ÍøÆØÃÅ

MELBOURNE. Australia's university libraries and research organisations are collaborating in a unique project to develop a national electronic network of information centres.

Each of the Janus centres will be a centre of excellence in a specific subject discipline and will provide access to all research material and information held in major collections in Australia.Print and electronic collections, sophisticated search mechanisms and cost-effective delivery will be brought together for the first time.

The project is an initiative of the Australian Vice-Chancellors' Committee. An AVCC spokesman said the Janus project required a level of collaboration never before attempted in Australia. "This will facilitate collaborative purchasing and licensing efforts to minimise duplication and reduce the costs of purchasing, storing, managing and accessing discipline-specific resources," he said.

Three pilot Janus centres, in agriculture, chemistry and philosophy, will be established early next year.