Past into future: capturing library expertise in a virtual library

The authors report on an initiative being carried out by the Toronto Public Library to create the Virtual Reference Library, in this way conserving and extending existing library expertise within a virtual setting. The first service to be offered, a Dewey application called Science Net, is described in terms of its origin, purpose, and design. In the second part, we discuss the VRL as a whole and describe its precursor service, WorldVue. We set out the aims of the VRL, touching on the basis for its funding, dealing at some length with its technical aspects, and providing an overview both of the progress made to date and the project’s future direction.