Project history
From a specialised collection to the Montan specialist information service
1998–2023: Digital specialist information for mining and metallurgy
The Montan Specialist Information Service (FID Montan) builds on the University Library of Freiberg’s long-standing provision of scientific information in the fields of earth sciences and mining and metallurgy, and has evolved over several project phases.
Background
The technical basis for the GEO-LEO and, later, FID Montan projects was the management of the DFG-funded special subject areas:
- Geology
- Mineralogy
- Petrology
- Soil Science
- Mining
- Metallurgy
- Mining Surveying
These collection priorities were managed by the Freiberg University Library from 1998 to 2014 and enabled the systematic development of academically relevant specialist collections for research and teaching.
- Project: Special Collections
- Period: 1998–2014
- Funding: DFG
GEO-LEO – Virtual Specialised Library
Predecessor of FID Montan
The project GEO-LEO.de – the Virtual Specialised Library for Geosciences, Mining, Geography and Thematic Maps – can be regarded as the immediate predecessor of FID Montan.
The platform provides free access to academic information on topics relating to the earth and mining sciences. In addition, GEO-LEOe-docs (the FID GEO repository) enables users to publish their own academic papers.
Key functions include:
- interdisciplinary literature search
- identification of specialist academic literature
- digital document provision
- as well as open-access publication options.
GEO-LEO has been running since 2002 as a joint project between
- Freiberg University Library and
- the Lower Saxony State and University Library in Göttingen (SUB)
and funded by the DFG until 2007.
The technical and organisational management of GEO-LEO is now carried out by the Lower Saxony State and University Library, Göttingen.
- Project: GEO-LEO
- Duration: 2002–2007
- Funding: DFG
- Access: geo-leo.de/
Structure of the FID Montan
Specialist information service for mining and metallurgy
From 2015 onwards, the development of the specialist information service ‘Montan (Mining and Metallurgy)’, or FID Montan for short, was funded by the DFG in two project phases up to and including 2023.
FID Montan was aimed in particular at researchers in the following fields:
- Mining and Metallurgy
- Deposit science
- Exploration
- Processing and Recycling
- Raw Materials Management
The aim was to improve the provision of scientific information and literature, as well as access to specialist resources relevant to the field.
The Montanportal
A key component of the project was the so-called ‘Montan Catalogue’.
It brought together references to specialist literature relevant to the field within a single search interface. In addition to leading publications from renowned specialist publishers, the Montan Catalogue also lists literature that is difficult to find and widely scattered, e.g.
- publications by professional associations and institutions
- University publications
- Conference proceedings
- Statistics
- and research findings.
In addition to the ongoing expansion of the collection, the following were acquired as part of the project:
- subject-specific specialist literature acquired
- metadata catalogued
- and new search options developed.
Of particular note is the introduction of a hierarchically structured ‘Thematic Search’, which enabled structured research within the subject areas.
- Project: FID Montan
- Duration: 2015–2023
- Funding: DFG
- Access: montanportal.com
After the project has ended
Sustainability and Continuation of Services
Even after the project funding has come to an end, key outcomes and services provided by FID Montan will continue.
The collections acquired as part of the project are listed in the catalogue of the Freiberg University Library and are, in some cases, available for loan and interlibrary loan. Relevant digital content that was freely available during the project period can be accessed via its original URLs, subject to the support provided by the respective platform operators. The Freiberg University Library project team does not verify this availability.
Thematic Search
The “Thematic Search” developed as part of the project continues to include the latest titles from the relevant subject areas.
Project history and archiving
The address montanportal.com will remain permanently available and will in future serve to document and archive the project history of the Montan Specialist Information Service (Mining and Metallurgy).
The following will therefore remain:
- information on project development
- historical contexts
- as well as key project findings
will remain publicly accessible in the long term.
