on the european (digital) library, 03-04-2007, library of congress, washington dc, usa

Olaf D. Janssen

The European Library Office

The Hague, The Netherlands

The European (Digital) Library

LoC, 03-04-07

1. National libraries in Europe

2. The European Library 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Common standards

3. Ingredients for successful European Digital Library

Structure of presentation

Europe – relevant institutions

European Union (EU)- Founded 1992- 27 members states- Major project funder

More www.eu.int

• Council of Europe (CoE)- Founded 1949- 46 member states, 800M people - Aim: to achieve a greater unity

between its members.

More www.coe.int

1. National libraries in Europe

Collaboration since 1987, since 1995 online

CENL : Conference of EuropeanNational Librarians (directors of NLs)

Mission of CENL: reinforce role of national libraries in Europe

Latest collaborative project is The European Library

National libraries in European context National library British Library, LoC 47 official national libraries – 45 countries

(Council of Europe)

1. National libraries in Europe

1. National libraries in Europe

2. The European Library 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Common standards

3. Ingredients for successful European Digital Library

Structure of presentation

2.1 Introduction

2.2 The European Library relies on common standards

A. Access protocols

B. Metadata

C. Collection descriptions

D. Multi-linguality

2. The European Library

TheEuropeanLibrary.org =- service of all 47 European national libraries

- to provide access to their

- catalogues & digital collections

- via 1 central multi-lingual web interface

- (= portal)

What is The European Library?

2.1 Introduction to The European Library

www.TheEuropeanLibrary.org

Background Origin in 2001: TELproject: 2.5y feasibility study funded

by EU and led by The British Library Intended to create operational service from start, so

business plan was part of TELproject

The European Library is live since 17 March 2005 (beta)

Currently owned by CENL, funded by the national libraries (NOT EU)

Development + maintenance by The European Library Office (Netherlands – 9 FTE)

2.1 Introduction to The European Library

Two types of participants

Full Participants : libraries whose catalogues and digital collections are included in The European Library portal (23)

Basic Participants : catalogues and digital collections not yet included (24)

2.1 Introduction to The European Library

Current + future Full Participants Now : 250+ collections from 23 national libraries:

Austria, UK, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy(2x), Latvia, Netherlands, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Poland, Cyprus, Malta, Lithuania, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia

End 2007 : 330 collections from 34 librariesSpain, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Belgium, Bulgaria & Roumenia

Mid 2009 : 400 collections from 44 librariesRussia (2x), former Sovjet republics, Albania, Bosnia…..

2.1 Introduction to The European Library

What’s Good about The European LibraryFor end-users

Have integrated access to catalogues & digital collections of national libraries of Europe

Quality-controlled deep web resources 250+ collections, 2.0M digital objects and 50M

metadata records

For the national libraries International showcase for collections Wider access to their collections & content Combined political mass greater marketing

and negotiation power. Platform for collaboration

2.1 Introduction to The European Library

2.1 Introduction

2.2 The European Library relies on common standards

A. Access protocols

B. Metadata

C. Collection descriptions

D. Multi-linguality

2. The European Library

The European Library = hybrid portal = federated search tool

Overall goal of The European Library = COLLABORATION Low implementation barrier for libraries is key!!

Different libraries demand different access protocols to access their collections

TEL infrastructure uses 4 protocols : OAI-PMH, Z39.50, SRU, OpenURL

The European Library portal queries 1 central index (90 harvested collections, OAI-PMH)

160 remote databases (Z39.50 & SRU)

2.2.A Access protocols in The European Library

Techniques / protocols used (I)

1. OAI-PMH (Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting)

OAI enabled collections have their metadata harvested, indexed and stored in TEL central index

Queries in these collections are queries in TEL central index

2.2.A Access protocols in The European Library

Harvesting via OAI-PMHTEL server(s)

OAI-PMH collection

TEL central index(90 coll.) OAI-PMH

harvesterOAI-PMH

collection

OAI-PMH collection

TEL server(s)

