 Introduction
The European Library
(TEL) Project [1]
completed at the end of January 2004. The key aim of TEL was
to investigate the feasibility of establishing a new
Pan-European service which would ultimately give access to the
combined resources of the national libraries of Europe [2].
The project was partly funded by the European Commission as an
accompanying measure under the cultural heritage applications
area of Key Action 3 of the Information Societies Technology
(IST) research programme. The project ran for 36 months with
the following partners: the Conference of European National
Librarians (CENL), the national libraries of Finland, Germany,
Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, Switzerland and the
United Kingdom, along with ICCU, the national central
cataloguing institute from Italy.
The main strands of work in
the accompanying measure were:
At the end of
the accompanying measure the partners had established with
sufficient confidence that it was feasible to develop an
operational service on the basis of the work done. Development
of the service, to be known as "The European Library", started
in January 2004 and the first version of it is expected to be
launched by late 2004 - early
2005.
The Nature of The European
Library Service
The European
Library service will be a portal which offers integrated
access to the combined resources of the national libraries of
Europe. It will offer free searching for both digital and
non-digital resources and will deliver digital objects - some
free, some priced. At launch there will be no central
authentication mechanisms, any authentication will be carried
out via services offered by the national libraries themselves.
There will be limited multi-lingual features at launch - the
partners are committed to multi-lingual interfaces, with links
to translation services, but there will be no integrated
multi-lingual search facility. A languages working group will
be set up to investigate the development of multi-lingual
searching. The service will grow incrementally - both in terms
of collections available and additional contributing
partners.
What is unique about The
European Library:
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It will bring
together on the desktop disparate collections and will
allow for cross-collection
searching
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It will present
integrated results and will deliver digital
objects
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It will enable types
of collection-level searching which would otherwise be
impossible
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It will be a major
contribution to research both in making resources widely
available and by making possible new connections through
exploitation of a huge virtual library collection - The
European Library will itself encourage new
research
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The European
Library will be integrated at a service level with Gabriel
[3], the World Wide Web service for the 43 European national
libraries represented in the Conference of European National
Librarians (CENL). The mission of Gabriel is to provide
information about Europe's national libraries, their
collections and their services in order to facilitate access
to them, and to foster the development of new services based
on a shared infrastructure. Given the closeness of purpose of
Gabriel and TEL, it has become clear that there is synergy
between Gabriel and the proposed European Library operational
service.
The European
Library service is aimed at informed citizens world wide who
want a powerful and simple way of finding European cultural
resources. Moreover, it is expected to attract researchers as
there will be a vast virtual collection of material from all
disciplines. It will offer anyone with an interest a simple
route to access European cultural
resources.
Technical
solution
The technical
starting point at the beginning of the project was the
heterogeneous nature of access to the data of the partner
libraries: some offered access to bibliographic data via the
Z39.50 protocol, some did not. Furthermore, not all
collections were included in the Online Public Access
Catalogues (OPACs) of the national
libraries.
The first task
for TEL was to find a solution for pooling the metadata of all
collections and to offer solutions for integrated search. Two
testbeds were established: one for Z39.50 targets and one for
the metadata not offered via Z39.50 for which a different
protocol was required. For this data it was decided to use the
Extensible Markup Language (XML) as the record structure and
HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol). The Z39.50 testbed was
built up at Die Deutsche Bibliothek (DDB), while the HTTP /XML
testbed was established by the Koninklijke Bibliotheek (KB) in
The
Hague.
Meanwhile the
Open Archives Initiative (OAI) published the Open Archives
Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH). This
protocol was adopted by TEL for the harvesting of metadata for
the central index of those resources not available via
Z39.50.
While the
Z39.50 testbed already offered all functionality necessary for
search and retrieve, the HTTP/XML testbed lacked the required
search functionality. This was achieved by indexing the XML
metadata and adding an interface for
searching.
SRU Protocol
During the time
the decision for a search protocol was on the TEL agenda, the
ZING initiative (Z39.50 International Next Generation)
developed a new search protocol called SRW (Search and
Retrieve for the Web). SRW is a Web-based protocol which aims
to integrate access across networked resources and to promote
interoperability between distributed databases by providing a
common platform. A sibling of this protocol is the SRU
protocol (Search and Retrieve for the Web using Unified
Resource Locators) [4] which places the search parameters
within the URL. At present this is considered to be simpler to
implement within web browsers than say, the Simple Object
Access Protocol (SOAP). For this reason the SRU protocol was
adopted for the HTTP/XML
testbed.
