Kurt De Belder Chief, Division of Electronic Services University Library Universiteit van Amsterdam The possibilities of cross searching and linking services

Kurt De Belder

Chief, Division of Electronic Services

University Library

Universiteit van Amsterdam

The possibilities of cross searching and linking services.

October 24, 2003 5th E-ICOLC conference 2

Introduction UvA project Integration heterogeneous information

systems and services. Hyperlinks and OpenURL Changes in Search - Locate - Obtain process Searching in multiple databases Reaction of our customers Impact on our organisation & statistics Next steps

Overview presentation


Large number of distributed electronic databases and journals, brought together by series of web pages (UvA: > 300 databases; > 13.000 e-journals).

Large variety of interfaces, search engines, data formats, database systems, indices, thesauri and services.

User unfriendly, support and training intensive, partial and overlapping services.

‘Current’ situation


Integration of heterogeneous databases and services.

The system helps.

Use of international standards such as OpenURL, Z39.50, ZING (SRU/SRW), ...

Possibility to create personal digital library (My Library), subject portals, and overarching services: alerting services, SDI, saving searches ...

Desired situation


2001: Universiteit van Amsterdam: compares variety of systems and starts RFI/RFP process with three selected vendors.

Information is shared with all UKB libraries in the Netherlands (= University libraries, Royal Library, Library of Royal Dutch Academy of Sciences).

December 2001: Ex Libris (MetaLib & SFX) is selected.

March 2002: UKB consortium agreement signed. September 2002: UvA takes SFX in production. January 2003: UvA takes MetaLib in production. May 2003: UvA usability study

UvA: Project integration heterogeneous systems


Universiteit van Amsterdam

Royal Library Technische Universiteit Delft Rijksuniversiteit Groningen Universiteit Leiden Universiteit Maastricht Universiteit Utrecht Universiteit Wageningen Vrije Universiteit

Introduction: UKB libraries and MetaLib/SFX


OpenURL: framework for open linking that allows for link creation via components such as link-servers which are external and independent from the source of the link (the citation). In this way linking can be contextual and relevant to a particular information environment. An international open standard.

SFX: commercial application (linking server) of Ex Libris based on the OpenURL.

UvA-linker: SFX implementation of the Universiteit van Amsterdam.

Hyperlinks: technologies & terminology


DB vendors offer proprietary linking:

SilverLinker (SilverPlatter) OpenLinks (Ovid) SmartLinks (EBSCO) LinkOut (NCBI) CrossLinks (Proquest)

Vendors already offer linking services!


Problems: Localisation: ‘appropriate copy’ problem. Customer confronted with # linking systems ~

DB resulting in # quality and services. Library administers # linking systems. Often no “extended services”. Certain vendors require uploads of e.g.

holdings information. Cannot deliver services for specific

customers.

Vendors already offer linking services!


Advantages: Localisation: ‘appropriate copy’ can be

delivered. One standardised linking system. One point of administration for a variety of

services for possibly all data sources. Delivery of extended services. Services for specific customers. NISO standardisation process started. Compatible with other standards (DOI,

CrossRef).

OpenURL & local linking server


Advantages: Subscription to Knowledge Base (Ex Libris) Linking mechanism can be used by other

systems!• Electronic learning environment • Electronic publishing program• Digital Academic Repository

OpenURL & local linking server



1

2

3

4

5

6

SFX Source

SFX Menu

SFX Target


A&ICatalogueFull text

...

Source

OpenURL

Linking server Full text

Target

Link

Link

Link

Link

Link

Catalogue

A&I

Citation DB

Search engine

What does a OpenURL look like?

How does it work?

OpenURL hook


OpenURL

http://pinakes.ic.uva.nl:9003/sfx_local?sid=SilverPlatter:MLAB&genre=article&atitle=For%20an%20Aesthetics%20of%20the%20Inconsequential&title=Eighteenth-Century-Studies&isbn=&issn=0013-2586&date=2002&volume=35&issue=3&spage=510&pid=%3CAN%3E2002870205%3C/AN%3E%3CAU%3EHarari%2c-Josue%3C/AU%3E

Base URL

Origin description

Object-metadata-zone

OpenURL


Search

Localise

Obtain

MLA Bibliography

(Union) Catalogue

JSTOR

Traditional process to obtain information


Requires a lot of knowledge from the customer about the process, the content, the information universe, …

Different steps in the process are separated.

Manual input needs to be repeated often: log in, formulate query, typing.

Information is not passed on from one system to another.

Systems don’t know the specific UvA information environment or that of the customer.

Characteristics of this process

COMPLEX

NOT EFFICIENT

DIFFICULT


‘Seamless’ linking of data and services.

Navigation in search - locate - obtain process.

Repetition of customer input is minimised.

Systems exchange information with each other.

System knows the information environment of the institution and the customer.

Process change with OpenURL linking server


Search

LocateObtain

MLA bibliography

Via UvA-

linker

Citation database

JSTOR

ILL

Process change with OpenURL linking server


UvA-linker services:

Direct link to electronic article, abstract and TOC. Automated searches in UvA catalogue, Dutch Union

Catalogue, WWW search engines. Citation searches: who cited article/book/author? Searches book reviews/Amazon.com. Searches dissertations. Impact factor of journal. Electronic reference desk [(a)synchronous]. FAQ. Problem report function.


Customers enthusiastic about UvA-linker.

For some customer the services offered in UvA-linker are overwhelming.

