1. Supporting further and higher education Discovering Resources: the JISC and portals Chris Awre EUUG Conference, September 2003

2. 2 Who am I? JISC Programme Manager –Portals programme –FAIR (Focus on Access to Institutional Resources) programme Was a Unicorn system administrator for 7 years

3. 3 What is JISC? Joint Information Systems Committee Promotes and disseminates best practice on the use of ICT in Higher and Further Education –Development, advice, network, content Serving >600 UK institutions Feedback and dialogue welcome!

4. 4 Introduction Background to JISC and portals The JISC Information Environment Portals –Library portals The wider world Users

5. 5 Background Digital collections built up – the DNER –Many collections, many interfaces Development of technologies– the eLib Programme –Hybrid library projects Clear need to enhance discovery of and access to content

6. 6 The JISC Information Environment Many different resources Few or just one interface Increased ease of access and use Built around the Information Environment Technical Architecture –Developed for JISC by UKOLN –Based around the use of open standards for interoperability

7. 7 The JISC IE Technical Architecture JISC-funded content providers institutional content providers external content providers brokersaggregatorscataloguesindexes institutional portals subject portals learning management systems media-specific portals end-user desktop/browser presentation fusion provision OpenURL resolvers Shared infrastructure authentication/authorisation (Athens) JISC IE service registry user preferences services resolvers institutional preferences services metadata schema registries terminology services http://www.jisc.ac.uk/ie/

8. 8 Interoperability through the use of Standards Z39.50 –Bath Profile recommended –SRW (Search/Retrieve Web Service) is on the horizon OAI-PMH –Open Archives Initiative – Protocol for Metadata Harvesting –Based around Dublin Core RSS – Really Simple Syndication! OpenURL

9. 9 The Information Environment Strategy Seamless and integrated access to digital collections through a common point of access –Connecting with wider activities, including e-science and e-learning Distinct building blocks under development –Integration now and in the future through the use of open standards

10. 10 Why Portals? Means for achieving seamless access through e.g., multiple searching, news feeds Means for enhancing the discovery of information Means for bringing information to the user Means for delivering high-quality content to users

11. 11 JISC Portals Discovery tools Hold no content locally Common means of access using open standards, e.g., Z39.50, OAI Presentation of information User access via different routes –Dedicated web site –Integrated functionality in known web environment

12. 12 A Definition Technically, a portal is a network service that brings together content from diverse distributed resources using technologies such as cross searching, harvesting, and alerting, and collates this into an aggregated form for presentation to the user, usually via a website. For users, a portal is a, possibly personalised, common point of access where searching can be carried out across one or more than one resource and the amalgamated results viewed. Information may also be presented in other ways, for example, via alerting services and conference listings or through access to e-prints and learning materials. –JISC Portals FAQ, http://www.jisc.ac.uk/ie_portalsfaq.html

13. 13 Portal Projects Subject-based Portals –Subject Portals Project (SPP) –Subject view onto information –Portlet model of development Cross-search, authentication, user profiling, news Format-based Portals –Geospatial data portal - Go-Geo! –Uses geo-referencing to allow users to ask ‘where?’ as well as ‘what?’

14. 14 Portal Projects (2) Format-based Portals (contd.) –Pixus Image Portal –Linking content to its use in learning & teaching User Community-based Portals –Learning & Teaching Portal –Supporting a distinct but disparate user community Includes discussion facility

15. 15 Integrated Services How can portal functionality be integrated in other environments? An integral part of portal developments –Avoid ‘yet another portal of choice’ scenario Integrating in local environments –Institutional portals/VLEs –Contextualisation through location

16. 16 Library Portals Focussed on digital library resources Extension to library management system –Integrated or standalone One-stop shop to all library, and other, resources TechWatch report 2002

17. 17 Library Portal Review and Survey Six-month study LISU at University of Loughborough –What is taking place within academic sector –Assessment and implementation –User views –Relationship of library portals to other systems, internal and external –Future trends Will report in Spring 2004

18. 18 Sirsi Rooms OpenURL Resolver and SingleSearch are elements of a portal Contextualisation a step towards personalisation Mix of open and hidden web access Configuration issue

