Transcript LibX - an Open Source, Community Platform for Delivering

LibX - an Open Source, Community
Platform for Delivering Library
Services
Access 2008
Annette Bailey & Godmar Back
Virginia Tech
Where it all began…
• Motivation
– Users are increasingly bypassing library when doing
research
• Idea: a “library tool”
– Put the library back in the picture!
• A “virtual librarian” that guides users to library
resources while they use the Web
– integrates access to library resources into the users’
“webflow”
– no matter which page a user visits ( needs clientside presence!)
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LibX Features
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Toolbar and right-click context menu
Adaptive and user-configurable context menus
OpenURL support
Magic Button (Google Scholar support)
Web Localization via Embedded Cues
Autolinking
Off-campus access via EZProxy or WAM
Support for CiteULike
Support for COinS
Support for xISBN
Show/Hide Hotkey
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LibX Features
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Toolbar and right-click context menu
Adaptive and user-configurable context menus
OpenURL support
Magic Button (Google Scholar support)
Web Localization via Embedded Cues
Autolinking
Off-campus access via EZProxy or WAM
Support for CiteULike
Support for COinS
Support for xISBN
Show/Hide Hotkey
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LibX Timeline
• 2005
– Released LibX Virginia Tech as a Firefox extension
– Offered to share LibX with interested libraries
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Edition Builder
Motivation
• Librarians responsible for customizing LibX for
their institution
– Customized version of LibX = LibX edition
• Manually configuring LibX requires knowledge
about:
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Underlying LibX implementation
XML syntax
Running scripts
Many different OPAC settings (> 140)
• Developers of LibX manually created 150 editions
– Demand was more than supply!
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LibX Timeline
• 2005
– Released LibX Virginia Tech as a Firefox extension
– Offered to share LibX with interested libraries
• 2006
– Tremendous response from library community
– Received NLG from IMLS to create Edition Builder
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LibX Edition Builder
• Interactive Web application that allows the
creation and maintenance of LibX editions
– Provides step-by-step instruction to librarians to
customize LibX
– Outputs ready-made, customized LibX edition
– Hosting environment for LibX configurations and
downloads
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EDITION BUILDER DEMO
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Demo Backup Slide
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Edition Builder Internals
• Uses ZK (www.zkoss.org)
– Server-centric Rich Internet Application (RIA)
Framework
– 100% Java servlet-based environment, minimal
use of JavaScript
• Runs on server side, but look and feel is
comparable to desktop applications
– No state kept on client side
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Architecture
Database
Edition Maintainer
Third Party
Resource
Servers
Edition Builder
File
System
Web Server
OCLC
WorldCat
Registry
End User
Login
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Edition and
Revision
Management
Changes to
Configuration
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Auto-discovery
Download
customized LibX
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LibX Timeline
• 2005
– Released LibX Virginia Tech as a Firefox extension
– Offered to share LibX with interested libraries
• 2006
– Tremendous response from library community
– Received NLG from IMLS to create Edition Builder
• 2007
– Released Edition Builder
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Log Data – Adoption of Edition Builder
• 1155 total
editions
present by May
2008
• As of Oct 2008,
1600 total
editions
• 460 were
made public
• New editions
are being made
public at a rate
of ~20/month
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LibX Timeline
• 2005
– Released LibX Virginia Tech as a Firefox extension
– Offered to share LibX with interested libraries
• 2006
– Tremendous response from library community
– Received NLG from IMLS to create Edition Builder
• 2007
– Released Edition Builder
• 2008
– Edition Builder Study
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EDITION BUILDER STUDY
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LibX Edition Builder Study Facts
• Log-based usability evaluation
– Interactions with Edition Builder logged
• User Survey
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Contacted edition maintainers by email
139 participants
June 20, 2008 – July 14, 2008
33 questions
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Key Study Goals
• Is the interface easy to learn and use?
• How successful are edition maintainers in
creating LibX editions?
• Is the auto-discovery effective?
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Overall Perceived Ease of Use
60%
Overall, you would describe
the LibX Edition Builder as:
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Very easy to use
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Easy to use
Somewhat easy Somewhat
Difficult to use Very difficult to
to use
difficult to use
use
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Perceived Learning Curve
50%
In your opinion, the
LibX Edition Builder interface is:
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Very easy to
learn
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Easy to learn Somewhat easy Somewhat Difficult to learn Very difficult to
to learn
difficult to learn
learn
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Style of Application
50%
Do you prefer this style of web application to the
more traditional, page-based applications?
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
I much prefer
I somewhat
the LibX Edition prefer the LibX
Builder style Edition Builder
style
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I do not think
I somewhat
I much prefer
the style
prefer the
the traditional
matters
traditional style
style
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No response
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Saving of Changes
50%
40%
The LibX Edition Builder uses an interaction mode in
which configuration changes are immediately saved,
so you do not need to press "Save" or "Submit"
30%
In your opinion, this mode of interaction was:
20%
10%
0%
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AUTODETECTION
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Autodetection of OpenURL Resolver
35%
Did the LibX Edition Builder
auto-detect your OpenURL resolver?
