University of Hull Library Systems

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University of Hull Library SystemsAn overview and development discussion paper

Introduction

1. Computer systems are today an integral part of the infrastructure used byacademic libraries to offer their range of services. Since libraries started adopting

such systems to support their work there have been constants, e.g., the librarycatalogue, and changes, e.g., the delivery mechanisms for bibliographic databases.

There have also been many advances, especially since the advent of the World WideWeb and the capability this brought to producing and providing information of many

different types and formats.

2. The broad use of computer systems to support library processes and services hasled to a situation where policy decisions often require a systems element to help

inform the path taken. To inform the systems element at Hull this paper provides anoverview of the current use of systems within the University of Hull Library, places

this in the context of wider trends in the use of systems by academic libraries,examines how systems can be used to their best advantage in supporting the role

the Library plays within the University, and make recommendations for putting thisinto practice.

Landscape

3. Academic libraries have long recognised the value of using computer systems to

support their work. The first online bibliographic databases emerged in the 1960s(e.g., Medline) and online catalogues were being introduced to university libraries

from the 1970s. Such systems sought to support how existing print-based materials

were managed. They were secondary information sources, and used to guide librarystaff and users to the primary source material.

4. As systems developed some primary information sources became available inelectronic format as well e g newspapers on CD-ROMs offering an alternative to


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electronic format as well e g newspapers on CD-ROMs offering an alternative to

Systems in use within the University of Hull Library

6. The University of Hull Library currently operates and makes use of the followingsystems:

7. Innovative Interfaces Millennium system

The library management system is the largest system in operation within the library,

as such a system is in most libraries. It is running the Millennium Silver editioncurrently, which is the most up-to-date pending Millennium 2005, and offers a

graphical, java-based user interface to all modules. The following modules are

available, with brief information on links to other systems and data:

Cataloguing

o Bibliographic records are entered manually and through downloads

from the CURL database and through Dawsons Fasttrack service (live

at Scarborough, under test at Hull)

Circulation, including management of user records

o The user record database receives data from Corporate Systems and

in turn feeds this into the SB Turnstile system. The 3M Self-Serviceterminals are reliant on interacting automatically with the Circulation

module and cannot work if this is not available Acquisitions

o Order records are created in Millennium and then have to be manually

re-entered into DREAM. Plans for connection between the twosystems have been scoped but not pursued as yet

Serials

o Bibliographic details are entered manually and through a feed from

Serials Solutions which provides data specifically for electronic journals

Interlibrary Loan

o This is used at Scarborough. At Hull ILLs are processed through the

Lancaster Interlibrary Loan system

Electronic Resource Management (ERM)

o This new module can also receive feeds from Serials Solutions on


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8. Library website

Along with Millennium the library website is the route through which most usersinteract with library information and resources. The content of the website is

generated through the Content Management System. Currently, the library websiteoffers access to the following areas:

Information (all of these headings have sub-pages)o Customer Service

o Information skills

o Part Time learners

o Using other librarieso Using our libraries

Interactive services

o Web OPAC

o Electronic resources (compiled from the Electronic Information

Resources database, except where indicated)

E-journals information is supplied by Serials Solutions

E-books

Databases and reference workso LibHelp

o InfoVoyager information skills/literacy materials (these are advertised

as a directly linked service)

9. Port.hull

The library has a growing presence on port.hull within the Libraries section. Thisprovides a combination of links to library services and additional information that is

not found on the library website and which is targeted more at an internal audience.

Information

o Donations policy

o Ordering new materials


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available for users to search and browse the electronic journal subscriptions by title,subject area and publisher; this is available through the Library website.

12. Lancaster Interlibrary Loan system

This is a well-established management system for inter-library loans. It is the mainmethod for processing these at Hull, where a member of staff enters requests

manually from user forms.

