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Prospero: A Web-based Document Delivery System

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Prospero is an open source document delivery system originally designed to work with Ariel. It converts scanned documents to PDF and makes them available on a web site for patrons to access anytime from anywhere. The system was developed on a small budget with no direct software costs by a team at Ohio State University to address the need for electronic delivery and shorten document turnaround times. Over 300 organizations from 17 countries have now downloaded Prospero.

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Prospero: A Web-based Document Delivery System Eric H. Schnell Assistant Professor Head, Information Technology Prior Health Sciences Library The Ohio State University

2

Open Source or “Free” Software Free as in “free”dom Little to do with price A program is free if there is freedom to: run the program, for any purpose modify the program to suit needs distribute modified versions so that the community can benefit from your improvements

3

Brief History ITS (the Incompatible Timesharing System MIT - 1967) GNU (GNU’s Not Unix - 1984) Linux (1991) “ Open Source” (1998)

4

The Library Systems Paradigm Software vendors do not sell software , they sell “Licenses” Vendors control functionality and features Maintenance fees are often not optional Open Source and Libraries

5

Library Systems Paradigm Libraries make significant investments to license, maintain, and train Few switch once committed to a specific technology Decisions often based on budgets - Not patron needs Services become available not when they are needed, but when software becomes commercially available

6

What is Prospero? Electronic document delivery system Originally designed to work with Ariel ® Can be used as stand alone Converts Ariel TIFF file to PDF Places them on a Web site Like Ariel, Prospero is a character in Shakespeare's “The Tempest”

7

Prospero Modules Staff Interface Installed on Windows PC Uses Ariel directories Can scan direct or import

8

Staff Interface

9

Prospero Modules Staff Interface Installed on Windows PC Uses Ariel directories Can scan direct or import Patron Interface /Server Side Install on Windows/ Unix-Linux server Any Web server software

10

Patron Interface

11

Why Prospero? Advisory Committee recommendation Full-text journals online, why not ILL? Shorten document delivery time Any time, anywhere access Commercial alternatives not economical or functional

12

Development Timeline March 1999 – In search of existing systems NLM’s DocView / DocMorph

13

DocView

14

DocMorph

15

Development Timeline March ’99 – In search of existing systems NLM’s DocView / DocMorph ILLiad

16

ILLiad

17

Development Timeline March ’99 – In search of existing systems NLM’s DocView ILLiad Marshall’s WebEDD

18

Web-EDD

19

Development Timeline March ’99 – In search of existing systems NLM’s DocView ILLiad Marshall’s WebEDD April ’99 – Create homegrown system – Announcement of Yale’s EDD

20

Yale’s EDD

21

Development Timeline April ’99 – Began Prospero development May ’99 – Released Prospero 1.0 Feb ’01 – Released Version 1.37 ( 17 th Revision )

22

Development Team Project Manager Communications Web site & message board Contact for administrators / Prospero implementers Programmer Wrote code Debugged problems

23

Development Team Evaluators Used beta code Identified initial features 3 high use sites 40+ outside contributors

24

Time Commitment Project Manager 60 hours initial Web site development and creation of support materials < 4 hrs per week ongoing support Programmer ~100 hrs initial development 8 hrs per week ongoing support Evaluators Feedback through regular use

25

Prospero Budget $ 0

26

Development Costs No direct software costs No direct ongoing software maintenance costs Used existing hardware Staff time (~ $3500 1st year indirect cost)

27

Customer Service Web site Email / phone Web discussion board “ Users helping users”

28

Copyright Concerns &quot; I see no problems with using technology to provide interlibrary loan. The real crux to librarians is the compliance with the CONTU guidelines...&quot; - Laura Gasaway (cni-copyright@cni.org 7/21/2000)

29

Copyright Concerns Aware of open source Prospero was first project reviewed International distribution Ohio State “ownership” No warranties expressed or implied Distributed “As Is” Ohio State Legal Affairs

