1. LibX - an Open Source, Community
Platform for Delivering Library
Services
Access 2008
Annette Bailey & Godmar Back
Virginia Tech

2. Where it all began…
• Motivation
– Users are increasingly bypassing library when doing
research
• Idea: a “library tool”
– Put the library back in the picture!
• A “virtual librarian” that guides users to library
resources while they use the Web
– integrates access to library resources into the users’
“webflow”
– no matter which page a user visits ( needs client-
side presence!)
10/3/2008 Access 2008 2

3. LibX Features
• Toolbar and right-click context menu
• Adaptive and user-configurable context menus
• OpenURL support
• Magic Button (Google Scholar support)
• Web Localization via Embedded Cues
• Autolinking
• Off-campus access via EZProxy or WAM
• Support for CiteULike
• Support for COinS
• Support for xISBN
• Show/Hide Hotkey
10/3/2008 Access 2008 3

4. LibX Features
• Toolbar and right-click context menu
• Adaptive and user-configurable context menus
• OpenURL support
• Magic Button (Google Scholar support)
• Web Localization via Embedded Cues
• Autolinking
• Off-campus access via EZProxy or WAM
• Support for CiteULike
• Support for COinS
• Support for xISBN
• Show/Hide Hotkey
10/3/2008 Access 2008 4

5. LibX Timeline
• 2005
– Released LibX Virginia Tech as a Firefox extension
– Offered to share LibX with interested libraries
10/3/2008 Access 2008 5

6. Edition Builder
Motivation
• Librarians responsible for customizing LibX for
their institution
– Customized version of LibX = LibX edition
• Manually configuring LibX requires knowledge
about:
– Underlying LibX implementation
– XML syntax
– Running scripts
– Many different OPAC settings (> 140)
• Developers of LibX manually created 150 editions
– Demand was more than supply!
10/3/2008 Access 2008 6

7. LibX Timeline
• 2005
– Released LibX Virginia Tech as a Firefox extension
– Offered to share LibX with interested libraries
• 2006
– Tremendous response from library community
– Received NLG from IMLS to create Edition Builder
10/3/2008 Access 2008 7

8. LibX Edition Builder
• Interactive Web application that allows the
creation and maintenance of LibX editions
– Provides step-by-step instruction to librarians to
customize LibX
– Outputs ready-made, customized LibX edition
– Hosting environment for LibX configurations and
downloads
10/3/2008 Access 2008 8

9. EDITION BUILDER DEMO
10/3/2008 Access 2008 9

10. Demo Backup Slide
10/3/2008 Access 2008 10

11. Edition Builder Internals
• Uses ZK (www.zkoss.org)
– Server-centric Rich Internet Application (RIA)
Framework
– 100% Java servlet-based environment, minimal
use of JavaScript
• Runs on server side, but look and feel is
comparable to desktop applications
– No state kept on client side
10/3/2008 Access 2008 11

12. Architecture
Third Party
Resource
Database
Servers
Edition Maintainer Edition Builder
OCLC
WorldCat
File
Registry
System
Web Server
End User
Edition and
Changes to Download
Login Revision Auto-discovery
Configuration customized LibX
Management
10/3/2008 Access 2008 12

13. LibX Timeline
• 2005
– Released LibX Virginia Tech as a Firefox extension
– Offered to share LibX with interested libraries
• 2006
– Tremendous response from library community
– Received NLG from IMLS to create Edition Builder
• 2007
– Released Edition Builder
10/3/2008 Access 2008 13

14. Log Data – Adoption of Edition Builder
• 1155 total
editions
present by May
2008
• As of Oct 2008,
1600 total
editions
• 460 were
made public
• New editions
are being made
public at a rate
of ~20/month
10/3/2008 Access 2008 14

15. LibX Timeline
• 2005
– Released LibX Virginia Tech as a Firefox extension
– Offered to share LibX with interested libraries
• 2006
– Tremendous response from library community
– Received NLG from IMLS to create Edition Builder
• 2007
– Released Edition Builder
• 2008
– Edition Builder Study
10/3/2008 Access 2008 15