13. CD-ROM network

The CD-ROM network is used to deliver a small number of individual CD-ROM

databases and resources that are not available via alternative routes. Titles are non-

renewing, i.e., they provide fixed data from past years. Access to the CD-ROMnetwork is via the EIR webpages. It is noted that the network will bedecommissioned once alternative standalone access facilities become available.

14. 3M self-issue terminals

These two terminals offer a rapid self-service circulation system that is availableduring library opening hours. The terminals act as electronic users of the Millennium

Circulation module and process both the issuing and return of loans.

15. SB Turnstile entry systemThis system manages entry to the library via the three turnstiles, plus access to the

24hour centre and Language Institute. It uses user record information fed fromMillennium, but maintains its own local copy of this for day-to-day use.

16. Sentient Discover

This service provides an externally hosted management facility for resource lists.This enables course and library information to be linked, enabling users to create

resource lists for courses and provide direct links from these to the relevant library

resource. The system is currently being tested and is not live.

17. See Appendix 2 for a graphical representation of how Millennium links to other

systems and how data flows between these.


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Managing information

19. All existing library systems can be linked to a need and desire to manageinformation that the library holds and has control over in a better and more effective

way. That is partly the purpose and role of a library. A combination of systems hasbeen put in place to help serve the existing work of the Library, e.g., the library

management system, and to provide services that are available because the systems

themselves enable functionality that wasnt possible before, e.g., online renewal.

20. Systems used within a library are largely focussed around the information that

the library holds, predominantly books and journals. The arrival of electronic

versions of these has, on the whole, not been met by great changes in the systemsavailable, but with adaptations to existing systems (e.g., the 856 MARC field used forURLs to resources). Systems such as Serials Solutions are now arriving to assist,

and have been welcomed by academic libraries to help manage the seemingly ever-increasing amount of electronic information now available. These externally hosted

systems reflect a releasing of the control exerted by a library over its information,which is made possible by the electronic nature of the information concerned.

21. In addition to the information a library holds, physical and electronic, there are

now also many sources of information available that the library has no control over,as they are freely available over the Web, e.g., directories, databases and the

myriad of webpages containing valuable information. Here, libraries are concernedwith the level of control that should be exerted over these resources, and to what

extent they should be corralled alongside held resources or left for users to use asthey see fit. There is a parallel here with grey literature. Mechanisms have been

established for dealing with such literature according to the needs of the library andthere may be value in applying these to openly available web resources.

22. Overall, a library can be regarded as part of a channel where the professionalskills available add value to the information passing down that channel frominformation provider to user. Both physical information (supplied by booksellers

etc.) and electronic information (provided either locally or afar, subscribed or free)


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o Millennium the heart of data management is the library management

system. It is likely that this will continue as the organisational centre

for most information. Different modules help to manage differentstages of the path between information provider and user. Add-on

modules such as ERM are adapting the system to help manage newtypes of information, such as licences.

o Content Management System through management of information in

the CMS, information is organised and structured for access through

the Library website.o Electronic Information Resources database used to organise and

manage the collection of databases and reference works that the

library both subscribes to and for managing those free resourcesincluded by the library

o CD-ROM network a means for organising and managing individual

resources in CD-ROM formato Serials Solutions as mentioned above, an externally hosted system

that allows electronic journal information to be organisedo Sentient Discover a system, also externally hosted, that manages

resource list information as well as linking this to course information.

User management how users of the library are managed in respect of their

use of the library

o Millennium the library management system is also at the heart of

managing user records for the library, fed by Corporate Systems from

staff and student databases.

o SB Turnstile entry system using the information provided to it, this

system manages which users can enter the library or not.

Circulation management managing the movement of physical items that are

held by the library locally or elsewhere

o

Millennium the Circulation module, of course, is at the centre ofcirculation management, linking up item and user records for loans,

renewals, and reservations etc. The ILL module is also used tomanage the circulation of items borrowed from other libraries.

