UKOLN is supported by: Digital library and MLE integration where are we now and where do we want to be? Andy Powell, UKOLN, University of Bath [email_address] UCISA TLIG-SDG User Support Conference 2004, Exeter www.bath.ac.uk a centre of expertise in digital information management www.ukoln.ac.uk

Contents current developments in five institutional ‘service areas’ external information services library computing services / Web support e-Learning MIS, registry, student records, finance, etc. standards bodies/activities technical options for joining stuff together broad and shallow! but highlighting RSS and OpenURL

current developments in five institutional ‘service areas’

external information services

library

computing services / Web support

e-Learning

MIS, registry, student records, finance, etc.

standards bodies/activities

technical options for joining stuff together

broad and shallow!

but highlighting RSS and OpenURL

Institutional service areas… e-Learning Library Computing Services/ Web support team MIS/ Registry/ Finance/Etc. External content

External content wide range of information and other content coming into the institution from outside made available thru JISC ‘site licensing’ deals, national data centres, elsewhere primary focus of the JISC’s ‘information environment’ activity External content

wide range of information and other content coming into the institution from outside

made available thru JISC ‘site licensing’ deals, national data centres, elsewhere

primary focus of the JISC’s ‘information environment’ activity

The ‘problem’… end-user often has access to large number of heterogeneous collections - full-text, A&I, images, video, data, etc. however, experience of these collections is less than optimal: end-users not aware of available content end-user has to interact with (search or browse) multiple different Web sites to work across range of content content ‘discovery’ services not joined-up with ‘delivery’ services

end-user often has access to large number of heterogeneous collections - full-text, A&I, images, video, data, etc.

however, experience of these collections is less than optimal:

end-users not aware of available content

end-user has to interact with (search or browse) multiple different Web sites to work across range of content

content ‘discovery’ services not joined-up with ‘delivery’ services

Simple scenario consider a researcher searching for material to inform a research paper on HIV and/or AIDS he or she searches for ‘hiv aids’ using: the RDN, to discover Internet resources ZETOC, to discover recent journal articles (and, of course, he or she may use a whole range of other search strategies using other services as well)

consider a researcher searching for material to inform a research paper on HIV and/or AIDS

he or she searches for ‘hiv aids’ using:

the RDN, to discover Internet resources

ZETOC, to discover recent journal articles

(and, of course, he or she may use a whole range of other search strategies using other services as well)

Issues different user interfaces look-and-feel subject classification, metadata usage everything is HTML – human-oriented difficult to merge results, e.g. combine into a list of references difficult to build a reading list to pass on to students need to manually copy-and-paste search results into HTML page or MS-Word document or desktop reference manager or …

different user interfaces

look-and-feel

subject classification, metadata usage

everything is HTML – human-oriented

difficult to merge results, e.g. combine into a list of references

difficult to build a reading list to pass on to students

need to manually copy-and-paste search results into HTML page or MS-Word document or desktop reference manager or …

The problem space… from perspective of ‘data consumer’ need to interact with multiple collections of stuff - bibliographic, full-text, data, image, video, etc. delivered thru multiple Web sites few good cross-collection discovery services (apart from Google, but much of the licensed content is part of the invisible Web and therefore not available to Google) from perspective of ‘data provider’ few agreed mechanisms for disclosing availability of content

from perspective of ‘data consumer’

need to interact with multiple collections of stuff - bibliographic, full-text, data, image, video, etc.

delivered thru multiple Web sites

few good cross-collection discovery services (apart from Google, but much of the licensed content is part of the invisible Web and therefore not available to Google)

from perspective of ‘data provider’

few agreed mechanisms for disclosing availability of content

UK JISC IE context… 206 collections and counting… (Hazel Woodward, e-ICOLC, Helsinki, Nov 2001) Books: 10,000 + Journals: 5,000 + Images: 250,000 + Discovery tools: 50 + A & I databases, COPAC, RDN, … National mapping data & satellite imagery plus institutional content (e-prints, research data, library content, learning resources, etc.) plus content made available thru projects – 5/99, FAIR, X4L, … plus …