16. EDITION BUILDER STUDY
10/3/2008 Access 2008 16

17. LibX Edition Builder Study Facts
• Log-based usability evaluation
– Interactions with Edition Builder logged
• User Survey
– Contacted edition maintainers by email
– 139 participants
– June 20, 2008 – July 14, 2008
– 33 questions
10/3/2008 Access 2008 17

18. Key Study Goals
• Is the interface easy to learn and use?
• How successful are edition maintainers in
creating LibX editions?
• Is the auto-discovery effective?
10/3/2008 Access 2008 18

19. Overall Perceived Ease of Use
60%
Overall, you would describe
50%
the LibX Edition Builder as:
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Very easy to use Easy to use Somewhat easy Somewhat Difficult to use Very difficult to
to use difficult to use use
10/3/2008 Access 2008 19

20. Perceived Learning Curve
50%
In your opinion, the
40% LibX Edition Builder interface is:
30%
20%
10%
0%
Very easy to Easy to learn Somewhat easy Somewhat Difficult to learn Very difficult to
learn to learn difficult to learn learn
10/3/2008 Access 2008 20

21. Style of Application
50%
Do you prefer this style of web application to the
40%
more traditional, page-based applications?
30%
20%
10%
0%
I much prefer I somewhat I do not think I somewhat I much prefer No response
the LibX Edition prefer the LibX the style prefer the the traditional
Builder style Edition Builder matters traditional style style
style
10/3/2008 Access 2008 21

22. Saving of Changes
50%
The LibX Edition Builder uses an interaction mode in
40% which configuration changes are immediately saved,
so you do not need to press quot;Savequot; or quot;Submitquot;
30%
In your opinion, this mode of interaction was:
20%
10%
0%
10/3/2008 Access 2008 22

23. AUTODETECTION
10/3/2008 Access 2008 23

24. Autodetection of OpenURL Resolver
35%
Did the LibX Edition Builder
30%
auto-detect your OpenURL resolver?
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
Yes, and the Yes, but the Yes, but I did No, it was not I did not No response
settings were settings were not import it detected configure an
correct when I incorrect when I OpenURL
imported it imported it resolver for my
edition
10/3/2008 Access 2008 24

25. Catalog Auto-Detection
Auto-detection based on
Auto-detection based on
database of already configured
heuristics:
resources
Direct scraping of HTML forms
Server finger printing,
and construction of URL
URL markers, …
templates (“Bookmarklets”)
OpenSearch descriptions
(where advertised)
10/3/2008 Access 2008 25

26. 40%
35%
Did the LibX Edition Builder
30%
auto-detect your catalog?
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
Yes, it did and I Yes, it did, but Yes, it did, but Yes, it did, but I It said that OCLC I did not notice No response
was able to the settings the settings did not know reported a any such
import the needed slight needed what option I catalog, but the information
catalog adjustment significant should use to LibX Edition when I used the
immediately and adjustment add the catalog Builder said quot;0 LibX Edition
the settings of to my edition resources Builder
the catalog foundquot;
worked
10/3/2008 Access 2008 26

27. 35%
How would you rate the usefulness of the
30%
auto-detection box in the Catalogs & Databases tab?
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
It was highly It was generally It was It rarely It never (or I did not I did not use the
successful in successful in somewhat detected the almost never) understand auto-detection
detecting the detecting the successful in resources I successfully what I needed search box
resources I resources I detecting the wanted to add detected the to enter into this
wanted to add wanted to add resources I to my edition resources I search box
to my edition to my edition wanted to add wanted to add
to my edition to my edition
10/3/2008 Access 2008 27

28. Log Data Results
10/3/2008 Access 2008 28

29. Log Data Results (cont’d)
• 50% editions
built in 72
minutes or less
• 80% editions
built in 190
minutes or less
10/3/2008 Access 2008 29

30. Study Findings
• The LibX Edition Builder
– is easy to use and learn
– auto-detection is effective at configuring
resources
• Created a community
• Open source spirit
– Anybody can create, share, publish, copy and
adapt editions
10/3/2008 Access 2008 30

