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This document outlines the agenda for the Alberta Library Interface Consortium meeting held on May 3, 2000. It covers key topics such as the roles of the site search, virtual union catalogue, and portal management system. The discussion encompasses the involvement and membership of various libraries, including public, post-secondary, and special libraries across Alberta. The meeting focuses on initiatives like "Campus Alberta," collaborative funding, and the development of ALI pilot projects aimed at creating a common interface for online library resources while accommodating distinct branding and local needs.
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Alberta Library Interface OCLC SiteSearch Users Group Meeting 3 May 2000
Agenda • Consortium context: The Alberta Library • Role of SiteSearch • Virtual union catalogue • Portal management system • MyLibrary
ConsortiumContext • The Alberta Library (TAL) • province-wide library consortium • umbrella organization for … • Knowledge Network (KN) • provincial organization of post-secondary libraries • APLEN (Alberta Public Library Electronic Network) • represents the public libraries in the province
ConsortiumContext • Membership in TAL • 4 universities • two dozen colleges and university colleges • almost 300 public libraries (with seven regional systems) • a handful of government and special libraries • … serving a population of 2.9 million
ConsortiumContext • "Campus Alberta" • initiative of the provincial government • unification of post-secondary system • libraries were the first to claim the money
ConsortiumContext • Campus Alberta Funding for KN • one-time funding: $20 million • $16 million distributed to the institutions • $4 million reserved for collaborative projects • Other Campus Alberta Projects • online course registry • interesting metadata problems
ConsortiumContext • "Alberta Library Interface" (ALI) • project: develop a common interface to online resources • started as KN (post-secondary) response to Campus Alberta: CALI • APLEN (public library) involvement planned for later phase, but moved up: ALI
ConsortiumContext • ALI Pilot Projects • virtual union catalogue • integrated database searching • portal management system
ConsortiumContext • Consultation • the Downey report • five "road shows" • online forum • Response • "at last!" … • … but give us local branding
ConsortiumContext • So … ALI's mandate: • create a common interface … • but make it look different in every library • strike a balance between centralization and distribution • make sustainable change with one-time funding • make it good enough that libraries will adopt it voluntarily • make a level playing field for big and small, public and post-secondary libraries
ALI Pilot Projects • Virtual Union Catalogue • Portal Management System • MyLibrary
Pilot Projects • Virtual Union Catalogue • using WebZ • to be administered centrally • to include integrated database searching • therefore will require sophisticated authentication/authorization
Pilot Projects • Z39.50 Environment • servers: • the four universities • two colleges (out of two dozen) • two urban public libraries (out of a dozen) • three regional public library systems (out of seven) • systems • all major vendors • Dynix dominates in numbers; large institutions use DRA, Sirsi, III
Pilot Projects • Licensed Databases • searching integrated with virtual union catalogue • access control issues
Pilot Projects • Advantages of WebZ • flexible interface design • sophistication of Z39.50 engine • cross-database capabilities • deduping • scalability
Pilot Projects • Desiderata • web-form management of the interface • distributed authentication (cross-vendor) • distributed ILL • draw database vendors into Z39.50 interoperability debate
Pilot Projects • Portal Management System • management of online resources using backend databases • separation of content and presentation • flexible enough to allow easy development of new systems • supports collaborative development
Pilot Projects • Prototype: XML/XSLT • pathfinder system • using Apache's Cocoon • using Dublin Core • looking at integration with SiteSearch
Pilot Projects • But… what about CORC? • commercial version for release in July • let OCLC implement DC, bibliographic database • interface management à la WebZ • integration with Database Builder
Pilot Projects • MyLibrary • two levels: • customization of WebZ environment • full MyLibrary toolkit for library websites • not there yet • persistent User State Object?
Conclusions • extending SiteSearch from resource discovery to resource development and management • collaboration is the key • using the web to lower the technical barriers