19. 19 Content Issues Portals are only as good as the content you can discover through them Portals use different means to discover resources Therefore, content must be discoverable using these means Standards vs. proprietary

20. 20 Linking to the Wider World Internal –Institutional repository/portal, VLE, Finance system, Registry, Security –Library as part of a Managed Learning Environment External –Integrating content –Integrating functionality

21. 21 Back to Standards Essential for full interoperability Ability to add to existing systems and integrate Flexibility in the long-term Ownership by the community for the community

22. 22 How do Users Search? Many techniques and tools to facilitate searching How much do these developments actually match what users want to do or what they really do? Largely unknown More evidence needed to assist with assessment and implementation

23. 23 Personalisation Explicit –Services based on information provided by user –Need users to want such personalisation – anecdotal evidence suggests not Implicit –Based on information already known and available elsewhere –Groupisation?

24. 24 What’s in a Name? “That which we call a portal would deliver information to users as well by any other name” The word ‘portal’ can be misunderstood Portal functionality, though, is central to delivering services wherever they are required

25. 25 Conclusions Portals and portal functionality will play a key part in presenting information to users Open standards will provide interoperability and flexibility Library cannot exist alone, but must work with other systems User needs must be the main driver

26. 26 Ask the Question Why have a portal? “Let’s not build portals just because we can – let’s build them because they contribute to organisational strategies, because they meet the needs of target user groups, and because the benefits outweigh the costs.” Anderson, 2003 The JISC Portals Programme is exploring these points for the IE

27. 27 Thank you Chris Awre JISC Programme Manager c.awre@jisc.ac.uk http://www.jisc.ac.uk/people_awre_c.html

28. 28 Useful URLs: Background DNER –http://www.jisc.ac.uk/dner_adding_value.htmlhttp://www.jisc.ac.uk/dner_adding_value.html eLib –http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/services/elib/projects/http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/services/elib/projects/ Information Environment Technical Architecture –http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/distributed-systems/jisc- ie/arch/http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/distributed-systems/jisc- ie/arch/ JISC Portals Programme –http://www.jisc.ac.uk/programme_portals.htmlhttp://www.jisc.ac.uk/programme_portals.html JISC Portals FAQ –http://www.jisc.ac.uk/ie_portalsfaq.htmlhttp://www.jisc.ac.uk/ie_portalsfaq.html TechWatch report on library portals –http://www.jisc.ac.uk/techwatch_report_0203.htmlhttp://www.jisc.ac.uk/techwatch_report_0203.html

29. 29 Useful URLs: Standards Z39.50 –http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/bath/ap-bath-e.htmhttp://www.nlc-bnc.ca/bath/ap-bath-e.htm SRW –http://lcweb.loc.gov/z3950/agency/zing/srw/backgr ound.htmlhttp://lcweb.loc.gov/z3950/agency/zing/srw/backgr ound.html OAI-PMH –http://www.openarchives.org/http://www.openarchives.org/ RSS –http://www.eevl.ac.uk/pressrelease/pressrelrssprim er.htmhttp://www.eevl.ac.uk/pressrelease/pressrelrssprim er.htm OpenURL –http://library.caltech.edu/openurl/http://library.caltech.edu/openurl/

30. 30 Useful URLs: Portals Subject Portals Project –http://www.portal.ac.uk/spp/http://www.portal.ac.uk/spp/ Go-Geo! geodata portal –http://hds.essex.ac.uk/Go-Geo/http://hds.essex.ac.uk/Go-Geo/ Pixus image portal –http://www.scran.ac.uk/jisc/http://www.scran.ac.uk/jisc/ Learning & Teaching Portal –http://www.ltsn.ac.uk/portalhttp://www.ltsn.ac.uk/portal PORTAL project –http://www.fair-portal.hull.ac.uk/http://www.fair-portal.hull.ac.uk/ FAIR Enough –http://www.fairenough.ac.uk/index.htmlhttp://www.fairenough.ac.uk/index.html Library portal survey and review –http://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/dils/lisu/portals.htmlhttp://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/dils/lisu/portals.html