seamlessUK seamlessUK – standards in action Cathy Day Essex County Council

seamlessUK What is it?

seamlessUK A public (community) information service n Web-based citizens gateway service n Single search of multiple sources - 24/365 n Databases, websites etc n One place to search local and national information n Resources selected for quality, coverage and applicability

seamlessUK Benefits to the public n Single point of search and retrieval from joined-up data sources n At deeper level than hypertext links n Information is quality controlled and current n Selection of definitive resources u not everything n Information is from local, regional and national sources

seamlessUK Benefits to Information Providers 7 critical tests n Joined up n Accessible n Delivered/supported electronically n Delivered jointly n Delivered seamlessly n Open and accountable n Used - promotion of available and accessible new technologies

seamlessUK Whats the background?

seamlessUK The problem Other……... Search engines/web sites/portals The library Local /voluntary agencies Council sources multiple places to look too much information varying quality

seamlessUK History n SEAMLESS project in Essex u BLR&D – distributed searching of Essex local information providers (1998 -) u First element of the Essex Community Information Network, includes development of Essex Online portal

seamlessUK

NOF Consortium Approach n NOF Digitisation bid by Essex to search national and local sources together n SCADS n CA/SP Community Advice, Seamless Portals n seamlessUK n Available from seamlessUK national portal ( n and Local Authority websites/portals

seamlessUK Who are the partners?

seamlessUK Core partners n Essex County Council u Project Leader n Fretwell Downing Informatics Ltd u Technical Developer n MDR Partners u Project Management, Monitoring and Evaluation

seamlessUK National information providers Age Concern BBC Common Purpose HMSO - Inforoute learndirect LASA The Community Legal Service NACAB NCVO NHS Direct Online nhs.uk RAD UKOnline (e-Envoys office) more in the pipeline...

seamlessUK Local authority partners n Essex n Bexley, Brighton & Hove, Bromley, East Sussex, Kent, Lewisham, Medway, North Lincolnshire n Target audience c6m people

seamlessUK

e ssexonline Partnership n Business & Advice Services u Essex Investment Office u Essex Returners Unit u Learning Skills Council u Careers & Business Partnership u WayMArk u Witham CAB n Childcare u Early Years Partnership n Health organisations u Mid Essex Community Health Council u Essex HA u North Essex Mental Health Partnership n Educational Establishments u Anglia Polytechnic University u Chelmsford College u Colchester Institute u University of Essex n ECC departments u Learning Services u Social Services u Trading Standards etc.

seamlessUK e ssexonline Partnership (cont) n Local Government u Brentwood District Council u Braintree District Council u Castle Point Borough Council u Chelmsford Borough Council u Colchester Borough Council u Epping Forest District Council u Harlow District Council u Maldon District Council u Rochford District Council u Tendring District Council u Uttlesford District Council u Southend on sea Unitary Council u Thurrock Unitary Council n Others u Essex Fire Service u Essex Police n Regional organisations u Go East/EEDA u Co-East n News Services u Thisisessex n Utilities u Essex & Suffolk Water n Voluntary Organisations u Essex Association of Community Volunteers u Essex Community Foundation u Essex Disabled Peoples Assoc. u Royal Association in Aid of Deaf People

seamlessUK Whats the timetable?

seamlessUK Summer 2002 Phase 1 system n Search - keyword, place name n Admin interface - configure local targets n Reporting - stats n Thesaurus - add terms n Portlets n Accessibility n Investigation into GIS solutions n Initial user evaluation

seamlessUK Phase 2 n Map based stuff u Implement geocoder module u Directional maps link n Thesaurus u Thesaurus browse u Query re-writing u Drop into more specialised thesauri u Map across multiple thesauri n Metadata u Profile refinement u Metadata creator refinement

seamlessUK Phase 2 cont. n Multilingual stuff u Translated interfaces u Search foreign material u Translate thesaurus? n Data sources u Content Management Systems u OAI u SOAP n User Evaluation n Delivery channels? n Accessibility

seamlessUK Phase 2 cont. n seamlessUK Geocoder will search a number of geographic data sources to interpret the users query u All Fields Postcode Data u Address-Point u Boundary Line u OS 1:50,000 Gazetteer

seamlessUK How does it comply with e-government targets?

seamlessUK Government standards n e-GIF u XML as integration technology u converts existing schemas to XML structures on the fly u leveraging legacy systems n and e-GMS u Ver. 1.0 (April 2002) - qualified Dublin Core (refinements) + some extensions u seamlessUK application profile

seamlessUK Metadata n 2 levels u Resource level tagging of individual records/web pages F seamlessUK application profile u Collection level descriptions F RSLP model and schema (Research Support Libraries Programme - n Control of vocabulary

seamlessUK seamlessUK Metadata Application Profile n First draft (Jan 2002) Dublin Core plus some additional elements u Compliant with e-government metadata standard (v1.0 April 2002) u Comments from partners and others u Interim flat HTML version developed and used in seamless.dot metadata creator u Full XML or RDF schema, implemented in metadata creator, with associated documentation, instructions and training available later in year

seamlessUK seamlessUK Metadata Application Profile - Elements DC.Audience (draft) Availability (some draft) n Address details n Contact details n Access restraints - cost, time, service coverage DC.Coverage n Spatial n Temporal DC.Creator DC.Date n Modified n Issued DC.Description DC.Format n Medium Function (draft) DC.Identifier DC.Language Learndirect/ MILO tags? (draft) DC.Publisher DC.Rights DC.Subject n Keywords n Category DC.Title n Alternative Title DC.Type

seamlessUK seamlessUK.dot metadata tool n seamlessUK.dot Metadata Creator u semi-automatic metadata tool configured to seamlessUK application profile u template approach - hides the syntax u verifies metadata is complete and correct u output suitable for inclusion in web site u links directly to seamlessUK thesaurus and other standard encoding schemes eg. for GIS as required by project.

seamlessUK seamlessUK metadata creator template

seamlessUK seamlessUK metadata output

seamlessUK seamlessUK thesaurus n Background u Initially developed from Essex Libraries keyword list for Seamless in Essex u Augmented by terms supplied by partner organisations u Full scale revamp 2001 with input from thesaurus expert

seamlessUK seamlessUK thesaurus (cont) n Comprehensive UK Community Information Thesaurus n Government category list n Controlled vocabulary for indexing and searching n Consistent search and retrieval across the system and for browsing and navigation n Centrally maintained n ISO standard for monolingual thesauri

seamlessUK seamlessUK thesaurus (cont) n Development work in seamlessUK u Further work on hierarchy and content F Ability to identify and display subsets for different purposes F Available for partners to use F Available for others to use - subscription u Incorporation of terms from other partners F Partners input into future maintenance u Synonyms and homonyms u Query expansion and refinement u Mapping across domain specific or richer thesauri

seamlessUK Whats happening now?

seamlessUK User focus n Survey of users needs u libraries, councils, one stop / first stop shops, CAB etc. n Mapping the results to content u new national information providers u model for local content n Designing and testing the interface u how do people search? u presented in a user-friendly way

seamlessUK Rolling out now n Current members rolling out now u phased approach n Open to new members u local authorities u libraries u museums u archives u Contact Essex now, go live early 2003 n Open to new national information partners

seamlessUK seamlessUK basic portal

seamlessUK seamlessuk branded for e ssexonline

seamlessUK Local services page in e ssexonline

seamlessUK e ssexonline search results

seamlessUK e ssexonline detailed information

seamlessUK seamlessUK project web site –

seamlessUK Contact details n u n u