A virtual showcase featuring the rich art resources of Baltimore will soon be online, thanks to a $250,000 National Leadership award from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and a $100,000 award from the Baltimore-based France-Merrick Foundation.

Librarians, curators and technology specialists from the university's Sheridan Libraries, the Walters Art Museum and the Baltimore Museum of Art will collaborate to create the Web-based Baltimore Arts Resource Online Consortium. The site will offer digital exhibitions, virtual galleries and highlights of unique collections. Other participating institutions include the Enoch Pratt Free Library; the Maryland Historical Society; the Maryland Institute, College of Art; and the Maryland State Department of Education's Division of Library Development and Services.

Initially, BAROC will provide information on museum and library collections, access to online library catalogs and a database of Maryland artists, both historic and contemporary. Plans for future initiatives include virtual galleries and online exhibitions, electronic reference and information services, academic information, including art course listings and degrees offered by institutions worldwide, and art information literacy classes and tutorials to assist artists and art historians conducting research.

The site is expected to be operational within a year.