206 collections and counting… (Hazel Woodward, e-ICOLC, Helsinki, Nov 2001)

Books: 10,000 +

Journals: 5,000 +

Images: 250,000 +

Discovery tools: 50 +

A & I databases, COPAC, RDN, …

National mapping data & satellite imagery

plus institutional content (e-prints, research data, library content, learning resources, etc.)

plus content made available thru projects – 5/99, FAIR, X4L, …

plus …

A solution… the JISC IE an ‘information environment’ framework of machine-oriented services allowing the end-user to discover , access , use , publish resources across a range of content providers move away from lots of stand-alone Web sites... content providers expose metadata for searching, harvesting , alerting develop end-user services and tools that bring stuff together… …based on open ‘standards’

an ‘information environment’

framework of machine-oriented services allowing the end-user to

discover , access , use , publish resources across a range of content providers

move away from lots of stand-alone Web sites...

content providers expose metadata for

searching, harvesting , alerting

develop end-user services and tools that bring stuff together…

…based on open ‘standards’

End-user services and tools generally means ‘portals’… ‘ library’ portals or metasearch tools (e.g. Encompass, MetaLib or ZPortal) ‘ subject’ portals developed within academia ‘ institutional’ portals (uPortal) … but also other stuff reading list and other tools in VLE (possibly externally hosted, e.g. Sentient Discover) commercial/publisher services (ISI Web of Knowledge, ingenta, Bb Resource Center, etc.) OpenURL resolvers (e.g. SFX) personal desktop reference manager (e.g. Endnote)

generally means ‘portals’…

‘ library’ portals or metasearch tools (e.g. Encompass, MetaLib or ZPortal)

‘ subject’ portals developed within academia

‘ institutional’ portals (uPortal)

… but also other stuff

reading list and other tools in VLE (possibly externally hosted, e.g. Sentient Discover)

commercial/publisher services (ISI Web of Knowledge, ingenta, Bb Resource Center, etc.)

OpenURL resolvers (e.g. SFX)

personal desktop reference manager (e.g. Endnote)

Link resolvers ‘ discovery’ is only part of the problem… in the case of books, journals, journal articles, end-user wants access to the most appropriate copy need to join up discovery services with access/delivery services (local library OPAC, ingentaJournals, Amazon, etc.) need localised view of available services linking services that provide access to the most appropriate copy user and institutional preferences, cost, access rights, location, etc.

‘ discovery’ is only part of the problem…

in the case of books, journals, journal articles, end-user wants access to the most appropriate copy

need to join up discovery services with access/delivery services (local library OPAC, ingentaJournals, Amazon, etc.)

need localised view of available services

linking services that provide access to the most appropriate copy

user and institutional preferences, cost, access rights, location, etc.

Technologies global, standards-based, cross-domain solutions – Web services… cross-searching Z39.50 – Bath Profile, a profile of Z39.50 SRW (Search and Retrieve Web-service) (SOAP implementation of Z39.50) harvesting OAI-PMH - Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting alerting RSS - RDF/Rich Site Summary linking OpenURL

global, standards-based, cross-domain solutions – Web services…

cross-searching

Z39.50 – Bath Profile, a profile of Z39.50

SRW (Search and Retrieve Web-service) (SOAP implementation of Z39.50)

harvesting

OAI-PMH - Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting

alerting

RSS - RDF/Rich Site Summary

linking

OpenURL

Institutional service areas… e-Learning Library Computing Services/ Web support team MIS/ Registry/ Finance/Etc. External content

