Knowledge Bases and trends in Library Resource Management and Access

An update on the current environment

Marshall BreedingIndependent ConsultantFounder and Publisher, Library Technology Guideshttp://www.librarytechnology.org/http://twitter.com/mbreeding

03 March 2014 NII ERDB Member Meeting

Agenda National Institute of Informatics ERDB (Electronic Resources Database) Summarize findings and analysis of the

current state of the OpenURL Link Resolver and Knowledge Base arena

General Observations Both commercially produced and

community-based projects underway Commercial products currently are more

comprehensive with more sophisticated support mechanisms

Commercial: Serials Solutions: 360 Link / KnowledgeWorks Ex Libris: SFX / SFX Global Knowledgebase EBSCO: LinkSource / OCLC: WorldCat knowledge base

Non-commercial Products and projects

Simon Frasier University: CUFTS / GODOT

Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries Gold Rush

Kuali OLE Project Global Open Knowledge Base (GOKb)

Related Initiatives KBART

More standardized approach for information providers to deliver representations of their content products to KB providers

Project Transfer JISC initiative for shared services for

electronic resource management KnowledgeBase+ Open Discovery Initiative

Specifically related to index-based discovery

Future Directions

Transition away from Standalone Products

Knowledge bases were originally developed for OpenURL link resolution

Increasing emphasis on knowledgebase as part of the infrastructure of broader strategic platforms

Ex Libris: SFX Global KnowledgeBase will become part of the Community Catalog of Alma

Serials Solutions: KnowledgeWorks will expand to include print and other materials in support of Intota

OCLC: WorldCat Link Manager already discontinued in favor of WorldShare License Manager, WorldShare Management Services

EBSCO: Platform consolidation already underway between LinkSource, EBSCO A-to-Z, and EBSCO Discovery Services. No announcement of broader strategy yet announced.

Emerging Automation Models New genre of Library Services Platforms replacing

Integrated library Systems Support for multiple formats:

Print and physical media Electronic: subscribed and owned Digital: local and external collections of images, digital

recorded sound, video Globally shared metadata models: knowledge bases

that support appropriate formats Deployed through multi-tenant software as a service

platforms Open API’s for interoperability and extensibility

Integrated (for print) Library System

Circulation

BIB

Staff Interfaces:

Holding / Items

CircTransact User Vendor Policies$$$

Funds

Cataloging Acquisitions Serials OnlineCatalog

Public Interfaces:

Interfaces

BusinessLogic

DataStores

Fragmented Library Management LMS for management of (mostly) print Duplicative financial systems between library and local

government or other parent organization E-book lending platform (multiple?) Interlibrary loan (borrowing and lending) Self-service and AMH infrastructure Electronic Resource Management PC Scheduling and print management Event scheduling Digital Collections Management platforms (CONTENTdm, DigiTool,

etc.) Discovery-layer services for broader access to library collections No effective integration services / interoperability among

disconnected systems, non-aligned metadata schemes

LMS / ERM: Fragmented Model

Circulation

BIB

Staff Interfaces:

Holding / Items

CircTransactUserVendor Policies$$$

Funds

CatalogingAcquisitionsSerials OnlineCatalog

Public Interfaces:

Application Programming Interfaces`

LicenseManagement

LicenseTerms

E-resourceProcurement

VendorsE-JournalTitles

Protocols: CORE

Common approach for ERM

Circulation

BIB

Staff Interfaces:

Holding / Items

CircTransactUserVendor Policies$$$

Funds

CatalogingAcquisitionsSerials OnlineCatalog

Public Interfaces:

Application Programming Interfaces

Budget License Terms

Titles / Holdings

Vendors

Access Details

Comprehensive Resource Management No longer sensible to use different software

platforms for managing different types of library materials

ILS + ERM + OpenURL Resolver + Digital Asset management, etc. very inefficient model

Flexible platform capable of managing multiple type of library materials, multiple metadata formats, with appropriate workflows

Support for management of metadata in bulk Continuous lifecycle chain initiated before

publication

Library Services Platform Library-specific software. Designed to help libraries

automate their internal operations, manage collections, fulfillment requests, and deliver services

