National Library Platform – already introduced modules

As a preparation for the implementation we are cleaning and converting the existing data from our library system AMICUS and from all the existing systems around our ILS (we have many different and outdated solutions for digital objects, etc). In the meantime, with our external software developer partner we are in the process of developing the necessary software to handle entities for our new system (National Namespace),

a flexible cataloguing module to be able to catalogue any (really any!) type of objects,

a flexible access right module, and we are using and parametrizing an open source web harvesting system. These are all based upon the concept of our new FOLIO system using linked data, obeying the rules of the new cataloguing standard RDA (Resource Description and Access), the new library data exchange format BIBFRAME 2.0 (Bibliographic Framework) and the high level conceptual reference model developed within the entity-relationship framework LRM (Library Reference Model) by IFLA. All these data connections are based on the FRBR (Functional Requirements of Bibliographic Records) philosophy, which has its own but connected data model version in the museum and archive domains.

The entities libraries use reach far beyond the boundaries of libraries themselves. Therefore, the namespace development in Hungary is a collaboration of many institutions, and although NSZL is the lead in the development and will provide the infrastructure for the system to run upon, there are further 11 institutions right now (and the number is growing) who are considering to be linked and are ready to contribute to the system. The underlying principle is the language model: the complete Hungarian language with all Hungarian words in it is labelled with identifiers. This means, that any namespace created will use these identifiers, there are no strings applied in the system – and with this the system can be language agnostic, if other languages are connected to the identifiers. So far the following namespaces are created: person, corporate, geographic, event and source namespace. The scope can be extended to other namespaces. The local namespaces can be linked to the central national namespace via identifiers. This is a modular and linked software, with new concepts of data model, flexible workflows, crowdsourcing, collaboration options, and authentication levels are used and realized.

Authentication and access rights is a crucial component in each subsystem. Defining the domain (universe), institutions, branches, subbranches, groups, projects and individuals in a flexible way is essential, to allow a wide range of cooperation options and still define very precisely the workflows and the data available for the relevant participants. In this context we ended up with a definition of a linked data relation between the participants, flexible, expandable, nonlinear description of options, and we derive the effective rights from those connections. There are options to grant or deny rights, by using this concept the definition of rights is more effective and effort-saving.