Library management of collection migration from hardcopy journals to externally held e- collection management of institutional assets - eprint archives, edata archives role in cataloguing assets catalogue - gateway/portal to external (and internal) content ‘ managing agent’ for ATHENS preservation link resolvers Library

management of collection

migration from hardcopy journals to externally held e- collection

management of institutional assets - eprint archives, edata archives

role in cataloguing assets

catalogue - gateway/portal to external (and internal) content

‘ managing agent’ for ATHENS

preservation

link resolvers

Linking within the ‘collection’ the context distributed information environment (e.g. the JISC IE) multiple A&I and other discovery services rapidly growing e-journal collection need to interlink available resources the problem links controlled by external info services links not sensitive to user’s context (appropriate copy problem) links dependent on vendor agreements links don’t cover complete collection

the context

distributed information environment (e.g. the JISC IE)

multiple A&I and other discovery services

rapidly growing e-journal collection

need to interlink available resources

the problem

links controlled by external info services

links not sensitive to user’s context (appropriate copy problem)

links dependent on vendor agreements

links don’t cover complete collection

The problem the context distributed information environment (e.g. the JISC IE) multiple A&I and other discovery services rapidly growing e-journal collection need to interlink available resources the REAL problem libraries have no say in linking libraries losing core part of ‘organising information’ task expensive collection not used optimally users not well served a library perspective!

the context

distributed information environment (e.g. the JISC IE)

multiple A&I and other discovery services

rapidly growing e-journal collection

need to interlink available resources

the REAL problem

libraries have no say in linking

libraries losing core part of ‘organising information’ task

expensive collection not used optimally

users not well served

The solution… do NOT hardwire a link to a single service on the referenced item (e.g. a link from an A&I service to the corresponding full-text) BUT rather provide a link that transports metadata about the referenced item to another service that is better placed to provide appropriate links OpenURL OpenURL resolver (link server)

do NOT hardwire a link to a single service on the referenced item (e.g. a link from an A&I service to the corresponding full-text)

BUT rather

provide a link that transports metadata about the referenced item

to another service that is better placed to provide appropriate links

Non-OpenURL linking resolution of metadata into a link (typically a URL) A&I service document delivery service link to referenced work . reference link destination link source

OpenURL linking . user-specific (institution) resolution of metadata & identifiers into services reference provision of OpenURL transportation of metadata & identifiers context-sensitive A&I service document delivery service link source OpenURL OpenURL resolver link link destination link link destination link link destination link link destination

Example 1 journal article from Web of Science to ingenta Journals

journal article

from Web of Science to ingenta Journals

button indicating OpenURL ‘link’ is available

OpenURL resolver offering context-sensitive links, including link to ingenta

also links to other services such as Google search for related information

Example 2 book from University of Bath OPAC to Amazon

book

from University of Bath OPAC to Amazon

button indicating OpenURL ‘link’ is available

OpenURL resolver offering context-sensitive links, including link to Amazon

also links to other services such as Google search for related information

Summary… ISI Web of Science University of Bath OPAC OpenURL resolver ingenta Google Amazon OpenURL Source OpenURL Resolver OpenURL Target

OpenURL summary standard for linking ‘discovery’ services to ‘delivery’ services supports linking from OpenURL ‘source’ to OpenURL ‘target’ via OpenURL ‘resolver’ End-user source resolver target e.g. Web of Science e.g. ingenta http://www.bath.ac.uk/openurl ?genre=article& atitle=Information%20gateways:%20collaboration %20on%20content &title=Online%20Information %20Review &issn=1468-4527&volume=24& spage=40&epage=45 &artnum=1&aulast=Heery& aufirst=Rachel BASEURL http://www.niso.org/committees/committee_ax.html

standard for linking ‘discovery’ services to ‘delivery’ services

supports linking from OpenURL ‘source’ to OpenURL ‘target’ via OpenURL ‘resolver’

http://www.bath.ac.uk/openurl ?genre=article&

atitle=Information%20gateways:%20collaboration

%20on%20content &title=Online%20Information

%20Review &issn=1468-4527&volume=24&

spage=40&epage=45 &artnum=1&aulast=Heery&

aufirst=Rachel

Institutional service areas… e-Learning Library Computing Services/ Web support team MIS/ Registry/ Finance/Etc. External content

Comp. Serv. / Web support Content Management System (CMS) – use of XML blogs, wikis, … development/delivery of portal - uPortal campus infrastructure search engine, but often with fairly narrow coverage (home grown (Ht:/Dig) vs. commercial vs. externally hosted (Google)) internal AAA (authentication, authorisation and accounting) infrastructure network, shared filestore, groupware, etc. Computing Services/ Web support team

