Cover Sheet for Proposals Programme Name of JISC Initiative: JISC Rapid Innovation Grants

Cover Sheet for Proposals
Rapid Innovation
Programme
Name of JISC Initiative:
JISC Rapid Innovation Grants
Name of Lead Institution:
London School of Economics & Political Science
Name of Proposed Project:
Library Social Widget Toolkit (LSWT)
Name(s) of Project Partner(s):
(none)
Full Contact Details for Primary Contact:
Name:
Position:
Email:
Tel:
Fax:
Address:
Tim Green
Library IT Manager
[email protected]
020 7955 6140
020 7955 7454
LSE Library
10 Portugal Street
London WC2A 2HD
Length of Project:
6 Months
Project Start Date:
1st Jun 2009
Total Funding Requested from JISC:
Project End
Date:
30th Nov 2009
£40,000
Funding Broken Down over Academic Years (Aug-July):
Aug08 – July09
£13,333
Aug09 – July10
£26,667
£39,555
Total Institutional Contributions:
Outline Project Description
This project will develop lightweight modular middleware, which will interface between library
applications and a range of social widgets designed as part of the project. The widgets will be
designed to plug into a variety of targets, including institutional portals and social networks.
These will form the core of a library services widget repository, available to all members of the
library community. The project will be of interest to all libraries interested in making self-service
functionality available from within Virtual Learning Environments (Moodle, Blackboard), open
source library applications (VuFind), and online social spaces (iGoogle, Facebook).
List of priority areas, highlight each that applies:
Mashups of open data
Lightweight Shared Infrastructure Service
User Interface Design
I have looked at the example FOI form at
YES
Appendix A and included an FOI form in
the attached bid (Tick Box)
I have read the Funding Grant and
YES
associated Terms and Conditions of Grant
at Appendix B (Tick Box)
NO
NO
Library Social Widget Toolkit: Proposal to JISC
Information Environment Rapid Innovation Grants / JISCRI
FOI Withheld Information Form
We would like JISC to consider withholding the following sections or paragraphs from
disclosure, should the contents of this proposal be requested under the Freedom of
Information Act, or if we are successful in our bid for funding and our project proposal is made
available on JISC’s website.
We acknowledge that the FOI Withheld Information Form is of indicative value only and that
JISC may nevertheless be obliged to disclose this information in accordance with the
requirements of the Act. We acknowledge that the final decision on disclosure rests with
JISC.
Section / Paragraph No.
NONE
Page 2 of 8
Relevant exemption from
disclosure under FOI
Justification
Library Social Widget Toolkit: Proposal to JISC
Information Environment Rapid Innovation Grants / JISCRI
Appropriateness and Fit to Programme Objectives and Overall Value to the JISC
Community
Summary of proposal
1) This project will develop lightweight modular middleware which can act as an interface
between both standard and bespoke library applications and social widgets. A range of
such widgets will be developed, to perform services such as book renewals, online fine
payment, and display of reading list materials. As far as possible standard protocols and
APIs will be used, maximizing the potential user base of the software developed.
2) The project will make these deliverables available as free software, and use the widgets
developed as the foundation for a 'Library Services widget repository' available to, and
accepting contributions from, the rest of the library community. The repository will allow
libraries, from UK HEIs and globally, to look for widgets to use and adapt for their own
services, as well to upload their own widgets for use and adaptation by others.
Outcomes and benefits
3) This distributed approach will provide an adjunct to centralised library services supporting
the integration of access to those services within a range of social software and VLEs,
simplifying access and enabling social aspects of library use.
4) The widget approach maximizes use of existing software assets by leveraging the
browser as display mechanism, and minimizes development time through the use of
cross-platform libraries (OpenSocial, OAuth). It builds on prior investment by the LSE in
proprietary products based on open standards (SIP2) and in the creation of RESTful
interfaces to new software, such as a bespoke reading list application.
5) While the services provided through the middleware will be accessible under the same
conditions as the centralised library services (that is, primarily available to LSE students
and staff and authorised external users) the use of a modular architecture and standard
protocols combined with release as free software should make the result replicable
across the sector. With this in mind, the project will be developed with two target user
groups: firstly students and staff within the LSE, and then library personnel at University
of Plymouth and Open University. This second group will be involved in testing ease of
installation on their own systems and in their own environments and commenting on
desirable functionality.
