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Elizabeth D. Liddy[1], Michael B. Eisenberg[1], Charles R. McClure[1], Kim Mills[2], Susan Mernit[3], and James D. Luckett[4]
[1] School of Information Studies, Syracuse University,
liddy@mailbox.syr.edu, mike@ericir.syr.edu, cmcclure@suvm.syr.edu,
[2] Northeast Parallel Architecture Center, Syracuse University,
kim@npac.syr.edu,
[3] Scholastic Press, Inc., New York City, New York,
susanim@aol.com,
[4] NYSERNet, Liverpool, New York,
luckett@nysernet.org
We propose to meet the challenge facing the emerging global digital library by providing "intelligent" access to an extensive testbed of digital resources for a diverse group of real users using HPCC technology. The user environment is K-12 education, which offers a range of electronically connected users with a rich variety of uses. AskERIC currently provides question-answering service to K-12 educators through the Internet via expert human intermediaries who interpret users' queries, search relevant databases, and communicate the information back to the user. AskERIC is a success due to its ability to provide intelligent retrieval through these human intermediaries. The purpose of our project is to similarly add intelligence to information seeking and retrieval via unmediated natural language processing of texts and queries. The DR-LINK system, developed under ARPA funding, will provide the base technology for our "Digital Librarian" whose performance will be compared directly with that of AskERIC's information specialists. Equally important and integral to establishing access to and use of digital libraries are impact and policy issues. Therefore, we will investigate the impact of digital library access and resources in relation to users' behavior and will develop and assess policy options, models, and recommendations.
Keywords: Intelligent information retrieval, natural language processing, HPCC, K-12 education, information policy, user studies.
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