WebBase and the Stanford InterLib Project

Abstract

Summary form only given. We have been developing base technologies that are required to overcome some of the most critical barriers to effective digital libraries. One of these barriers is the heterogeneity of information and services. Another impediment is the lack of powerful filtering mechanisms that let users find truly valuable information. Third, the continuous access to information is restricted by the unavailability of library interfaces and tools that effectively operate on portable devices. A fourth barrier is the lack of a solid economic infrastructure that encourages providers to make information available, and gives users privacy guarantees. A fifth barrier is the loss of digital information, due to obsolescence of equipment or software. The Stanford InterLib Technologies Project is developing mechanisms for surmounting these barriers. For example, we have developed a simple interoperability protocol, SDLIP, and have shown how it can be used to access collections at many libraries. We are developing filtering mechanisms that can find information based on its value, as opposed to simply its textual similarity to some query terms. We have build a PowerBrowser that makes it possible for users to access digital information in a convenient way from mobile, hand-held devices. We have also developed an archival repository that makes it possible for autonomous organizations to cooperate in preserving digital documents. The Stanford WebBase is a system which stores a significant portion of the Web in a central repository.