CO-OPERATION IS CRUCIAL

The philosophy in the project development reflects the importance of national co-operation and consensus. No lasting solutions can be implemented without the participation and acceptance from the libraries. Therefore, the key words for all activities are co-operation, co-operation and co-operation. After some time everybody realised pooling resources gave a better result for everybody than trying on an individual basis. This opinion is obviously more easily obtained with some central money, which facilitates the process.

Another way to support co-operation in projects like DEF is to show good results. Therefore it is advantageous to choose activities, which quickly lead to improved conditions for the libraries and their users. Planning according to „least resistance” gives quicker results, but it is not the same as avoiding conflicts. A lot of confrontation is part of the process and normally every confrontation results in a peaceful and lasting consensus.

In order to achieve the results, co-operation and effort from the biggest libraries are of great importance. These libraries control most of the financial resources and material, they already have an organisation, which can deal with common issues, and they are ready for changes. The DEF project started co-operation with these libraries early, and their efforts have also been of great value for the smaller libraries.

National co-operation is not enough since international co-operation often is the key to solve general problems in building a digital library. DEF’s existing international relations can be divided into the following two groups:

Commercial Relations:

This group primarily works with direct contacts to multinational suppliers of electronic journals and databases to guarantee efficiency in dealing and the minimum of costs. Due to the complexity of the market the options available for the inexperienced purchaser are limited. Consequently it is necessary to establish a professional liaison or partnership with the supplier in order to secure the continuity of reasonably favourable deals and contracts.

Non-commercial Relations:

This group mainly consists of other projects or national initiatives similar to DEF and provides a valuable network of inspiration, knowledge and information.

In practice this involves activities within:

• research on and purchase of electronic licenses

• development of the technical architecture and user interfaces.

A joint initiative of purchasing electronic licenses is established primarily through close Nordic co-operation and through membership of ICOLC and ECOLC. The Nordic co-operation contains all aspects of purchase, renewal, service and filing of electronic resources and serves to underpin a joint Nordic effort in negotiations of prices and services with the suppliers. In the case of ICOLC and ECOLC, DEF at an early stage joined the work of ICOLC (International Coalition Of Library Consortia) in order to be able to participate in international efforts concerning contracts and purchase of electronic resources.

Also the European equivalent of the American ICOLC -ECOLC (European Coalition Of Library Consortia) - has Denmark’s Electronic Research Library as a member and very active participant. Both organisations play a leading role in relation to suppliers of journals and the collective pressure from ICOLC and ECOLC is a valuable factor when trying to negotiate reasonable prices and contracts.

The development of technical architecture and user interfaces primarily takes place within the framework of the Nordic countries. Here models of interfaces, access control systems, methods of cross searching in catalogues and standardisation issues are discussed.

CUSTOMERS AND SERVICES

DEF has two primary groups of users as targets for its services: libraries and researchers/students.

The libraries can be divided into two groups: the 12 big libraries and the rest of the research libraries in Denmark. In the latter group DEF has more difficulties in working directly with the libraries due to the large number of them, but more than 200 of these have been in direct communication with DEF.

The other very important user group is the end users consisting of researchers and students. The total number of academic researchers is app. 25,000, while the number of students exceeds 140,000.

The services provided for the two user groups are similar but not identical.

DEF services to Libraries

In relation to the libraries, DEF delivers a long list of services. DEF:

• catalyses
  • library co-operation

  • library resource sharing

  • transition from print to electronic
  • organisational changes

• supports standardisation

• participates in systems test and purchasing

• develops/subsidises infrastructure components and deff.dk:
  • tools for SBIGs

  • links and metadata pool

  • catalogue cross search (Z39.50)

  • journal database

  • LDAP-access control

  • journal cross search

  • webnice guided tour tool

• negotiates and administrates national licenses

• develops/subsidises library components from projects e.g.:

• SWIM (Streaming Webbased Information Modules) / MILE (Model for Information Literacy Education)

• user satisfaction measurement tool

• virtual reference service

• develops and supports Danish National Research Database

• promotes the Danish research libraries and DEF internationally and assembles international knowledge.

DEF Services to Researchers and Students

Also in relation to the researchers and students, DEF delivers an extensive list of services. DEF:

• provides one or more access points to electronic information

• allows remote access any time from any Internet connection to electronic information

• gives access to information through deff.dk:
  • SBIGs

  • quality checked links

  • catalogue cross search (Z39.50)

  • journal database

  • journal cross search

  • webnice annotation tool

• gives access to all important electronic journals and databases

• develops/subsidises library components from projects e. g.:
  • SWIM / MILE

  • Virtual reference service

• develops and supports Danish National Research Database.

NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE / DEF SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE

In order to make a solid basis for 24 hour access to the content and services in the digital library a system architecture project was launched. The project is following three main principles:

• The architecture shall be the concrete practical implementation and realisation of the DEF-vision.

