On Jun 27, 2005, at 12:07 PM, Derek Lane wrote:

> 8. Google has an alternative to OAI-PMH2 ('though it also
> supports that): Sitemaps https://www.google.com/webmasters/.
> Their solution to partial update is modeled on simple XML files
> with an optional index. This should scale to millions of records
> in this broadband era, especially since these XML entities can be
> dynamically generated. Most of the important features of OAI-PMH2
> are covered by their protocol: incremental harvest (but fewer
> server-side options), multiple formats (from multiple URLs). Very
> implementable.
>
> 9. The technical library community would like their catalog
> software vendors to implement SRU; this would depend on demand
> from the existing library hierarchy and possibly demand from
> government agencies or inter-agency efforts like NSDI. Current
> implementations of Z39.50 seem to be supporting SRU (Archie
> Warnock, the current maintainer of the Isite implementation, is
> adding an SRU/z39.50 gateway, and Index Data, the other Open
> Source provider of Z39.50 servers, has a generic gateway). From
> what I have seen of ESRI's future offerings, they appear to
> broadly support a variety of common web idioms, so it would not
> be suprising if they provide an SRU interface (along with others)
> to their GIS solution.
>
> 11. OMB has a memo
>
> http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/memoranda/fy2005/m05-04.pdf
>
> that amongst things like requiring relevance search, my be
> requiring SRU or something very like it, although the wording is
> less than specific.
>
> By December 31, 2005, agency public websites should to
> the extent practicable and necessary to achieve
> intended purposes, provide all data in an open,
> industry standard format permitting users to aggregate,
> disaggregate, or otherwise manipulate and analyze the
> data to meet their needs.'

A friend of mine, Derek Lane, who works for the United States
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), called me on the 'phone
yesterday, and we chatted about SRW/U. He brought to my attention three
things we might be interested in knowing about:

   1. Google's site map XML files allow Google to easily
      harvest metadata from a website.

   2. SRW/U adoption can be easily facilitated by exploiting
      Z39.50 gateways

   3. The United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
      has seemingly stated that search needs to be a part of
      federal government websites.

Derek seems VERY keen on implementing SRU within the EPA, and these are
all things that can be used to inform decisions regarding the wider
adoption of SRW/U. Here lie possibilities for community building. Food
for thought.

--
Eric Lease Morgan
University Libraries of Notre Dame