3M lf i t i l ki b i b t li it d i l ti


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through the library website, though require dedicated client softwarefor use. The standalone option will present these resources through

dedicated client software on a single PC, separate from the website.o Serials Solutions this data management tool also provides a web

access route to the electronic journal information.o Sentient Discover users can use this as a means of linking to library

information in relation to their courses

24. There is clearly overlap in the roles performed by different systems. Millenniumis involved in all four areas, albeit through different modules. There is also a close

relationship between the systems used for data management and those used for

access management. This may be obvious data is managed behind the scenespartly to facilitate access to it but it is arguable that trying to do both can confusewhat the system is actually doing. Millennium separates the two by using different,

dedicated, modules: Cataloguing/Serials and the web OPAC; the ContentManagement System/Electronic Information Resources database and the Library

website/port.hull also carry out separate data and access management roles,respectively. Serials Solutions and Sentient Discover, on the other hand, provide

both, albeit that they may have separate structures behind the scenes that are notimmediately apparent. In implementing such systems, particularly where they are

externally hosted, the balance between how good they are at data management andaccess management will determine how valuable they are to Library staff and users

as a whole.

25. If one type of management is emphasised more than another, then the othermay suffer. Serials Solutions offers a very valuable data management role, assisting

with the plethora of electronic journal subscriptions, both individual and batch, and

they have clearly tapped into an area where academic libraries have struggled tokeep up. They provide access management through the website they provide for

each institution, allowing users a structured way of accessing the different titles. Butnote that this user access is structured differently to existing access methodsprovided for users within the Library, particularly as access to the same materials is

also available through the web OPAC here at Hull without using the Serials Solutions


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The user view and how this affects management

28. Users at the University of Hull currently have the following interaction points withlibrary systems and information:

Millennium web OPAC for many this is the library, and the first place they

visit to find information.

Library website the other major source of information for users, both for

information about the way the library works and for access to resources. It isthrough the Library website that systems such as the Electronic Information

Resources database and Serials Solutions are accessed; there is no separation

to the user. Whether Sentient Discover is managed in this way or as aseparate entity is to be determined. The Library does deliver two separately

advertised websites: the Electronic Short Loan service and InfoVoyager

port.hull complementing the Library website, this provides access to

information appropriate for an internal audience

CD-ROM standalone facility when available this will be a single point of

access within the library

3M self-issue terminals access for the users onto the Circulation module of

Millennium, albeit that this is hidden behind the loan process being carried out

Library network infrastructure users make use of the PC clusters andwireless networking to access Library and other sources of informations

29. With certain obvious exceptions due to physical location, interaction with library

systems does not have to take place in the library, as the majority of them are web-based and therefore accessible through any browser. It is likely that the majority of

interaction is outside the library. As such, the Library is one place amongst many on

the web that users go to as part of their learning, teaching or research. Thepresence of the Library on the web needs to take into account the expectations that

users have for what websites can provide and how they are used and interactedwith. Jakob Nielsen, a renowned usability expert, states that users will spend most

of their time on other sites and their expectations of how a website should be used

will be based around these and not the library2. The CREE project user requirements


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Related information trends

31. Library systems help to communicate information between the library and itsusers. In addressing which library systems are valuable, it is thus useful to explore

further some of the trends in information that are taking place.

32. Information literacy

Information literacy is a relatively new though increasingly common term, referringto the ability of individuals to interact with information effectively. The more

resources become available, the more interfaces and search systems the user has to

learn in order to make use of them, and information literacy, or information skills,

training seeks to provide the user with the requisite skill to do this effectively4

. Thecomplexity of learning many systems would seem to fly in the face of the evidencedescribed earlier of users wanting ease of use and quick linking. Notwithstanding

this, the interest that users show once they have been drawn in offers theopportunity to provide them with greater skills for making better use of available

resources. The commercial information suppliers are also not going to change theirspots overnight, and, unless it is suddenly agreed that all information will be placed

in one repository and accessed through one interface, a degree of informationliteracy will be required. CREE also found that users are far more likely to use a

resource once they know about it and have had it explained to them; informationliteracy is thus a non-technical means in which users are linked to what they need.