TEL central index

OAI-PMH

OAI-PMH collection

OAI-PMH collection

OAI-PMH collection

Harvesting via OAI-PMH

2. SRU (Search Retrieve via Url)SRU enabled collections are queried on-the-fly using this

protocol Direct communication with TEL-portal

3. Z39.50Z39.50 enabled collections are queried on-the-fly via a

Z39.50/SRU gateway

Z39.50/SRU gateway = translator (housed on TEL server)• Translates SRU requests to Z39.50 session vv.• Translates TEL portal search language (CQL) into

search language of Z39.50 target. • Converts record format of Z39.50 target into TEL

metadata format• Does character set conversions (Unicode)

2.2.A Access protocols in The European LibraryTechniques / protocols used (II)

4. OpenURL for linking to external webservices

2.2.A Access protocols in The European LibraryTechniques / protocols used (III)

Loading the TEL-portalTEL server(s)

central index

web server

http://www.theeuropeanlibrary.org

TEL portal only speaks &

understands SRU

Loading translations and collections (I)

TEL server(s)

central index

web server

http://www.theeuropeanlibrary.org

Loading translations and collections (II)

translations.xml : all translations needed to display the interface in the chosen language (20)

collections.xml : all collection descriptions needed to execute searches across the different collections

translations.xmlcollections.xml

SRU Z39.50

A. Search/retrieve in TEL central index via SRU

TEL server(s)

web server

query

OAI-harvested metadata= TEL central index SRUSRU

TEL portal only speaks &

understands SRU

B. Search/retrieve in SRU enabled remote collection

TEL server(s)

web server

query

central index

SRU

SRU

TEL portal only speaks &

understands SRU

TEL server(s)

web server

query

central index

SRU

Z39.50/SRUgateway SRU Z39.50

TEL portal only speaks &

understands SRU

C. Search/retrieve in Z39.50 enabled remote collection

Search/retrieve – all at once!

TEL server(s)

web server

query

central index

SRU

SRU

Z39.50/SRUgateway SRU Z39.50

SRU

2.1 Introduction

2.2 The European Library relies on common standards

A. Access protocols

B. Metadata

C. Collection descriptions

D. Multi-linguality

2. The European Library

All 50M records in The European Library are in same metadata format!!

Metadata TEL Application Profile for objects

Basis = Dublin Core+ Expanded with elements from other metadata sets+ Custom TEL elements

Mappings from MARC to TEL Application Profile Metadata elements functionality in TEL portal

2.2.B Metadata in The European Library

More info about TEL Application Profilefor objects

The European Library Handbook www.theeuropeanlibrary.org/handbook

2.2.B Metadata in The European Library

The European Library Handbookwww.theeuropeanlibrary.org/

handbook

2.1 Introduction

2.2 The European Library relies on common standards

A. Access protocols

B. Metadata

C. Collection descriptions

D. Multi-linguality

2. The European Library

All 250+ collection descriptions in The European Library are in same format!!

Collection descriptions TEL Application Profile for collections

Basis = Dublin Core+ Expanded with elements from other metadata sets+ Custom TEL elements

XML files describing each collection (name, content etc) Each collection description translated in 20 languages Helps users to select collections they want to search in

2.2.C Collection descriptions in The European Library

More info about TEL Application Profilefor collections

The European Library Handbook www.theeuropeanlibrary.org/handbook

2.2.C Collection descriptions in The European Library

The European Library Handbookwww.theeuropeanlibrary.org/

handbook

2.1 Introduction

2.2 The European Library relies on common standards

A. Access protocols

B. Metadata

C. Collection descriptions

D. Multi-linguality

2. The European Library

Multi-lingual access1. Portal interface in 20 languages : done!2. Portal help texts in 20 languages : done!3. Collection descriptions in 20 languages : done!

Multi-lingual search & retrieve1. Subject headings / controlled vocabularies : pilot

underway prototype 20082. Free text / uncontrolled vocabularies : major

challenge!!

