CyberTools for Libraries Users Group Meeting 2001

1
CyberTools for Libraries Users Group Meeting
2001

• Review of Past Year
• Technology
• Business
• Imminent Tasks
• Future Plans
• Closed Door Session
• Discussion

2
Major Technology Accomplishments

• Review of Past Year
• Technology
• Business
• Imminent Tasks
• Future Plans
• Closed Door
• Discussion

• CyberTools for Libraries via Application Service
  Provider (ASP)
• Firewall and Proxy Server Implementations
• MeSH 2001
• Circulation is complete
• MARC Utilities and Authorities are complete
• Completion of Serials
• Lots of fine tuning to the OPAC
• Completion of OPAC in HTML JavaScript
• Z39.50 Server nearly completed

3
Application Service Provider

• Review of Past Year
• Technology
• Business
• Imminent Tasks
• Future Plans
• Closed Door
• Discussion

Leasing CyberTools for Libraries over the Web. It
is below the cost of ownership for most libraries
(staff lt 10) - own your own server costs 12 -
15 K /year in labor for backup, OS app
updates, security - libraries are low priority
for IS groups Brought in a T1 twice 1st in
July, then UUNET in Feb T1 improved service to
all. ASP business is unlimited.
A
S
P
4
Firewalls and Proxy Servers
Issue CyberTools uses Java on the browser.
Problems 1. Many firewalls may block Java
going to the browser. 2. The Java program on the
browser connects back to the server via TCP/IP
ports, but firewalls block may block such
connections, and proxy servers automatically
block them. Solution Java Remote Methods
Invocation (RMI) which traffics over port 80
(http, like a Web server). Status RMI is done,
but its complex can be slow. We will spend a
few more days to test our own implementation. Cos
t One FTE spent 60 of his time on this all year.
5
MeSH 2001

• Review of Past Year
• Technology
• Business
• Imminent Tasks
• Future Plans
• Closed Door
• Discussion

• Qualifiers went from approx. 800 to approx. 80
• form qualifiers
• geographic and language qualifiers
• topical qualifiers of the form "in ltage
  groupgt/pregnancy"
• We automated all of these changes. This was a big
  job (6 weeks).
• Notice no MeSH updating allowed from now until
  June 25.

6
150 Circulation Complete
Released January 2000. Review with Rush in July
showed operational complexities, now gone. GUI,
but hands free. Not a re-tooling really,
second generation in CyberTools. -
Learn-as-you-go (LAYGO) for patrons in loans. -
Automatic lookups for journal issues, so you
dont need to bar-code issues for loaning. -
Everything in old LIS is now implemented in
CyberTools. - Create your own classes with loan
periods, grace periods, fines.
7
Circulation Class Window
8
200 MARC Utilities Authorities Complete
Last years high points - Streamlined MARC bib
processing - MARC 21 rules engine Refined
debugged from last years first release. - No
more ftp for MARC bibs - LAYGO LC Headings from
MARC bib import - Authority lookups in the MARC
bib editor - LAYGO Authorities - Copy bibs -
Great label printing - Streamlined bib deletion
upon deletion of last item - Call Numbers LCCN
sort correctly - Indexed series volume value
Progress in Allergy 20 Great feedback from new
potential customers! ASP experience no
problems.
9
110 Completion of Serials
Completed September 2000. Still in Q/A due to
other work, not due to problems with
Serials. Enhancements - routing list can be
expressed as e-mail notification - no typed
commands
10
OPAC

• Review of Past Year
• Technology
• Business
• Imminent Tasks
• Future Plans
• Closed Door
• Discussion

Lots of fine tuning - Monographic series volume
lookup - Explode can optionally work like
MEDLINEs - Hyperlinks for analytically linked
items - Link from foreign OPACs Possible to
handle Ovids Weblink - Diphthong fix for
authorities (was in old LIS journals search but
nowhere else) True KeyWord Out of Context index
(KWOC) for all authorities, e.g., all title
searching is now like the old LIS Journal Title
Search. Also, Subject Search HIV yields
Anti-HIV too.
11
OPAC in HTML JavaScript

• Why?
• Netscape 4 implemented the privileges
  incorrectly, making for countless
• annoying permission windows which everyone hated.
  
