integrating library reserves and course management systems: aleph, rss, and sakai educause midwest...

Integrating Library Integrating Library Reserves and Course Reserves and Course

Management Management Systems: Aleph, RSS, Systems: Aleph, RSS,

and Sakaiand SakaiEDUCAUSE Midwest EDUCAUSE Midwest

Susan Hollar and Ryan Max Susan Hollar and Ryan Max Steinberg March 21, 2005 Steinberg March 21, 2005

Copyright Susan Hollar and Ryan Max Steinberg, 2005. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Copyright Susan Hollar and Ryan Max Steinberg, 2005. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License. To view a copy of this license, visit NonCommercial-NoDerivs License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/ or or send a letter to Creative Commons, 559 Nathan Abbott Way, Stanford, California 94305, USA.send a letter to Creative Commons, 559 Nathan Abbott Way, Stanford, California 94305, USA.

University of Michigan Library Susan Hollar and Ryan Max SteinbergALEPH, RSS, and Sakai

EDUCAUSE Midwest March 21st, 2005

The NeedThe Need

Students and instructors want easy Students and instructors want easy access to library course reserves access to library course reserves through CTools, the Sakai-based through CTools, the Sakai-based course management system course management system



Reserves Landscape Reserves Landscape

Course Management System

Instructor Digitized Material

Some Library EReserves

Library Building and Systems

EReserves

Books



ContextContext

Desired feature for several yearsDesired feature for several years Just completed ExLibris Aleph Just completed ExLibris Aleph

implementation implementation Established relationships with Established relationships with

CTools developers CTools developers



Challenges Challenges

Multiple systemsMultiple systems Library course reserves system(s)Library course reserves system(s) Registrar data (enterprise system)Registrar data (enterprise system) CTools (Sakai) CTools (Sakai) Library catalog (ExLibris Aleph) Library catalog (ExLibris Aleph)



Challenges Challenges

Multiple groups of people Multiple groups of people Students and instructorsStudents and instructors Reserves librarians Reserves librarians CTools programmers CTools programmers Library programmersLibrary programmers



SolutionSolution

Pilot Project: Use RSS Pilot Project: Use RSS to deliver course to deliver course

reserve information to reserve information to CTools CTools



Pieces: Library ReservesPieces: Library Reserves

Instructor requests reserves (print Instructor requests reserves (print and electronic) and electronic)

Reserves staff process requestReserves staff process request Unique course numbers assigned by Unique course numbers assigned by

reserves staff reserves staff Course and items cross-listed if Course and items cross-listed if

appropriate appropriate



Course Lookup ToolCourse Lookup Tool



Pieces: Registrar Data Pieces: Registrar Data

UMIAC : University of Michigan UMIAC : University of Michigan Infrastructure for Academic Infrastructure for Academic ComputingComputing

External to the libraryExternal to the library Used in multiple systems as glue Used in multiple systems as glue Simple APIs allow calls for:Simple APIs allow calls for:

Unique course number based on detailed course Unique course number based on detailed course stringstring

Personal course affiliation (restricted to regular Personal course affiliation (restricted to regular staff)staff)



Pieces: CToolsPieces: CTools

External to the libraryExternal to the library Dick Ellis (Sakai developer) repurposed Dick Ellis (Sakai developer) repurposed

the “News” Toolthe “News” Tool Instructors select the “Library Reserves” Instructors select the “Library Reserves”

tooltool Tool automatically generates a reserves Tool automatically generates a reserves

feed query at tool creation timefeed query at tool creation time Site owner can manually edit the feed Site owner can manually edit the feed

queryquery



Instructor Interface : Instructor Interface : Site Setup Site Setup



Instructor Interface : Instructor Interface : Tool Selection Tool Selection



Pieces: Aleph X-ServerPieces: Aleph X-Server

Managed and maintained within Managed and maintained within librarylibrary

Middleware sitting between user Middleware sitting between user programs and Alephprograms and Aleph

Responds to a set of simple APIsResponds to a set of simple APIs Receives and returns XMLReceives and returns XML Output is OAI XMLOutput is OAI XML



Glue: RSS BuilderGlue: RSS Builder

Library created, supported, and Library created, supported, and maintainedmaintained

Written in PHP and uses built-in Written in PHP and uses built-in XML processorXML processor

Simple : less than 1K lines of codeSimple : less than 1K lines of code Dispatcher between CTools, Dispatcher between CTools,

registrar data, and Alephregistrar data, and Aleph



Sequence Diagram Sequence Diagram CTools

feed request

unique course ID returned

RSS Builder Registrar Service X-Server

query data validated; course data sent

unique course ID sent as HTTP request

XML result set number and size returned

results returned as OAI XML

range of records requested

XML parsed, sorted, and formatted as RSS 0.92



User Interface : User Interface : Reserves Tool for Reserves Tool for

Students Students



User Interface : User Interface : Reserves FeedReserves Feed



User Interface : Aleph User Interface : Aleph



User Interface : User Interface : Reserves FeedReserves Feed



User Interface : User Interface : E Reserve ItemE Reserve Item



Use Statistics: CTools Use Statistics: CTools

Estimated 400 courses with Library Estimated 400 courses with Library Reserves tool activatedReserves tool activated

