CDLINFO Newsletter, August 12, 2004 Vol. 7, No. 14
CONTENTS
- New CDL Glossary
- Melvyl Catalog Maintenance: UCLA Record Load into the Melvyl Catalog
- OAC 3.0: Migrating to EAD Version 2002 and a New Platform (XTF)
- The CDL Digital Object Framework: A Core Digital Library Building Block
- Use of Watermarking Technology
- Library Staff News
- Robin Chandler Named Director of Built Content
- For More Information
- News and Publications
- Contacts for Questions or Problems
- About CDLINFO
1. New CDL Glossary
If you've been mystified by the term "dark archive," or if you've always wanted to know the difference between OAI and OAIS but didn't know where to turn, the new CDL glossary is for you!
The glossary is on Inside CDL in the Digital Library Building Blocks section at: http://www.cdlib.org/inside/diglib/glossary/
You can search, browse a list of all terms, or view subject glossaries for: CDL and UC terms, crawling and harvesting, digital objects, interface customization tools, library and technology, linking services, metasearching, preservation, and XML.
The glossary was inspired by comments from the digital library services workshops. While the glossary is growing, at this point it contains terms drawn from the workshops and is not exhaustive when it comes to CDL or UC libraries acronyms and advisory structures.
Please feel free to use the glossary as a resource for your web pages. You can link to the entire glossary or a specific word. To link to a specific word, use this format: <a href="http://www.cdlib.org/inside/diglib/glossary/?field=term&query=TERM"> but replace TERM with the glossary term you want to link to. If the glossary term you want to link to is two or more words, use this format but separate the words with a plus (+) symbol.
Examples:
- To link to the term "portal": <a href="http://www.cdlib.org/inside/diglib/glossary/?field=term&query=portal">
- To link to the term "dark archive": <a href="http://www.cdlib.org/inside/diglib/glossary/?field=term&query=dark+archive">
Sometimes your link will include entries for other similar words. If you don't mind these additional words in your link, then you don't have to do anything. But if you still just want to link to one entry, then your URL will get a little longer. After you enter your term, you'll then need to add a series of "+not+TERM" entries to exclude the other terms.
Examples:
- This link to the term "OAI" would give you a page that lists both OAI and OAI-PMH: <a href="http://www.cdlib.org/inside/diglib/glossary/?field=term&query=OAI">
- If you wanted to only see the term "OAI" and exclude "OAI-PMH," your link would look like this: <a href="http://www.cdlib.org/inside/diglib/glossary/?field=term&query=OAI+not+PMH">
Questions? Contact Jennifer Colvin at jennifer.colvin@ucop.edu.
2. Melvyl Catalog Maintenance: UCLA Record Load into the Melvyl Catalog
UCLA has moved its catalog, ORION2, to an Endeavor Voyager system and renamed the catalog the "UCLA Library Catalog." The CDL has been working intensively for several months with Ex Libris and the UCLA library to ensure a smooth transition in the Melvyl Catalog from UCLA's Taos holdings to its Voyager holdings, and to minimize the impact of the UCLA reload on other campuses. Part of this process has included the deletion of UCLA's five million old records and the addition of five million new records into the Melvyl Catalog.
The Melvyl Catalog will be frozen between August 21 and September 17. Please advise your users that since no new records will be added during the freeze, users will not receive their usual Automatic Updates (SDI Requests).
The database with the new UCLA snapshot records in it will be switched into production on September 18. This process should be invisible to catalog users.
A full description of this complex process follows:
Due to limitations with the Ex Libris software, the CDL cannot use the normal database update programs to replace UCLA's records. Instead, all 25 million records must be exported from the database and the existing UCLA records removed. The exported records, plus the new UCLA records, will be fast loaded (i.e. loaded without indexing) into a new database, and then all records will be indexed and merged. The CDL anticipates that this process will take six to seven weeks.
This activity will take place in a duplicate copy of the database on a different machine so that the intensive processing will not impact response time in the production system.
The CDL will not freeze loading in the production database until testing is complete on the rebuilt database. Loading will then be frozen while catch-up loading of the weekly files that have accumulated in the maintenance period takes place in the rebuilt database. Catch-up loading is necessary to bring the two databases into sync so that services like Update will function without interruption.
Loading will proceed more quickly in the rebuilt database if the number of records accumulated in the six to seven week maintenance period is held to a minimum. For this reason, the CDL has requested that records associated with special projects be held during this time.
The following is the latest version of the schedule of activities (subject to revision) for the project:
- July 12: Reload/reindex/remerge began in a copy of the production database.
- August 21-September 17: The loading of all campus records will be frozen in the production database.
- September 18: The newly reloaded database will become the production database.
- Week of October 11: The backlog of frozen weekly files will be cleared for all campuses except UCLA. Normal loading will resume for all campuses except UCLA.
- Week of November 15: The backlog of UCLA weekly files is cleared.
The CDL will provide information about any revisions to this schedule.
3. OAC 3.0: Migrating to EAD Version 2002 and a New Platform (XTF)
The OAC is upgrading to OAC 3.0 with the migration to a new platform and support for EAD Version 2002 finding aids. The migration is scheduled to be completed in January 2005.
An updated suite of tools, services, and best practice guidelines will support EAD Version 2002. For a list of these tools, see the EAD Toolkit at: http://www.cdlib.org/inside/projects/oac/toolkit/
The release of these tools has been timed with the implementation of the new eXtensible Text Framework (XTF) platform, which will replace the current DLXS platform. Developed and maintained by the CDL using open source software, the XTF platform underlying OAC 3.0 provides even greater long-term functionality and flexibility for the search and delivery of a wide range of document types, including EAD finding aids and TEI texts.
