What is an Open URL? It is a draft National Information Standards Organization standard: NISO Z39.88-2003 the OpenURL Framework for Context-Sensitive.

Second Annual Northwest ILL andResource Sharing Conference

September 11, 2003

SFX Implementation atWashington StateUniversity Libraries

John Webb, Assistant Director forDigital Services/CollectionsWashington State UniversityLibraries

What is an Open URL?•It is a draft National Information Standards Organization standard:NISO Z39.88-2003 the OpenURL Framework for

Context-Sensitive Services. Parts 1 and 2

•Currently in its review period, 5/1/03-11/1/03

•Balloting will take place after the review period

• “The OpenURL standard allows a user who has retrieved an information resource citation to obtain immediate access to the most "appropriate" copy of the full resource through the implementation of extended linking services. The selection of the best source for the full resource is based on the user's and the organization's preferences related to location, cost, contractual or license agreements in place with information suppliers, etc. - all done transparently to the user. The transparency is accomplished by storing context sensitive metadata with the "OpenURL" link from the source citation, and linking it to a "resolver" server where the preference information and links to the source material are stored.”

If There Are No Other Questions?

• Says:

:

• SFX is a unique and revolutionary tool for navigation and discovery, delivering powerful linking services in the scholarly information environment. With SFX, libraries can define rules that allow SFX to dynamically create links that fully integrate their information resources regardless of who hosts them -- the library itself or external information providers. The user is presented with context-sensitive links that are dynamically configured on the basis of the institution's e-collections.

And It Continues:

• Such resources could include: full-text repositories; abstracting, indexing, and citation

databases; online library catalogs; and · citations appearing in research articles,

e-print systems, and other Web resources.

And Continues• SFX permits context-sensitive linking

between these web-based resources; whereby the target of a link depends on the digital library collection of the institution to which the user who requested the link is affiliated. No more "dead" links whereby the user clicks on a link to navigate to a new information space but finds that they do not have rights of access to the resource to which they have linked and are therefore blocked from access.

• The OpenURL is a protocol for interoperabilitybetween an information resource and a servicecomponent that offers localized services in an openlinking environment. It is in effect an actionableURL that transports metadata or keys to accessmetadata for the object for which the OpenURL isprovided. The target of the OpenURL is the user'sinstitutional service component (ISC). Theremainder of the OpenURL transports the object'smetadata. The format specification for OpenURLcan be found athttp://www.sfxit.com/OpenURL/openurl.html.

• For an information service to be OpenURL aware, it needs to implement a way to know the difference between a user with access to an ISC and one without access. The exact mechanism isn't important….For users known to have access to an ISC, information services must then provide an OpenURL for each object to be passed on to the user.

• OpenURL is premised on the idea that links should lead a user to appropriate resources. An ISC describes the context of the user. The SFX server from Ex Libris is an ISC that can read an OpenURL as input and take action upon it. A number of information services have developed or announced the ability to generate and output OpenURLs.

Welcome to SFX

I SAY:

But First, A Word from our Sponsor, The Past

• Herbert Van de Sompel, University of Ghent

• ALA Annual Meeting, 2000

• ALA Midwinter, 2001

• Beta Tests--Harvard, Cal Tech, Los Alamos, Vanderbilt

• Cal Tech, March 2001

IMPLEMENTATION

• Server setup early June, 2001

• Two day training by SFX - mid-June

• SFX team worked on setup, etc.

• Live to campus - mid-August, 2001, two weeks prior to beginning of Fall, 2001 Semester

• Version 2 live July, 2003

But What Does This All Mean?

• WSU Libraries

SFX ILLiad Message• To: jwebb@wsu.eduSubject: Interlibrary Loan Item Delivered Electronically

Dear John Webb•

An article that you requested:• Title: Tick-borne infections.• Author: Singh Behl•

TN: 24088•

 • has been received and processed by the Interlibrary Loan Staff. • You can now access this item by logging on to ILLiad and choosing the "Electronic Delivery" option

from your main menu.  The URL for logging on to ILLiad is:•

http://www.dissertations.wsu.edu/illiad/pul/logon.html•

Your username for ILLIad is: xxx•

If you have any questions about this service, please e-mail us at ill@mail.wsu.edu or call us at 509-335-5517.

• Your phone number is: 335-9133

What Makes SFX Work?

• OpenURL

• Knowledge Base

• Janet Chisman (chisman@wsu.edu)

OpenURL Format

• http://sfxserver.uni.edu/sfxmenu?issn=1234-5678&date=1998&volume=12&issue=2&spage=13

• Sfx server:sfxserver.uni.edu/sfxmenu

• ? Separates SFX address from item metadata

OpenURL

• http://lib6.wsulibs.wsu.edu:8888/sfx_local?sid=SP:BX&pid=AN=200300246574&genre=article&atitle=Hereditary%20haemolytic%20anaemias%20and%20parvovirus%20infections%20in%20Jehovah%27s%20witnesses.&title=British-Journal-of-Haematology&issn=0007-1048&date=2003&volume=121&issue=4&spage=675&aulast=

SFX Use, 6/1/01-6/30/02

• Articles 544,600

• Books 29,184

• Journals 6,928

• ILLiad 2,600+ (since April, 2003)

Why Did I Want SFX?

• Linking and Leverage: We maximize the effectiveness of our collection development $--i.e., leverage them--by maximizing the linkages among them.

• Context sensitive linking gives the Library control over the linkages and allows us to link resources that do not have predetermined links.

But Much More Interestingly

• Possibilities for connecting faculty courseware to Libraryware

• Possibilities of connecting Library sources to non-bibliographic targets, such as faculty research data

• Library can supply support to faculty or courseware developers in Open URL and metadata

Thank You

http://www.wsulibs.wsu.edu/JW/SFX-ILL-sep03.htm