Introduction to the IESR Amanda Hill MIMAS The

Introduction to the IESR Amanda Hill MIMAS, The University of Manchester, UK

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 2

2006 -03 -23 NSF Digital Library Service Registries workshop 3

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 4

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_ieds 0105_draft 2 2006 -03 -23 NSF Digital Library Service Registries workshop 5

IE Technical Model Information Environment: Development Strategy http: //www. jisc. ac. uk/index. cfm? name=strat_ieds 0105_draft 2 2006 -03 -23 NSF Digital Library Service Registries workshop 6

Shared Services "To enable portals and other services to deliver diverse digital resources, machinereadable 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 7

Shared Services "To enable portals and other services to deliver diverse digital resources, machinereadable 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 8

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 9

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 10

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 11

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 12

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 13

IESR: A Registry of Collections and Services Ann Apps MIMAS, The University of Manchester, UK

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 15

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 16

IESR Entities Collection provides access Service 2006 -03 -23 owns administers Agent NSF Digital Library Service Registries workshop 17

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 18

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 19

2006 -03 -23 NSF Digital Library Service Registries workshop 20

IESR Service Metadata • A few IESR properties to support discovery and registry application • Single access method: – SRU, Z 39. 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 21

2006 -03 -23 NSF Digital Library Service Registries workshop 22

Other Service types • • SOAP: Locator: access URL; Interface: WSDL SRU: Interface: Zee. Rex SRW: Interface: Zee. Rex; WSDL OAI-PMH: Locator: Base. URL Open. URL: Locator: Base. URL Web CGI: Interface: arguments Web page: Locator: URL 2006 -03 -23 NSF Digital Library Service Registries workshop 23

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 24

IESR Services • Z 39. 50 – Search via Bib-1 attributes – Results: text (SUTRS); composite XML • OAI-PMH for harvesting: entity XML • Open. URL Link-To Resolver – Implements IESR identifier resolution • Web Search and Browse • Data Editor for Contributors 2006 -03 -23 NSF Digital Library Service Registries workshop 25

Use of IESR services, 2005 -2006 -03 -23 NSF Digital Library Service Registries workshop 26

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 27

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 • Open. URL resolvers 2006 -03 -23 NSF Digital Library Service Registries workshop 28

Portal Metasearch Scenario • Social Science portal discovers collections with e. g. Z 39. 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 29

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 30

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 31

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 32

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/ Z 39. 50 service: http: //iesr. ac. uk/use/z 3950/ OAI-PMH service: http: //iesr. ac. uk/use/oaipmh/ IESR Helpline service: iesr@mimas. ac. uk ann. apps@manchester. ac. uk 2006 -03 -23 NSF Digital Library Service Registries workshop 33