CORDIS Archive

Updated: 10 DEC 97

Theme

SR target development and their interconnection (Theme 9 bis)

Project description

The purpose of SR-TARGET was to examine problems related to the use of the Z39.50 protocol in media archives through actual implementations in three different sound archives.

The project has:

• analysed the specific problems related to the use of the Z39.50 protocol in sound archives;
• developed and implemented a Z39.50 target in connection with the three sound archive catalogues participating in the JUKE-BOX project, including coordinated access to all three;
• compiled and published guidelines which can be used by OPAC owners and implementers, describing the experience gained during the definition and implementation of the SR target systems.

Also addressed were potential problems regarding copyright on catalogue information liable to restrict libraries and archives in offering external access to their catalogues. A client service was implemented as a single gateway to the sound archive catalogues via the Web.

The project also addressed questions regarding the implementation of OSI communication protocols and the use of reduced communicating stacks such as mOSI and thinOSI. The use of TCP/IP was also investigated.

Technical approach

The project was structured into two phases divided into six workpackages, as follows:

PHASE 1: SPECIFICATION AND DEVELOPMENT

• SR target analysis for a common understanding of the SR protocol, to address copyright and generate a requirements specification;
• SR target development at three media archives in three countries;
• SR client - development of a central SR client with a World Wide Web interface;

PHASE 2: TEST AND EVALUATION

• Testing and on-site evaluation at the three sites;
• Technical evaluation of the feasibility of SR target implementations for the catalogue systems;
• Guidelines on SR for OPACs for owners and end-users.

Key issues

• Implementing SR targets in connection with catalogue databases;
• Copyright on catalogue information;
• The use of reduced protocol stacks such as mOSI and ThinOSI.

Impact and results:

SR-TARGET was quite successful, fulfilling all of its goals except on-line access to sound recordings in one of the sound archives.

The project developed and tested a native target towards the JUKE-BOX BRS/Search database and simulated targets towards the Discoteca di Stato and the Media Archive at the Danish State and University Library.

It developed and tested a gateway client between the Web and Z39.50 which was accessed by more than 600 users during the trial period.

Deliverables

The main deliverable is the Z39.50 software prototype. Its specifications are classified as restricted as is the end-user evaluation.

In the public domain are:

• Commercial aspects of catalogue data;
• SR target requirements analysis;
• User test and evaluation plan;
• Technical evaluation of the Z39.50 implementations;
• Guidelines on Z39.50 target for OPACs;
• Final report.

Documentation is available from the contact below and from http://mediator.uni-c.dk/paragon/ .

Coordinator

Other Partners