Project Silkworm
Currently, users of Internet services such as Google, Amazon, eBay and Yahoo are enjoying fantastic, participative experiences.
Unfortunately, the same can’t be said about users of traditional library and information systems. Here, the problem of silos of content held in different formats and hidden to a wider audience is preventing vendors from easily and cost-effectively building systems that can provide users with expansive and rich experiences.
This white paper discusses these issues and introduces Project Silkworm: Talis’ response to the challenges facing library and information systems vendors.
This research project has investigated ways to make the experience of library users akin to those enjoyed by other
Internet services.
We welcome your comments in this forum.
Updating the Directory
Prompted by Richard Wallis' posting in Panlibus I registered to edit our entry in the Silkworm Directory. I assumed that under Locations I would be able to add entries for our various site libraries. This doesn't seem to be the case and I wonder if there are plans to enable this.
I've added coverage to the main entry but this is misleading as it stands because it now looks as if the library described carries stock covering all subject areas.
Steve Newman
University of Brighton
Updating the Directory
Steve - good to see you trying out some of the Directory's functionality. You are right that you should be able to add further locations for the University's libraries, and you can. At present, you are able to do this by clicking on the "Get involved" tab at the top of the Directory window; once there, select 'location' from the list of options in the second paragraph.
Create as many locations as you need, and then associate them with your existing University of Brighton collection using the "Add location" option on the collection's own page (http://directory.talis.com/ui/ViewCollection.aspx?id=http%3A%2F%2Fdirectory.talis.com%2Fres%2Fcollections%2FBN%23self)
As the Directory continues to evolve, the ability to create and manage locations may well appear in other places as well.
Paul Miller
Technology Evangelist, Talis
A further question
Paul
Thanks for the pointer - not very intuitive, I guess (me or the Directory? :-)
Probably a further lack of intuition on my part, but what's the best way to find accurate latitude and longitude in decimal format? I carefully calculated one for a site library, using the degree/minute/second format shown in Google Earth, but I'm sure that the library now appears to be located in the car park!
Steve Newman
University of Brighton
Answering a further question
Steve
I agree that, in the particular workflow you were following, there might very well be a more intuitive way to add a new location. The team are already aware of this, and looking at it.
As for getting the lat/long for your library, the Google Map snippet to the bottom of the screen in which you are adding your library's location details is intended to help here. Simply move around that map, zooming in and out as required, until you're happy that the cross is centred over your library. The lat/long displayed is that for the centre of the map and, hopefully, your library. Note that the lat/long updates as you move around...
Paul Miller
Technology Evangelist, Talis
Re: Answering a further question
Paul,
That may be the intention but it doesn't actually work like that i.e. no lat/long is displayed in the map snippets. I figured out that Google Earth will provide this if you change the display options from degree/minute/second to decimal, then plug in the postcode to locate the place you want.
Steve
Steve Newman
University of Brighton
Understanding lat/long for locating your library
Steve,
I am perplexed. It works for me!
Go to the 'Get Involved' page on the Directory site, and select to add a new location.
Log in, if challenged.
As shown below, the Location area towards the bottom of the window will include a map, and the Latitude and Longitude boxes will be coloured red and contain numbers relating to the current centre of the map window.
Zoom in and out, and pan around the map as necessary until it is centred over your desired location. The latitude and longitude updates as you move.
I'll ask one of the Directory team to get in touch directly, to see if there's something odd/specific about your situation, or if it's a wider issue.
Paul Miller
Technology Evangelist, Talis
Hi Steve,
Hi Steve,
You should only see the lat/long fields when you edit the location. Can you check that you're editing the location rather than simply viewing it. I'd be interested in knowing what web browser you're using too - maybe there's an issue with a particular version.
Ian
Platform Programme Manager, Talis
Doh!
Apologies, and thanks (both Paul and Ian) for your patience. I think I need a holiday - I'm not usually quite so clueless. I was not in edit mode, of course.
That said, it might be useful if you could use the postcode to precisely locate a building.
Steve Newman
University of Brighton
No problem, glad I could
No problem, glad I could help :)
We've certainly thought about integrating a postcode lookup. I think it would be very helpful. At the moment though it's fairly low down on our priority list - we want to focus primarily on the core information that the directory maintains.
When we release our full directory API it'll be possible to update locations via a web service. This would allow someone else to build specialist user interfaces on the directory data, or integrate it into existing applications they may have. We might see a better geocoding interface built by an enterprising developer.