33. Disintermediation

The resources that a library makes available via the web can be accessed either bygoing through the library website or, in many cases, linked to directly through

personal bookmarking. The latter trend has resulted in a growing sense ofdisintermediation, where the library is not seen as the provider or mediator of the

information being used. This has implications on the role the library is seen as

providing, and also can prevent the library from making additional services availablethat relate to the resource being used. In addressing this, there is potential formaking library webpages the most useful start points for access to resources, so that

users bookmark these instead (or as well).


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services. Many library services are used in the context of the library, not in thecontext of the user. However, there is clear value to be gained from enabling

greater use of library services in the context of the users learning, teaching orresearch. Taking the library services out of the library and into the users

environment helps achieve this. There is no doubt that in doing so the risk ofincreased disintermediation increases, but it can also allow the library to raise its

profile and the profile of the services it provides.

36. Information provider role

For the majority of information, the library is acting as an information consumer.

The library is taking information that originates from elsewhere, adding value and

presenting this to users. With the advent of institutional and other types ofrepositories, the library is in a position to become an information provider ororiginator on behalf of the institution. This has implications for how the information is

managed, the value that can be added, and how it is accessed. It is also a changingrole for a library, but one that can enable it to apply its existing data and access

management skills beyond the existing confines of current services.

37. Personal information and personalisationIt is not only the Library that can act as an information provider within an institution.

Many individuals, through their own websites or personal databases, are informationproviders as well. Clifford Lynch from CNI, in a talk given in January 20056,

suggested that personal information stores, or at least the capability of individuals tomanage large amounts of data wherever it is located, are likely to increase. Is there

a role for the Library in assisting individuals doing this?

38. This approach is at the other end of the spectrum to the Library offeringpersonalisation of its services, where the individual is not managing their own

information but has a personal view on the librarys information. Such a trend has

been identified within the recent SCONUL vision for 20107. This potentially enablesaspects of access management to be passed to the user, but relies on the underlyingdata management to make it possible. An example of how such personalisation

might take place within a portal is the use of the MyLibrary program within uPortal at


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39.Authentication and authorisation

The ATHENS system has now been in use since 1997 and has proved an effectiveand national option for HE and FE institutions in the UK. The use of a singleusername and password to access multiple resources was a huge boon at the time,

when quite often a different username was required for each resource. However, theflexibility now required for providing access across resources cannot be met through


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Trends in existing Library systems

40. As the last 10 years since the advent of the Web have shown clearly, technologydoes not stand still. In the library sector this is very much the case. Where are

trends moving in regard of Hulls existing systems, and how much will these impacton how these systems are run?

41. Library management systemsIn the changing technical environment, library management system companies have

been remarkably stable and adaptable. For academic libraries the majority of the

companies active today in the UK are the same as before the Web, with only a

couple of additions. Most provide a basic package of functionality focused on themanagement of physical library stock and have adapted and extended this to copewith electronic materials (through extra modules). To what extent this adaptation

will suit the long-term is uncertain, though an endpoint is likely to be reached. It isnoticeable that a small number of companies have re-launched themselves with

systems that manage the information landscape for the library as a unified whole(e.g., GEACs VUBIS system). These have not taken off widely as yet, but it will be

interesting to see how the large system vendors develop their products over time tomatch this, as they will probably have to.

42. In the context of Hull, Innovative Interfaces has established itself as one of the

largest and most stable of system vendors (with the 4th highest number ofinstallations worldwide in 2003)9. The system has been in use here at Hull for over

10 years and provides all the basic functionality required for the library. Beyond thebasic system modules there are also a large number of additional products and areas

of functionality that are available to expand the services available through thesystem. A close eye should be kept on these developments and they should be

assessed against perceived need and benefit on a regular basis, budget permitting.

The company is continuously seeking development partners for new functionality ande-SIG is exploring how we might play a part in these developments and enableMillennium to be opened up for better integration with other institutional systems.