About 80 of these are multi-section About 80 of these are multi-section coursescourses

Total courses using the tool : 280 Total courses using the tool : 280

What about the other 120 courses?What about the other 120 courses? Test coursesTest courses Courses with no items on reserve but have the tool Courses with no items on reserve but have the tool

activated activated



Use Statistics: RSS Use Statistics: RSS Builder Builder

Just over 200 unique Just over 200 unique feedsfeeds



Use Across Disciplines Use Across Disciplines

No one department or discipline No one department or discipline using it a lot more than others using it a lot more than others

Representation across disciplines -Representation across disciplines - American Culture, Art, Biomedical, American Culture, Art, Biomedical,

Engineering, English, Education, Music, Engineering, English, Education, Music, Nursing, Political Science, Psychology, Nursing, Political Science, Psychology, Romance Languages, SociologyRomance Languages, Sociology



Technical IssuesTechnical Issues

Speed of Aleph X-Server responsesSpeed of Aleph X-Server responses Feeds are now cachedFeeds are now cached Record requests limited to 5 itemsRecord requests limited to 5 items

Section numbersSection numbers If a student instructor owns a site, does she have If a student instructor owns a site, does she have

her own reserves list or is the main course list her own reserves list or is the main course list more appropriate?more appropriate?

User section selection listUser section selection list

Multiple dependencies and points of Multiple dependencies and points of failurefailure



Social IssuesSocial Issues

Branding Branding



Social Issues Social Issues

User educationUser education Turning on tool is not the same as Turning on tool is not the same as

making a reserves requestmaking a reserves request Transitioning users to new system Transitioning users to new system

Coordination of technical help when Coordination of technical help when things breakthings break



Social IssuesSocial Issues

Work process dissemination to Work process dissemination to reserves staffreserves staff

““Unique” course numbersUnique” course numbers Registrar data has organizational Registrar data has organizational

odditiesoddities Divergent notions of termDivergent notions of term

LSA - 5 term academic yearLSA - 5 term academic year Medical School - 8 term academic year Medical School - 8 term academic year



ChallengesChallenges

Content too distant (sometimes in Content too distant (sometimes in print) print)

Lots of linksLots of links Perhaps RSS is too simple? Enhance Perhaps RSS is too simple? Enhance

item descriptions? Scrap RSS and just item descriptions? Scrap RSS and just link to native interface? link to native interface?

Support — guessing what people are Support — guessing what people are seeing seeing



Publicity Publicity

Soft Rollout Soft Rollout E-mail AnnouncementsE-mail Announcements CTools Message of the Day CTools Message of the Day Discovery in CTools Discovery in CTools



User Feedback: Students User Feedback: Students

Did you encounter any problems Did you encounter any problems when accessing Library Reserves via when accessing Library Reserves via CTools?CTools?

YesYes No No

14%14% 86%86%



User Feedback: StudentsUser Feedback: Students

““It works, it's just confusing. There It works, it's just confusing. There are too many steps to get to online are too many steps to get to online articles. It seems like you are articles. It seems like you are confronting the same options over confronting the same options over and over.”and over.”

““It seems straight forward to me the It seems straight forward to me the way it is way it is —— I have no suggestions for I have no suggestions for improvement.”improvement.”



User Feedback: User Feedback: Instructors Instructors

““It didn't work, but I contacted It didn't work, but I contacted CTools help and within a day, the CTools help and within a day, the problem was fixed.”problem was fixed.”

““I really love the link to CTools!”I really love the link to CTools!”



Tips for Collaboration Tips for Collaboration Make contact amongst the people who Make contact amongst the people who

know the nuts and bolts: Library Catalog, know the nuts and bolts: Library Catalog, CMS, reserves staff CMS, reserves staff

Be flexible Be flexible —— don’t require perfection don’t require perfection Respond to problems as a team and avoid Respond to problems as a team and avoid

finger pointing finger pointing Act quickly to resolve problems Act quickly to resolve problems Don’t get caught up in issues of territory Don’t get caught up in issues of territory



Current Library Sakai Current Library Sakai Activities Activities

Core Partner Institution Libraries and Core Partner Institution Libraries and Sakai Educational Partners Program Sakai Educational Partners Program

Pilot Library ProjectsPilot Library Projects Federated Searching (Twin Peaks @ Indiana) Federated Searching (Twin Peaks @ Indiana) Image CollectionsImage Collections Library Services Library Services Electronic Rights ManagementElectronic Rights Management Numeric DataNumeric Data

Sakai Website - Sakai Website - http://http://sakaiproject.orgsakaiproject.org



Questions? Questions?

Susan Hollar Susan Hollar

[email protected]@umich.edu

Ryan Max Steinberg Ryan Max Steinberg

[email protected]@umich.edu

integrating library reserves and course management systems: aleph, rss, and sakai educause midwest...

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