Libraries near me...
"We've certainly thought about integrating a postcode lookup. I think it would be very helpful. At the moment though it's fairly low down on our priority list - we want to focus primarily on the core information that the directory maintains."
I'm not sure about that ;-)
If I could look up libraries near me (eg by entering just the first 2 or 3 characters of my postcode and then getting back libraries in that postcode area) I'd possibly be tempted to add details about ones I knew were there but that weren't listed.
Or perhaps not...
Yes there are edge effects and libraries just over a boundary would be ignored; but in terms of providing something to work from this lets us start to build apps that would benefit from incremental improvement as fuller postcode/with 20 miles services do start to appear.
One thing I've been mulling over is how to find out libraries within 20 miles of me given 1) my postcode; or 2) failing that, my lat/long info.
This would be a great basis for a 'library lookup within 20 miles of me' script:-)
Are there any demos of this functionality yet anywhere?
thanks
tony
Dept. of ICT, Open University
http://ouseful.open.ac.uk/blog
Distance calculations
Things are far easier once you have long/lat.
For instance the latest version (2) of the Google Maps api has a GLatLng class in it for putting points on to their map and this has a distanceFrom method which helps filter map points in/out of a set based on distance.
With Long/Lat available, 'distance from a point' based queries against the directory become entirely possible.
Postcode to Long/Lat mapping is a problem in the UK, I wish I had a penny for every "how do I get Long/Lat from a UK postcode" posting on the Google Maps forum.
There are many proposed [free] solutions to this problem, ahead of a successful outcome to the Guardian's Free our data campaign, reading this thread on the Google forum may be helpful (although I wouldn't recommend screen scraping streetmap.co.uk).
Richard Wallis
Technology Evangelist - Talis
Postcode lookup returning lat/lng
I came accross a script fragment that means you can query google with a postcode, and get the lat/lng. I'm afraid I didn't make a note of where!
The google url used goes like this...
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=&output=js
You can then parse the javascript output to get the lat and long using a regexp
$latpattern = "/lat: ([-]*)([0-9.]*)/";
$lngpattern = "/lng: ([-]*)([0-9.]*)/";
I built an example here...
http://timhodson.com/test/geocode.php?xml=1&postcode=hr48dl
The function used will also return a fragment of xml that GoogleMaps API will understand as a marker but I should add, it returns an array and is used by another function to feed a google map the data. if you try it in a browser, all you will see is a big error! as it returns "Array"
Obviously this is a hack, and an API call would be much cleaner and less likely to break. If anyone is interested in the PHP script, I will share!
Tim Hodson
Herefordshire Libraries
[url=http://www.timhodson.com]www.timhodson.com[/url]
[url=http://informationtakesover.co.uk]informationtakesover.co.uk[/url] (blog)
Cool
Excellent!
Have you checked that this is an allowable use of the Google api?
Richard Wallis
Technology Evangelist - Talis
Technically, it is not using
Technically, it is not using the Google API as such, but scraping the values we want from a relatively innocuous search. Hence the 'hackiness'
I'm not sure that Google would approve of this being used in any high volume application. I've only used it for my own interest, and am not planning to build it into my cms.
Tim Hodson
Herefordshire Libraries
[url=http://www.timhodson.com]www.timhodson.com[/url]
[url=http://informationtakesover.co.uk]informationtakesover.co.uk[/url] (blog)
'Near to me' library lookup
OK - assuming I could get the lat/long from postcode data somehow (the OU must have a license for this sort of tool...[though that was a neat hack by Tim Hodson wasn't it?;-)]) what'd I'd like to be able to do is something like:
http://api.talis.com/1/dir/locations?lat=x&long=y&withinDistance=20
where the units of withinDistance is, err, km?
Also - this would be handy:
http://api.talis.com/1/dir/locations?domain=open.ac.uk
http://api.talis.com/1/dir/locations?domain=.ac.uk
etc.
tony
In the pipeline
Strange you should ask that :) The "locations within x km" and lat/long parameters are all in the pipeline for that service. I don't have a firm date for release yet though I'm afraid.
Your second suggestion is interesting too but I wonder if it's too specific. I can think of loads of similar types of parameters we could add and I want to avoid making the services very complex to use.
Very confusing interface
Are there any guidelines on how to use the directory? I find the interface very confusing and not very intuative (or is it just me?)
