Deploying Virtual Libraries

About a month ago I was having an idle chat with Ray about 'The Future of
Z39.50'.  I commented that I thought the reasons the discussions often were
inconclusive because they focus on the standard and technology instead of
existing and future problems that the standard might help solve.  Ray asked
me for a problem, and I said that an example was the challenge of deploying
virtual libraries which increasingly requires using multiple standards like
Z39.50, ISO ILL and the NISO Circulation Interchange Protocol (standard now
being developed).  Ray responded that this sounded like a great breakout
session for the ZIG meeting and he asked me if I would like to lead such a
session.  I foolishly said yes, without considering to much what this would
entail.  

Now, I know that I at least have to put some thought to how to tackle what
is a rather large topic.  I have provided a brief paragraph aas background
and a suggested list of topics.  I hope that this can be put on the Web
site.  I have attached it as a Word document, and in plain text below.  Paul
Moland of Elias has offered to discuss a real live application.  I am
grateful for his offer.  I hope others who are working on projects like this
one will be willing to discuss them.

I am looking forward to discussing this in Leuven with other attendees.

Pat Stevens 
Chair, NISO Committee AT (committee developing NCIP) and
Director, Product Planning and Strategy
OCLC
email:  pat_stevens@oclc.org
phone:  
(301) 774-1241 (MD)
(800) 848-5878 (OH)
fax: 614) 718-7115

Deploying Virtual Libraries

Background:  
What is a virtual library?  Increasingly they are 'meta' libraries in the
sense that they offer access to the collections of multiple library
collections and often to information not contained within any library
collection.  As we look into the future, we see that the applications that
support virtual libraries will use many different standards to make this
access possible.  In some cases, the applications will be used vertically as
Z39.50 uses TCP/IP, and ISO ILL uses TCP/IP and SMTP.   We are also seeing
applications that knit multiple applications together horizontally.  In
particular, applications will use Z39.50, ISO ILL and NCIP (NISO Circulation
Interchange Protocol) to help users locate and obtain information.  

The three standards are in very different stages of development,
implementation and deployment.  Some individuals are involved with all
three.   

Topics:

1)Review the role of the individual standards and current challenges in
using them to deploy a virtual libraries.

-  Z39.50 to search and retrieve capabilities across multiple library
collections and to a variety of resources.  The national profiling efforts
can help make meaningful cross catalog searching possible.  When we move
beyond catalog data, is the browser enough for providing integrated
retrieval?

-  ISO ILL allows for the development of fairly sophisticated resource
sharing.  What's necessary to make this work in today's user empowered
world?  

-  The NCIP (NISO Circulation Interchange Protocol) is a standard still in
development.  It will use XML for encoding. The committee developing it
assumed that certain facilities were available from Z39.50 and ISO ILL.
What happens if those facilities aren't available.  What are the
implications of inserting an XML-based standard into this mix.


2. What facilities necessary for deploying virtual libraries are still
missing?  Do they belong within one of the existing standards?

3. What level of co-ordination of these standards is desirable?  What level
of coordination is practically possible?

4. A real life application:  Paul Moland of Elias will discuss the Object
Request Manager that integrates Z39.50 and ISO ILL.