• (Note that Netscape 6 got it right).
• Librarians want an HTML solution. They want the
  OPAC inside
• the browser just like all the other OPACs.
• Firewalls Proxy servers.
• No one can expect a patron
• to suffer through the
• connection problems.

View to the Monadnocks from a Harvard Hillside
12
Design of OPAC in HTML
Java servlet on the web server connects the
application to the browser. Application sends
HTML JavaScript to the browser. Implemented
much of CyberTools tools to express HTML
JavaScript. Thus, the Java OPAC and the HTML
OPAC have the identical search engine, thus the
same search results, OPAC Manager module (for
word changes, etc.), documentation.
13
HTML OPAC Benefits and Costs
Benefits 1. What users expect, solves a business
problem. 2. Easy connections. 3. Always Fast. 4.
Reduces the number of Caché/M user license
counts. 5. Better than III Millennium or
Endeavor Voyager recalls selections across
pages, a better cross-page aging. Costs 1.
Very difficult to program. 2. Limited in
functionality.
14
HTML OPAC Windows
Your HTML Header
Your HTML Footer
15
HTML OPAC Windows
Your HTML Header
Added title hyperlinks
Your HTML Footer
16
HTML OPAC Windows
Your HTML Header
Your HTML Footer
17
Z39.50 Progress

• Review of Past Year
• Technology
• Business
• Imminent Tasks
• Future Plans
• Closed Door
• Discussion

Working with ZedJava, a Z39.50 tool kit from
Crossnet Systems Ltd. (www.crossnet.com). Used
at the British Library, German National Library,
Royal Library of Sweden, French National
Library, the OPAC Network in Europe project team
and the European Space Agency Research
Institute,
according to their Web site. This proven
technology handles the complex communications
between our server and other Z39.50 servers
clients. Status 50 completed, derailed by
firewall issues. 140 hours remaining. Completion
end of July.
18
Business

• Review of Past Year
• Technology
• Business
• Imminent Tasks
• Future Plans
• Closed Door
• Discussion

• HTML OPAC solves a significant business problem.
• ASP is unlimited business opportunity.
• Hundreds of leads. CyberTools is well accepted in
  health sciences DoD.
• New key customer in December AFRL in Rome, NY.
  Engineering library.
• Good exposure in DoD. Sharp, pleasant staff with
  new ideas.
• All former LIS sites have test system except for
  one.
• Several sites are using ODBC Crystal Reports.

19
Imminent Tasks

• Review of Past Year
• Technology
• Business
• Imminent Tasks
• Future Plans
• Closed Door
• Discussion

• Field test rollout HTML OPAC.
• Complete Q/A of Serials, field test rollout.
• Complete Q/A of remaining Circulation, field
  test rollout.
• Complete Q/A of remaining MARC Authorities,
  field test rollout.
• Material Type User Interface rollout.
• Z39.50 completion, field test rollout.

20
Development this Summer

• MARC Bib CIP Editor. Very important for ASP
  small sites.
• MARC Tag Indexing Interface.
• TOC searching and presentation in OPAC.
• Claims processing.
• Renews Returns by Patron.
• CORC Import.

Nashua River at Oxbow Wildlife Refuge
21

• Review of Past Year
• Technology
• Business
• Imminent Tasks
• Future Plans
• Closed Door
• Discussion

Future Development Plans

• Patron Accounting?
• Acquisitions to GUI?
• Subscriptions in Acquisitions?
• DDS/ILL needs? (Work with QuickDOC,
• i.e., fill in the gaps around QuickDOC
• such as interfacing to circ?)
• X12, EDIfact, or XML B2B for
• - purchase orders
• - invoices
• - claims
• - payments?
• Booking (note that Notes Hold is completed in
  OPAC)?
• Ovid Weblink?
• PubMed interface?

22

• Review of Past Year
• Technology
• Business
• Imminent Tasks
• Future Plans
• Closed Door
• Discussion

Closed Door Session
23
Thank you