Trends and Challenges in

Organizing Library Information

Resources: an Overview

PLAI-STLRC Conference on

―The Challenges of Librarianship Across Barriers‖

October 7-9, 2009, Las Brisas Hotel, Antipolo City, Rizal

Introduction

• ICT has made a tremendous impact on

society. The net generation information

users were born digital and the digital

migrants are catching up.

• Users are techno-savvy and demand quick

access to information.

• Social networks that have proliferated

provide access to information among the

members of the community

Impact on Libraries • Libraries have to compete with other

information providers and adapt to the net generation in order to remain competitive and relevant.

• Libraries must become customer focused rather than item or book focused

• Libraries are changing from silent reading centers to community centers where there is interaction among users. These centers may exist either in the physical or virtual environment

Impact on Technical Services

• Information comes in multimedia format

and libraries have become hybrid and/or

digital and virtual.

• Technical staff must learn new skills in

organizing information

• Technical staff must adapt to the changing

acquisition and cataloguing practices

Trends and Issues in Technical

Services (TS)

1. Elimination of redundant cataloguing

practices

2. Development of New Cataloguing

Standards

3. Development of Institutional Repositories

or IRs

4. Use of Electronic Resource Management

System for serials and databases

Trends and Issues in Technical

Services (TS)

5. Use of Link Resolvers

6. Use of Open Source ILS

7. Use of Federated Search Engines

8. Increasing use of Tagging or Folksonomy

9. Development of the Mobile Web

10. Impact on Staff

Trends and Issues in TS

1. Elimination of redundant cataloguing

practices by:

– Using catalogue records done by other

organizations such as

• Publishers

• Web OPAC of other libraries

• Cataloguing services like worldcat

– Shifting to highly automated cataloguing and

indexing

Trends and Issues in TS

2. Development of New Cataloguing Standards

– Resource Description and Access (RDA) an online service to take the place of AACR2 which is scheduled for release at the end of November 2009.

– RDA is recommended because it has more flexibility for machine-based cataloging. For more information go to: http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/jsc/index.html

Why RDA?

• RDA is a new standard for resource

description and access designed for the

digital world. It is envisioned to provide:

– A flexible framework for describing all

resources - analog and digital

– Data that is readily adaptable to new and

emerging database structures

– Data that is compatible with existing records

in online library catalogues

Key Elements of RDA

• The major focus of RDA will be on

providing guidelines and instructions on

recording data to reflect attributes of, and

relationships between, the entities defined

in FRBR and FRAD. There are 10

sections. The first set focus on recording

attributes for FRBR entities. The second

set focus on recording relationships

between these entities.

Set 1. Recording Attributes

• Section 1 - Recording attributes of

manifestation and item

• Section 2 - Recording attributes of work

and expression

• Section 3 - Recording attributes of person,

family, and corporate body

• Section 4 - Recording attributes of

concept, object, event, and place

Set 2. Recording Relationships

• Section 5 - Recording primary relationships

• Section 6 - Recording relationships to persons,

families, and corporate bodies associated with a

resource

• Section 7 - Recording subject relationships

• Section 8 - Recording relationships between

works, expressions, manifestations and items

• Section 9 - Recording relationships between

persons, families, and corporate bodies

• Section 10 - Recording relationships between

concepts, objects, events, and places

FRBR• Functional Requirements for Bibliographic

Records (FRBR sometimes pronounce as ferber) provides the conceptual foundation for RDA. It is a conceptual entity relationship model developed by IFLA that relates user tasks of retrieval and access in online library catalogues and bibliographic databases from a user’s perspective.

• The model is significant because it is separate from specific cataloguing standards such as AACR2 or the ISBD.

• It uses FRAD (Functional Requirements for Authority Data) as the basis for instructions on authority control.

Impact of RDA on MARC 21

• AACR2 and MARC 21 are two different standards designed for two different purposes. AACR2 is largely a content and display standard while MARC 21 is largely an encoding standard. RDA is being developed only as a content standard rather than as an encoding standard.

• Other standards may also be used like: MODS or Dublin Core

Impact of RDA on the ILS

• The RDA instructions are designed to be

independent of the format, medium or

system used to store or communicate the

data, and be readily adaptable to newly-

emerging database structures.

