Interoperability in subject terminologies : the HILT project

HILT was asked by The UK Higher Education's RSLP Programme and its JISC Service to conduct a desk study into the situation in the UK with regard to the use of different subject schemes and associated practices across the libraries, museums, archives, and electronic services communities in the context of the assumption that there is ‐ and will increasingly be ‐ a need for users and staff to cross‐search and browse services in these communities by subject. It found a strong consensus across the communities in favour of a more practically focused follow‐up pilot project. This would determine the full costs and benefits of a networked, user and machine responsive, interactive route map to the terminologies used by the communities and the relationships between these terminologies. The Final Report, produced at the end of 2001, recommended an approach based on these outcomes, whilst also attempting to take into account various reservations and additional remarks made by stakeholders