Fig. 1: SRU portal for The European
Library
Another task of the technical
workpackage of TEL was to explore how these different
approaches could be integrated into some kind of portal. Using
a portal would allow the potential user access to all
information and services offered by the participating
databases and servers. The workpackage produced an exhaustive
list of requirements for the portal software which was sent
out to nine software vendors in a 'Call for Information'. It
was expected that this Call would help to recommend a specific
portal software for the eventual TEL service. None of the
responses from vendors fully matched the requirements and it
became clear that significant costs and implementation effort
would be involved. The project partners began to explore
alternative solutions for the integration of the distributed
and centralised resources.
Meanwhile the
client component of the HTTP/XML testbed had been improved
significantly, evolving from a simple testbed to an elaborated
SRU search interface which proved to be fast and stable. The
success of this development prompted the idea of integrating
Z39.50 searching into the SRU client through the use of a
protocol converter. SRU searches would be converted into
Z39.50 searches and the associated responses converted back
from Z39.50 to
SRU.
In order to
test this concept a prototype gateway was developed to convert
between SRU and Z39.50 searches. Using an open source Python
implementation of ZOOM, (The Z39.50 Object Model, another
development arising from ZING), this proved a simple task and
the outline concept was quickly proved. The initial prototype
is now being developed into a fully working SRU/Z39.50 gateway
on which the TEL service will be based. The software will be
open source [5]. The gateway can be both centralised and
distributed amongst the TEL participants, the central gateway
being used for Z39.50 targets that are not under the control
of The European
Library.
Functionality of the SRU
Portal
The aim of The
European Library is to offer integrated access to the
collections and catalogues of the European national libraries.
This is achieved by encoding collection descriptions as
metadata records within the central database. TEL participants
can incorporate new collections and catalogues into The
European Library by adding new records. The collection
descriptions contain data which identify the mechanism for
searching a collection or catalogue. Thus the user, by
searching for and making specific collection descriptions can
invoke new searches selectively or simultaneously across the
chosen collections and catalogues. The services available
through the portal are thus
data-driven.
The SRU
protocol generates the search result in a common format using
XML encoding. To transform a collection-level description or
an object record into a user display, the XML is converted by
XSL style sheets to XHTML, which incorporates JavaScript
functions to provide the user interface. These functions
include for example the selection of collections, simultaneous
searching, help and invoking a service for a particular object
record. The services available include direct links to
documents, access to linking services using OpenURL,
translations, searches generated from the content of specific
fields and other services such as document
requesting.
As the user
interface is driven by the use of style sheets, an alternative
presentation of the interface can be provided by the use of a
different style sheet. This feature will be used to
accommodate the large number of native language interfaces
that will need to be supported by The European Library. But
the feature can also be used by TEL participants to tailor the
system to their own requirements, including the addition of
their own collection
descriptions.
Thanks to this
solution the implementation of a central portal became
superfluous. Instead the TEL portal runs in the user's browser
and the partners keep the control over the functionality and
the collection and catalogues through the use of collection
description records. As a result the solution has some
interesting characteristics in terms of scalability. For
example, the portal is highly distributed thus avoiding
bottlenecks typically associated with a central
portal.
The solution to
integrate both Z39.50 and SRU searches into the portal system
was reviewed and strongly recommended by an external
expert.
Although TEL
had never intended to develop a prototype for the TEL service,
it turned out that the project finished with a prototype which
serves as a basis for the implementation of the functional TEL
service.
Metadata
Development
To obtain
satisfactory search results from a distributed retrieval in
heterogeneous data, as far as possible, homogeneous metadata
are necessary. To obtain this, a TEL application profile for
metadata was developed during the TEL Project. Metadata to
search, find, identify, describe and give access to materials
and related services are required. The TEL partners as well as
publishers all produce and use metadata but the formats, the
terminology and the classifications into groups are quite
different.
It was the task
of the metadata workpackage of TEL to develop a TEL metadata
model which would facilitate effective access to the
collections of the libraries via The European Library. At the
beginning of the project XML was chosen as the record syntax
because most relevant formats can be converted to XML in a
reversible way without information loss. Moreover, with regard
to the semantic aspect, it was decided to use the Dublin Core
Library Application Profile (DC-Lib) as the starting point.
Dublin Core Simple was expected to be too limited for the
purposes of
TEL.
To determine
which metadata might be needed, current and potential services
and functionalities related to publication types had to be
investigated. The defined functionalities for TEL and the
DC-Lib were mapped in a matrix, missing elements were added
and so the TEL application profile was developed. A TEL
namespace was introduced for the TEL specific elements,
refinements and encoding
schemes.
