2006-03-23 NSF Digital Library Service Registries workshop 2
Context
• Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) provides ICT infrastructure, resources and advice for United Kingdom universities and colleges
– Funds a large number of projects, as well as electronic collections for the research, learning and teaching communities
www.jisc.ac.uk
2006-03-23 NSF Digital Library Service Registries workshop 4
Current digital landscape
"…a vast and sometimes bewildering range of potential sources of electronic information.
Little wonder, then, that many users remain unaware of their existence or fail to discover their value for their own learning, teaching or research."
Investing in the Future:
Developing an Online Information Environment http://www.jisc.ac.uk/index.cfm?name=ie_home
2006-03-23 NSF Digital Library Service Registries workshop 5
JISC Information Environment
"…aims to offer the user a more seamless and less complex journey to relevant information and learning resources"
"…will enable presentation, delivery and use of online resources in ways tailored to support individual and institutional requirements in learning, teaching and research"Information Environment: Development Strategy [c.2003] http://www.jisc.ac.uk/index.cfm?name=strat_ieds0105_draft2
2006-03-23 NSF Digital Library Service Registries workshop 6
IE Technical Model
Information Environment: Development Strategy http://www.jisc.ac.uk/index.cfm?name=strat_ieds0105_draft2
2006-03-23 NSF Digital Library Service Registries workshop 7
Shared Services
"To enable portals and other services to deliver diverse digital resources, machine-readable information about services, content, rights and users is required to act as the 'glue' between portals and the content itself."
Investing in the Future:
Developing an Online Information Environment http://www.jisc.ac.uk/index.cfm?name=ie_home
2006-03-23 NSF Digital Library Service Registries workshop 8
Shared Services
"To enable portals and other services to deliver diverse digital resources, machine-readable information about services, content, rights and users is required to act as the 'glue' between portals and the content itself."
2006-03-23 NSF Digital Library Service Registries workshop 9
Information Environment Service Registry
• A catalogue of the electronic resources available within the JISC’s Information Environment
• Contains information about:– the resources themselves– how to access the resources– the resource provider(s)
• Is accessible by other applications via machine-to-machine interfaces
2006-03-23 NSF Digital Library Service Registries workshop 10
Project history
• Partners – MIMAS, University of Manchester– UKOLN, University of Bath– Cheshire Development Team, University of Liverpool
• Funded by JISC in three phases since November 2002
• Current phase started 1 March 2005
2006-03-23 NSF Digital Library Service Registries workshop 11
Current contents
• 257 electronic resources currently described, supplied by JISC-funded service providers
• 313 services registered, 162 agents
• We will be expanding our content to encompass non-JISC service providers: e.g.– institutional resources (digital repositories, OPACs)– resources of other UK Common Information
Environment partners (National Archives, British Library, National Health Service, BBC)
2006-03-23 NSF Digital Library Service Registries workshop 12
IESR for service providers
• Provides information about resources based on existing descriptive standards– A 'master description'– Can be re-used in a variety of contexts
• Advertises resources– Should lead to increased use
2006-03-23 NSF Digital Library Service Registries workshop 13
Issues
• Defining the scope of the IESR
• Embedding the IESR into the JISC IE
• Encouraging contributors to describe their resources: demonstrating benefit
• Ensuring quality and currency of metadata
• Keeping pace with changing/emerging technical standards
• Working with developers of applications that will make use of IESR: demonstrate value
2006-03-23 NSF Digital Library Service Registries workshop 15
Outline
JISC Information Environment Service Registry (IESR):
• IESR content description• IESR services• Using IESR• The future
2006-03-23 NSF Digital Library Service Registries workshop 16
IESR Content
• Descriptions of:– Collections of resources– Made available via Informational Services– Agents: Owners / Administrators– Transactional Services
• Service: a system that provides one or more functions to a consumer
• Contributed by resource providers• QA check by IESR content manager