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information and resources. A discussion of the balance between the library websiteand the portal is given in paragraphs 51 and 52.

46. The library website

Alongside Millennium, the library website is the main point of access for libraryinformation and services. The level and type of information presented varies across

libraries, though a survey of Hulls comparator university libraries revealed a

relatively common set of attributes. In drawing users into using library services, thewebsite is a key decision point that determines whether a user pursues an enquiry

further. As such, the usability of the website is a critical factor. Discussions on the

usability4lib discussion list12 suggest that there is no one clear solution to suit all

users, but that there are ways in which a website can be enhanced to make it easierto use overall. The library website is also very much under the librarys control, asituation should be taken advantage of.

47. In designing a library website there is a balance to be struck between how the

information a library wishes to present to users and the interactive services availableare presented. It is valuable to distinguish between these, so that a user is clear

about what they can do when on any one webpage. It can be disconcerting toexpect one thing and for another to happen and this can potentially discourage use.

For experienced users, quick links to the interactive services are likely to bepreferred without having to work through associated information about them.

48. Many library websites offer themselves as a resource to be used as required. But

the library website can also be used to guide people to what they are after in a moreproactive fashion, for example, the Finding approach at the University of

Rochester13 (it is no coincidence that this is where the usability4web list is based).They can also be used to integrate external services and show how they can be

linked into local services, e.g., the integration of Google Scholar at Georgia State

University14

. These services reflect the ability of the library website to help usersfind information without them needing to necessarily understand how the library isstructured and works. Proactive use of webpages like these greatly enhances the

ability of users to find the most appropriate and useful information when they require


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developed portlets that allow the user to remain within the portal for at least theinitial stages of a search, before being passed to the service outside the portal. This

approach is being tested with users during the project. The trend of providinginteraction, however, is one that is likely to develop further as portals extend the

range of services available through them.

51. Another means of providing information through a portal is using RSS. As

port.hull develops, the scope for delivering library news, training timetables,database/stock updates etc via this means will increase and is likely to be a key

means of pushing library information and services to users. RSS does not require

portals for presentation, though, as there are many RSS readers commonly available

already. An assessment of the current awareness and availability of these will informthe value RSS feeds may have both now and in the future. Delivering content viaRSS does not mean duplicating the content; content held in the web content

management system can be used in multiple ways, enabling many disseminationroutes from one source.

52. The question of whether the portal or the library website should be consideredthe first point of contact with the library is a debate that has come up at Hull and

elsewhere. As the examples described above and experience within the CREE projectshow the portal cannot currently reproduce the functionality of the interactive

services it seeks to surface. There is always a point at which the user needs to bepassed to the service or resource itself. The portal is a route through which more

users can be made aware of library services and where these can be associated withother institutional systems and processes. It will not negate the need for other

access points to these services. The most important aspect is the decision at whichthe user is passed out of the portal and that this should be clear and understandable.

53. This is not to say that everything needs to be presented in multiple ways(although, as mentioned above, the web content management system can enablethis from the same content if required). The existing use of the portal focuses on

presenting information that is only relevant to an internal audience. Which services


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listing of all electronic resources. The library catalogue can be included asone of these resources in most cases. Many such systems also allow the

cross-searching of resources directly.

56. Both options provide searchable access to these resources. Many of theelectronic materials are also recorded in Millennium, though this is not

comprehensive.

57. There has been a large increase in the implementation of library portal software

in the past two years amongst academic libraries. Many are adopting the additional

module that goes with their library management system, for obvious integration

purposes. A 2004 JISC study on library portals

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concluded that the main advantageseen by libraries was the data management benefits, allowing the ever-increasingrange of electronic materials to be better managed and organised. This has access

management benefits, as the increased organisation increased awareness of whatwas available, and subsequently increased use. The cross-searching, or federated or

metasearching, functionality that was also available was not considered to be asmuch of a benefit. Evidence from CREE suggests that cross-searching is considered

valuable by users, but only in certain circumstances; one concern was that cross-searching removed an element of control from the search. The full CREE user survey

and focus group reports will be available at Easter.