6) Typical use cases might be:
a) A student is using Moodle-based material in connection with a taught module. The
widget pops up an alert reminding her that books she has on loan need to be
renewed. The student uses the widget to renew the books and continues, without
ever needing to log in to a separate library application.
b) A student is working at home using GoogleDocs to access documents he is working
on with a group of colleagues from his course. He needs to use the reading list for the
course as input to the bibliography, and looks it up using the reading list widget he
has added to his iGoogle home page alongside his GoogleDocs widget.
c) A postgraduate researcher picks up a book on her subject. While logged in to
Facebook she wonders if any other researchers have recently used the book – she
uses the Facebook widget to poll others who have signed up to the book discussion
service. Leaving a message she shortly receives chat requests from fellow research
students who want to discuss the text and the subject area.
7) The project integrates access to teaching and research materials with current social,
research, and learning practice based on personalised platforms and social networks.
Page 3 of 8
Library Social Widget Toolkit: Proposal to JISC
Information Environment Rapid Innovation Grants / JISCRI
8) The deliverables would improve library users’ qualitative experience of services by
providing a consistent interface for users – similarly styled widgets would provide an easy
learning curve and product recognition for library services. They would also improve
convenience of service, with core functionality available from multiple access points.
9) Successful implementation would also bring quantitative benefits to libraries by making a
more modular approach to purchase of library systems more feasible and improving
access to core library services – widgets would allow the library to plug core functionality
into other systems without the need for proprietary front-ends. Online payment facilities
would reduce the need for some staffed services (e.g. telephone services for fine
payments / renewals).
Quality of Proposal and Robustness of Workplan
Deliverables
10) Deliverables will consist of:
a) A modular lightweight middleware system which communicates with library
applications and provides an API for social widgets. Modules to be developed will
include:
i)
A SIP2 module, which communicates with the Integrated Library System (at LSE
this is Voyager, from Ex Libris, but the SIP2 standard will work across a range of
different ILS)
ii) A thin wrapper module which communicates with the web service interface of a
locally developed reading list system, which already provides a RESTful API
(based on Groovy and Grails).
iii) A finance module which can manage payment of fines via a Wallet application
managed by the LSE's Management Information Systems department
iv) An SQL module capable of querying library management system data not
available through SIP2 (e.g. historical book usage).
v) An authorisation module, based on OAuth or similar authorisation delegation
protocol, which securely maps the user's credentials for the social networking site
or VLE to the user's login for the library applications, To achieve this the module
will maintain tables of authorised consumers (i.e. incarnations of the user at
various social networking sites) for each user (i.e. library application with unique
login).
b) A set of widgets. The initial set will be based on the OpenSocial standard and be
targeted at:
i) Moodle, via the Wookie widget engine
ii) iGoogle, GoogleDocs, and other Google applications
iii) Institutional portals – at LSE this is delivered using uPortal, but it would provide a
model for other institutional portal widgets.
11) These initial widgets will include functions such as book renewal, notification of loans
about to expire, and notification of reserved books which have become available. These
core functions require completion of the SIP2 and SQL middleware modules.
12) Further development will expand both the range of targets and the functions
implemented. Additional targets will include VuFind - the open-source catalogue system
in beta test at a number of UK sites; Facebook, the social network; and the Reading List
Manager system – an in-house system used to manage c.1,000 lists for the Library.
Additional functions will include the ability to pay fines for overdue books (dependent on
the finance module), notification of books remaining to be read for next week (dependent
on the reading list module), and the ability of students and researchers to choose to
Page 4 of 8
Library Social Widget Toolkit: Proposal to JISC
Information Environment Rapid Innovation Grants / JISCRI
receive discussion requests from fellow students about books they have borrowed.
13) In each case, communication between widgets and middleware will be RESTful, and data
transport will use JSON.
Maximising access
14) Widgets and middleware modules will be released as free software. Middleware will be
under the GPL licence with the LSE as licence holder; widgets will be under the
(modified) BSD licence.
15) Some of the applications the middleware will need to communicate with are bespoke or
do not use a widely established protocol. Modules communicating with these applications
will be released as open source, but will necessarily not be very useful to others except
as examples.
16) A widget repository will be set up on the project website once the initial middleware is
available for download, and the wider HEI community will be invited to contribute
additional widgets. Externally contributed widgets will be required to be under a license
complying with the Open Source Definitions.
