The National Library’s journey with open source library software

Horizon Libraries ConferenceHobart, 11 February 2009

Warwick CathroWarwick CathroNational Library of AustraliaNational Library of Australia

NLA collection management systems• Ex Libris Voyager (acquisitions, cataloguing,

serials check-in, e-call slips)• Digital Collection Manager and Resolver Service

(digitisation workflow, web delivery)• PANDAS (web archiving and delivery)• Rights Management System (recording rights and

permissions data)• VuFind (NLA catalogue)• Subject Suggestor Tool• Archivists Toolkit (manuscript finding aids) • RefTracker (reference and acquisitions support)• e-Resources (access to licensed e-resources)• Relais (ILL support)• Quadriga (audio management)

IT Architecture report

• Released March 2007• http://www.nla.gov.au/dsp/documents/itag.pdf• Service Oriented Architecture • Single Business approach• Changed emphasis on open source

Open source

• “Use products and services which are available in the marketplace [unless they] fall well short of functional requirements ... do not fit the Library’s IT environment, are too costly, or involve unacceptable levels of risk” [2006]

• “Evaluate open source solutions on equal terms with solutions available in the marketplace ... [and] return [any] in-house developed software to the public domain” [2007]

Open source issues

• Often more modular

• Often uses open standards

• Developing software for open source release is challenging

• Often difficult for others to install and use

• NLA paid a third party to develop a Z39.50/SRU gateway for Lucene

• Contribution can be through design, specification (eg web curator toolkit)

Ventures into open source

• Investigation of web curator tools (collaboration in IIPC)

• Development of Automated Obsolescence Notification System (funded by APSR)

• Lucene:– supports two NLA discovery services

– preferred platform for discovery services

• VuFind (replaced our Voyager catalogue in 2008)

• OLE Project (covered below)

• Participation in Code4Lib conference

VuFind

• We needed a better interface:– relevance ranking– faceted search refinement– Web 2.0 features

• Open source from VillaNova University• Builds a second copy of catalogue using Lucene• Was installed and developed rapidly

– very light project management– rapid prototyping approach– adopted ideas from staff and users

• Needed integration with Voyager for e-call slips– changes to Voyager’s Oracle database (no API)

Ex Libris strategy

• Open Platform Program• Ex Libris now publicly recognises the

importance of SOA and the inclusion of open interfaces in its architecture (Developers Meeting, Jerusalem, November 2008)

• Openness will be “addressed on all levels” (Ex Librian Newsletter, January 2009)

Getwise Project• “Gain Efficiencies Through Workflow

Investigation and System Exploration”

• Two year project (July 2008 – June 2010)

• Workflow analysis using BPMN

• Focus on:– original (unpublished) materials

– copying and delivery workflows

– tracking of items – exhibitions, preservation, etc.

– implementation of Rights Management System

• Exploring software tools:– Archivists Toolkit

– RefTracker for acquisition processes

• Feeds into OLE Project

OLE Project

• Aims:– Define requirements for an open source library

management system– build a community– potential for a Stage 2 (software building and

integration)

• Led by Duke University• Mellon funded• NLA is a core partner (focus on original

materials requirements)• Meeting of interested Australian libraries,

Melbourne, November 2008

NLA Service Framework• NLA investigation of a “Service Framework” during

2008

• Work undertaken by Judith Pearce

• Published on NLA’s “Library Labs” wiki

• Attempts to define the reusable software components needed for building library systems, and the protocols that link them

• Attempts compatibility with the “E-Framework” (UK/Australia/NZ/Netherlands)

• Has been adopted by OLE Project as a reference framework

Service framework

Conclusions• NLA’s library “system’ is already an assemblage of

software components:– vendor supplied– open source– in-house developed

• We expect this to continue, but with more cleanly defined components and interfaces

• We will contribute to frameworks and design projects (eg OLE) that facilitate community movement in this direction

• We certainly don’t have all the answers so we welcome collaboration with other interested parties