I am trying to change our OPAC description, but the system insists that it's using TalisWeb, when in fact we have prism, and so the 'interactions' don't seem to work. I can't see anywhere I can change this.
Any ideas?
http://www.wirral-libraries.net/
http://www.stembystem.co.uk/
Changing software type is not possible yet
Unfortunately you're running up against a limitation of the current interface. This version doesn't support changing the software for a service. We do plan to add it and expect it to be available in the next general relase of the directory on 21st June.
The workaround is to add a new service for the collection with the correct software and to remove the old service. Not ideal I know, but it should tide you over until we complete the necessary interface improvement.
Frustrating...
I have tried this, but can't find anywhere where I can tell the system what the software is. Where DO I find it?
Cheers
Mark
http://www.wirral-libraries.net/
http://www.stembystem.co.uk/
AH... I think I've found it.
Cheers All, I think I've found it.....
http://www.wirral-libraries.net/
http://www.stembystem.co.uk/
Oh no I haven't...
Nope... I give up.
I have tried adding a new service (via 'get involved'), and chose TalisPrism as the software.
Then I went to 'Directory' and searched the collections for Wirral ( I now have 2 entries and have NO idea of how to delete one).
I then went and removed the service and then tried re-adding it. But it just shows 'TalisWeb' as the software again.
Anyone else figured this out yet?
http://www.wirral-libraries.net/
http://www.stembystem.co.uk/
This method worked...
...Here's what I did. It looks pretty much the same as what you've done though:
1. Via "Get involved", I created a new collection called "Bolton Public Libraries"
2. Again via "Get involved", I created a new service called "Bolton Public Libraries Prism". I set the base URL to http://prism.bolton.gov.uk and chose Talis Prism as the software.
3. I searched for "Bolton Public Libraries" and added the "Bolton Public Libraries" service. The "Try this interaction" stuff works fine.
Maybe creating a new collection from scratch might solve it? I can't see a collection_id value on my "new" collection though, which might put you off trying this method.
In any case, can someone help me get rid of the duplicate entries I've created? I don't need 'em!
Michael Stead
e-Resources Librarian
Bolton, Wigan and Trafford Libraries
Thanks
Thanks Michael. I was just going to have another play, but some kind soul has tidied up the data for me and got the 'software' problem sorted.
I think I'll stop fiddling for a while until the next release is out...
Cheers
Mark
http://www.wirral-libraries.net/
http://www.stembystem.co.uk/
Updating the directory
Hi Mark - I was the kind soul! This is how I did it. For the Wirral Libraries Collection I created a new service, Wirral Libraries OPAC service, via the get involved page. I've set the base url to http://prism.wirral-libraries.net and added Talis Prism as the software. I then went back to the collection page and added the new service. Trying the interaction set with a search on title "pride and prejudice" seems to work.
I've also deleted the duplicate Wirral collection.
If you wish to see a record of the changes I made you can click on the recent changes tab.
Amanda
Amanda Gaynor
Developer
Talis Information Ltd
+44(0)121 471 1179
Amanda.Gaynor@talis.com
Duplicate entries
I would like some help as well please to get rid of the duplicate entries for "University College Northampton Collection" and "Northampton University College" to just leave "University of Northampton" as our main entry. Can we do this ourselves or does someone from Talis need to remove these entries for us?
Thanks, Wes
Duplicates
Hi Wes.
I think our friends from Talis need to sort that out.
So, if someone could get rid of "Bolton Public Libraries" and "Bolton Public Libraries Prism" for me, as well as your Northampton stuff, that would be great!!
Michael Stead
e-Resources Librarian
Bolton, Wigan and Trafford Libraries
Still waiting...
...for our duplicate entries to be removed please. Do I request that here or somewhere else?
Also we (University of Northampton) don't seem to be returned in any holdings lookup requests which I make - have I set something up incorrectly?
Any help gratefully received!
Types of location
Locations are "... places such as libraries, museums or archives that people can visit to gain access to a collection". Should museums entered as being different from libraries or archives to aid retrieval? How could I get a list of museums in my county out of Silkworm?
Regards,
Phil Adams
SRU/SRW
When are we getting SRU as a software type?
:-)
(and when are we getting a "forgot your password" link *cough*)
Dan Mullineux
LMS Tech Lead
Talis Information Ltd
0870 400 5000
dan.mullineux@talis.com