31. LIBX 2.0
10/3/2008 Access 2008 31

32. Motivation
• Libraries are creating new, digital services and
content
• Technology
– Service-oriented architectures, web services
interfaces
– Support mashups; provide HTML widgets
• Librarians, educators, and users create
– Online tutorials, subject guides, visualizations
– Social OPACs: tagging, reviews, recommender services
• How can we provide those services at the point
of need?
10/3/2008 Access 2008 32

33. LIBX 1.5 DEMOS
10/3/2008 Access 2008 33

34. Demonstrations
• Enhanced COinS service
– Link 360 XML interface
• Catalog searches from Google
• Holdings + availability in Amazon
• OCLC Identities
10/3/2008 Access 2008 34

35. Demo 1: Enhanced COinS Handling
LibX Standard COinS Processing
LibX + Link/360 Integration
10/3/2008 Access 2008 35

36. Demo 2: Addison in Google
10/3/2008 Access 2008 36

37. Demo 3: Addison in Amazon
10/3/2008 Access 2008 37

38. Demo 4: OCLC Identities
10/3/2008 Access 2008 38

39. LibX Timeline
• 2005
– Released LibX Virginia Tech as a Firefox extension
– Offered to share LibX with interested libraries
• 2006
– Tremendous response from library community
– Received NLG from IMLS to create Edition Builder
• 2007
– Released Edition Builder
• 2008
– Edition Builder Study
– NLG grant for LibX 2.0 community platform
10/3/2008 Access 2008 39

40. World Wide Web
Library
Resources and
Web Services
LibX 2.0 plugin: executes
Libapps, merging library
LibX 2.0
information into pages.
Users:
decide to which
library services to
Librarians: create or
subscribe, see
adapt Libapps from
expanded view of the
reusable, shareable
web
components
10/3/2008 Access 2008 40

41. Edition Builder Survey: Programming Skills
50%
How would you rate your programming skills and
familiarity with computers and the web?
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
expert-level programming skills in multipleonly and aalso don't have much familiarity with web-based if Ior in response to
beginner-levelnot program, but I frequentlyprogramming browser for Ilooking as content
I do programming Iskills in at leastuse web-based applications such up information on the web absolutely have
do not program, use I web
I one programming language computer applications only
use No the library
languages management systems or blogs/wikis computer catalog
applications, but I use my extensively
10/3/2008 Access 2008 41

42. LibApp Example
yazproxy
OCLC ILS-DI/libxess
Z39.50 Gateway
xISBN
Modules
ILS snapshot
xISBN Presearch
Service Service
Tooltip
(,,) (,,) Display
ISBN
Scraper
Tuple Space
(isbn: 006073132X,
location:, …)
LibApp
10/3/2008 Access 2008 42

43. LibX 2.0 - Target Audiences
LibX 2.0 Developers – make services
available and write modules and libapps
LibX 2.0 Adapters –
adapt, combine, reuse, and share
services
LibX 2.0 User Community - subscribes
to services they like
10/3/2008 Access 2008 43

44. LibX 2.0 Developers
• Write “modules” – small pieces of code that
– Scrape a page
– Interact with services
– Process and combine results
• Modules have access to all LibX configuration
information via API
• Can use JavaScript libraries (e.g., jQuery)
• Browser-independent platform: Firefox and IE
• Fully decentralized infrastructure
10/3/2008 Access 2008 44

45. LibX 2.0 Adapters
• Web-savvy librarians
– Not programmers
• Edition Builder will become a repository to
manage LibX modules and libapps
– Adapters can
add, combine, share, adapt, customize libapps
• Create localized services for their users
• Provide feedback to developers
10/3/2008 Access 2008 45

46. LibX 2.0 Users
• Subscribe to services recommended by their
edition maintainers using local settings
– Stay connected to their libraries
• Decide which services they like
– Fine-grained control and preferences
• Marketing
– Will help adapters by providing marketing kit
– Users must see benefits
10/3/2008 Access 2008 46

47. LibX Team
• Annette Bailey
• Godmar Back
• Kyrille Goldbeck
• Arif Khokar
• Mike Doyle
• Alumni
– Nathan Baker
– Tilottama Gaat
– Tobias Wieschnowsky
10/3/2008 Access 2008 47