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
Yes, and the
Yes, but the
Yes, but I did
settings were settings were not import it
correct when I incorrect when
imported it
I imported it
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No, it was not
detected
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I did not
No response
configure an
OpenURL
resolver for my
edition
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Catalog Auto-Detection
Auto-detection based on
Auto-detection based on
database of already configured
heuristics:
resources
Direct
of HTML forms
Server scraping
finger printing,
and
URL construction
markers, … of URL
templates
(“Bookmarklets”)
OpenSearch
descriptions
(where advertised)
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40%
35%
Did the LibX Edition Builder
auto-detect your catalog?
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
Yes, it did and I Yes, it did, but
was able to
the settings
import the
needed slight
catalog
adjustment
immediately and
the settings of
the catalog
worked
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Yes, it did, but Yes, it did, but I It said that OCLC I did not notice
the settings
did not know
reported a
any such
needed
what option I catalog, but the information
significant
should use to
LibX Edition when I used the
adjustment add the catalog Builder said "0
LibX Edition
to my edition
resources
Builder
found"
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No response
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35%
How would you rate the usefulness of the
auto-detection box in the Catalogs & Databases tab?
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
It was highly It was generally
It was
It rarely
It never (or
I did not
I did not use the
successful in
successful in
somewhat
detected the almost never)
understand auto-detection
detecting the detecting the
successful in
resources I
successfully
what I needed
search box
resources I
resources I
detecting the wanted to add detected the to enter into this
wanted to add wanted to add
resources I
to my edition
resources I
search box
to my edition to my edition wanted to add
wanted to add
to my edition
to my edition
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Log Data Results
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Log Data Results (cont’d)
• 50% editions
built in 72
minutes or less
• 80% editions
built in 190
minutes or less
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Study Findings
• The LibX Edition Builder
– is easy to use and learn
– auto-detection is effective at configuring
resources
• Created a community
• Open source spirit
– Anybody can create, share, publish, copy and
adapt editions
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LIBX 2.0
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Motivation
• Libraries are creating new, digital services and
content
• Technology
– Service-oriented architectures, web services
interfaces
– Support mashups; provide HTML widgets
• Librarians, educators, and users create
– Online tutorials, subject guides, visualizations
– Social OPACs: tagging, reviews, recommender services
• How can we provide those services at the point
of need?
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LIBX 1.5 DEMOS
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Demonstrations
• Enhanced COinS service
– Link 360 XML interface
• Catalog searches from Google
• Holdings + availability in Amazon
• OCLC Identities
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Demo 1: Enhanced COinS Handling
LibX Standard COinS Processing
LibX + Link/360 Integration
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Demo 2: Addison in Google
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Demo 3: Addison in Amazon
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Demo 4: OCLC Identities
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LibX Timeline
• 2005
– Released LibX Virginia Tech as a Firefox extension
– Offered to share LibX with interested libraries
• 2006
– Tremendous response from library community
– Received NLG from IMLS to create Edition Builder
• 2007
– Released Edition Builder
• 2008
– Edition Builder Study
– NLG grant for LibX 2.0 community platform
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World Wide Web
Library
Resources and
Web Services
LibX 2.0
Users:
decide to which
library services to
subscribe, see
expanded view of the
web
Librarians: create or
adapt Libapps from
reusable, shareable
components
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LibX 2.0 plugin: executes
Libapps, merging library
information into pages.
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Edition Builder Survey: Programming Skills
50%
How would you rate your programming skills and
familiarity with computers and the web?
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
I have
I have
I do not
I do not
intermediate or beginner-level program, but I program, and I
expert-level programming frequently use also don't have
programming skills in at least web-based
much
skills in
one
applications familiarity with
multiple
programming such as content web-based
programming
language
management applications,
languages
systems or
but I use my
blogs/wikis
computer
extensively
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I only use a I use computer No response
web browser applications
for looking up
only if I
information on absolutely have
the web or in
to
the library
catalog
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LibApp Example
yazproxy
Z39.50 Gateway
OCLC
xISBN
ILS-DI/libxess
Modules
ILS snapshot
xISBN
Service
ISBN
Scraper
LibApp
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Presearch
Service
(,,)
(,,)
Tooltip
Display
Tuple Space
(isbn: 006073132X,
location:, …)
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LibX 2.0 - Target Audiences
LibX 2.0 Developers – make services
available and write modules and libapps
LibX 2.0 Adapters – adapt, combine,
reuse, and share services
LibX 2.0 User Community - subscribes
to services they like
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LibX 2.0 Developers
• Write “modules” – small pieces of code that
– Scrape a page
– Interact with services
– Process and combine results
• Modules have access to all LibX configuration
information via API
• Can use JavaScript libraries (e.g., jQuery)
• Browser-independent platform: Firefox and IE
• Fully decentralized infrastructure
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LibX 2.0 Adapters
• Web-savvy librarians
– Not programmers
• Edition Builder will become a repository to
manage LibX modules and libapps
– Adapters can add, combine, share, adapt,
customize libapps
• Create localized services for their users
• Provide feedback to developers
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LibX 2.0 Users
• Subscribe to services recommended by their
edition maintainers using local settings
– Stay connected to their libraries
• Decide which services they like
– Fine-grained control and preferences
• Marketing
– Will help adapters by providing marketing kit
– Users must see benefits
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LibX Team
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Annette Bailey
Godmar Back
Kyrille Goldbeck
Arif Khokar
Mike Doyle
Alumni
– Nathan Baker
– Tilottama Gaat
– Tobias Wieschnowsky
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