• The vision is a system of systems, meaning that no single central standalone system shall be built. A decentralised and networked approach shall govern the project.

• The system architecture project shall be the main project for 5 subprojects:
  • DEF portal

  • DEF key

  • DEF catalogue

  • DEF SBIGs

  • Danish National Research Database.

DEF PORTAL DEVELOPMENT

The main access point to the digital library is the DEF portal (deff.dk). The DEF portal has passed 2 main versions in the development process.

The 1^st generation was a catalogue of catalogues for de 12 big libraries. It was purely based on harvesting and besides giving access to the libraries’ resources, the project was basis for a fundamental co-operation process between the 12 big libraries.

The 2^nd generation portal is a catalogue of catalogues for 31 libraries. It is based on cataloguing in common database, and it gives Z39.50 cross access searching to more than the 12 big libraries. Furthermore it is possible to order material through the Danish Union Catalogue and to access the licensed material in DEF. The access to licensed material is based on IP-number control and allows in the existing schema only access from the library or its connected institution/campus.

The 3^rd generation portal is under development now, and it will open at the start of the new academic year on September 2, 2002.

DEFF.DK: DEF PORTAL AND SERVICES 2002

The DEF portal (deff.dk), the services and the system architecture in version September 2002 are illustrated in fig. 1. Predominantly it is a 2-layer architecture, where the connection between the software modules is realised by the Z39.50 protocol and tools from the Open Archives Initiative (OAI). The services in the upper level are based on software modules, which are nearly 100% self-contained, meaning that nearly no data are exchanged between the services. A common user interface design gives the user the impression that everything is tightly integrated. The background for this design is that it re-duces complexity and time to develop in order to achieve a reasonably simple and efficient system in the project period. Also it allows the individual libraries to exploit the data in the low level for their own local solutions.

Fig. 1: deff.dk: DEF Portal and services 2002 .

The following is a brief description of the functionality of the individual software modules in the upper level:

DEF Portal:
Welcome pages with introduction, help, sitemap etc.

DEF Link collection:
Searching or browsing in quality controlled links sorted into DEF’s 26 subject categories giving access to Danish and international free resources, i.e. collections and subject portals/SBIGs

DEF SBIGs:
Searching and interaction with all SBIGs partly financed by DEF and based on tools developed by DEF

DEF Portal Search:
Searching or browsing in metadata from all DEF’s SBIGs and full text search in harvested pages from the libraries websites

DEF Catalogues:
Searching in all bigger Danish libraries catalogues and selected international catalogues, ordering of material from the Danish libraries with delivery to home or own library

Danish National Research Database: < >Searching in Danish research results, projects and profiles of institutions based on data deliveries from the administrations in the local institutions

DEF Electronic Journals:
Searching in journal titles and access to full text articles and databases for authorised users from any Internet connection at any time

In the low level there is one crucial network of modules:

LDAP network:
Authentication of authorised user for the DEF Electronic Journals

FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF THE NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE / DEF-SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE

A later generation of the DEF portal could be based on a new modular technical solution. The existing portal has in an incremental way been paying less attention to a sophisticated programming structure than getting experiences and results to the project and its users. The new solution could separate different functions in different software modules, which is placed in a 3-layer architecture, see fig. 2.

Fig. 2: 3 layer architecture

The architecture has 3 layers, the portal layer, the common service layer and the dataservice supplier layer. The layers are separated (and connected) by XML-interfaces.

The portal layer solely contains user interface functionality and can provide a personalised interface to the individual user.

The common service layer holds different modules with different main capabilities. Examples are a search module for the journals and a metadata module for SBIGs.

The dataservice supplier layer will mostly contain existing data suppliers such as journal publishers.

Parallel to these 3 layers is the access control module. This module is functionally identical with the existing module. It verifies the user logins and undertakes the authentication and authorisation, where user identification and rights will be stored decentralised in the participating institutions. In this way only the right users can still get access to the allowed functions and data.

This architecture has several advantages. It effectively separates user interface discussions from work concerning other functionality, which will improve the final result, since user interface discussions tend to stall much development and progress. Also changes of the user interface will only be necessary in a single module. It allows thorough work with the common services, which in the end will provide the users with the necessary functionality for using the data. Furthermore the data suppliers are separated from the development of user functions. However the biggest advantage is that the libraries in principle can take the modules they like, change or build their own interface or add local functionality. In this way the libraries share common necessary modules and can still add their own flavour.

The described architecture shows the ideal solution. However it is not clear, if development all the way to this ideal is sensible and practical. Functionality from a complete solution from a vendor tends to be lost or difficult to integrate.