The user
scenario which the project group set up to determine which
metadata might be needed in TEL, was as follows (with the
basic functions that will be addressed in
parentheses):
When a user accesses the TEL
portal:
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He will see a list of
collections and cata- logues and may select those he
would like to search (collection level
services)
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Then he enters the
query (search
service)
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He may get help in
entering the corect terms from a name authority file
(authority
service)
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or from a facility
that translates his query in different languages
(multilingual
service)
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The result will be a
list of short records that enables him to select the
relevant ones (identification and
description)
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Then he retrieves the
full record
(retrieval)
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and will further
inspect the metadata to determine whether this is the
object he wants to access (identification and
description)
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Next he will move up
or down in the object hierarchy or jump to related
metadata records
(navigation)
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or he may decide to
retrieve the object (link
service)
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Before that he wants
to know whether he has permission or the rights to
access the object or how he can obtain permission
(authorisation)
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and whether he has
the right equipment (hard- and
software)
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finally metadata
might be exchanged with other systems or
downloaded.
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The relations between functionality
and metadata can be expressed in a matrix (see
Figure 2). This matrix is subject
to continuous development. It will be adopted to
new technological and other developments in TEL (e. g. adding new collections
with special requirements). Therefore the matrix shown here is just
a snapshot and a starting point for further developments. Not all of
the functionalities in the matrix will be available in the service at
launch.
There is a distinction between
metadata that are used by the TEL portal and metadata that are
only used by the actual back-end services. The latter are not
part of the TEL application profile. The TEL portal may
neglect metadata that are present in metadata records but that
are not part of the application profile or may indicate the
presence of such metadata depending on the type of
presentation that has been selected.
Collection Level
Descriptions
In the eventual TEL service
collections will play an important role: TEL can be described
as a 'collection of collections'. As the number of collections
can become quite large the TEL user should be able to search
for a collection in the same way as searching for objects. For
this reason an application profile for collections has been
introduced additionally to the one for objects. With this
application profile metadata which describe collections
(collection-level descriptions) can be included in a search
which makes it possible not only to search in a collection but
also to search collections themselves. If a collection is part
of a search result, it can be transformed into a search target
so that the user can start a new search in this special
collection.
The Research Support Libraries
Programme (RSLP) initiated a number of relevant studies with
respect to collection-level descriptions and an extensive
study on this subject was carried out by Michael Heaney [6].
The metadata proposed in the RSLP model [7] is used as the
basis for the TEL application profile, with the namespace for
the collection description element set as it is expected to be
registered by the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative (DCMI).
During the development of the TEL
application profile it became clear that the model should
remain flexible because the TEL functionality would expand. A
controlled evolution of the application profile was needed to
introduce new collections and services. The TEL metadata
registry was set up to allow for such controlled evolution.
The registry contains all actual metadata terms and
characteristics as well as information about proposed,
rejected or obsolete elements. Furthermore it may contain
extra characteristics that are specifically meant for use in
TEL. The registry is open for inspection by anyone but
submission of proposals for new elements has to be done via
the national libraries only.
To maintain the TEL application
profile, the collection-level descriptions and the TEL
registry, and to guarantee a controlled evolution and
adjustment to future developments, the establishment of a
working group was considered to be sensible. This working
group will keep up with external developments on metadata
standards, metadata usage and protocols and will review these
for The European Library.
The
European Library and the Publishers
When the metadata of the collections
of European national libraries are offered by an integrated
search and access facility, enriched by links to local
services, the question of how to handle networked electronic
publications arises. From the technical point of view,
networked electronic publications could be offered very easily
to the end-user via the internet.
However, it is not only copyright
law that presents an obstacle in this respect. Publishers
submit their publications to deposit libraries (including all
national libraries) for archiving purposes without charge.
With regard to conventional materials usage is normally
limited to library reading rooms since deposit material is not
usually available for lending. The same agreements between
publishers and deposit libraries were applied in respect of
networked electronic material. Most national libraries are not
able to provide any e-business tools; therefore negotiations
with publishers about charging for networked deposit materials
supplied over the internet are currently impossible. But The
European Library's major potential still remains the provision
of access to the entire networked electronic material of the
partner libraries across the continent. Therefore only freely
available electronic networked publications and digitised
material from the national libraries will be available at the
start of The European Library together with the metadata of
conventional material.