30

Copyright Concerns Local interpretation of Copyright Law National Commission on New Technological Uses of Copyright Works (CONTU) Authentication restricts access Can restrict number of times viewed or number of days on system Document Delivery Depts

31

Lessons User expectations

32

Lessons Implementation issues Individual privacy (Open Source a safe haven?) Systems security Library system paradigm is alive User expectations

33

Benefits Established service when needed Allowed others to establish similar services, cheaply Staff are learning new skills Creating a new “network” of library development partners Breaking away from the library systems paradigm

34

Hidden Benefits Over 300 organizational downloads from 17 Countries Promote the Prior Library and The Ohio State University Publication, presentation, and award opportunities Local recognition

35

Current / Future Developments Ariel <-> Prospero communications Viewing and printing TIFFS Color scanner support (compression!) Replace text config files with database OS-X support

36

Words of Advice “ One can choose to go back toward safety or forward toward growth.” -- Abraham Maslow

37

Words of Advice ? “ The current trend is from locally-developed systems to vendor supplied systems, not the other way around. What is different about the current open source movement that will enable the successful development and support of library automation systems from the earlier efforts that weren't sustainable? To use Eric Raymond's terms, is the ILS too much a cathederal (sic) to be build in a bazaar?” Marshall Breeding posted on web4lib - 3/22/2001

38

Words of Advice ? “ Without other incentives other than the joy of hacking and &quot;vanity fair&quot; a lot of worthwhile projects die because the initial author lost interest and nobody pick up the tag “ Nikolai Bezroukov http://www.firstmonday.dk/issues/issue4_10/bezroukov/index.html

39

Thanks! E-mail: [email_address] Project: bones.med.ohio-state.edu/prospero/ Web Board: viagra.med.ohio-state.edu/prospero/ oss4lib: www.oss4lib.org

40

Resources Open Resources http://www.openresources.com/ OpenSource.Org http://www.opensource.org/ GNU's Not Unix! http://www.gnu.org/ Eric S. Raymond, “The Cathedral and the Bazaar” http://tuxedo.org/~esr/writings/cathedral-bazaar/cathedral-bazaar/ Nikolai Bezroukov http://www.firstmonday.dk/issues/issue4_10/bezroukov/ index.html