2006-03-23 NSF Digital Library Service Registries workshop 17
IESR Entities
Collection
Service Agentadministers
ownsprovides access
2006-03-23 NSF Digital Library Service Registries workshop 18
IESR Entity Description
• Entities identified with URI• Described by metadata• Metadata defined by Application Profile
– Semantics– Occurrence– Searchable
• AP for human reading– More restrictive than XML schema
2006-03-23 NSF Digital Library Service Registries workshop 19
IESR Collection Metadata
• Based on RSLP Collection Description• Simplification for electronic resources• Consistent with:
– DCMI Collection Description Application Profile
– NISO MI Collection Description Specification
• Vocabularies for property values– Dewey subject backbone
2006-03-23 NSF Digital Library Service Registries workshop 21
IESR Service Metadata
• A few IESR properties to support discovery and registry application
• Single access method:– SRU, Z39.50, SOAP, OAI-PMH, Web/CGI
• Location URL• Prototype service type list, e.g. Alert • Interface property for some service
types using appropriate schema
2006-03-23 NSF Digital Library Service Registries workshop 23
Other Service types
• SOAP: Locator: access URL; Interface: WSDL
• SRU: Interface: ZeeRex
• SRW: Interface: ZeeRex; WSDL
• OAI-PMH: Locator: BaseURL
• OpenURL: Locator: BaseURL
• Web CGI: Interface: arguments
• Web page: Locator: URL
2006-03-23 NSF Digital Library Service Registries workshop 24
IESR Agent and Administrative Metadata
• Agent: contact details• Administrative:
– Included with every entity
• IESR includes:– creating organisation, publisher: IESR– latest modification date– rights to reuse descriptions: Creative Commons
2006-03-23 NSF Digital Library Service Registries workshop 25
IESR Services
• Z39.50 – Search via Bib-1 attributes– Results: text (SUTRS); composite XML
• OAI-PMH for harvesting: entity XML
• OpenURL Link-To Resolver– Implements IESR identifier resolution
• Web Search and Browse• Data Editor for Contributors
2006-03-23 NSF Digital Library Service Registries workshop 26
Use of IESR services, 2005-2006
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
Accesses
Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb
2005-2006
Use of IESR by service interface
OAI
OpenURL
Z39.50
Web
2006-03-23 NSF Digital Library Service Registries workshop 27
Future Services
• SRU (NISO MI MXG)• Web Services SOAP / SRW (planned)• RSS• Data ingest by harvest• UDDI (under investigation)
– Mapping IESR data to UDDI– Prototype registry– Is there a requirement?
2006-03-23 NSF Digital Library Service Registries workshop 28
IESR Users
• DL Portal; Metasearch Application– amalgamated set of resources
• IESR provides:– Discovery of resource collections– Up-to-date details of access to collections– Discovery of transactional services
• RSS: personal DL portal• OpenURL resolvers
2006-03-23 NSF Digital Library Service Registries workshop 29
Portal Metasearch Scenario
• Social Science portal discovers collections with e.g. Z39.50 services
• Provides cross-search to end-user• Portal builder doesn’t need to know
about all resources• Users discover collections unaware of• Alternative: OAI-PMH harvest• Static use by Portal builder:
– Necessary for SOAP
2006-03-23 NSF Digital Library Service Registries workshop 30
Distributed Service Registries
• Scope of IESR– JISC, UK, international?– Scalability and Data ownership issues
• Distributed / federated model– Each node describes own resources
• How to cross search?– Metasearch; UDDI; – Aggregate by OAI-PMH harvest
• Rights issues: common CC Licence?
2006-03-23 NSF Digital Library Service Registries workshop 31
Standard Metadata Schema
• Sharing collection descriptions– Created by resource provider– Need common / derivable metadata schema
• NISO Metasearch Initiative / DCMI Collection Description– Provides a common core
• IESR a practical example application– Feedback to NISO MI and DCMI CD
2006-03-23 NSF Digital Library Service Registries workshop 32
IESR Future
• More and updated content• New IESR services• Maintenance of metadata schema
– Use by: OCKHAM; DEST
• Demonstrating viable IESR use• Persistence of content
2006-03-23 NSF Digital Library Service Registries workshop 33
IESR Details
Thank You! Questions?
Information: http://iesr.ac.uk/
Application Profile: http://iesr.ac.uk/profile/
XML Schema: http://iesr.ac.uk/schemas/iesr.xsd
Web Search: http://iesr.ac.uk/registry/
Z39.50 service: http://iesr.ac.uk/use/z3950/
OAI-PMH service: http://iesr.ac.uk/use/oaipmh/
IESR Helpline service: [email protected]