A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk Interoperability Across Digital Library Programmes? We Must Have QA! Brian Kelly UKOLN University of Bath Bath URL: qa-focus/ UKOLN is supported by: Acknowledgements The author wishes to acknowledge the contributions made to the QA Focus project by the team members at UKOLN and AHDS and to JISC for funding the project. Particular thanks are given to Marieke Guy & Amanda Closier (UKOLN), Hamish James & Gareth Knight (AHDS) and Rachel Bruce & Balviar Notay (JISC) Acknowledgements The author wishes to acknowledge the contributions made to the QA Focus project by the team members at UKOLN and AHDS and to JISC for funding the project. Particular thanks are given to Marieke Guy & Amanda Closier (UKOLN), Hamish James & Gareth Knight (AHDS) and Rachel Bruce & Balviar Notay (JISC)

A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 2 About This Paper This paper: Reviews traditional approaches to the support infrastructure for digital library programmes Describes an approach based on a quality assurance methodology Reviews the JISC-funded QA Focus project Outlines the potential for use of this approach by other digital library programmes Background

A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 3 About UKOLN UKOLN: A national centre of expertise in digital information management Based at the University of Bath Funded by JISC (Joint Information Systems Committee), MLA (Museums, Libraries and Archives Council) to support the higher & further education communities & cultural heritage sector Long-standing involvement in the support of digital library programmes including: JISCs eLib programme (from mid 1990s) and current Information Environment programmes The NOF-digitise programme for digitising cultural heritage resources Background

A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 4 Support For Digital Library Programmes The approaches taken in JISCs digital library programmes includes: Use of open standards to ensure interoperability, wide accessibility and long term access to resources Advice provided by funders covering reporting processes, project management, evaluation, sustainability, … Peer support infrastructure implemented to support sharing & collaboration (e.g. mailing lists for techies) No formal checking of compliance with technical standards and best practices Digital Library programmes

A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 5 Comments A lack of formal compliance checking: Sensible in eLib days when standards still being developed (Gopher anybody) Nowadays: Web and XML acknowledged as key technologies Were no longer building self-contained solutions Interoperability is key Funders seek to ensure deliverables can be repurposed But: Is a formal compliance checking service appropriate? Digital Library programmes

A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 6 NOF-digitise Experience NOF-digitise: Lottery-funded programme to digitise cultural heritage resources Technical advice provided by UKOLN and AHDS Compliance checking provided by BECTa Comments: Formal compliance checking probably needed due to lack of experience by many projects Compliance checking can be expensive Compliance may be regarded as being imposed Importance of open standards may not be embedded within organisations Approach is alien to culture within HE Digital Library programmes NOF-digi TAS Web site

A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 7 QA Focus JISC: Issued ITT for a Digitisation and QA Focus post to support JISCs 5/99 programme in 2001 Remit to develop QA methodology to ensure project deliverables interoperable, accessible, … QA Focus: UKOLN and TASI proposal accepted by JISC After first year provided by UKOLN and AHDS 1 FTE split across two services Built on UKOLNs & AHDSs experiences with NOF-digi Technical Advisory Service Addressed various technical areas including: Digitisation Web / Access Metadata Software Service Deployment... QA Focus

A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 8 A QA Approach The approach taken by QA Focus was developmental: Seek to ensure projects understand importance of open standards Encourage a culture of sharing experiences and best practices Appreciate difficulties projects may experience in implementing standards and best practices Develop a self-assessment approach for monitoring compliance Publish brief focussed advice for projects Commission case studies from projects QA Focus

A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 9 QA Methodology We developed a light-weight QA methodology based on documented policies & systematic compliance checking Deliverables Policy: Web Standards Standard: XHTML 1.0 and CSS 2.0 Architecture: Use of SSIs and text editor Exceptions: Automatically-derived files Checking: Use,validate * after update Audit Trail: Use,rvalidate monthly for reports Mechanisms should be implemented to ensure the policy is being implemented. Findings may be used in- house, shared with peers or (possibly) reported to steering groups, funders, etc. * Example of lightweight checking tool – append,tool to URL

A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 10 Selection of Standards Standards are important but may be immature, fail to take off, difficult to deploy, difficult to select, … Ideology Or Pragmatism? Open Standards And Cultural Heritage Web Sites describes an approach for the selection of standards Deliverables A checklist for selection of standards has been developed An online toolkit version of the checklist is also available Our work has informed a JISC study on open standards which will report shortly

A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 11 Other Resources We have also produced: Over 70 briefing documents Over 30 case studies A simple online toolkit which can help projects in ensuring they have addressed appropriate best practices Deliverables

A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 12 Embedding QA In JISC Calls QA In New JISC Programmes JISC requesting that projects address QA in new calls Elearning Tools Programme (ETools): Project Quality Plan template provided to projects Addresses selection of standards, policy on open source, software quality assurance procedures, … QA is now being embedded in JISC development work Service Deployment Of QA Focus Resources QA Focus Web site will continue to be hosted QA Focus resources will have persistent URL Content of published resources (intend for use by others) will not change significantly Deliverables

A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 13 What Next? QA Focus project funding finished on 31 July 2004 Plans for the future: Seeking further funding to develop methodology in more depth in other areas (e.g. metadata, service deployment, …) We intend to maintain existing resources as part of our core work activities We will seek to embed QA in our working practices We intend to support QA approaches across other communities (e.g. FE & HE, wider HE museums, libraries & archives) We intend to make QA Focus resources available under a Creative Commons licence What Next?

A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 14 QA For Other Digital Library Programmes Nightmare Scenario Digital Library programmes in UK, EU, USA, … built on open standards (XML, DC, OAI, …) But standards not implemented correctly or consistently leading to problems QA Across Digital Library Programmes There is a need for QA in order to ensure interoperability QA methodology developed by QA Focus seems appropriate for international DL community QA Focus encourages other DL programmes to may use of QA Focus methodology and resources Please contact for info What Next?

A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 15 Questions Any questions? Further Information The QA Focus Web site is available at See the Documents Papers area for other papers See the Documents area for Briefing Documents and Case Studies See the Toolkit area for the online toolkits Further Information The QA Focus Web site is available at See the Documents Papers area for other papers See the Documents area for Briefing Documents and Case Studies See the Toolkit area for the online toolkits