<$BlogRSDUrl$> Marcus P. Zillman, M.S., A.M.H.A. Author/Speaker/Consultant
Marcus P. Zillman, M.S., A.M.H.A. Author/Speaker/Consultant
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Sunday, March 14, 2004  

Search and Retrieval in The European Library - A New Approach by Theo van Veen and Bill Oldroyd
http://www.dlib.org/dlib/february04/vanveen/02vanveen.html

Abstract provided by the authors:

The objective of the European Library (TEL) project [TEL] was to set up a co-operative framework and specify a system for integrated access to the major collections of the European national libraries. This has been achieved by successfully applying a new approach for search and retrieval via URLs (SRU) [ZiNG] combined with a new metadata paradigm. One aim of the TEL approach is to have a low barrier of entry into TEL, and this has driven our choice for the technical solution described here. The solution comprises portal and client functionality running completely in the browser, resulting in a low implementation barrier and maximum scalability, as well as giving users control over the search interface and what collections to search. In this article we will describe, step by step, the development of both the search and retrieval architecture and the metadata infrastructure in the European Library project. We will show that SRU is a good alternative to the Z39.50 protocol and can be implemented without losing investments in current Z39.50 implementations.

The metadata model being used by TEL is a Dublin Core Application Profile, and we have taken into account that functional requirements will change over time and therefore the metadata model will need to be able to evolve in a controlled way. We make this possible by means of a central metadata registry containing all characteristics of the metadata in TEL.

Finally, we provide two scenarios to show how the TEL concept can be developed and extended, with applications capable of increasing their functionality by "learning" new metadata or protocol options.

This has been added to Deep Web Research Subject Tracer Information Blog.

posted by Marcus Zillman | 4:00 AM
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