Agora Hybrid Library Project

1
AgoraHybrid Library Project

• funded by eLib
• Neil Smith, Fretwell-Downing Informatics
• Agora Development Partner

2
Agora project is

• based on MODELS concepts
• developing a Hybrid Library Management System
  (HLMS) to integrate
• discovery
• location
• requesting
• delivery

3
Agora Consortium Members

• UEA
• UKOLN
• CERLIM
• Fretwell Downing
• eLib

4
Agora associates

• libraries
• UEA
• Hull
• Heriot Watt
• Bath Spa
• Manchester Metropolitan
• systems developers
• service providers

5
What we want...

• An integrated service which provides
• discovery
• location
• requesting
• delivery

6
What we need...

• A layer of services or middleware which will
  shield the user from complexity, heterogeneity
  and repetitive processes
• Agora hybrid library management system is based
  on architecture identified by MODELS

7
Broker architecture
User access points (web browsers)
User access
Broker
Applications framework Service description and
mapping
Distributed service access
Local library catalogue
Clump entry points
Network CDs
Electronic documents
ILL systems
Distributed library system components
8
Parallel, Scalable Search Retrieve
Client

• Search Retrieve
• ILL
• Document Delivery
• Streamed Delivery

User queries logical union catalogue which
transparently queries contributing physical
catalogues in parallel and de-duplicates
results.
AGORA Server
Bibliographic Catalogue A
Other Clump Server
Bibliographic Catalogue B
Archive
9
Proxy Server

• Value Added
• Higher profile Z Server.
• Transparent Interface to Multiple Databases to
  ANY Z39.50 Client
• Item Order to Authenticated Users
• ISO ILL facilities
• Document Delivery Management System.

Client(s)
Agora Server - Including ILL System
Z39.50 Target
ISO ILL etc to external vendors
Other Targets
Catalogue
10
The prototype

• social science resources
• heterogeneous targets
• AI
• library catalogues
• archives (subsets)
• data archives
• subject gateways

11
Authentication

• Currently Local
• Based around User Groups
• ATHENS can be integrated
• Import of User data is possible

12
Collection Level Descriptions

• collection
• title, description, subject area
• strengths/weaknesses, quality?
• access
• protocols and formats
• opening times
• terms and conditions
• licensing
• price

13
Adaptive Access Points

• Hybrid datasets
• No common attributes
• No common record structures
• Data mapping in Gateway
• Implementors Agreement
• agreed sub-set of attribute mappings
• Presentation of Access Points

14
Adaptive Display

• Flat vs Multi-level records
• Same field at multiple levels
• Specialist Navigation
• Problems with hybrid data-sets
• Sorting Issues
• De-duplication

15
Other Issues

• Non Z39.50 searchable media
• Information landscape
• Synchronous delivery management
• Payment and billing

16
Current Status

• Feedback from Prototype
• Application Framework
• Requirements Catalogue
• Prioiritisation
• Release Planning