• It should not have any profound impact on

the ILS

Disadvantages

• RDA is an online service and requires

subscription

• A lot of training is required not only for

RDA but also for Metadata systems like

– Dublin Core

– METS

– MODS

– EAD DTD

Metadata

• Metadata is the value-added information that documents the administrative, descriptive, preservation, technical, and usage history and characteristics associated with resources.

• It provides the underlying foundation upon which digital asset management systems rely to provide fast, precise access to relevant resources across networks and between organizations.

Dublin Core

• The Dublin Core metadata element set is a standard for cross-domain information resource description. Dublin Core is widely used to describe multimedia digital materials online including web pages. It typically makes use of XML and are Resource Description Framework based which is a family of World Wide Consortium (W3C) specifications. Dublin Core is defined by ISO in ISO Standard 15836, and NISO Standard Z39.85-2007.

METS

• The Metadata Encoding and Transmission Standard schema is a standard for encoding descriptive, administrative, and structural metadata regarding objects within a digital library, expressed using the XML schema language of the W3C. The standard is maintained in the Network Development and MARC Standards Officeof the Library of Congress, and is being developed as an initiative of the Digital Library Federation.

MODS

• The Metadata Object Description Schema

(MODS) is a schema for a bibliographic

element set that may be used for a variety

of purposes, and particularly for library

applications. The standard is maintained

by the Network Development and MARC

Standards Office of the Library of

Congress with input from users.

EAD DTD

• The Encoded Archival Description Document

Type Definition (EAD DTD) is a project initiated

by the University of California, Berkeley Library

in 1993. The goal of the project was to

investigate the desirability and feasibility of

developing a nonproprietary encoding standard

for machine-readable finding aids such as

inventories, registers, indexes, and other

documents created by archives, libraries,

museums, and manuscript repositories to

support the use of their holdings.

Disadvantages of Metadata

• Cost

• Unreliability

• Subjectivity

• Lack of authentication

• Lack of interoperability with respect to

syntax, semantics, vocabularies,

languages, and underlying models.

Trends and Issues in TS

3. Development of Institutional Repositories

or IRs

– Preservation vs. Access

– Software: Much are ―open source‖

– Content: What to digitize

– Copyright

– Staff: TS staff freed from their cataloguing

tasks may use their skills in creating and

organizing IRs

Open Source IR Software

• Greenstone

• DSpace

• Fedora

• Note: There are also commercial software

Greenstone

• Greenstone is a suite of open source, multilingual software for building, distributing and publishing digital library collections on the Internet or on CD-ROM.

• It is produced by the New Zealand Digital Library Project at the University of Waikato.

• It was developed and distributed in cooperation with UNESCO and the Human Info (Humanitarian Information for All) NGO and issued under the terms of the GNU (pronounced g-noo) General Public License.

• For more information go to: http://www.greenstone.org/

DSpace

• DSpace is an open source software for academic, non-profit, and commercial organizations building open digital repositories. DSpace preserves and enables easy and open access to all types of digital content including text, images, moving images, mpegs and data sets.

• It was developed by the MIT Libraries and Hewlett-Packard (HP). And with an ever-growing community of developers, it is committed to continuously expanding and improving the software.

• For more information go to http://www.dspace.org/

Fedora

• Fedora is a Linux-based operating system.

• It is free for anyone to use, modify and distribute. It is built by people across the globe who work together as a community: the Fedora Project.

• The Fedora Project is open and anyone is welcome to join.

• For more information go to: http://fedoraproject.org/

Trends and Issues in TS

4. Use of Electronic Resource Management

System (ERMS) refers to practices and software

systems used by libraries to keep track of

important information about electronic

information resources, especially internet-based

resources such as electronic journals,

databases, and electronic books. The

development of ERM became necessary in the

early 2000s as it became clear that traditional

library catalogs and integrated Library systems

were not designed to handle metadata.

What do ERMS do?• Support acquisition and management of licensed

e-resources – Provide descriptions of resources at the package

(database) level and relate package contents (e.g. e-journals) to the package record

– Encode and sometimes publicly display licensed rights such as e-reserves, coursepacks, and interlibrary loan

– Provide information about the data providers, consortial arrangements, access platform

– Provide contact information for all content providers

– Log problems with resources and providers

– Provide customizable e-mail alerting systems (e.g. notices to managers when actions are expected or required)

– Link license documents to resource records

– Enable access to usage statistics

Examples of ERM Products

• Commercial

– ERM from Innovative Interfaces, Inc.

