraries interface. Keywords are drawn from UK Archival Thesaurus, a controlled vocabulary and the information about opening hours and accessibility of the libraries concerned also uses a shared services approach with data harvested regularly from the national library dataset managed by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council. The idea for the tag cloud evolved from Inspire, a national library scheme, which gives members of the public access to libraries in universities and otherwise restricted collections"