cybertools ® for libraries user’s group meeting 2001 review of past year technology business...

CyberTools® for Libraries User’s Group Meeting 2001

Review of Past Year•Technology•Business

Imminent TasksFuture PlansClosed Door SessionDiscussion


Imminent TasksFuture PlansClosed DoorDiscussion

Major Technology Accomplishments

• CyberTools for Libraries via Application Service Provider (ASP)• Firewall and Proxy Server Implementations• MeSH 2001• Circulation is complete• MARC Utilities and Authorities are complete• Completion of Serials• Lots of fine tuning to the OPAC• Completion of OPAC in HTML & JavaScript• Z39.50 Server nearly completed

Application Service ProviderLeasing CyberTools for Libraries over the Web.It is below the cost of ownership for most libraries (staff < 10)

- own your own server costs $12 - $15 K /year in labor for backup, OS & app updates, security- libraries are low priority for IS groups

Brought in a T1 twice: 1st in July, then UUNET in Feb

T1 improved service to all.

ASP business is unlimited.

A S P



Firewalls and Proxy Servers

Issue: CyberTools uses Java on the browser.

Problems:1. Many firewalls may block Java going to the browser.2. The Java program on the browser connects back to the server via TCP/IP ports, but firewalls block may block such connections,and proxy servers automatically block them.

Solution: Java Remote Methods Invocation (RMI) which trafficsover port 80 (http, like a Web server).

Status: RMI is done, but it’s complex & can be slow.We will spend a few more days to test our own implementation.

Cost: One FTE spent 60% of his time on this all year.

Qualifiers went from approx. 800 to approx. 80

• form qualifiers

• geographic and language qualifiers• topical qualifiers of the form "in <age group>/pregnancy"

We automated all of these changes. This was a big job (6 weeks).

Notice: no MeSH updating allowed from now until June 25.



MeSH 2001

150% Circulation Complete

Released January 2000.Review with Rush in July showed operational complexities, now gone.GUI, but hands free. Not a re-tooling: really, second generation in CyberTools.

- Learn-as-you-go (LAYGO) for patrons in loans.- Automatic lookups for journal issues,

so you don’t need to bar-code issues for loaning.- Everything in old LIS is now implemented in CyberTools.- Create your own classes with loan periods, grace periods, & fines.

Circulation Class Window

200% MARC Utilities & Authorities CompleteLast year’s high points:

- Streamlined MARC bib processing- MARC 21 rules engine

Refined & debugged from last year’s first release.- No more ftp for MARC bibs- LAYGO LC Headings from MARC bib import- Authority lookups in the MARC bib editor- LAYGO Authorities- Copy bibs- Great label printing- Streamlined bib deletion upon deletion of last item- Call Numbers & LCCN sort correctly- Indexed series volume value: “Progress in Allergy 20”

Great feedback from new & potential customers! ASP experience: no problems.

Completed September 2000.

Still in Q/A due to other work, not due to problems with Serials.

Enhancements:- routing list can be expressed as e-mail notification- no typed commands

110% Completion of Serials

OPAC

Lots of fine tuning:- Monographic series volume lookup- Explode can optionally work like MEDLINE’s- Hyperlinks for analytically linked items- Link from foreign OPACs

Possible to handle Ovid’s Weblink- Diphthong fix for authorities (was in old LIS journals search

but nowhere else)

True KeyWord Out of Context index (KWOC) for all authorities,e.g., all title searching is now like the old LIS Journal Title Search.Also, Subject Search HIV yields “Anti-HIV” too.



OPAC in HTML & JavaScript

Why?

• Netscape 4 implemented the privileges incorrectly, making for countlessannoying permission windows which everyone hated. (Note that Netscape 6 got it right).

• Librarians want an HTML solution. They want the OPAC insidethe browser just like all the other OPACs.

• Firewalls & Proxy servers. No one can expect a patron to suffer through the connection problems.

View to the Monadnocks from a Harvard Hillside

Design of OPAC in HTML

Java servlet on the web server connects the application to the browser.Application sends HTML & JavaScript to the browser.

Implemented much of CyberTools “tools” to express HTML & JavaScript.

Thus, the Java OPAC and the HTML OPAC have the identical search engine, thus the same search results, OPAC Manager module (for word changes, etc.), & documentation.

HTML OPAC Benefits and Costs

Benefits:1. What users expect, solves a business problem.2. Easy connections.3. Always Fast.4. Reduces the number of Caché/M user license counts. 5. Better than III Millennium or Endeavor Voyager: recalls selections across pages, a better cross-page aging.

Costs: 1. Very difficult to program. 2. Limited in functionality.

HTML OPAC Windows

Your HTMLHeader

Your HTMLFooter

HTML OPAC WindowsYour HTMLHeader

Your HTMLFooter

Added title hyperlinks

HTML OPAC Windows

Your HTMLHeader

Your HTMLFooter

Z39.50 Progress

Working with ZedJava, a Z39.50 tool kit from Crossnet Systems Ltd. (www.crossnet.com). Used at the “British Library, German National Library, Royal Library of Sweden, French National Library, the OPAC Network in Europe project team and the European Space Agency Research Institute”, according to their Web site.

This proven technology handles the complex communications between our server and other Z39.50 servers & clients.

Status: 50% completed, derailed by firewall issues. 140 hours remaining.

Completion: end of July.



•HTML OPAC solves a significant business problem.

•ASP is unlimited business opportunity.

•Hundreds of leads. CyberTools is well accepted in health sciences & DoD.

•New key customer in December: AFRL in Rome, NY. Engineering library.Good exposure in DoD. Sharp, pleasant staff with new ideas.

•All former LIS sites have test system except for one.

•Several sites are using ODBC & Crystal Reports.



Business

Imminent Tasks

• Field test& rollout HTML OPAC.• Complete Q/A of Serials, field test & rollout.• Complete Q/A of remaining Circulation, field test & rollout.• Complete Q/A of remaining MARC Authorities, field test & rollout.• Material Type User Interface rollout.• Z39.50 completion, field test & rollout.


Imminent Tasks Future Plans Closed Door Discussion

Development this Summer

• MARC Bib CIP Editor. Very important for ASP & small sites.• MARC Tag Indexing Interface.• TOC searching and presentation in OPAC. • Claims processing.• Renews & Returns by Patron.• CORC Import.

Nashua River at Oxbow Wildlife Refuge

• Patron Accounting?

• Acquisitions to GUI?

• Subscriptions in Acquisitions?

• DDS/ILL needs? (Work with QuickDOC,i.e., fill in the gaps around QuickDOC such as interfacing to circ?)

• X12, EDIfact, or XML B2B for- purchase orders- invoices- claims- payments?

• Booking (note that Notes Hold is completed in OPAC)?• Ovid Weblink?• PubMed interface?• Electronic Reserves?


Imminent Tasks Future Plans Closed Door Discussion

Future Development Plans


Imminent Tasks Future Plans Closed Door Discussion Closed Door Session

Thank you

cybertools ® for libraries user’s group meeting 2001 review of past year technology business...

Documents

marc bib processing

complete marc utilities

web server

firewalls block

bib deletion

security libraries

proxy server implementations

libraries staff