Services Service oriented architecture Exposes Web services and other API’s Facilitates the services libraries offer to their users

Platform General infrastructure for library automation Consistent with the concept of Platform as a Service Library programmers address the APIs of the platform to

extend functionality, create connections with other systems, dynamically interact with data

Library Services Platform Characteristics

Highly Shared data models Knowledgebase architecture Some may take hybrid approach to accommodate local

data stores Delivered through software as a service

Multi-tenant Unified workflows across formats and media Flexible metadata management

MARC – Dublin Core – VRA – MODS – ONIX Bibframe New structures not yet invented

Open APIs for extensibility and interoperability

Consolidated index

Search Engine

Unified Presentation LayerSearch:

Digital Coll

ProQuest

EBSCO…

JSTOR

Other Resour

ces

New Library Management Model

`API Layer

Library Services Platform

LearningManageme

nt

Enterprise ResourcePlanning

StockManageme

nt

Self-Check /

Automated Return

Authentication

Service

Smart Cad /

Payment systems

Discovery

Service

Library Services PlatformsCategory WorldSha

re Management Services

Alma Intota Sierra Services Platform

Kuali OLE

Responsible Organization

OCLC. Ex Libris Serials Solutions

Innovative Interfaces, Inc

Kuali Foundation

Key precepts Global network-level approach to management and discovery.

Consolidate workflows, unified management: print, electronic, digital; Hybrid data model

Knowledgebase driven. Pure multi-tenant SaaS

Service-oriented architectureTechnology uplift for Millennium ILS. More open source components, consolidated modules and workflows

Manage library resources in a format agnostic approach. Integration into the broader academic enterprise infrastructure

Software model

Proprietary Proprietary

Proprietary Proprietary Open Source

Library Services PlatformsCategory WorldSha

re Management Services

Alma Intota Sierra Services Platform

Kuali OLE

Responsible Organization

OCLC. Ex Libris Serials Solutions

Innovative Interfaces, Inc

Kuali Foundation

Key precepts Global network-level approach to management and discovery.

Consolidate workflows, unified management: print, electronic, digital; Hybrid data model

Knowledgebase driven. Pure multi-tenant SaaS

Service-oriented architectureTechnology uplift for Millennium ILS. More open source components, consolidated modules and workflows

Manage library resources in a format agnostic approach. Integration into the broader academic enterprise infrastructure

Software model

Proprietary Proprietary

Proprietary Proprietary Open Source

Web-scale Index-based DiscoverySearch:

Digital Collections

Web Site Content

Institutional

Repositories

…E-Journals

Reference Sources

Search Results

Pre-built harvesting and indexing

Consolidated Index

ILS Data

Aggregated Content packages

(2009- present)

Usage-generate

dData

Customer

Profile

Open Access

Profile of Library Subscriptions

Bento Box Discovery ModelSearch:

Digital Collections

Web Site Content

Institutional

Repositories

E-JournalsSearch Results

Pre-built harvesting and indexing

Consolidated IndexILS Data

Aggregated Content packages

Open AccessVuFind /

Blacklight

Evolving Role of Knowledgebases Shift from multiple knowledge bases for

different product categories to more consolidated approach Support infrastructure for electronic resource

management Basis for reference linking in broader end-user

access environment for scholarly content Basis for smart or direct linking within discovery

interfaces Basis for scoping for index-based discovery

services

Continuity in the short term All the vendors report that they will

continue to offer stand-alone linking products and knowledge bases in the short term

Product leverage Initial acquisition of link resolver and KB

Subsequent investment in discovery

Subsequent investment in new

automation products

Decision drivers In the past, link resolvers and their knowledge

bases were mostly independent decisions Today, knowledge bases and link resolvers are

mostly tied to discovery strategies. Many libraries are shifting to new resolvers to accommodate changes that they have made in discovery products. Using a link resolver from another provider may result

in the need to operate multiple knowledge bases. Difficult to synchronize

In the next cycle, knowledge bases will also be associated with new library management products.

