So... like a Fedora repository where you actually use the RELS-EXT? :) You've pretty much outlined how I use Fedora right there!
Ben On Tue, 2009-04-07 at 22:39 -0400, Peter Schlumpf wrote: > An interesting thread! It will take me a while for me to digest the ideas. > > What I had in mind for something different is this: Think of a single > database of only associations between objects, and nothing more than that. > Objects defined in this database can reference any and all other objects in > the database. These objects could represent anything: Title records or item > records in an opac. A collection of files on a computer. Web sites. Links. > Database queries. All of the above. Each object in this database contains > just enough information to say that it exists and has a pointer to the thing > in the outside world that it represents. > > Although the basic system would allow the objects in it to link to eachother > in arbitrary ways, we could impose rules on it to create a system. An OPAC. > A map. Other things that I can't think of right now. I think a key thought > here is that it is a database of pure relationships that can be set up and > manipulated. But the descriptive data is stored elsewhere. > > It allows for an interesting extension too -- weighting those associations. > Suppose we use it to create a search structure, and each time we go from one > object referencing another we increment a counter for that link by one. > > There are many ways to implement something like this, and I have one in mind, > but this is sort of the theory behind it. It is going back to simple things. > > Peter Schlumpf > > -----Original Message----- > >From: Karen Coyle <[email protected]> > >Sent: Apr 6, 2009 1:49 PM > >To: [email protected] > >Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] Something completely different > > > >Cloutman, David wrote: > >> I'm open to seeing new approaches to the ILS in general. A related > >> question I had the other day, speaking of MARC, is what would an > >> alternative bibliographic data format look like if it was designed with > >> the intent for opening access to the data our ILS systems to developers > >> in a more informal manner? I was thinking of an XML format that a > >> developer could work with without formal training, > > > >Well, speaking of 'without formal training' -- I posted this to the Open > >Library technology list, but using the OL, which is triple-based and > >open access, I was able to create a simple demo Pipe of how you could > >determine the earliest date of publication of a book (with an interest > >in looking at potential copyright status). Caveat is that the API I'm is > >still pretty stubby, so it only retrieves on exact title (this will be > >fixed sometime in the future). > > > >The pipe is here: > > > >http://pipes.yahoo.com/pipes/pipe.info?_id=216efa8c3b04764ca77ad181b1cc66e4 > > > >kc > > > >> the basics of which > >> could be learned in an hour, and could reasonably represent the > >> essential fields of the 90% of records that are most likely to be viewed > >> by a public library patron. In my mind, such a format would allow > >> creators of community-based web sites to pull data from their local > >> library, and repurpose it without having to learn a lot of arcane > >> formats (e.g. MARC) or esoteric protocols (e.g. Z39.50). The sacrifice, > >> of course, would be loosing some of the richness MARC allows, but I > >> think in many common situations the really complex records are not what > >> patrons are interested in. You may want to consider prototyping this in > >> your application. I see such an effort to be vital in making our systems > >> relevant in future computing environments, and I am skeptical that a > >> simple, workable solution would come out the initial efforts of a > >> standardization committee. > >> > >> Just my 2 cents. > >> > >> - David > >> > >> --- > >> David Cloutman <[email protected]> > >> Electronic Services Librarian > >> Marin County Free Library > >> > >> -----Original Message----- > >> From: Code for Libraries [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of > >> Peter Schlumpf > >> Sent: Sunday, April 05, 2009 8:40 AM > >> To: [email protected] > >> Subject: [CODE4LIB] Something completely different > >> > >> > >> Greetings! > >> > >> I have been lurking on (or ignoring) this forum for years. And > >> libraries too. Some of you may know me. I am the Avanti guy. I am, > >> perhaps, the first person to try to produce an open source ILS back in > >> 1999, though there is a David Duncan out there who tried before I did. I > >> was there when all this stuff was coming together. > >> > >> Since then I have seen a lot of good things happen. There's Koha. > >> There's Evergreen. They are good things. I have also seen first hand > >> how libraries get screwed over and over by commercial vendors with their > >> crappy software. I believe free software is the answer to that. I have > >> neglected Avanti for years, but now I am ready to return to it. > >> > >> I want to get back to simple things. Imagine if there were no Marc > >> records. Minimal layers of abstraction. No politics. No vendors. No > >> SQL straightjacket. What would an ILS look like without those things? > >> Sometimes the biggest prison is between the ears. > >> > >> I am in a position to do this now, and that's what I have decided to do. > >> I am getting busy. > >> > >> Peter Schlumpf > >> > >> Email Disclaimer: http://www.co.marin.ca.us/nav/misc/EmailDisclaimer.cfm > >> > >> > >> > > > > > >-- > >----------------------------------- > >Karen Coyle / Digital Library Consultant > >[email protected] http://www.kcoyle.net > >ph.: 510-540-7596 skype: kcoylenet > >fx.: 510-848-3913 > >mo.: 510-435-8234 > >------------------------------------