Use is intensive (catalogue lookup en FT link).

Some (first time) customer do not understand where the links will bring them and are cautious about leaving the library environment.

Issues *

* In part based on UvA Usability Study (2003)


System is not flawless. Do users recognise mistakes and can they make corrections?

Technology will impact collection development decisions:

• complete journal collections allow for a great linking experience• acquisition of data that conforms to technical requirements

Issues *



Databases are distributed.

Heterogeneous data formats, database systems, interfaces, indices, thesauri, services.

Search process in multiple databases

Iterative search process.

Fragmentation and multiplication of services.


Search Academic Search

UvA Catalogue

PAIS International


Dutch Union Cat.

Search

Search

Search

SDI(1)

Circ.

ILL

SDI(2)


Databases are distributed.

Heterogeneous data formats, database systems, interfaces, indices, thesauri, services.

Integration layer based on international standards.


Integrated search process.

Services have action radius across the complete information environment.


Search

Process change in integrated search environment

Academic SearchUvA Catalogue

Dutch Union Cat.

PAIS International

ILL

CircSDI


Customers appreciate the possibilities of searching multiple databases.

Enthusiastic about the personalised services (My Library).

Issues *


But also experience the system as complex.


Too many possibilities.

Don’t understand why all databases can’t be searched in an integrated fashion. (50/250)

Many personalised features depend on integration.

Both interfaces are offered (native and integrated), but this causes confusion with some customers.

Thesauri aren’t integrated yet.

Language problem.

Issues *



SFX target administration (e-journals, TOC, abstracts) Placed within acquisitions and journals

department. 2 days a month. Administration of SilverLinker (SP) has ended. No more maintenance of a list of e-journals via web

pages has ended. Still being discussed: shall we discontinue

cataloguing e-journals in our catalogue? Or shall we generate cataloguing records from the SFX records?

2 very effective days!

Impact on the organisation


SFX target administration (other targets) On average 1 hour per target. Responsibility of subject specialists (content) and

application managers (technology).

Customer support Introduction of UvA-linker happened without

significant customer support. Introduction of DL portal was/is considerably more intensive.

Expectation: support at reference desk of search - locate - obtain process will become considerably less intensive.



Usage The portal is not the only entry to digital library. Usage of electronic journals has increased

considerably. (Simultaneous) usage of database will increase

(expectation).




Number of UvA-linker requests

8.19610.582 9.771

5.189

19.857

27.691

31.824

53.918

37.715

31.502

24.930

20.979

49.318

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

sep-02 okt-02 nov-02 dec-02 jan-03 feb-03 mrt-03 apr-03 mei-03 jun-03 jul-03 aug-03 sep-03

Date

Nu

mb

er



UvA-linker requests per source

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

35000


Dates

Nu

mb

er

METALIB

SILVERPLATTER

EJOURNAL/ECOLLECTION

PUBMED

EBSCO

WOS

CSA

ELSEVIER

AMS



UvA-linker requests per type

5.036 6.0834.389

1.877

9.665

14.70317.167

29.487

18.43614.439

10.3807.949

22.297

1.8992.923

3.198

1.595

6.253

8.766

9.314

19.868

13.058

12.039

8.5769.917

22.812

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000


Dates

Nu

mb

er

getDocumentDelivery

getAuthorEmail

getAuthor

getBookReview

getWebService

getAbstract

getTOC

getWebSearch

getFullTxt

getHolding




Z39.50 Labour intensive to reach high quality. Important that database vendors notify library

about changes in the field or record structure of the database.

Responsibility of subject specialists (content) and application managers (technology).





Subject specialists Subject specialists responsible for content side of

UvA-linker & integrated searching (Z39.50).

Why? Content specialists also with regard to digital

library. Specialists with regard to information needs of

customers. They are the ones who can do quality control.



Tasks Generate ideas for new UvA-linker services. Judge whether the service generates correct

results. Deliver correct OpenURL mask so that correct

parsing can take place. Example: notice that the structure of the year, volume and issue field in PsycInfo has changed over the years.

Refine services. Example: notice that searching for a book review in amazon.com is pointless if book predates 1990.



Tasks Differentiate UvA-linker services according to

subject and type of customer. Example: propose to include commercial document delivery as a service/target for faculty members.

Naming of services so that these are comprehensible. Example: how do you call the link to the “impact factor” of journals?

When the field and record structure of a database changes, indicate on a content level how the Z39.50 transformation can take place.



Will this succeed? We don’t yet know. We will pay a lot of attention to training (at

conceptual and detail level). Subject specialists will need to get to know the

databases in their subject area also from these perspectives.

Subject librarians will need to get more involved in the development of the digital library.



Make changes to design and functionality of Digital Library and UvA-linker.

New usability study in 2004 (informed by actual use: statistics)

Integrate UvA-linker in BlackBoard Make it possible to search Digital Library directly

from Blackboard. Couple specific courses in Blackboard to specific

DL portals, and make searching from BB possible. Investigation into DL use through PDA’s.

Next steps


Thank you for your attention!

Questions?

[email protected]


Links

University Library: www.uba.uva.nlDigital Library: digital.uba.uva.nlDigital Production Centre: www.uba.uva.nl

/digital_production_centre/

http://www.uba.uva.nl/






http://digital.uba.uva.nl/






http://www.uba.uva.nl/digital_production_centre/







Documents

Kurt De Belder Chief, Division of Electronic Services University Library Universiteit van Amsterdam The possibilities of cross searching and linking services