17) LSE has been in touch with the IE Demonstrator Project, which will capture interim
outputs relating to the design/development process and make them available to the IE
Demonstrator wiki. This might include screen shots of deployed or packaged prototypes;
designs / paper-prototypes; documentation relating to the development process (e.g.
evidence of user-testing, requirements, etc); and a roadmap for future development.
Project management
18) The Library IT team has been gradually moving to agile development methods over time
and core agile methods will be used, in particular: test driven development; maintenance
of distributable product through continuous refactoring; and integration of user feedback
within the process from the earliest possible moment, resulting in iterative development.
19) Reporting to JISC will be via the project wiki, which will have a separate set of pages for
monthly reports, in addition to pages used to discuss minor changes or for less formal
communication between participants.
Risk assessment
20) As with all projects of this type there are a number of key risks facing the project,
including loss of key project staff; organisational refusal to allow experimentation with
services; and lack of take-up of widgets by the wider community, although action can be
taken to ameliorate these risks. No IPR difficulties are anticipated as the project is
collaborating with OSS-Watch over release, as recommended by JISC.
a) Staff risks: ensure alternative staff can be made available; encourage health and well
being at work
b) Organisational risks: maintain involvement of operational infrastructure managers via
LSE ICT Managers Group.
c) Collaborative risks: establish contact early; release early, release often; maximise use
of standard OSS practices.
Engagement with the Community
Engagement and dissemination
Page 5 of 8
Library Social Widget Toolkit: Proposal to JISC
Information Environment Rapid Innovation Grants / JISCRI
21) Engagement will be at three levels, with infrastructural support for all: a project website
will be hosted on code.google.com, providing wiki, issue tracker, and software
distribution. A secondary website will be used to provide any extra functionality needed.
22) The first level consists of a small group of LSE students/researchers with interests in
social networks involved in feedback during early development of the widget set. Once
roll-out of the widgets begins, larger scale testing will make use of a 'rate this widget'
voting option for feedback from a wider pool of users. The voting results will be shown on
the project website, where the wiki will allow more detailed comments.
23) The second level will include staff from the University of Plymouth and from the Open
University, who will test the alpha versions of the middleware by installing it on their own
systems, providing input and feedback from a wider set of users in a different
environment.
24) The third level will be external communication about the project to the wider HE
community. This will be through a variety of channels, including the project website,
regular bulletins to appropriate UK and international email lists (such as lists for
developers and implementers of target applications such as Moodle and VuFind), and
articles in relevant HE journals and publications.
25) Stakeholders will include LSE ICT providers, and library users and staff within the UK HE
sector. In addition the project will work within the OSS-Watch framework and in
collaboration with the JISC IE-Demonstrator team.
Sustainability
26) Once take-up beyond the LSE has begun, the code.google.com website will also be used
to host contributed widgets. This is likely to coincide with the end of the JISC funded
work, and advice has been sought from OSS watch about sustainability during this stage.
Budget
Directly Incurred
Staff
Project Manager,
Step 39; 0.2fte
Technical Officer,
Step 30; 1.0fte
Total Directly Incurred Staff (A)
TOTAL £
£2,066
August 09 –
November 09
£4,133
£7,929
£15,857
£23,786
£9,995
£19,990
£29,985
Non-Staff
June 09 – July 09
TOTAL £
Travel and expenses
Hardware/software
Dissemination
Evaluation
Other
Total Directly Incurred Non-Staff (B)
£83
£333
£333
£333
£0
£1,082
August 09 –
November 09
£167
£667
£667
£667
£0
£2,168
£250
£1,000
£1,000
£1,000
£0
£3,250
Directly Incurred Total (C)
(A+B=C)
£11,077
£22,158
£33,235
Directly Allocated
June 09 – July 09
TOTAL £
Staff
(Project oversight and contributions from
Library and School ICT divisions, 0.2fte)
Estates
£2,066
August 09 –
November 09
£4,132
£2,033
£4,066
£6,099
Page 6 of 8
June 09 – July 09
£6,199
£6,198
Library Social Widget Toolkit: Proposal to JISC
Information Environment Rapid Innovation Grants / JISCRI
Other
Directly Allocated Total (D)
£0
£4,099
£0
£8,198
£0
£12,297
Indirect Costs (E)
£11,341
£22,682
£34,023
Total Project Cost (C+D+E)
Amount Requested from JISC
Institutional Contributions
£26,517
£13,333
£13,185
£53,038
£26,667
£26,370
£79,555
£40,000
£39,555
Percentage Contributions over the life
of the project
JISC
50 %
Partners
50 %
Total
100%
No. FTEs used to calculate indirect and
estates charges, and staff included
1.4
Technical Officer (1.0fte), Project Manager
(0.2fte), contributions from School ICT
divisions (0.2fte).