Publisher Relations
The workpackage which dealt with
publisher relations during the project comprised two
objectives: to study the state of play in respect of the law
of digital deposit in Europe on the one hand, and the handling
of electronic publications in European national libraries on
the other. The aim of this workpackage was to reach a common
approach on negotiating legal and voluntary deposit agreements
with publishers and to establish co-operative approaches to
business, licensing and copyright matters.
The current situation in the
European national libraries and the view of the publishers
were determined by two questionnaires at the beginning of the
project. The results can be viewed at the TEL Project homepage
[1]. To summarise, one can say that deposit laws which include
networked electronic materials are few and far between in most
of Europe; however in many countries the deposit laws are
under revision with a view to adapting them to reflect the new
developments in publishing. Most of the national libraries
have made agreements with publishers on voluntary deposit of
electronic networked publications and are acquiring experience
in handling these materials. On the publishers' side, the
European working group CENL / FEP (Federation of European
Publishers) produced the CENL/FEP International Declaration on
the Deposit of Electronic Publications in 2001; this is now
under review again in order to take account of new
developments and the experience acquired since the declaration
was adopted by deposit libraries [8].
The publishers' view on The European
Library is mixed. On the one hand, they see the possibility of
new distribution channels by including their networked
electronic publications in the national bibliographies and
consequently in the catalogues of the national libraries. On
the other hand, they fear that their commercial interests
could be jeopardised. Provided it is possible to reach
individual agreements between publishers and national
libraries, especially concerning copyright matters and payment
for usage beyond the library reading room, the publishers are
willing to become partners of The European Library.
A lot of work has to be done before
the access to networked publications of commercial publishers
via The European Library can become a reality. The deposit
laws have to be amended and negotiations on deposit procedures
and the conditions of use have to be completed. Thereafter
agreement will have to be reached on the pricing of expanded
and remote access for off-site users. The introduction of
e-business tools in national libraries will be an essential
issue in such negotiations.
CENL
Resolution
The results of the TEL Project were
presented in detail at the TEL Final Conference at the
National Library of Lithuania in Vilnius on 24 September 2003
and at the Annual Meeting of the CENL the following day. The
TEL partners made an application to the CENL to merge the
project results and the Gabriel service into a single common
Web service entitled 'The European Library' under the business
model described below. The CENL adopted this unanimously and
therefore The European Library will be established after the
end of the project phase from February 2004 under the aegis of
the CENL.
Outlook
In effect The European Library will
become 'the public face of the CENL', steered by a board and
hosted by the Koninklijke Bibliotheek (KB) in The Hague,
Netherlands. The day-to-day work will be done by a small team
of 3-4 persons responsible for the management, marketing,
implementation and maintenance of the Web site and the portal,
as well as for the technical support of the
participants.
The European Library team will be
established in February 2004 and start to transfer the project
results into an operational service, including the parts of
Gabriel of interest to the public. The project Web site as
well as Gabriel will remain online until the launch of The
European Library which is planned for the end of 2004.
Initially there will be two levels
of participation in The European Library: basic and full
participation. All CENL libraries will be basic participants
at the outset, offering information about their libraries and
their services via The European Library service. Libraries
offering their metadata for the complete integrated search
facilities of The European Library will become full
participants. The original partners in the European
Commission-funded project will all be full participants at the
launch of the service and other national libraries will be
gradually assimilated once the service is launched.
It is the aim of The European
Library that all national libraries in the CENL will
eventually become full partners but this will remain a
medium-term objective. Other medium-term objectives are the
expansion of the functionality of The European Library e.g. by
integrating e-business tools and multilingual search
functions.
A Handbook will be available online
which describes all organisational, financial and technical
terms and conditions for participating in The European
Library. As one part of this Handbook a metadata handbook was
compiled. It comprises the TEL metadata application profile,
the TEL metadata registry and the database of the
collection-level descriptions. Furthermore it specifies the
requirements for the metadata to be accepted for TEL and it
contains tools, input forms and links to relevant
information.
References
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1. |
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Schwens, U., Solberg.
S., Woldering, B. and Dale, P. "The European Library
(TEL) - The Gate to Europe's Knowledge", Cultivate
Interactive, issue 5
,
1 October
2001 |
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Author Details
Dr Britta
Woldering, Senior Librarian, Die Deutsche Bibliothek (German
National Library) Frankfurt am Main, Germany. E-mail: woldering@dbf.ddb.de.
Web site is here
.
This article was
first published in Ariadne issue 38
, January 2004, and
is reproduced with
permission.
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