Prospero: A Web-based Document Delivery System Eric H. Schnell Assistant Professor Head, Information Technology Prior Health Sciences Library The Ohio State University

Open Source or “Free” Software Free as in “free”dom Little to do with price A program is free if there is freedom to: run the program, for any purpose modify the program to suit needs distribute modified versions so that the community can benefit from your improvements

Free as in “free”dom

Little to do with price

A program is free if there is freedom to:

run the program, for any purpose

modify the program to suit needs

distribute modified versions so that the community can benefit from your improvements

Brief History ITS (the Incompatible Timesharing System MIT - 1967) GNU (GNU’s Not Unix - 1984) Linux (1991) “ Open Source” (1998)

ITS (the Incompatible Timesharing System MIT - 1967)

GNU (GNU’s Not Unix - 1984)

Linux (1991)

“ Open Source” (1998)

The Library Systems Paradigm Software vendors do not sell software , they sell “Licenses” Vendors control functionality and features Maintenance fees are often not optional Open Source and Libraries

Software vendors do not sell software , they sell “Licenses”

Vendors control functionality and features

Maintenance fees are often not optional

Library Systems Paradigm Libraries make significant investments to license, maintain, and train Few switch once committed to a specific technology Decisions often based on budgets - Not patron needs Services become available not when they are needed, but when software becomes commercially available

Libraries make significant investments to license, maintain, and train

Few switch once committed to a specific technology

Decisions often based on budgets

- Not patron needs

Services become available not when they are needed, but when software becomes commercially available

What is Prospero? Electronic document delivery system Originally designed to work with Ariel ® Can be used as stand alone Converts Ariel TIFF file to PDF Places them on a Web site Like Ariel, Prospero is a character in Shakespeare's “The Tempest”

Electronic document delivery system

Originally designed to work with Ariel ®

Can be used as stand alone

Converts Ariel TIFF file to PDF

Places them on a Web site

Like Ariel, Prospero is a character in Shakespeare's “The Tempest”

Prospero Modules Staff Interface Installed on Windows PC Uses Ariel directories Can scan direct or import

Staff Interface

Installed on Windows PC

Uses Ariel directories

Can scan direct or import

Staff Interface

Prospero Modules Staff Interface Installed on Windows PC Uses Ariel directories Can scan direct or import Patron Interface /Server Side Install on Windows/ Unix-Linux server Any Web server software

Staff Interface

Installed on Windows PC

Uses Ariel directories

Can scan direct or import

Patron Interface /Server Side

Install on Windows/ Unix-Linux server

Any Web server software

Patron Interface

Why Prospero? Advisory Committee recommendation Full-text journals online, why not ILL? Shorten document delivery time Any time, anywhere access Commercial alternatives not economical or functional

Advisory Committee recommendation

Full-text journals online, why not ILL?

Shorten document delivery time

Any time, anywhere access

Commercial alternatives not economical or functional

Development Timeline March 1999 – In search of existing systems NLM’s DocView / DocMorph

March 1999 – In search of existing systems

NLM’s DocView / DocMorph

DocView

DocMorph

Development Timeline March ’99 – In search of existing systems NLM’s DocView / DocMorph ILLiad

March ’99 – In search of existing systems

NLM’s DocView / DocMorph

ILLiad

ILLiad

Development Timeline March ’99 – In search of existing systems NLM’s DocView ILLiad Marshall’s WebEDD

March ’99 – In search of existing systems

NLM’s DocView

ILLiad

Marshall’s WebEDD

Web-EDD

Development Timeline March ’99 – In search of existing systems NLM’s DocView ILLiad Marshall’s WebEDD April ’99 – Create homegrown system – Announcement of Yale’s EDD

March ’99 – In search of existing systems

NLM’s DocView

ILLiad

Marshall’s WebEDD

April ’99 – Create homegrown system

Yale’s EDD

Development Timeline April ’99 – Began Prospero development May ’99 – Released Prospero 1.0 Feb ’01 – Released Version 1.37 ( 17 th Revision )

April ’99 – Began Prospero development

May ’99 – Released Prospero 1.0

Feb ’01 – Released Version 1.37 ( 17 th Revision )

Development Team Project Manager Communications Web site & message board Contact for administrators / Prospero implementers Programmer Wrote code Debugged problems

Project Manager

Communications

Web site & message board

Contact for administrators / Prospero implementers

Programmer

Wrote code

Debugged problems

Development Team Evaluators Used beta code Identified initial features 3 high use sites 40+ outside contributors

Evaluators

Used beta code

Identified initial features

3 high use sites

40+ outside contributors

Time Commitment Project Manager 60 hours initial Web site development and creation of support materials < 4 hrs per week ongoing support Programmer ~100 hrs initial development 8 hrs per week ongoing support Evaluators Feedback through regular use

Project Manager

60 hours initial Web site development and creation of support materials

< 4 hrs per week ongoing support

Programmer

~100 hrs initial development

8 hrs per week ongoing support

Evaluators

Feedback through regular use

Prospero Budget $ 0

$ 0

Development Costs No direct software costs No direct ongoing software maintenance costs Used existing hardware Staff time (~ $3500 1st year indirect cost)

