Voyager - Ares Open URL

Current Action Items

Goals:

Primary:

• Explore scenarios for improving faculty interface to retrieve information from Voyager and import into Ares, possibly through OpenURLs.
• Enhance staff interface to import bibliographic and holdings information from Voyager into Ares.

Secondary:

• Enhance faculty interface to allow record creation, status updates in Voyager from Ares, including checking out books, putting items on hold, recall, etc.

Scenarios to evaluate:

Evolving recommendation:

Voyager has a Z39.50 interface that provides holdings information, and a Z39.50 search interface is partially integrated partially into Ares already, but not all fields are populated in Ares from this data. We would want to specify mapping from MARC record to Ares fields, and/or drag and drop MARC data into Ares fields to account for varying needs.

• makes it easier for staff to get information from Voyager to Ares in staff interface
• would eliminate need for Tom's Tools, thereby eliminating maintenance burden
• could solve Music library's issues (identifying scores)
• enhancement on existing functionality in Ares, so should be smaller scope, makes Ares more marketable for Atlas

Also implement:

• callback scenario to create records in Voyager, update Voyager statuses. (Use SIP or NCIP interface?) Have to buy NCIP module from Voyager, and in the past, we decided not to buy this, but instead get by with SIP capabilities instead for BorrowDirect needs.
• faculty interface improvements, use Z 39.50 interface also? (Instead of Web Services.) We can inject custom Javascript into Ares, so we can add Voyager interaction to Ares itself, make custom Voyager search/results screen in iframe that use Voyager Z39.50 or Web Services. Button in results screen does Ares OpenURL injection, necessary Voyager updates. (Ares uses jQuery for AJAX.)

Finally, would still like additional Ares Web Services for adding/editing items also.

Original scenarios:

1. Put up a web page that would do a search of Voyager and support a button on the results that would forward an OpenURL into Ares. Create a page that opens from Ares into a version of the catalog with the OpenURL button. We believe this could be done using a simple page with an iframe to house the catalog.
   1. Issues:
      1. how to extract data from Voyager, or WorldCat, to be sent via OpenURL.
   2. Pros:
      1. easier access control
   3. Cons:
      1. duplicating search functions - tricky.
2. Add a button to the Voyager Web interface on the results display that would forward an OpenURL into Ares.
   1. Issues:
      1. where should the button go?
      2. how do we limit access to faculty (or do we need to do this within Voyager)?
   2. Pros:
      1. simple
   3. Cons:
      1. unnatural?

Aspects:

• Voyager Web Services

• • Voyager Web Services allow you to get holdings information, but doesn't return the ITEM_ID field for holdings records. New RESTful services in 7.2 do return this information, but that doesn't help us now.
  • Probably can't return barcode from Web Services. Barcode or ITEM_ID needed by staff to check status in Voyager.
  • Voyager only has OpenURL targetting capability? Either way, not currently turned on.

• Voyager Direct Oracle Access

• Ares

• • OpenURL can't be used in Web client.
  • Direct database access, can read, update, but not insert into database. We need both insert and update capabilities.
  • No add/edit items in available services. (Ares API geared for Blackboard only.) Tom will ask Jenifer to add to item, related tables.

Evaluation Criteria:

1. ease of use for patrons (Tom, Jesse)
2. impact on staff workflow (Tom, Jesse)
3. estimates of developer effort (Rick),
4. who should do development work, when can the work be fit into existing priorities (Adam)

Dates and Milestones:

• 10/27: Initial brainstorming meeting to discuss scenarios, issues, etc.
• TBD:
  • Investigate options, implications for above scenarios.
  • Make recommendations to Dean Krafft.
• 12/20: Implementation goal?

(For face-to-face meetings, schedule in mornings so Tom can attend, he is on call in afternoon.)

Resources:

Open url can be accessed and is active on the Ares server at this address:
https://cornell.ares.atlas-sys.com/ares/ares.dll/OpenURL

This is an example of submitting a title and ISXN:
https://cornell.ares.atlas-sys.com/ares/ares.dll/OpenURL?isbn=0836218310&title=The+Far+Side+Gallery+3

Ares limited documentation on OpenUrl:
https://prometheus.atlas-sys.com/display/ARE/Configuring+OpenURL+Mapping+and+OpenURL+Destinations

The mapping table in the Ares Admin Suite.

People:

1. Rick Silterra, Voyager guru.
2. Tom Trutt, Ares wizard.
3. Jesse Koennecke, OpenURL expert.
4. Adam Chandler, if needed--worked with Jesse on OpenURL implementation.
5. Adam Smith, coordinating discussion.

Reporting our findings to Dean Krafft.