Abstract

Richard Akerman
NRC CISTI, Ottawa, Canada

Library Service-Oriented Architecture to Enhance Access to Science

What methods can the academic library use to move beyond traditional siloed information applications and better integrate into scholarly workflows? In the digital world, library services need to be transformed to recognize that automation and machine-to-machine communication of information enables many advanced features. NRC CISTI, Canada's National Science Library, has addressed this challenge using Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA). Using SOA and Enterprise Architecture, we have modelled services provided by the catalogue, services related to document delivery, and advanced services to provide more open data access. We will present some of the completed models of library business functions, discuss the challenges of implementing an SOA within the library technology environment, and present our vision of how library SOA is an important enabler for wider, easier, and more powerful access to science.

Historically, libraries have considered information technology mainly as it related to direct individual interaction, primarily use by librarians themselves. With the rise of the Internet and with greater expectations for personalization and access to enable the creation of innovative applications by library patrons themselves, libraries need to consider the best ways to open up their systems and data for greater internal and external use. We believe that SOA is a key methodology to enable the definition of the appropriate data types and access services. With these identified, data sharing may use a wide range of technologies, including basic REST APIs, microformats, and Web Services. Resource sharing, scientific publishing, and information discovery are all areas that would benefit from enhanced library services based on a sound information technology architecture.