58. The primary technology to facilitate cross-searching is Z39.50. Far fewerdatabases than might be imagined are compliant with this standard and cross-

searching efforts have been limited as a result. There is much talk of metasearchingcurrently, making use of many different standards and then managing the results

before presentation to the user. This shows much promise and efforts will certainlyincrease in this area. It is not, however, very mature as yet, and careful

consideration needs to be given to how such search facilities are presented to users

to avoid confusion.

59. One group of electronic materials that is only available through the EIR are the


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academic libraries. Budgetary considerations and collection development strategiesmean many libraries are having to cut stock, particularly journals, and this may well

lead to increased requests.

62. Although ILL as a service has been an integral part of most libraries for manyyears, library management systems have tended to struggle in implementing this

effectively. This is in part due to the US origins of most systems, where the local

interlibrary agreements within states and consortia have been too varied in theirnature to effectively reproduce within the systems. UK adaptations to enable the use

of the British Library have had to be designed, or existing lightweight modules

twisted to suit local needs. Neither has been ideal.

63. When a user makes a request there is an understanding that there will be acertain time before the request is delivered, due to the nature of the ILL process.

When a library processed ILLs because it didnt have the stock this was acceptable.The British Library and regional arrangements developed systems (e.g.,

Ariel/delivery via fax etc) that offered speedier delivery and a user chose to payextra if this was required. If ILLs result from stock having to be cancelled, then this

delay will not be accepted as much. The British Library can now deliver items withintwo hours. The availability of such services is likely to increase and systems to

support them and make the best use of them will be required.

64. From a users perspective, the ability to submit ILL requests easily andseamlessly will also assist the process and speed up delivery. This suggests online

requests and the ability to link this into a users searching, especially where an onlineversion is not directly available, so that a user does not reach a dead end in where

they can go next.

65. Serials Solutions/e-journal management

The academic library community has welcomed e-journal management tools such asSerials Solutions, TDNet and EBSCOHost. The raft of new e-journal packages andthe changes within these over time has meant the data management requirements

had become increasingly difficult locally, and outsourcing this has been the solution


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able to match Sentients service currently (with the possible exception of Talis).Experience at Hull and elsewhere has shown that there are a number of unresolved

issues in managing the data required to effect such links, but there is clearly a keendesire to provide this functionality. The standard for storing resource list material is

still relatively immature and its take-up uncertain. The risk, therefore, of vendorlock-in needs to be assessed as part of using Sentient. The ability to link between

systems is clearly a driver here, though, bringing library materials and the teaching

process closer together.


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Library systems and technologies not in use at Hull and their trends

67. OpenURLThe NISO OpenURL 1.0 standard enables dynamic linking between resources

according to the context of a search. In delivering any information services to a useran important factor to bear in mind is what can the user do next?. If a user hits a

dead-end then this can simply lead to frustration with the services being made

available. Providing options to follow on logically from what they have been doingallows the user to determine when to stop, not the system.

68. OpenURL is one way in which such linking to subsequent information and

services can take place, and a very powerful one too. The linking is encapsulatedwithin URLs using a standard format: URLs that can be quoted independently withinother systems such as portals, VLEs and standard webpages. Most major library

management systems vendors, including Innovative, now offer an OpenURL resolver,which takes the OpenURL and interprets which resources to dynamically link to.

Content providers such as EBSCO and OVID and data management providers such asSerials Solutions are also marketing such a system.

69. Resolver systems are not complicated the added value comes from the

knowledgebase that comes with the resolver. This maintains a record of all availableresources that can be linked to and the resolver uses this to present the user with a

range of options. The ERM module within Millennium carries out this role, andInnovative have indicated their intention to use this common database for the two

services.

70. In summary, OpenURL allows contextual and dynamic linking between resourcesto take place, leading users onto sources of information they may not know about

and speeding up the process of finding what they want and need.

