I suggest that every presentation of SRU should emphasise that with SRU,
systems like VLEs can interoperate with SRU enabled databases without doing
any more than storing and displaying SRU URLs.  No programming, no testing,
niks and even better if the SRU server supports stylesheets. Unlike openURLs
the SRU SDI searches find multiple citations in a database and are dynamic
being up to date each time they are executed.

Janifer

-----Original Message-----
From: Z39.50 Next-Generation Initiative [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
Eric Lease Morgan
Sent: 01 July 2005 16:56
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: srw/u next steps

I still ask myself, "What will we have done in six, twelve, and eighteen
months from now in order to make more people aware of the benefits of
standardized search as we have defined it?"

Unceremoniously, I suggest the following things, listed in no priority
order:

   * Apply for one or more grants - The purpose of these grants is not so
much to develop/enhance the protocol, but rather to explore methods for
exploiting the protocol (i.e. additional SRW/U gateways to other search
engines, SRW/U interfaces to other collections of content, SRW/U libraries
written in [insert your favorite language here], the development of generic
SRW/U clients that transform search results into different flavors of
output, the creation of a union catalog/index, etc.).

   * Build relationships with other interested groups - Are any of our
employers members of the DLF, ARL, CNI, SPARC, Vendor Initiative for
Enabling Web Services (VIEWS), etc? If so, then these groups represent
communities to whom we can build relationships and share our message.

   * Distribute a Powerpoint presentation - This interactive file would
literally define, outline, and illustrate the benefits of SRW/U.
"Interactive" and "illustrates" are the key words. This file would be not
only informative but entertaining as well.

   * Facilitate a number of workshops - These hands-on tutorials (in venues
like DLF Forums, JCDL, ECDL, ALA/LITA, etc.) would provide ways for
decision-makers as well as implementors to ask experts about the in's and
out's of SRW/U as well as see first-hand how it works.

   * Implement a conformance tester - The implementation of a conformance
tester will make developer's work easier and build confidence. It will
provide the means for an implementor who is developing something in [insert
your language here] to move ahead more quickly. Think of it as a means for
providing an SRW/U Seal of Approval.

   * Tighten up the documentation - We all know the advantages and
disadvantages of SRW and SRU. I suggest the protocol(s) get frozen for a
specific period of time, re-write the documentation according to the frozen
specification, and supplement the documentation with non-normative
guidelines.

   * Write a number of articles - In academia articles are the most accepted
form of promotion. What's more, the written word is literally a form of
communication transcending space and time. You can write an article and
subsequently share your ideas to people across the globe a year later. Very
powerful. The library community abounds with venues to write articles about
SRW/U. There are other communities as well. We could enumerate publications,
divvy them up, and submit articles accordingly.

Do y'all have any additional ideas? Do I see any hands out there
volunteering to participate and/or lead some of these efforts?

--
Eric Lease Morgan
University Libraries of Notre Dame

(574) 631-8604
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