The Z Texas Implementation Component of the Library of Texas Project (ZLOT Project) is a collaborative effort between the Texas Center for Digital Knowledge (TxCDK) at the University of North Texas and the Texas State Library and Archive Commission (TSLAC). The purpose of the ZLOT project is to design and implement the Resource Discovery Service component of the emerging virtual Library of Texas. The Library of Texas (LOT) is a project of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) and the Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund Board (TIF). The vision of the LOT is to bring the resources of Texas libraries to all Texans by building upon the existing network infrastructure of Texas libraries and by creating a common search and retrieval interface to online databases, government information, and online catalogs of Texas public and academic libraries.

The initial phase of the ZLOT Project (2001-2002) demonstrated the readiness of library automation vendors to support the LOT RDS and resulted in a set of technical requirements for two elements of the Resource Discovery Service: the search and retrieval interface and the virtual catalog. At the completion of the initial phase of the project in December of 2002, the ZLOT Project hosted a conference in the Gateway Center of the University of North Texas that brought together approximately 100 people including library professionals representing a range of LOT stakeholders from across Texas and library automation vendors.

At the two-day meeting the accomplishments of the project were reviewed by William E. Moen, the ZLOT Principal Investigator, and Kathleen R. Murray, the ZLOT Project Manager. Steve Gregory from the Colorado Virtual Library identified challenges the Colorado State Library encountered in their implementation of a standards-based statewide virtual catalog application. Library automation vendors addressed design and management issues from a product and service development perspective. Participants discussed the 'real world' challenges involved in implementing a virtual library for Texas, with a particular sensitivity to the variety of needs and users the LOT hopes to serve. The Texas State Librarian, Peggy Rudd, offered enthusiastic support for the implementation of the LOT RDS while acknowledging the inherent management and financial challenges.

A highlight of the conference was a vendor demonstration showcase and reception held in the School of Library and Information Sciences. Nine vendors who developed RDS applications demonstrated their application prototypes. The prototypes included a single search and retrieval interface to disparate resource collections including TexShare databases and the online catalogs of several Texas public and academic libraries. LOT stakeholders had a chance to interact directly with the RDS applications and engage vendors in face-to-face discussions that proved mutually beneficial to both parties.

At the conclusion of the conference, participants encouraged the ZLOT Project team to continue its consulting role through the implementation phase of the LOT RDS in 2003. To this end, the Texas Center for Digital Knowledge has received two contracts from the TSLAC to fund phase 2 of the ZLOT Project. The technical requirements identified in phase 1 of the project formed the basis of the Request for Proposal for the LOT Resource Discovery Service software issued by the TSLAC on January 22, 2003. During the second phase of the project, the ZLOT Project team will engage in critical development and deployment activities with both library professionals across the states of Texas, the TSLAC, and library automation vendors. This collaborative effort has a goal of achieving initial deployment of the Library of Texas Resource Discovery Service by September 1, 2003.

Additional information is available at:

ZLOT Project:
http://www.unt.edu/zlot

ZLOT Project Conference
http://www.unt.edu/zlot/EOP

Texas Center for Digital Knowledge:
http://www.txcdk.org

Library of Texas:
http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/lot/index.html

Texas State Library and Archives Commission:
http://www.tsl.state.tx.us

Texas Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund Board:
http://www.tifb.state.tx.us

Submitted by:

Kathleen R. Murray, Ph.D.
ZLOT Project Manager
krmurray@unt.edu