Previous Experience of the Project Team
27) The LSE Library was not part of the Startup and Enhancement projects, but has a pool of
previous self-funded work which fits within this general approach and on which this
project will build. In particular, this includes development of the Reading List Manager
system based on Grails/Groovy, and integration of the open source library OPAC,
VuFind. Both are currently in a live beta testing stage, and are expected to be fully
launched by the start of the 2009/10 academic year.
28) Beyond the Library, the project team will be able to call on the collective experience of
LSE’s range of ICT providers, in particular the Centre for Learning Technology, which has
expert knowledge of Moodle integration and development.
29) The project will be overseen by Tim Green, Library IT Manager. Tim is a member of the
LSE ICT Managers Group, and of the Library Leadership Team. He has first hand
experience advising on desirable project deliverables and supporting EU and UK funded
projects managed by the Library’s Project Team. Before working at LSE Tim spent four
years working at a number of international law firms developing know-how systems, and
previously worked at Warwick University where he helped establish the CTI Law
Technology Centre, which advised UK Law Schools on the use of technology in research
and education.
30) The project manager will be Michael Hallas, Library IT Development Manager. Michael
has extensive experience of managing development work, including: project managing
LSE’s bespoke Reading List Manager system for the last two years; leading a rapid
development project to create a locker booking system; and developing a self-registration
system, which involved close collaboration with the School’s MIS department, and has
handled 32,000 registrations since it was launched in 2005.
31) The post of Technical Officer will be filled jointly by Graham Seaman and Shiraz Azizali.
Graham Seaman is a former Senior Lecturer in Computing, with over 10 years
experience in web development and scripting languages (Perl, Php, Java, JavaScript,
and Ruby). He has worked for a number of commercial web development agencies; as an
independent contractor for the Department of Education; and most recently on the JISCfunded FLAME project at LSE.
32) Shiraz Azizali has 5 years experience in web development, and for the last 2 years has
been lead developer for the Library’s web-based Reading List Manager system. He is
skilled in a variety of programming and scripting languages including Perl, Groovy, and
JavaScript and is an active member of the Grails community.
Page 7 of 8
Library
British Library of Political
and Economic Science
20 April 2009
J l SC Executive
Northavon House
Coldharbour Lane
Bristol BS16 1QD
10 Portugal Street
London WC2A 2HD
tel: +44 (0)20 7955 7218
fax: +44 (0)20 7955 7454
email: j.sykes8lse.ac.uk
Jean Sykes
Dear Sirs
Librarian and Director
of IT Services
Re. JISC Rapid Innovation Grants
I fully endorse this proposal for a JISC funded rapid innovation project to be
carried out at LSE to develop lightweight modular middleware, and provide an
API for social widgets which could be plugged into ir~stitutionalportals, VLEs,
and online social networks.
This project will be of direct benefit to LSE's user community, by providing us
with the ability to push our core library services into the online spaces that our
users occupy - such as Moodle, Google, and Facebook - meeting their need
for simple, consistent access to services across a range of environments. The
project will also enable LSE to build the foundations of a "library widget
repository" of use to all libraries across the wider UK HE community (and
beyond) that have an interest in expanding self-service functionality and
facilitating user interactions with their institutions.
The Library IT team at LSE is experienced in this sort of innovative
development work, as shown ill its development of an online reading list
management system and its adoption of agile development methods in its
implementation of the VuFind catalogue interface.
I recommend this project to JISC.
Yours sincerely
Jean Sykes
Librarian and Director of IT Services
INVESTORS IN PEOPLE
The London School of Econom~csand
Pol~t~cal
Science IS a School of the
Un~versityof London It IS a char~ty
and IS incorporated In England as a
company l ~ m ~ t ebyd guarantee under
the Compan~esActs (Reg No 70527)