Ariadne Re-launch: ISC Delivers Enriched Content

In one of the first major internal deliverables within the operations of the Innovation Support Centre, the ISC has recently re-launched the long-established Ariadne Web Magazine on a new platform with a completely new look-and-feel and raft of useful and innovative functionalities. Not only does the publication now offer a wide range of data analysis features to its readers but also provides far more comprehensive information on the origins and background to the published articles.

The harnessing of tags in the deployment of this Drupal platform has proven central to the degree to which the extensive legacy material (dating back to the mid-1990s and the eLib Programme) has been more readily exposed to Ariadne’s readership. These tags or keywords will also serve to assist readers, sometimes in their first post (and third language), concerned with new concepts arising in the most current articles where they will equally provide a path to complementary information on new concepts as much as the old. The adoption of features such as ‘Forthcoming content’, the revolving gallery and Today’s choice also cater for readers’ inclination to browse at the same time as Ariadne’s various feeds offer them the opportunity to pull in specific information to which they will want to subscribe.

The re-design of Ariadne also means that its authors benefit from the exposure of a wide range of new data, of particular use to readers seeking information on particular themes or on authors’ interests and expertise. This is most apparent in the construction of author profiles which now operate independently of the articles by their author which they list in full. Editor Richard Waller will be very pleased to hear from authors published in earlier issues who would like to update their details, for which messages a contact form stands ready.

Brian Kelly has written, “I am pleased to announce developments to Ariadne which not only enhance the user interface but also, perhaps more importantly, provide much richer access to the large number of articles which have been published during its lifetime.

Ariadne was launched at a time when mailing lists provided the main communications channel with Web sites acting primarily for publishing information. In today’s environment there is a much greater diversity of communications and publication channels including blogs, wikis, Twitter and social networks. Ariadne continues to have a valuable role to play in this space and we hope the developments which have been launched in this issue will appeal to both existing readers and those who may not have come across Ariadne previously. In light of the changing landscape we have reduced Ariadne’s publication frequency from four to three times per year. We feel Ariadne provides a valuable publishing channel which is positioned between the many blogs which describe digital library developments and peer-reviewed journals.”

Further information on the new Ariadne can be obtained from a complementary news feature on the UKOLN Web site.