Another general issue is the way of acquiring and developing the modules: This could be done through a tender process, which allows both academic and commercial suppliers to deliver, if they can adhere to normal commercial rules, and it could be done by incremental upgrade of the existing modules or complete re-coding.

VISION ACHIEVED?

After 4½ years hard work it is interesting and necessary to evaluate, if the original vision was achieved. This will be formally done by an external party, but seen from the project management some simple comparisons can be made.

Key sentences from the vision report of DEF compared to the present situation are:

• network of electronic libraries: an extensive network is created between most of the research libraries, and solutions and services have been implemented based on the network concept.

• virtual access to all information resources in Denmark: virtual access is established to all major collections in the libraries, and digitisation is in progress for more resources under the constraint of financing.

• new standards and working relations: new standards have been chosen and obeyed. The co-operation pattern has been improved significantly.

After the first experimental years of DEF the project management completed a list of success criteria for the Steering Committee. The main criteria were:

• one main portal with single sign-on and personalised web interface

• cross-searching in library catalogues, electronic journals and reference databases

• information handling tools (alone or in groups)

• access to large amount of scientific information from work, home and on travel

• a national digitising policy combined with projects based on accepted technical standards, high value in respect of use and of spectacular interest for the media and the Danish population

• a new organisation and model for financing to continue the existing areas of co-operation for future benefit to the users

• close co-ordination with the Danish Virtual University project.

Of these criteria only the „personalised web interface” and the „Close co-ordination with the Danish Virtual University project” are lacking. The first is only implemented in a very simple way in connection with the presentation of electronic journals, and the latter has been given up, since the Danish Virtual University project has been stopped by the ministries.

FUTURE OF DEF?

On December 31^st, 2002, the DEF project period comes to an end. This means that all funding has been used or allocated for minor projects, which will end in a reasonably short timeframe after 2002.

The original thinking at the DEF project launch in 1998 was, that the funding would lift the research libraries to a higher level, and maintenance of this new level would be secured by new working routines and the normal, local budgets for the libraries. During the project years it became fairly clear, that this assumption was wrong, and Steering Committee and the Secretariat started to work for permanent funding. In May and June 2002 DEF has been analysed by three ministries:

• Ministry of Finance

• Ministry of Culture

• Ministry of Science

The result of the analysis has been decisive for the ministries’ input to the proposal for the Danish Budget from 2003 and onwards. DEF awaits the disclosure of the total proposal in August 2002 with some optimism and will act accordingly afterwards.

EXPERIENCES IN MANAGING A NATIONAL PROJECT

During the first 4½ years a lot of experience has been assembled in managing a national digital library project. The most fundamental issue is that national and international co-operation is the gateway to success. It is impossible to achieve a success unless the national players are co-operating, and the only way to avoid duplication work is to co-operate internationally.

Another important area is to control increasing project complexity with many focus areas in the decentralised structure in Denmark. Both the many focus areas and the Danish structure tend to slow down progress, if decisions are not made at a reasonably quick pace.

The steering committee members’ different background is both a strength and a weakness. It is valuable to have many experts participating in the group, but it can certainly be a challenge for a chairman to control. Furthermore it is of great importance to divide the responsibilities and work between steering committee, secretariat and libraries. Specifically it is necessary to give financial room and mandate in negotiations and project management to the secretariat, and this has been one way to keep up the speed in the DEF project.

Development work has been done both with academic and commercial partners. Their way of working is very different and both have their pros and cons. Very simply put, academic work seems to be prosperous in the experimental phases, while commercial work fits better into a production system. One big difficulty is the necessary use of EU-tenders, which is time consuming and doesn’t seem to result in the optimal solutions.

Finally a project management coming from outside of the library sector has gathered a lot of experience with libraries. These few sentences illustrate the meeting between the librarian’s world and the world of a manager and computer engineer seen from the perspective of the latter:

• Decisions are necessary - everlasting discussions hinder progress.

• Libraries are accustomed to independence - in every aspect.

• Libraries lack some commercial experience and skills.

• Libraries believe themselves to be experts - also IT-experts.

• Nothing is secret in the library world or in its surroundings - not even commercial secrets.

These sentences are written with the best of intentions - the encounter with the library world has in all aspects been stimulating and enriching.

SUMMARY

The decision of launching DEF and the fulfilment of DEF have both proved to be a success. The funding and lots of hard work have upgraded the Danish research libraries to modern technological level and have secured new national co-operation for the years to come. The project work could be summarised in the following three statements:

• DEF has provided a remarkable improvement of service level for the users of the Danish research libraries

• DEF has provided a series of good results in the 5 years project period

• This could never have been done without the joint effort from many libraries and a number of people, who all believed in the vision.

A great thanks to all persons in the Danish research libraries, who have spent many hours in the common pull for the future of the Danish research library sector.

LIBER Quarterly, Volume 12 (2002), 156-174, No. 2-3