Content Management System (CMS) – use of XML

blogs, wikis, …

development/delivery of portal - uPortal

campus infrastructure

search engine, but often with fairly narrow coverage (home grown (Ht:/Dig) vs. commercial vs. externally hosted (Google))

internal AAA (authentication, authorisation and accounting) infrastructure

network, shared filestore, groupware, etc.

uPortal framework for building institutional portal single sign-on integrated and personalised access to multiple ‘channels’ portlet model multiple standards for ‘portlets’ but some trend towards use of WSRP (Web Services for Remote Portlets) RSS often used to carry portlet content portlet http://www.uportal.org/

framework for building institutional portal

single sign-on

integrated and personalised access to multiple ‘channels’

portlet model

multiple standards for ‘portlets’ but some trend towards use of WSRP (Web Services for Remote Portlets)

RSS often used to carry portlet content

What is RSS? simple XML application for sharing (syndicating) ‘news’ feeds on the Web RDF Site Summary or Rich Site Summary (depending on who you ask) ‘news’ can be interpreted quite loosely, e.g. new items added to database, ‘to do’ lists, timetable/lists of meetings, etc. uses ‘channel’ and ‘item’ terminology a ‘channel’ is an XML document that is made available on a Web-site – to update the channel, simply update the XML http://www.eevl.ac.uk/rss_primer/

simple XML application for sharing (syndicating) ‘news’ feeds on the Web

RDF Site Summary or Rich Site Summary (depending on who you ask)

‘news’ can be interpreted quite loosely, e.g. new items added to database, ‘to do’ lists, timetable/lists of meetings, etc.

uses ‘channel’ and ‘item’ terminology

a ‘channel’ is an XML document that is made available on a Web-site – to update the channel, simply update the XML

What is RSS? (2) each ‘item’ has simple metadata (title, description) and URL link to resource (news story or whatever) RSS also provides channel branding (logo, etc.) fairly widespread usage easy to use within ‘portals’ (e.g. uPortal) lots of software and toolkits available some experimental use as encoding format for ‘reading/resource lists’ in e-Learning

each ‘item’ has simple metadata (title, description) and URL link to resource (news story or whatever)

RSS also provides channel branding (logo, etc.)

fairly widespread usage

easy to use within ‘portals’ (e.g. uPortal)

lots of software and toolkits available

some experimental use as encoding format for ‘reading/resource lists’ in e-Learning

Institutional service areas… e-Learning Library Computing Services/ Web support team MIS/ Registry/ Finance/Etc. External content

e-Learning delivery of VLE development of ‘managed learning environment’ MLE (integration with MIS/registry, etc.) separation of content into backend learning object repositories development of whole range of supporting standards, primarily thru IMS e-Learning

delivery of VLE

development of ‘managed learning environment’ MLE (integration with MIS/registry, etc.)

separation of content into backend learning object repositories

development of whole range of supporting standards, primarily thru IMS

IMS global consortium defining open standards for delivery of online distributed learning activities: Accessibility Competency Definitions Content Packaging Digital Repositories Enterprise Learner Information Package Meta-data Question & Test Simple Sequencing http://www.imsglobal.org/

global consortium defining open standards for delivery of online distributed learning activities:

Accessibility

Competency Definitions

Content Packaging

Digital Repositories

Enterprise

Learner Information Package

Meta-data

Question & Test

Simple Sequencing

IMS DRI Specifications IMS Digital Repositories Interoperability specifications define protocols for interoperability between systems machine2machine (i.e. how software components talk to each other over the network) how data (and metadata) is transferred between VLE and back-end repositories learning object repositories and other services that make content available