– ERMS from Sirsi Dynix, developed by Serials

Solutions

– Meridian from Endeavor (now owned by Ex

Libris)

– Verde from Ex Libris

– Verify from VTLS

– EASY from Square Information Systems

Examples of ERM Products

• Open source – CUFTS from Simon Fraser University

– ERMes from University of Wisconsin-La Crosse

– FreERMS led by Touro College

– HERMES (Hopkins Electronic Resources ManagEment System) from Johns Hopkins University- no longer in active development

– SMDB-Subscription Management Database from SemperTool

• (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_Resource_Management)

Trends and Issues in TS 5. Link resolvers. ("OpenURL resolvers‖) One of

the most innovative and revolutionary library services to evolve in the Internet era is reference linking, the ability to transmit bibliographic data through hypertext links and to connect users with the full richness of electronic collections with ease. Reference linking lets users move from an abstract from one publisher to the full-text document in another vendor's database, from a bibliography in an article to the library catalog, from one database to another, or from a journal article to a web site. Example Google Scholar

Link resolvers/Open URL resolvers

• Developed by Herbert Van de Sompel, then

head of library automation at the University of

Ghent in Belgium, who proposed a link resolver

managed by the library because the library

knows its collections, its policies, and its users.

In collaboration with Patrick Hochstenbach, also

then of the University of Ghent, Van de Sompel

proved the viability of the concept by

implementing the SFX (named for special

effects) linking server.

Trends and Issues in TS

6. Use of Open Source ILS

– KOHA

– LibLime

– Evergreen

KOHA

• Koha is the first open-source Integrated Library System (ILS). In use worldwide in libraries of all sizes, Koha is a true enterprise-class ILS with comprehensive functionality including basic or advanced options. Koha includes modules for circulation, cataloging, acquisitions, serials, reserves, patron management, branch relationships, and more.

• Its development is steered by a growing community of libraries collaborating to achieve their technology goals.

LibLime

• LibLime is a provider of open-source solutions. They inform libraries about the benefits of open source to enable them to make choices about how best to provide their communities and staff with better technology services.

• They enable libraries to use open-source software to its full potential by providing outstanding commercial support services -hosting, migration assistance, staff training, support, software maintenance, and development – solutions tailored to each customer's needs.

Evergreen

• Evergreen is a highly-scalable software for libraries that helps library patrons find library materials, and helps libraries manage, catalog, and circulate those materials, no matter how large or complex the libraries. It was first launched in September, 2006 in Georgia's PINES Consortium (Public Information Network for Electronic Services).

• It now powers over 300 libraries of every type -- public, academic, special, school, and even tribal and home libraries -- in over a dozen countries worldwide. Evergreen has an active community that participates in its coding, documentation, and direction of the project.

• Evergreen is open source software, freely licensed under the GNU GPL.

Trends and Issues in TS

7. Use of Federated Search Engines-

Simultaneous searching of databases

through a single interface

– Endeca

– Aquabrowser

– Webfeat

Endeca

• Endeca is a search applications company. The company was founded to deliver software that helps people make better daily decisions from large volumes of diverse and changing information. For eCommerce or media websites, Endeca’s software helps your customers find what they are looking for faster and make better buying choices, thus increasing your revenue. And for search applications inside a company, Endeca helps your employees make better decisions, thus reducing your costs and improving productivity.

Aquabrowser

• Aquabrowser is a single interface for locating all

types and formats of content.

• Visually represented and faceted search results

allow your patrons to search and discover

information faster and more effectively. Relevant

search results help them find answers fast.

• Word clouds encourage exploration and

discovery. Facets help to quickly focus the

results.

Webfeat

• The world's leading federated search solution

with integrated e-resources authentication and

management services.

• It is used by over 16,500 leading public,

academic, government and Global 1000 libraries

and information centers - including over a third

of the largest 100 U.S. public libraries, 17

statewide library systems, and 2 out of every 10

Association of Research Libraries (ARL)

institutions.

Trends and Issues in TS

8. Increasing use of Tagging or Folksonomy, a system of classification derived from the practice and method of collaboratively creating and managing tags to annotate and categorize content. This practice is also known as collaborative tagging, social classification, social indexing, and social tagging.

• The word Folksonomy is a combination of the term folk and taxonomy. It became popular on the Web around 2004 as part of social software applications such as social bookmarking and photograph annotation.