More Related Content

Prospero: A Web-based Document Delivery System

  • 1. Prospero: A Web-based Document Delivery System Eric H. Schnell Assistant Professor Head, Information Technology Prior Health Sciences Library The Ohio State University
  • 2. Open Source or “Free” Software Free as in “free”dom Little to do with price A program is free if there is freedom to: run the program, for any purpose modify the program to suit needs distribute modified versions so that the community can benefit from your improvements
  • 3. Brief History ITS (the Incompatible Timesharing System MIT - 1967) GNU (GNU’s Not Unix - 1984) Linux (1991) “ Open Source” (1998)
  • 4. The Library Systems Paradigm Software vendors do not sell software , they sell “Licenses” Vendors control functionality and features Maintenance fees are often not optional Open Source and Libraries
  • 5. Library Systems Paradigm Libraries make significant investments to license, maintain, and train Few switch once committed to a specific technology Decisions often based on budgets - Not patron needs Services become available not when they are needed, but when software becomes commercially available
  • 6. What is Prospero? Electronic document delivery system Originally designed to work with Ariel ® Can be used as stand alone Converts Ariel TIFF file to PDF Places them on a Web site Like Ariel, Prospero is a character in Shakespeare's “The Tempest”
  • 7. Prospero Modules Staff Interface Installed on Windows PC Uses Ariel directories Can scan direct or import
  • 9. Prospero Modules Staff Interface Installed on Windows PC Uses Ariel directories Can scan direct or import Patron Interface /Server Side Install on Windows/ Unix-Linux server Any Web server software
  • 11. Why Prospero? Advisory Committee recommendation Full-text journals online, why not ILL? Shorten document delivery time Any time, anywhere access Commercial alternatives not economical or functional
  • 12. Development Timeline March 1999 – In search of existing systems NLM’s DocView / DocMorph
  • 15. Development Timeline March ’99 – In search of existing systems NLM’s DocView / DocMorph ILLiad
  • 17. Development Timeline March ’99 – In search of existing systems NLM’s DocView ILLiad Marshall’s WebEDD
  • 19. Development Timeline March ’99 – In search of existing systems NLM’s DocView ILLiad Marshall’s WebEDD April ’99 – Create homegrown system – Announcement of Yale’s EDD
  • 21. Development Timeline April ’99 – Began Prospero development May ’99 – Released Prospero 1.0 Feb ’01 – Released Version 1.37 ( 17 th Revision )
  • 22. Development Team Project Manager Communications Web site & message board Contact for administrators / Prospero implementers Programmer Wrote code Debugged problems
  • 23. Development Team Evaluators Used beta code Identified initial features 3 high use sites 40+ outside contributors
  • 24. Time Commitment Project Manager 60 hours initial Web site development and creation of support materials < 4 hrs per week ongoing support Programmer ~100 hrs initial development 8 hrs per week ongoing support Evaluators Feedback through regular use
  • 26. Development Costs No direct software costs No direct ongoing software maintenance costs Used existing hardware Staff time (~ $3500 1st year indirect cost)
  • 27. Customer Service Web site Email / phone Web discussion board “ Users helping users”
  • 28. Copyright Concerns &quot; I see no problems with using technology to provide interlibrary loan. The real crux to librarians is the compliance with the CONTU guidelines...&quot; - Laura Gasaway (cni-copyright@cni.org 7/21/2000)
  • 29. Copyright Concerns Aware of open source Prospero was first project reviewed International distribution Ohio State “ownership” No warranties expressed or implied Distributed “As Is” Ohio State Legal Affairs
  • 30. Copyright Concerns Local interpretation of Copyright Law National Commission on New Technological Uses of Copyright Works (CONTU) Authentication restricts access Can restrict number of times viewed or number of days on system Document Delivery Depts
  • 32. Lessons Implementation issues Individual privacy (Open Source a safe haven?) Systems security Library system paradigm is alive User expectations
  • 33. Benefits Established service when needed Allowed others to establish similar services, cheaply Staff are learning new skills Creating a new “network” of library development partners Breaking away from the library systems paradigm
  • 34. Hidden Benefits Over 300 organizational downloads from 17 Countries Promote the Prior Library and The Ohio State University Publication, presentation, and award opportunities Local recognition
  • 35. Current / Future Developments Ariel <-> Prospero communications Viewing and printing TIFFS Color scanner support (compression!) Replace text config files with database OS-X support
  • 36. Words of Advice “ One can choose to go back toward safety or forward toward growth.” -- Abraham Maslow
  • 37. Words of Advice ? “ The current trend is from locally-developed systems to vendor supplied systems, not the other way around. What is different about the current open source movement that will enable the successful development and support of library automation systems from the earlier efforts that weren't sustainable? To use Eric Raymond's terms, is the ILS too much a cathederal (sic) to be build in a bazaar?” Marshall Breeding posted on web4lib - 3/22/2001
  • 38. Words of Advice ? “ Without other incentives other than the joy of hacking and &quot;vanity fair&quot; a lot of worthwhile projects die because the initial author lost interest and nobody pick up the tag “ Nikolai Bezroukov http://www.firstmonday.dk/issues/issue4_10/bezroukov/index.html
  • 39. Thanks! E-mail: [email_address] Project: bones.med.ohio-state.edu/prospero/ Web Board: viagra.med.ohio-state.edu/prospero/ oss4lib: www.oss4lib.org
  • 40. Resources Open Resources http://www.openresources.com/ OpenSource.Org http://www.opensource.org/ GNU's Not Unix! http://www.gnu.org/ Eric S. Raymond, “The Cathedral and the Bazaar” http://tuxedo.org/~esr/writings/cathedral-bazaar/cathedral-bazaar/ Nikolai Bezroukov http://www.firstmonday.dk/issues/issue4_10/bezroukov/ index.html