VIEWS releases Metasearch white paper

VIEWS (Vendor Initiative for Enabling Web Services) is an initiative by vendors and library service organizations launched in June 2004 aimed at the enabling of web services between disparate applications used in libraries. The group that has agreed to cooperate in the initiative includes: Dynix, Fretwell Downing, Index Data, Muse Global, OCLC, Endeavor, Talis, and VTLS. NISO has been invited to monitor this work and keep the NISO membership informed of developments and emerging opportunities for formal standardization activities.

From a February 4 press release:

The Vendor Initiative for Enabling Web Services (VIEWS) has taken an important step toward enhancing interoperability between library resources by releasing a white paper describing the potential for Web Services in the metasearch arena. The paper is the work of the VIEWS Metasearch Committee and serves as a scoping document for the VIEWS membership to use in deciding which Web Services should be developed.

Topics addressed in the paper include Web Services definitions for metasearch, authentication and authorization issues, resource discovery, search/retrieve and statistics and Web Services. The paper also includes a summary of findings and recommendations. Metasearch is the process that makes it possible for the end user to enter a search once and to get results back in a single list from any number of different types of information sources.

Here is a link to the white paper.