Decision Drivers Today and in previous years link resolvers

were acquired on the basis of their functionality and knowledge base completeness

Increasingly the link resolver will come as components of broader systems.

Differentiation among knowledge bases will narrow as data becomes available more universally and consistently through KBART.

Open Access Knowledge Bases? Previous efforts of open access

knowledge bases have not been sustained JAKE

GODOT not competitive with current commercial offerings

Open access knowledge bases may pose more substantial competition Global Open Knowledge Base (Kuali OLE /

JISC) KnowledgeBase+

Commercial Products

ComparisonKnowledgeBase

SFX Global KnowledgeBase

KnowledgeWorks

LinkSource WorldCat knowledge base

Company Ex Libris Group Serials Solutions

EBSCO OCLC

Link Resolver SFX 360 Link LinkSource None (OCLC Link Manager withdrawn)

A-Z utility SFX A-Z list 360 Core EBSCO A-to-Z

WorldCat Local includes integrated A-Z listing capability

MARC Delivery Service

MarcIt 360 MARC Update Service

MARC Updates service

Pilot project

Discovery Service

Primo Summon EBSCO Discovery Service

WorldCat Local

Electronic Resource management

Verde 360 Manager

ERM Essentials

WorldShare License Manager

Library Services Platform

Alma Intota None WorldShare Management Services

Comparison

KnowledgeBase

SFX Global KnowledgeB

ase

Knowledge

Works

LinkSource

WorldCat knowledge

baseLaunched 2000 2003 2003 2006

Support FTE for KB

29 12 29 8

APIs Full APIs to support other

interfaces

None now, but in

2012-13 roadmap

None Through WorldShare

Platform

Number of installations

2350in 62

countries

973 3000+Recent

licensing changes makes

LinkSource available to all libraries using

A-Z

301

Comparing Comprehensiveness and Quality

Assessment of the scope of the products cannot be accomplished based on numerical comparisons

Numbers provided by each supplier not comparable

Process for how libraries localize their implementation for materials not covered differs

Quality and consistency as reported by supplier sometimes not entirely consistent with library perceptions

Library Survey Conducted a survey completed by over 500 libraries

using link resolvers Questions

How do you rate the overall performance of the Link Resolver and its Knowledge Base?

How do you rate the performance of the link resolver in its effectiveness of connecting users to appropriate copies of electronic resources?

How do you rate the comprehensiveness of the knowledge base relative to the number of e-journals and other electronic resources held by your library?

How do you rate the accuracy of the knowledgebase in representing electronic resources?

How do you rate the promptness in which errors reported by libraries are corrected in the knowledge base?

How do you rate the tools offered for the library to configure and administer the knowledge base and link resolver?

Ex Libris SFX & Global KnowledgeBase

First to acquire and commercialize OpenURL link resolvers (Feb 2000)

Promoted OpenURL 0.1 as a de facto standard and OpenURL 1.0 as a NISO Standard

SFX Global KnowledgeBase Most Installations worldwide Many new customers associated with ongoing

sales of Primo and Alma Some erosion of customers to Serials Solutions

Serials Solutions KnowledgeWorks and 360 Link KnowledgeWorks a core product of Serials

Solutions Emerged from E-Journal lists Original ArticleLinker became 360 Link Multi-tenant software as a service for all products Uses both automated processes and human

intervention to maintain KB Created Summon as the first index-based

discovery service Recently announced Intota as its comprehensive

library management product

OCLC WorldCat Knowledge Base Originated from the 1Cate product

acquired from Openly Informatics Integrated into the WorldCat platform Basis for WorldCat Link Manager No longer a separate utility but provides

the link resolution functionality of WorldCat Local

Part of the underlying infrastructure of WorldShare License Manager

EBSCO LinkSource and Knowledge Base

EBSCO uses SmartLinks to create direct links within the EBSCOhost environment

LinkSource provides link resolution to content outside EBSCO products

Very large number of libraries use EBSCO A-to-Z Recent product license changes makes

LinkSource available to any library subscribing to A-to-Z

Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries Gold Rush

Lower-level product Smaller knowledge base with fewer

automated processes for updates and management

Lower cost

Simon Frasier University: CUFTS GODOT

Open source link resovler Open access knowledge base

Maintained primarily by technical services group at Simon Frasier University

TrueSerials offers commercial subscriptions.

