IntraLIbrary 22/2/08 Ian Watson

Using SRU to create an open search interface for a social services

repository

Ian Watson & Paul Hart

Institute for Research & Innovation in Social Services

The Learning Exchange

• Content– 800 Objects– Multimedia, PDF, audio, web sites

• Users– Nine Scottish universities teaching social work– Entire social services workforce (via Via NHS

Scotland elibrary Athens authentication)

Registration requirement a big barrier to use

http://www.iriss.ac.uk/openlx

Key Features

• Add to browser search engines• Search term auto-suggest. Text file created from words in

selected metadata fields exported through OAI• If search term misspelled, alternative suggested• Tagging and send to a friend• Keywords & authors are hyperlinks to create new searches• Three column design – space for showcase in right hand

column• Works even if Java script and css disabled• Works on hand-held devices

Things to look out for

• Search Syntax– CQL doesn't use the same syntax as Google and the

like. Quotes does not imply a phrase search (“exact” relation).

– SRU/CQL implementation in IntraLibrary does not currently support the "exact" relation

• Effect: not easy to control how the search works

Special Collections• Learning Exchange as three kinds of special collection

– Images

– Subjects: Child Protection; Drug and Alcohol Misuse

– “Protected” collection (objects with licence conditions requiring user registration)

In 2.8, no seamless link from Open Search to the object for those users holding an Athens password

Support for use of authentication tokens to search specific collections introduced in 2.9.

Other

• Can’t browse taxonomies• Can’t link to licences

– Learning Exchange has three licence types• Modify• Not Modify• Web resource

– Open search default is therefore ‘not modify’ unless resource allows otherwise

Character mapping

Fix: Compiled a list of ‘allowed’ characters for title field.

Broken Links

• Meta Data Analysis Tool http://www.nzdl.org/greenstone3/mat• Enter: http://learnx.sieswe.org/IntraLibrary/IntraLibrary-OAI• Download XENU: http://home.snafu.de/tilman/xenulink.html• Run through checker • Report opens in browser

http://www.nzdl.org/greenstone3/mat

Future• Advanced search• CQL will have to allow sorting search results• SRU support for image display, eg thumbnails

lightbox high res• Open ID• SWORD uploader• Ratings (custom vs IntraLibrary proprietary)• Import objects by RSS• Release as open source, probably via a Google code

repository (end of March 08)

Learning Exchange Open Search Design Team

• Paul Hart – Multimedia Developer paul.hart@iriss.ac.uk• Ian Philip – Multimedia Designer ian.phillip@iriss.ac.uk• Lesley Duff - Web Applications Analyst/Programmer lesley.duff@iriss.ac.uk• Ian Watson – Knowledge and Information Manager i.watson@iriss.ac.uk • Ellen Daly - Knowledge and Information Assistant e.daly@iriss.ac.uk • Neil Ballantyne – Learning Technology Manager neil.ballantyne@iriss.ac.uk

www.iriss.ac.uk/openlx