IMS Digital Repositories Interoperability specifications

define protocols for interoperability between systems

machine2machine (i.e. how software components talk to each other over the network)

how data (and metadata) is transferred

between VLE and back-end repositories

learning object repositories and other services that make content available

Why is IMS DRI important? VLE (in some shape or form) likely to become one of key ‘presentation’ services in institutional context IMS DRI spec’s fill space between ‘information providers’ and VLEs same/similar set of ‘digital library’ standards as endorsed by the JISC IE architecture VLE-vendors relatively mainstream pushes digital library technologies to new and wider audience

VLE (in some shape or form) likely to become one of key ‘presentation’ services in institutional context

IMS DRI spec’s fill space between ‘information providers’ and VLEs

same/similar set of ‘digital library’ standards as endorsed by the JISC IE architecture

VLE-vendors relatively mainstream

pushes digital library technologies to new and wider audience

e-Learning recognition that e-Learning systems are complex objects trend towards ‘service oriented architectures’ breaking the VLE into lots of smaller functional components JISC Learning Framework (CETIS), MIT’s OKI, Sakai (alignment of OKI and uPortal)

recognition that e-Learning systems are complex objects

trend towards ‘service oriented architectures’

breaking the VLE into lots of smaller functional components

JISC Learning Framework (CETIS), MIT’s OKI, Sakai (alignment of OKI and uPortal)

Service oriented architecture analysis of functional components within large-scale institutional services (library, VLE, student records, etc.) delivery of separate, small-scale functional ‘services’ rationalisation of ‘shared’ common services (middleware)

analysis of functional components within large-scale institutional services (library, VLE, student records, etc.)

delivery of separate, small-scale functional ‘services’

rationalisation of ‘shared’ common services (middleware)

Implementation of SOA implementation choices J2EE (JavaBeans, etc.) JINI (Java APIs) .Net Web Services (SOAP) I think(!)… OKI, uPortal, Sakai tend to lean towards Java-based solutions – J2EE whereas SOAP perhaps provides a more open, robust and language independent solution?

implementation choices

J2EE (JavaBeans, etc.)

JINI (Java APIs)

.Net

Web Services (SOAP)

I think(!)…

OKI, uPortal, Sakai tend to lean towards Java-based solutions – J2EE

whereas SOAP perhaps provides a more open, robust and language independent solution?

Web services machine (m2m) interfaces between services on the Web underpin many e-commerce activities and the Grid a whole new set of acronyms – SOAP, WSDL, UDDI, WSRP based on HTTP and XML (i.e. mainstream Web pedigree) Google and Amazon APIs support both informational (e.g. search) and transactional (e.g. billing) types of service

machine (m2m) interfaces between services on the Web

underpin many e-commerce activities and the Grid

a whole new set of acronyms – SOAP, WSDL, UDDI, WSRP

based on HTTP and XML (i.e. mainstream Web pedigree)

Google and Amazon APIs

support both informational (e.g. search) and transactional (e.g. billing) types of service

But… 2 notes of caution? is all this added complexity worthwhile and/or realistic? will the market-place support it? where does application logic sit in a service oriented architecture? need ‘open’ role/process layer to coordinate use of services

is all this added complexity worthwhile and/or realistic?

will the market-place support it?

where does application logic sit in a service oriented architecture?

need ‘open’ role/process layer to coordinate use of services

Institutional service areas… e-Learning Library Computing Services/ Web support team MIS/ Registry/ Finance/Etc. External content

MIS, registry, finance, etc. source of data for other ‘service’ areas recipient of data from other ‘service’ areas ‘ data glue’ that holds everything else together interest in developing a ‘portal’ to MIS-related functions this group has driven uPortal in US but in UK? MIS/ Registry/ Finance/Etc.

source of data for other ‘service’ areas

recipient of data from other ‘service’ areas

‘ data glue’ that holds everything else together

interest in developing a ‘portal’ to MIS-related functions

this group has driven uPortal in US

but in UK?