Kuali OLE: Global Open Knowledge Base (GOKb)

Proposal to the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Submitted Jan 4, 2012 (Recently Approved) $498,621 requested for 1-year project April 1 2012 – March 31, 2013

Collaboration between JISC and KualiOLE Lead institution: North Carolina State

University Principal Investigators:

Susan Nutter (NCSU) Rachel Bruce (JISC)

Broad Objectives Create an community supported

knowledge base that can be used by multiple projects for the management of electronic resources

Initially for JISC and Kuali OLE, but also for other institutional and commercial uses

Hosted on a platform built on open source software Deployed at multiple host sites (Initially

Europe and US) Data and services delivered through open

API’s

Addresses current problems Insufficient data regarding publishers and

providers; simplistic representation of relationships among content and provider roles

Absence of identifiers for entities in the supply chain

Inadequate normalization of data across or within systems

Inability for libraries to openly access and repurpose data within current knowledge bases

Inability to track changes over time of any given title or other entities over time

Global Open Knowledge Base goals

A repository of high-quality metadata about the electronic resources and their representation across the supply chain from publisher to licensor to library vendor to library customer, including representation of marketing and packaging constructs as defined by the suppliers;

the ability to track changes to product entities and their associated organizations over time;

an open services platform that will enable libraries and others to employ that data in local systems.

Quoted form the proposal to the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

Data needed for Electronic Resource Management1. Publications & their packaging - E-resource titles and

their associated packages and platforms as supplied by a given publisher or provider, associated with brief descriptive metadata, such as subject terms and identifiers

2. Actors - Information about organizations and their role in the supply chain (publisher, provider, licensor, subscriber)

3. Terms - Information about licensing, terms of acquisition, use and ongoing access

4. History - The historical record of changes in such as titles and organizational roles, against which license terms and institutional entitlements can be recorded

5. Local entitlements (holdings) - typically date ranges (in various formats) and statements about embargoes if applicable and access information (URL)

Quoted form the proposal to the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

Proposed Solution Bill of Materials data model

used in engineering and manufacturing sectors

Data for item can be exploded into constituent parts

Ensure compatibility with open linked data expectations through RDF data modeling

Relational RDMS as fallback

Data Elements Organization. Institutional entity with a role in the supply chain.

Elements: Names, roles (publisher, provider, licensor, vendor, subscriber), administrative information about organizations.

Standard numbers. Identifiers for the journal title. Elements: ISSN, e-ISSN, ISSN-L, DOI

Collection (combination). A branded set of titles instances offered by a provider. Elements: Names, title IDs, internal identifier.

Title instance (component). A title as supplied by a given licensor. Elements: Names, identifiers, base URLs, terms under which a title is offered

("status"), entitlement offered Platform. A software solution for hosting journal title instances.

Elements: Names, internal identifier. Model license agreement. Terms of acquisition and use for a deal or

titles instances as offered by the provider and prior to local negotiations. Elements: Document, coded values, deal ID, title instance IDs, internal ID.

Quoted form the proposal to the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

License for GOKb Science Commons Protocol for

Implementing Open Access Data http://www.sciencecommons.org/projects/p

ublishing/open-access-data-protocol/ Open Data Commons Public Domain

Dedication and License (ODC-PDDL) Creative Commons CC0 waiver

Sustainability and Data Maintenance

Project will produce initial population Develop ongoing methods of updates

KnowledgeBase+  develop a centralised, shared,

above-campus knowledge base of data useful to electronic resources management (ERM) at institutional level

provide institutions, and the services they use, with timely, accurate, verified and structured ERM information, including e-resources publication, licensing, subscription and entitlements data

extend and enhance existing data and services rather than creating yet another silo

SCONUL Society of College, National and

University Libraries Funded a 2011 project to analyze use

case process in UK Higher Education instiutions