Integrated Library Services: Federating Access to Resources and Services

Integrated Library Services: Federating Access to Resources and Services

Erik Mitchell – Wake Forest University (mitcheet@wfu.edu)Erik Mitchell – Wake Forest University (mitcheet@wfu.edu)

Merging Link Resolvers and Merging Link Resolvers and Service ApplicationsService ApplicationsThe OpenURL Link resolver is increasingly becoming the The OpenURL Link resolver is increasingly becoming the center of the research process. By enabling connectivity center of the research process. By enabling connectivity between databases, serving user needs in metadata rich between databases, serving user needs in metadata rich ways, and encouraging interoperability through web-based ways, and encouraging interoperability through web-based architectures, the OpenURL resolver stands at an ideal architectures, the OpenURL resolver stands at an ideal place to begin serving as the interface to more complex place to begin serving as the interface to more complex service & resource requests. service & resource requests.

Metadata StandardsMetadata StandardsOpenURL OpenURL - 1.0 (Resource, Requestor, Referrer, Service)- 1.0 (Resource, Requestor, Referrer, Service)

Dublin CoreDublin Core –Internal/external basic description needs. –Internal/external basic description needs. Provides common denominator for resource description Provides common denominator for resource description and migrates to RSS easily based on DC namespaceand migrates to RSS easily based on DC namespace

NCIPNCIP – Highly regimented and descriptive metadata – Highly regimented and descriptive metadata standard for circulation style interactionsstandard for circulation style interactions

Micro-formatsMicro-formats – RSS/ATOM, Endnote (RIS), BibTeX, RSS – – RSS/ATOM, Endnote (RIS), BibTeX, RSS – Portable descriptive formats, emphasis on non-specific Portable descriptive formats, emphasis on non-specific client applicationsclient applications

Typical Systems/ServicesTypical Systems/Services

ExamplesExamplesAdditional OpenURL enabled functionality – processing of Additional OpenURL enabled functionality – processing of service requests, basic bibliographic management service requests, basic bibliographic management functionality, addition of ‘trust’ based user services, ability functionality, addition of ‘trust’ based user services, ability to export data in microformatsto export data in microformats

Dissemination of RSS/Podcast feed data through Dissemination of RSS/Podcast feed data through standardized SRU requests through the Federated Web standardized SRU requests through the Federated Web serviceservice

Enable ‘pluggable’ data resources by emphasizing Enable ‘pluggable’ data resources by emphasizing interoperability behind user interface. Makes interoperability behind user interface. Makes implementing temporary catalogs, new information implementing temporary catalogs, new information resources simplerresources simpler

Browser-based plug-ins for data harvesting & management Browser-based plug-ins for data harvesting & management (Zotero, Openly Referrer, COinS plug-ins)(Zotero, Openly Referrer, COinS plug-ins)

Integration TrendsIntegration TrendsFederated Search Systems - Federated Search Systems - Single-search functionality Single-search functionality based on Z39.50, HTTP screen-scraping, xml based based on Z39.50, HTTP screen-scraping, xml based connections. De-duplication/citation integration, connections. De-duplication/citation integration, integrated services, full-text availabilityintegrated services, full-text availability

OpenURL Link Resolvers - OpenURL Link Resolvers - Article availability based on Article availability based on OpenURL/DOI requests, source/target resolutions. OpenURL/DOI requests, source/target resolutions. Interoperable data-based services (Interlibrary Loan, Interoperable data-based services (Interlibrary Loan, catalog lookup)catalog lookup)

Information Portals - Information Portals - One-stop information gathering, One-stop information gathering, launching pad for resources, personalized content, launching pad for resources, personalized content, federated searching, link resolution, consolidated federated searching, link resolution, consolidated authentication, collaboration, and customizable interface authentication, collaboration, and customizable interface homogenous user serviceshomogenous user services

Web Services - Web Services - XML based, emphasis on data/services XML based, emphasis on data/services over interfacesover interfaces

Bibliographic Management Software - Bibliographic Management Software - Bibliographic Bibliographic citation management, digital object management, citation management, digital object management, writing/citation integration, research process managementwriting/citation integration, research process management

Presentation StandardsPresentation StandardsXHTML/CSSXHTML/CSS –XML compliant, allows parsing of –XML compliant, allows parsing of documents, easily transforms content based on user clientdocuments, easily transforms content based on user client

XML/XSLXML/XSL – XSL provides portable client centric – XSL provides portable client centric presentation, XML provides data interoperabilitypresentation, XML provides data interoperability

Application FrameworkApplication FrameworkInterpret URL - Interpret URL - Extract name / value pairs from data, Extract name / value pairs from data, determine type of service to provide, level of determine type of service to provide, level of authentication, and data processing needs.authentication, and data processing needs.

Identify / Authenticate User - Identify / Authenticate User - Determine authentication Determine authentication authority, level of authentication to enforce (user trust or authority, level of authentication to enforce (user trust or forced authentication). forced authentication).

Determine Service requirements - Determine Service requirements - Full text delivery, Full text delivery, data queries (table of contents, related citations, database data queries (table of contents, related citations, database searching), book bag services such as temporary citation searching), book bag services such as temporary citation or link storage, and traditional circulation services (borrow, or link storage, and traditional circulation services (borrow, request, renew).request, renew).

Proxy service request for user - Proxy service request for user - Initiate/complete Initiate/complete service based on user input. May involve service based on user input. May involve Z39.50/SRU/SRW, NCIP, or other interfaces to Z39.50/SRU/SRW, NCIP, or other interfaces to communicate with destination services. communicate with destination services.

Consolidate & format responses - Consolidate & format responses - Responses from Responses from service providers are encoded according to an internal service providers are encoded according to an internal metadata standard based on Dublin Core using XML. If metadata standard based on Dublin Core using XML. If multiple responses are gathered, the data is consolidated multiple responses are gathered, the data is consolidated and formatted.and formatted.

Forward output to XSL engine - Forward output to XSL engine - XSL transformation XSL transformation process converts the data from the internal format for process converts the data from the internal format for display and use on a specific client.display and use on a specific client.

The ProblemThe ProblemTypical ILS service and search interfaces are geared more Typical ILS service and search interfaces are geared more towards single-use interfaces and as such do not lend towards single-use interfaces and as such do not lend themselves to data/user interoperability. Re-designing themselves to data/user interoperability. Re-designing library services and discovery applications using a library services and discovery applications using a metadata rich framework that emphasizes commonly used metadata rich framework that emphasizes commonly used standards (OpenURL, NCIP, z39.50), libraries could create standards (OpenURL, NCIP, z39.50), libraries could create systems/services which provide cross application access & systems/services which provide cross application access & meet the users at their ‘point of need.’ This ‘point of need’ meet the users at their ‘point of need.’ This ‘point of need’ is contrasted with the ‘point of service’ approach utilized in is contrasted with the ‘point of service’ approach utilized in traditional library systems.traditional library systems.

Application OverviewApplication Overview

User TrendsUser TrendsClient/device independence – Client/device independence – Internet enabled Internet enabled applications, browsers, platformsapplications, browsers, platforms

Communities/collaboration – Communities/collaboration – individual individual contribution/definition, definition of virtual space, contribution/definition, definition of virtual space, interactivityinteractivity

Interactivity/2.0 – Interactivity/2.0 – User friendly tools, data portability, User friendly tools, data portability, data hybridization, application re-purposing, rapid data hybridization, application re-purposing, rapid interface obsolescenceinterface obsolescence