The basic frame of the proposal is to establish a research sandbox in which we can apply Semantic Web and Personal Information Management techniques to extend the open-source DSpace system currently in Beta at MIT Libraries. By focusing upon an exemplar domain -- research libraries -- we can create specific and valuable feedback about how these techniques work in a real-world context. Further, when successful application of these techniques are demonstrated in the research environment, we could in selected cases opt to migrate use of the techniques from the research environment to the DSpace operational environment. Since parallel work is underway to deploy DSpace at a number of leading research libraries, such a transition would not just create visibility for the value, power, and success of the applied techniques; it may also lead to a powerful deployment channel through which emerging standards can be efficiently applied by a supportive community.
Core to the strength of the proposal is the research binding that it creates among:
- MIT Lab for Computer Science (Haystack Project)
- World Wide Web Consortium (Semantic Web Activity, Semantic Web Advanced Development)
- MIT Libraries and HP Labs Bristol (DSpace Project)
To turn this concept to proposal, and then to
reality, each of us can take on particular roles consistent with our individual
interests:
David Karger's faculty
research interest is in personal information management. David is interested in application of
personal information management techniques within the context of research
libraries, either to benefit individual users in their use of library assets,
or to assist in the collaborative management of the assets themselves. David and his team are also consumers of
large, persistent, semi-structured information stores; their interest is in
application of such stores, rather than in their development.
David and team will take the following roles:
-
assisting the DSpace research team in applying individual
and collaborative personal information management techniques within the DSpace
research sandbox.
-
apply reference implementations of toolkits
supporting manipulation of semistructured information within LCS, perhaps
following succesful application of such tools within the DSpace research
sandbox.
Dave Reynolds' and Martin Merry's
research interest is in the area of the semantic web technologies, including
application to create large scale information management platforms, and robust
toolkits that support this application space.
Dave also has a research interest in personal information management.
Dave, Martin, and team will take the following
roles:
-
provide an open-source toolkit (Jena) that aids
application of semantic web and semi-structured data management standards and
techniques in the research libraries context.
-
facilitate and contribute to identification of
gaps and issues that arise through such application
-
advise on appropriate resolutions (or directions
toward resolution) when such gaps and issues are found
-
assist in resolution as appropriate
Eric Miller's interest is in
facilitating the standards development process for semantic web technologies
through their application in real world problems. Eric would like to promote "centers of competence" in
application of semantic web techniques, each of which advances the state of
shared learning and helps to identify and quickly resolve issues in standards as they are currently put forth. Eric also has a strong background in
research supporting digital library services.
Eric and team will take the following roles:
-
advise the DSpace research team in application
of semantic web and semi-structured data management standards, techniques, and toolkit
implementations in the research libraries context
-
facilitate and contribute to identification of
gaps and issues that arise through such application
-
advise on appropriate resolutions (or directions
toward resolution) when such gaps and issues are found
MacKenzie Smith's
research interest is in application of new techniques to help libraries cope
with the increasing amount and diversity of digital information that comes
under their charge. MacKenzie would
like to enhance MIT Libraries' (and libraries in general) capability to offer
useful library services over these digital information resources. Further, she would like to continue to offer
a stable DSpace service to the Libraries' constitutents, while simultaneously
pursuing application of leading-edge techniques within a DSpace research
environment.
MacKenzie and team will take the following
roles:
-
Contribute domain expertise in the research
libraries domain, and a window into the digital library research community
-
Assist in management of the DSpace research team
-
Lead the definition of new DSpace services to be
enabled by research enhancements to the DSpace platform that apply semantic
web, semi-structured data management standards, techniques, and toolkit
implementations
-
Facilitate migration, as appropriate, of
successful results from the DSpace research environment to the DSpace
operational environment, at MIT and elsewehere
Mick Bass's research
interest is in applying semantic web and web service techniques to reduce the
barriers to sharing and deploying services atop large stores of heterogeneous
content and information.
Mick and team will take the following roles:
-
Manage the overall research engagement
-
Manage/facilitate the overall DSpace research
team
-
Apply semantic web and semi-structured data
management standards and techniques by extending DSpace, in the DSpace research
environment, consistent with service definitions created by MacKenzie and the
research core team.
-
Lead the process of identifying gaps and issues
that arise through this effort
-
facilitiate process of identifying appropriate
resolutions (or resolution directions)
-
assist in resolution as appropriate