71. Metasearch (otherwise known as cross-searching or federated Search)As mentioned earlier, systems to facilitate cross-searching are increasing in their

popularity albeit that the primary motive for obtaining such a system may be one of


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combinations of these.

73. Two of the most common uses of a repository are for learning objects and forresearch outputs, with the latter also linked to the open access publishing

movement. e-SIG is investigating both with a view to recommending systems forthe University to adopt. In every eventuality, though, system implementation will

need to occur alongside major advocacy efforts to explain to users the role and

benefits the repositories will bring.

74. RFID Radio Frequency Identification

This is a mechansim that can be used for both the security of items and their

tracking through circulation and movement around a library. Instead of requiring alaser to scan the barcodes, RFID tags use radio waves and can be picked up far moreeasily. It has been suggested that issuing a book simply requires a user to walk

through a designated area where the reader picks up on the user and item barcodesand processes the loan. Usage of this technology has generated a lot of interest but

not a great deal of usage as yet, largely due to the high cost of the tags and theneed to re-tag every item (as well as user cards). Whether the perceived throughput

advantages outweigh this remain to be seen.

75. XMLXML is used already within the University for various means, not least in the portal

(RSS is an XML format) and web content management system. However, its use canunlock the availability of a great deal of data and content that is not easily available;

its increased usage would also provide a greater level of flexibility in how servicesare delivered. Innovative have developed a couple of XML modules to assist with

processing such data, and repository systems are making heavy use of it. A greaterawareness and identification of the possibilities of XML will be of value in considering

future data management solutions.

76. In particular, the use of Web Services relies on the use of XML. As WebServices become more common as the method by which systems communicate and

pass data, the use of XML will increase. Although this usage will be largely hidden


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are kinds of this service. These were designed to be to be provided away from thelibrary in the first place, though. A more recent trend has been the provision of ASP

solutions for systems that have been usually hosted locally. The University of Bath,for example, is using the SFX OpenURL resolver service from Ex Libris; this is being

hosted and maintained by Ex Libris on a server in the US.


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Integration with other institutional systems

79. It is not possible to consider library systems in isolation from other institutionalsystems. That is not to say that users do not see them in isolation, as their

development within universities has been largely isolated. The Web has changed thisto the extent that many institutional systems are now accessible via the institutions

website and thereby are connected at a surface level. The portal at Hull takes this

further by bringing systems and information together in an organised space. Takinga lead from the management of information, below are two levels at which system

integration can take place; each need to be considered when developing systems.

80. Integration of data the ability for data to be transferred between systems asrequiredWithin the Library there is already limited integration of data, both where data is

exchanged between different Library systems and where data is fed into Librarysystems from external systems, predominantly Corporate Systems. See Appendix 2

for a diagram describing this. It is certainly the case, though, that integration ofdata between library and corporate systems could go further and be more

automated. An analysis of where it would be desirable to integrate data moreextensively or better will be beneficial in planning further integration.

81. Integration of access the ability of users to move between and use systems in

a coherent way as their needs dictate.The portal provides some means of doing this, and this will develop as portal

standards allow greater surfacing of interactive services. The CREE project foundthat having multiple windows open onto different services was a common way of

managing personal access to a range of different systems. There was a sense ofcontrol here and a suspicion that greater integration might mean this control was

lost. This user perception will be a key factor in enabling and developing further

integration.

82. One aspect of integrating access is to understand how users make use of the

information they are accessing. Evaluation studies for JISC by CERLIM at


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Recommendations

84. The following recommendations are based on the overview of library systemsand consideration of them in this paper. They are generic in nature and are intended

to inform and underpin analysis and development of systems. Specificrecommendations are made where applicable.