No direct software costs

No direct ongoing software maintenance costs

Used existing hardware

Staff time (~ $3500 1st year indirect cost)

Customer Service Web site Email / phone Web discussion board “ Users helping users”

Web site

Email / phone

Web discussion board

“ Users helping users”

Copyright Concerns &quot; I see no problems with using technology to provide interlibrary loan. The real crux to librarians is the compliance with the CONTU guidelines...&quot; - Laura Gasaway (cni-copyright@cni.org 7/21/2000)

&quot; I see no problems with using technology to provide interlibrary loan. The real crux to librarians is the compliance with the CONTU guidelines...&quot;

- Laura Gasaway

(cni-copyright@cni.org 7/21/2000)

Copyright Concerns Aware of open source Prospero was first project reviewed International distribution Ohio State “ownership” No warranties expressed or implied Distributed “As Is” Ohio State Legal Affairs

Aware of open source

Prospero was first project reviewed

International distribution

Ohio State “ownership”

No warranties expressed or implied

Distributed “As Is”

Copyright Concerns Local interpretation of Copyright Law National Commission on New Technological Uses of Copyright Works (CONTU) Authentication restricts access Can restrict number of times viewed or number of days on system Document Delivery Depts

Local interpretation of Copyright Law

National Commission on New Technological Uses of Copyright Works (CONTU)

Authentication restricts access

Can restrict number of times viewed or number of days on system

Lessons User expectations

User expectations

Lessons Implementation issues Individual privacy (Open Source a safe haven?) Systems security Library system paradigm is alive User expectations

Implementation issues

Individual privacy (Open Source a safe haven?)

Systems security

Library system paradigm is alive

User expectations

Benefits Established service when needed Allowed others to establish similar services, cheaply Staff are learning new skills Creating a new “network” of library development partners Breaking away from the library systems paradigm

Established service when needed

Allowed others to establish similar services, cheaply

Staff are learning new skills

Creating a new “network” of library development partners

Breaking away from the library systems paradigm

Hidden Benefits Over 300 organizational downloads from 17 Countries Promote the Prior Library and The Ohio State University Publication, presentation, and award opportunities Local recognition

Over 300 organizational downloads from 17 Countries

Promote the Prior Library and The Ohio State University

Publication, presentation, and award opportunities

Local recognition

Current / Future Developments Ariel <-> Prospero communications Viewing and printing TIFFS Color scanner support (compression!) Replace text config files with database OS-X support

Ariel <-> Prospero communications

Viewing and printing TIFFS

Color scanner support (compression!)

Replace text config files with database

OS-X support

Words of Advice “ One can choose to go back toward safety or forward toward growth.” -- Abraham Maslow

“ One can choose to go back toward safety or forward toward growth.”

-- Abraham Maslow

Words of Advice ? “ The current trend is from locally-developed systems to vendor supplied systems, not the other way around. What is different about the current open source movement that will enable the successful development and support of library automation systems from the earlier efforts that weren't sustainable? To use Eric Raymond's terms, is the ILS too much a cathederal (sic) to be build in a bazaar?” Marshall Breeding posted on web4lib - 3/22/2001

“ The current trend is from locally-developed systems to vendor supplied systems, not the other way around.

What is different about the current open source movement that will enable the successful development and support of library automation systems from the earlier efforts that weren't sustainable? To use Eric Raymond's terms, is the ILS too much a cathederal (sic) to be build in a bazaar?”

Words of Advice ? “ Without other incentives other than the joy of hacking and &quot;vanity fair&quot; a lot of worthwhile projects die because the initial author lost interest and nobody pick up the tag “ Nikolai Bezroukov http://www.firstmonday.dk/issues/issue4_10/bezroukov/index.html

“ Without other incentives other than the joy of hacking and &quot;vanity fair&quot; a lot of worthwhile projects die because the initial author lost interest and nobody pick up the tag “

Thanks! E-mail: [email_address] Project: bones.med.ohio-state.edu/prospero/ Web Board: viagra.med.ohio-state.edu/prospero/ oss4lib: www.oss4lib.org

E-mail:

[email_address]

Project:

bones.med.ohio-state.edu/prospero/

Web Board:

viagra.med.ohio-state.edu/prospero/

oss4lib:

www.oss4lib.org

Resources Open Resources http://www.openresources.com/ OpenSource.Org http://www.opensource.org/ GNU's Not Unix! http://www.gnu.org/ Eric S. Raymond, “The Cathedral and the Bazaar” http://tuxedo.org/~esr/writings/cathedral-bazaar/cathedral-bazaar/ Nikolai Bezroukov http://www.firstmonday.dk/issues/issue4_10/bezroukov/ index.html

Open Resources

http://www.openresources.com/

OpenSource.Org

http://www.opensource.org/

GNU's Not Unix!

http://www.gnu.org/

Eric S. Raymond, “The Cathedral and the Bazaar”

http://tuxedo.org/~esr/writings/cathedral-bazaar/cathedral-bazaar/

Nikolai Bezroukov

http://www.firstmonday.dk/issues/issue4_10/bezroukov/

index.html