OAC 3.0 will allow for a number of enhancements, including:
- Search, browse, and delivery of EAD Version 2002 finding aids.
- Modified and revised OAC style sheets for EAD finding aids, incorporating feedback received from OAC contributing institutions.
- Ability for contributing members to develop customized displays of their EAD finding aids and associated digital content submitted to the OAC, using the CDL Interface Customization Tools at http://www.cdlib.org/inside/diglib/repository/customize/. This includes the creation of customized portals to virtual collections, such as MOAC, California Heritage, and JARDA.
The OAC will be providing periodic updates via the OAC-L listserv and the CDLINFO newsletter. For additional information, including a detailed migration timeline, see http://www.cdlib.org/inside/projects/oac/news/.
4. The CDL Digital Object Framework: A Core Digital Library Building Block
The CDL is in the process of revising the 2001 CDL Digital Object Standard: http://www.cdlib.org/inside/diglib/. The new guidelines are slated for release in January 2005.
Digital "built content" materials comprise a significant portion of the CDL's collections. These materials include objects created internally by UC or converted into digital form from existing UC collections (such as manuscripts, maps, visual images, and sound files), as well as "born digital" materials such as web sites.
In order for the CDL to extend effective preservation, access, and learning tools and services to contributors and users, these objects need to be represented in a uniform manner.
The CDL digital object framework (DOF) will be a "wrapper" for a suite of modularized guidelines, principally organized around classes of digital built content supported by the CDL. For each object classification, there will be a set of metadata, content file, and submission requirements.
What the new guidelines will do:
- Address a wide range of burgeoning, at-risk, digital built content that is being contributed to CDL for access and preservation.
- Establish levels of CDL services based on metadata provided by contributors. These services include the Preservation Repository, Interface Customization Tools, Image Service, persistent public access to objects via www.CaliforniaDigitalLibrary.org, eScholarship, the Online Archive of California (OAC) and other gateways, and learning, viewing, and curatorial tools.
- Address the use of the Metadata Encoding and Transmission Standard (METS) format for encoding objects.
- Cover requirements for preservation, rights, descriptive, and other kinds of metadata. Will also cover requirements for a range of content file types.
Timeline
A CDL task force is preparing the DOF for release in January 2005. This initial version will contain guidelines for images, TEI and PDF texts, and EAD finding aids.
For more information, see: http://www.cdlib.org/inside/diglib/guidelines/
5. Use of Watermarking Technology
The CDL is inserting language about watermarks in its contracts with publishers and vendors and in its technical requirements documents for database and ejournal vendors.
A digital watermark is a visible or invisible identification code that is permanently embedded into a digital image or text. Its purpose is to authenticate ownership of the content, and possibly communicate other information within the digital media.
The CDL is requiring that watermarks should not be visible to the human eye and should not degrade image or text quality. Moreover, watermarks shall not contain user-specific information such as account numbers or IP addresses. The CDL is also requiring that vendors notify us in advance if they intend to use watermarking technology.
Our goal in inserting this new language in contracts and in the technical requirements documents for database and ejournal vendors is to protect users' privacy and ensure that printed versions of articles are legible.
6. Library Staff News
a. Robin Chandler named Director of Built Content
Robin Chandler, who has been managing the Online Archive of California at the CDL since May 2000, was recently named the Director of Built Content.
She will be responsible for the development, maintenance, technical integrity, service readiness, and long-term sustainability of the CDL's publicly accessible online collections. In addition, she will ensure that the CDL's built collections are developed in light of campus needs, but also in light of major opportunities for technical, service, business, and scholarly innovation.
Projects Robin will be working on include the Online Archive of California (OAC), the Image Demonstrator project, and the American West project. She will also be overseeing Adrian Turner's work on the LSTA Local History Digital Resources project and the digital object framework.
Congratulations, Robin!
7. For More Information
a. News and Publications
News and events, press releases, reports and guidelines, and articles published by CDL staff are posted on the CDL web site. Please share news of this resource with your colleagues!
In addition, status information about CDL resources, reports, and working documents of particular interest to library staff are available on the Inside CDL web site.
b. Contacts for Questions or Problems
If you have problems accessing CDL resources or have questions, including questions about the status of electronic journal collections and Internet resources, contact the CDL:- For immediate assistance, call the CDL Helpline at 510-987-0555. Callers with TDD equipment, please call 1-800-735-2929 in California for the telephone relay operator.
- Or, send an email to cdl@www.cdlib.org.
For information about whether your UC campus has access to a particular electronic journal or Internet resource, contact your local collection development officer.
c. About CDLINFO
CDLINFO informs UC librarians and the UC community about the progress of the CDL, policy issues under discussion, and newly available electronic resources. Please share selected information from this newsletter with faculty, staff, and students on the campuses.
Eligible subscribers: UC library employees
Subscriptions: To subscribe for email distribution, send an email to listserv@listserv.ucop.edu with the following line as the body of the message, where FirstName LastName is your name: SUBSCRIBE CDLINFO-L FirstName LastName.
Frequency of publication: Biweekly, or as new information warrants. CDLINFO is also published on the Inside CDL news and events page.
Submissions: For information about submitting to CDLINFO, see the submission deadlines. Email articles to jennifer.colvin@ucop.edu.
Communicating with the listserv: While the CDLINFO listserv does not accept emails, subscribers are encouraged to send suggestions, thoughts, and comments to the CDL at cdl@www.cdlib.org.