Integrating LibData into Enterprise Systems: Positioning Library Resources in Places Useful to Students

Abstract:The goal of publishing dynamically-generated library web pages through a system that integrates easy-to-use web authoring tools with a large database of information resources led the University of Minnesota Libraries to build LibData. Now this library web content management system is being explored for its potential for integration with portal and instructional management system environments on the Minnesota campus. Automated delivery of relevant library web pages to enrollment and departmental profiles are being prototyped. The idea of providing faculty and course designers access, through the LibData system, to a "palette" of library resource and service options for populating course pages is also being explored. Numerous workflow and behavioral questions must be investigated to inform design development, including: What degree of unmediated authoring control over library resources do faculty desire or would use if offered?

CourseLib (http://courses.lib.umn.edu) is web-based authoring and database tool to support rapid customized library page creation and instruction for specific courses and programs.

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA

LibData Technical Status

~40 tables in highly normalized relational database~40,000 lines of code~2,100 hours of coding

Status• 106 staff members with accounts• 6,784 resources in database• 233 Subject (RQS) pages• 562 CourseLib/PageScribe pages• 17,836 total page elements

GPL Open Source at: http://libdata.sourceforge.net/

LibData Architecture

OS & Web Server Solaris/Apache (pre-existing; driving local site); system has also been developed and tested on Linux

DatabasemySQL (fast, easy to work with, free, widely available)

Programming LanguagePHP (high-performance, free, widely available, simplicity to develop and maintain complex logic)

LibData: Database and Authoring Tool

General and Customized Page Genres

Deliverables Enterprise Systems Integration

Admin Systems

Data Model Authoring

1. Atomicity of Page Element Structure

2. Page Authoring: Page Ordered elements

3. End-user Page Selection: SQL Joins 4. Rendered HTML

Page Generation

Research QuickStart (http://research.lib.umn.edu) dynamically generates structured information resource pages for over 230 subjects that are associated with academic departments and programs.

PageScribe is a free-form authoring genre that renders elements (resources, services, locations, etc.) from the LibData base. PageScribe is used to create non-course specific library pages.

LUMINA (main library web site) is increasingly driven by LibData through query-rendered pages and new content management system functions.

Portal Presentations:Pushing Personalized Library Resource Pages to Students .