The European Library has set up an advisory board with the aim of giving users a greater voice in its operations and improving services for researchers as well as helping to shape the strategy and development of the portal.

Advisory board members will be chosen from the international library and academic community and serve for two years initially. They will be expected to influence the portal’s web design and functionality.

The first board meeting will take place during a meeting of national libraries on 20 May in which discussions will focus on the next site releases and additional user requirements relating to developments outside the portal, such as blogs, Facebook, and other Web 2.0 environments.

Lynne Brindley, chair of the executive group of the European Library, said: “It is significant that so many leading librarians, academics and Web 2.0 experts have accepted our invitation to join the advisory board. Its formation symbolises an important step in the development of the European Library.

“We need to pay careful attention to the users’ points of view as we continue to develop services for researchers and information-seekers.”

Members of the Europen Library advisory board include Peter Suber, of SPARC and Earlham College in the US. Mathias Schindler, a student and member of the board of Wikipedia Germany, and Apurba Kundu, of the University of Bradford, are also on the board.

The board will have its own virtual discussion space but will hold physical meetings when needed.