Impact and Benefits of Project

The ultimate impact of the project is defined by the project's primary goal:

Improve Z39.50 semantic interoperability among libraries for information access and resource sharing.

This impact can be realized through systematic investigation, development, and deployment of interoperability testing methods and metrics in an operational Z39.50 testbed.

Results from the project will assist the library community (as well as other information-based communities such as museums) to improve interoperability between information systems leading to better information access and resource sharing. The best practices guide for achieving Z39.50 interoperability will help educate librarians and vendors and identify strategies they can put to use. An outcome of the project should be improvements in information retrieval system implementations and Z39.50 products that enhance interoperability.

Interoperability testbeds for the networked environment are not well understood, and the best practices guide to interoperability testing will contribute a model for others to utilize in establishing testbeds for other protocols, resources, and applications.

There are several categories of benefits addressed by this project:

• Research: This project will provide a rich applied research environment for the Research Associates. The products of their applied research (e.g., testing methodologies, scenarios, and assessment metrics) will benefit the library community and others involved with complex information systems operating in the networked environment.
  
• Demonstration: The project will result in tangible deliverables (e.g., the testbed) that can be used by librarians and system developers to assess Z39.50 product interoperability. Practical and demonstrable interoperable systems are essential results of this project. Such demonstrations will benefit the library community (and others) by showing a standards-based approach to networked information access and resource sharing is possible. The testbed also brings benefits to the collaborators and participants in the testbed as they work together to resolve interoperability problems and improve information access.
  
• Dissemination: The educational aspect of disseminating the findings and results of the project is a key benefit. Librarians will have much better information on which to base their requirements for Z39.50 products (i.e., the best practices guide for achieving Z39.50 interoperability) as well as a mechanism (i.e., the testbed) by which to assess the extent to which vendor products address and meet their requirements. System developers will benefit by having a publicly available testbed in which to demonstrate and diagnose interoperability issues.

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Project Proposal Pages

Contents of Project Proposal - Abstract - Statement of the Problem - Project Goals and Objectives - Background for the Study - Need and Justification- Project Foci and Activities - Impact and Benefits of the Project - Project Deliverables - Project Staff - Addressing IMLS Priorities and Criteria - National Impact - Adaptability - Design - Management Plan - Budget - Personnel - Evaluation - Dissemination - Contributions - Sustainability and Technical Knowledge - Summery- References

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