Bringing it all together… e-Learning Library Computing Services/ Web support team MIS/ Registry/ Finance/Etc. External content

Knowledge management? end-user is faced with a range of different human-oriented Web interfaces within the institution might need to perform same search (e.g. ‘ hiv aids ’) against Web site search engine library OPAC VLE institutional eprint archive personal email archives and manually collate results from each, etc.

end-user is faced with a range of different human-oriented Web interfaces within the institution

might need to perform same search (e.g. ‘ hiv aids ’) against

Web site search engine

library OPAC

VLE

institutional eprint archive

personal email archives

and manually collate results from each, etc.

HTTP links… e-Learning Library Computing Services/ Web support team MIS/ Registry/ Finance/Etc. External content http://… URLs

HTTP links easy for end-users to create bit of a mess… …but deep-links (e.g. direct to book record in the library catalogue) will reduce need for end-user to repeat searches ongoing maintenance problem – checking for dead links hard-wired links are same for everyone

easy for end-users to create

bit of a mess…

…but deep-links (e.g. direct to book record in the library catalogue) will reduce need for end-user to repeat searches

ongoing maintenance problem – checking for dead links

hard-wired links are same for everyone

Robot/search engine… e-Learning Library Computing Services/ Web support team MIS/ Registry/ Finance/Etc. External content HTTP/HTML Web robot search engine

Robot/search engine easily deployed technology lots of choice in the market-place (Open source, commercial, externally hosted, etc.) not everything is visible to the robot – even within institution (invisible Web) can’t easily index some formats (images, video, data, etc.) limited search functionality (because of lack of metadata) well understood by the end-user

easily deployed technology

lots of choice in the market-place (Open source, commercial, externally hosted, etc.)

not everything is visible to the robot – even within institution (invisible Web)

can’t easily index some formats (images, video, data, etc.)

limited search functionality (because of lack of metadata)

well understood by the end-user

OpenURL links… e-Learning Library Computing Services/ Web support team MIS/ Registry/ Finance/Etc. External content OpenURL links (URLs)

OpenURL links context sensitive – OpenURL resolver can offer different set of links to each user harder to create links more persistent – change resolver, rather than each link up-front investment in OpenURL resolver software (but typically from the library budget!)

context sensitive – OpenURL resolver can offer different set of links to each user

harder to create links

more persistent – change resolver, rather than each link

up-front investment in OpenURL resolver software (but typically from the library budget!)

Portal – Web services… e-Learning Library Computing Services/ Web support team MIS/ Registry/ Finance/Etc. External content uPortal framework, aggregated content (distributed search)

Portal – Web services aggregate content from multiple sources using distributed search and/or metadata harvesting – SOAP, Z39.50, OAI-PMH typically adopted by ‘library’ portals likely to be approach adopted by external information suppliers likely to be supported by ‘repository’ software within institution but may require some in-house development in short term learning curve to overcome

aggregate content from multiple sources using distributed search and/or metadata harvesting – SOAP, Z39.50, OAI-PMH

typically adopted by ‘library’ portals

likely to be approach adopted by external information suppliers

likely to be supported by ‘repository’ software within institution

but may require some in-house development in short term

learning curve to overcome

Portal – portlets… e-Learning Library Computing Services/ Web support team MIS/ Registry/ Finance/Etc. External content uPortal framework, aggregated user-interface (WSRP)

Portal – portlets aggregate pieces of user-interface from multiple sources Web services for Remote Portlets (WSRP) RSS uPortal appears to be technology leader

aggregate pieces of user-interface from multiple sources

Web services for Remote Portlets (WSRP)

RSS

uPortal appears to be technology leader

Summary all approaches listed above likely to be used/adopted in some form RSS and OpenURL look to be being widely adopted fairly widespread interest in uPortal standardisation happening in multiple arenas (W3C, NISO, IMS, IEEE, OASIS) – tracking standards not easy deployment happening in multiple places within institutions – so needs strategic overview of joined up service provision

all approaches listed above likely to be used/adopted in some form

RSS and OpenURL look to be being widely adopted

fairly widespread interest in uPortal

standardisation happening in multiple arenas (W3C, NISO, IMS, IEEE, OASIS) – tracking standards not easy

deployment happening in multiple places within institutions – so needs strategic overview of joined up service provision

Questions?