85. Adding value to the informationComputers work on the principle that information goes in and then comes out again,

often having been processed. This processing adds value to the information. The

information that a library manages and provides access to can be regarded as

flowing in the same way; information comes into the library, is processed, addingvalue to it, and then made available to users. In planning library systems to supportthis workflow, it is valuable to think of what value these systems are adding to the

information. How are they enhancing data management to support the running ofthe library? How are they enhancing access management and making the

information available to users in a way that they can make best use of it? How is theinformation coming in and how is it being passed out of the system?

86. It is recommended that the Library assess how it best adds value to the

information passing through it. This will help inform the systems required andensure they are suitable for the purpose of delivering appropriate services to users.

87. Linking mechanisms

In considering the workflow described above, different types or sources ofinformation can and need to be managed separately. This separation can be

artificial, though, and result in a skewed view of the information available to a user.Where it is possible to link between different types or sources of information there is

potential value to be added; the use of a tool like Sentient Discover highlights this.

As such, it will be useful to examine where links can be made and seek opportunitiesto make those links in both technical and non-technical ways.

88. It is recommended that the Library assess where links might be made between


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presents to users via a Web interface to an appropriate degree and depth. It isfurther recommended that the results of this testing be proactively used in the

development of systems and subsequent Web-delivered services. It is also furtherrecommended that the development of library systems should investigate, and

where relevant adopt, a use cases approach to ensure that a system achieves what itsets out to.

91. Data and access integrationThe integration of data and access builds on what it is possible to do through linking

mechanisms, though seeking to achieve this at a deeper level architecturally. A

service-oriented architecture is a way to provide a range of flexible system services

that can be combined or called as required. This allows flexible integration acrossinstitutional systems. Although a long-term goal, it can be informed by aconsideration of the value there would be in combining and integrating different

systems and processes. This assessment does not need to be limited to internalsystems, and can be applied to integration of external systems and services as well

(as in the CREE project).

92. It is recommended that the Library assess the value in integrating with otherinstitutional systems and the processes it would be valuable to enable through this

integration. It is further recommended that the Library consider possible externalservices and systems it would be of potential value to integrate

93. Organisation of resources

Evidence from the JISC library portals study indicated the benefits of providing clearorganisation of resources, as this then led to increased usage. With the decision that

the EIR database should be closed down at some stage in favour of another solution,there is an excellent opportunity to assess alternatives. Organisation of resources

needs to be assessed alongside how the resources will be accessed, whether singly

or jointly. Commercial library portals clearly provide the organisation and singleaccess, but have yet to fully crack the access possibilities of cross-searching. Inconsidering organisation it is important that access is considered, but that the access

possibilities do not overrule what clear organisation can provide to the user; it is


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Appendix 1 - Web OPAC vs. Library website/portal

There has been active debate in the past year on library discussion lists about thebalance of the role that the library website plays in contrast to the web OPAC as a

point of access to library resources. These discussions stem from two concerns:

The debate of whether to integrate or separate the provision of information

about physical and electronic materials, and to what extent. It is generallyaccepted that it is important to make users aware of both; the challenge is

how.

The desire to prevent user confusion when accessing all library resources.

The hybrid library projects in the late 1990s sought to bring the physical holdings of

a library alongside the electronic holdings in the way they were presented to theuser, seeking to provide equal presentation and awareness of both. Although all

very successful it is notable that the outputs from those projects were not adoptedon a large scale, even at the institutions hosting the projects, albeit that the ideas

have entered wider thinking. This was partly due to budgetary constraints, but also

because available systems did not permit the desired functionality to be implementedat the time.

The surfacing of physical and electronic holdings alongside each other has, inmany cases, fallen back on the library catalogue and web OPAC, where adaptations

of MARC have allowed records to be created for electronic materials. The newermodules produced by library management system vendors have tended to place

their emphasis on electronic materials rather than physical, accentuating the dividerather than easing it.

There are two approaches that can be followed to bring physical andelectronic materials together:

1. Develop records for all resources in one place so that they are retrievedthrough a search of this one place. This is most likely to be the librarycatalogue.

2. Develop records for all resources, but in separate places with a search facility


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Appendix 2

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Documents

University of Hull Library Systems