Tags

• In online computer systems terminology, a tag is a non-hierarchical keyword or term assigned to a piece of information (such as an internet bookmark digital image, or computer file. This kind of metadata helps describe an item and allows it to be found again by browsing or searching. Tags are chosen informally and personally by the item's creator or by its viewer, depending on the system.

Tag Cloud

• A tag cloud or word cloud is a visual depiction

of user-generated tags or simply the word

content of a site, used typically to describe the

content of web sites. Tags are usually single

words and are typically listed alphabetically, and

the importance of a tag is shown with font size or

color. Thus both finding a tag by alphabet and

by popularity is possible. The tags are usually

hyperlinks that lead to a collection of items that

are associated with a tag.

Social Bookmarking

• A method for Internet users to store,

organize, search, and manage bookmarks

of web pages with the help of metadata.

• Bookmarks are typically in the form of tags

that collectively and/or collaboratively

become a folksonomy.

Trends and Issues in TS

9. Development of Mobile Web

technologies. The Mobile Web refers to

browser-based web services such as the

World Wide Web, WAP and i-Mode

(Japan) using a mobile device such as a

cell phone, PDA, or other portable gadget

connected to a public network. Such

access does not require a desktop

computer, nor a fixed landline connection

Mobile Web Services

Mobile Services

• According to the study users are

interested in accessing the OPAC,

receiving alerts re overdues, new

acquisitions etc.

• In this regard texting was preferred to

other mobile web services

RSS Feeds• RSS (most commonly translated as "Really

Simple Syndication") is a family of web feed

formats used to publish frequently updated

works—such as blog entries, news headlines,

audio, and video—in a standardized format. An

RSS document (which is called a "feed", "web

feed", or "channel") includes full or summarized

text, plus metadata such as publishing dates and

authorship. (Wikipedia)

RSS and Libraries

• RSS allows libraries to deliver news to a desktop computer or other Internet device. By subscribing to RSS feeds, users can easily stay up-to-date with areas of the Library's site that are of interest. For example the Library of Congress offers several RSS feeds for use in an RSS reader or RSS-enabled Web browser.

• Other libraries’ RSS feeds deliver all the news and information that is posted to the Library News & Events Blog without having to visit the news page! The Blog has an accompanying RSS file that is updated every time a new post is added, and in order to read that file, you need an RSS reader.

What is an RSS reader?

• An RSS reader (also called an aggregator)

is a software application that allows you to

read blogs and Web sites that publish

RSS feeds. There are a number of RSS

readers available freely on the Web. If you

are looking for a free, Web-based reader

that does not require a download, use

Google Reader and Bloglines.

Trends and Issues in TS

10. Impact on Staff

– Changing job descriptions—Web 2.0/Library

2.0 mentality

– Obtaining new skills

– Retaining skilled staff

– Succession planning

What are the Current Key research

areas in organizing the Web?

• Extensible Markup Language (XML)--XML

and its associated technologies--XML

Namespaces, XML Query languages, and

XML Databases--are enabling

implementers to develop metadata

application profiles (XML Schemas) that

combine metadata terms from different

namespaces to satisfy the needs of a

particular community or application.

Key research areas in organizing the Web• Semantic Web technologies--"The Semantic Web is an

extension of the current Web in which information is given well-defined meaning, better enabling computers and people to work in cooperation" (Berners-Lee, Hendler, & Lassila, 2001). There are two main building blocks for the semantic Web:

– Formal languages--RDF (Resource Description Framework), DAML OIL, and OWL (Web Ontology Language)

– Ontologies--communities will use the formal languages to define both domain-specific ontologies and top-level ontologies to enable relationships between ontologies to be determined for cross-domain searching, exchange, and information integration.

Key research areas in organizing the Web

• Web Services--using open standards such

as WSML, UDDI, and SOAP, Web

services will enable the building of

software applications without having to

know who the users are, where they are,

or anything else about them.

Conclusion

• As Web technologies continue to develop and as information users continue to use these technologies, libraries must continue to adapt to these changes remain a key player in the information industry.

• Librarians must continue to learn these new technologies

• Library schools must teach these technologies to their students.

Lourdes T. DavidDirectorRizal Library, Loyola Schools, Ateneo de Manila UniversityTel/Fax 426-5961Tel 4266001 loc 5801E-mail ltdavid@ateneo.edu