2.2.D Multi-linguality in The European Library

Portal interface in 20 languages : English

2.2.D Multi-lingual access in The European Library

Portal interface in 20 languages : Danish

2.2.D Multi-lingual access in The European Library

Portal interface in 20 languages : Greek

2.2.D Multi-lingual access in The European Library

Portal helptexts in 20 languages : English

2.2.D Multi-lingual access in The European Library

Portal helptexts in 20 languages : Estonian

2.2.D Multi-lingual access in The European Library

Collection descriptions in English

2.2.D Multi-lingual access in The European Library

Collection descriptions in Maltese

2.2.D Multi-lingual access in The European Library

1. National libraries in Europe

2. The European Library 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Common standards

3. Ingredients for successful European Digital Library

Structure of presentation

European Digital Library =

- yet to be built - pan-European - multi-lingual portal - giving access to

digital cultural heritage

- from European libraries AND museums & archives

3. Ingredients for a successful European Digital Library

The European Library =

- operational - pan-European - multi-lingual portal - giving access to

digital cultural heritage

- from European libraries only

December 2004 : Google announces its Google Print initiative (digitse 4 major US libraries + Oxford UK)

January 2005: comments by Jean-Noël Jeanneney (president BnF) : Anglo-American dominance

Large press coverage: “Europe’s cultural war with Google”

French call for safeguarding the European cultural heritage: Backing from the leaders of six countries and 24 national libraries (CENL)

EU 2005 : “Creation of a European Digital Library is a strategic priority“

Short historical context

3. Ingredients for a successful European Digital Library

EU 2006 : “The European Library is a good starting point for a European Digital Library”

Timeline & Vision of the EU

3. Ingredients for a successful European Digital Library

Towards a European Digital Library

Why is The European Library a good starting point for a European Digital Library?

The European Library already has already created

Operational technological platform (portal)

Based on common open standards for metadata & access

Firm cooperative organisational framework (CENL - 20 years)

3. Ingredients for a successful European Digital Library

BUT…

A successful European Digital Library needs more ingredients

……

Look at 7 of them…. challenges

3. Ingredients for a successful European Digital Library

Challenge 1 Mass-digitisation of as many materials as possible

Challenge 2Long-time digital preservation of these digitised materials

3. Ingredients for a successful European Digital LibraryChallenges to tackle (1,2)

Mass-digitisation & preservation

Problem Only 4% of content in The European Library are digital objects Even lower %-tage is digitally preserved Solutions Mass-digitisation & preservation programmes Europe-wide

network of centres of competence

Hurdles1. Organisational : create synergies, avoid duplication of effort, create

public-private collaboration. 2. Content selection : choose from 1000s kms of printed materials; Ms

hours of film3. Technical : lower costs for digitisation & preservation while

maintaining a high quality.4. Legal : deal with the copyright issues

3. Ingredients for a successful European Digital LibraryChallenges to tackle (1,2)

Challenge 3More partners, esp. museums, archives, AV

Challenge 4Multilingual search & retrieval facilities Searching in German, finding texts in Spanish Start with controlled vocabularies (subject headings), uncontrolled vocabularies/free texts will be next step.

Challenge 5OAI + central index : prefer OAI-PMH + central index over Z39.50 or SRU remote collections- speed- sorting- ranking - de-duplication- virtual collections

3. Ingredients for a successful European Digital LibraryChallenges to tackle (3,4,5)

Challenge 6

Organisational modelsOwnership / governanceFunding modelsSustainability

Challenge 7

Copyright issues, publishers

All of these challenges are addressed in a series of EU co-funded projects 2007-2011

3. Ingredients for a successful European Digital LibraryChallenges to tackle (6,7)

Summary

Common and open standards for access and interoperability are essential for a European Digital Library

The European Library is the forerunner

Building a European Digital Library is a much a political & social game as it is a technological

Willingness to collaborate is key!!

3. Ingredients for a successful European Digital Library

www.TheEuropeanLibrary.org

olaf.janssen@kb.nl