# Presentation: 754805

## Use of Handles at the National Agricultural Library

**“****Getting a Handle on Federal Information: Persistent Identification Using Handles—a CENDI Workshop”**
**Sherry L. Davids**
**January 29, 2003**

## Today’s Discussion

- Background
- Why Handles?
- How we use Handles
- Maintaining Handles
- Conclusion

## Background

- 	In early 2001, NAL began to become aware of the need to incorporate metadata into digital objects:
- to **facilitate** **retrievability** of those objects
- to **facilitate creation of bibliographic records**** **for those objects.

## Background

- A task force, consisting of representatives from each of the Library’s three divisions, was formed; and the NAL Metadata Element Set was developed.
- In July of 2001, the NAL Metadata Element Set was officially approved by the NAL Management Team.
- From that point on, NAL staff were required to incorporate metadata into all digital objects that they created, including both original documents and digitized versions of publications formerly available only in print.

## Background

- 	The **NAL Metadata Element Set **is based on the Dublin Core Metadata Element Set and can be accessed at:
- 	_[http://www.nal.usda.gov/cataloging/TEMPLATE2.pdf](http://www.nal.usda.gov/cataloging/TEMPLATE2.pdf)_

## Slide 6

## Why Handles?

- 	**At the same time the Metadata Task Force was working to develop the NAL Metadata Element Set, the question of providing permanent access to NAL-created electronic resources arose.  **
**	****A second task force was formed to look into problem, and after extensive research we narrowed the possible solutions to two:  **
**	****-****	****Handles**
**	****-****	****PURLS**

## Why Handles?

**Handles**
**Developed by the Corporation for National Research Initiatives (CNRI)**
**Being used by DTIC and DOD and was being considered by other CENDI and FLICC libraries****	**
**Handles were an implementation of URNs; they were location independent**
**CNRI would allow us to register up to 5,000 names on their server at no cost - this was attractive to us, especially at the beginning phase**
**If NAL were to decide to run our own handle server at some later time, the change would be easy to accomplish**
**the only change needed would be to make would be to make an entry in the naming authority register**

## Why Handles?

- PURLS (Persistent Uniform Resource Locators)
**Developed by OCLC  (Online Computer Library Center, a global library cooperative that serves more than 42,000 libraries around the world) **
**Intended (at least initially) to be a short-term, partial solution to the resource-naming problem**
**Not location independent**
**Rumors (at the time) that OCLC was going to discontinue supporting PURLS****	**

## Why Handles

- NAL decided that Handles best suited our needs

## Use of Handles at NAL

**THE NAL METADATA TEMPLATE**
- The **NAL Metadata Template**** **(online fill-in form) was developed to facilitate metadata creation by NAL staff.  Staff members must register and obtain a password in order to access the template

## Use of Handles at NAL

- SHOW  TEMPLATE

## Use of Handles at NAL

- SHOW  TEMPLATE

## Use of Handles at NAL

**	**
**NAL IDENTIFIER**
**A key metadata element is the “NAL Identifier.”  This identifier is a unique combination of letters and numbers assigned to every electronic resource created by NAL staff.  The NAL identifier is automatically generated when metadata is created using NAL’s online template (fill-in form). **
**Example of an NAL Identifier:**
**	****NAL0000000c**

## Use of Handles at NAL

- The Identifier becomes part of the Handle.
- _[http://hdl.handle.net/1030.28/](http://hdl.handle.net/1030.28/NAL0000000c)__[NAL0000000c](http://hdl.handle.net/1030.28/NAL0000000c)_

## Resolves to URL

- SHOW  TEMPLATE

## Use of Handles at NAL

- The Process:
- NAL staff member creates a digital object
- New resource
- Digitized version of print resource
- Create metadata for the object using the NAL metadata template
- “Submit” the template

## Use of Handles at NAL

- 	When the metadata is “submitted,” four things happen:
- 	1.	HTML Metadata tags are generated which can be copied and pasted directly into the electronic resource

## Use of Handles at NAL

**NAL Metadata Tags**
- <TITLE> "Who Will Pay for On-Farm Environmental Improvements in the 21st Century?" </TITLE>
- <META content="Dublin Core Metadata Template (NAL Metadata)">
- <META   name=NAL.Title   content="Who Will Pay for On-Farm Environmental Improvements in the 21st Century?">
- <META   name=NAL.Creator Scheme="PersonalName"   content="Clark, Andy">
- <META   name=NAL.Creator Scheme="PersonalName"   content="Gagnon, Stuart R.">
- <META   name=NAL.Subject.Keyword   content="agricultural economics">
- <META   name=NAL.Subject.NAL Thesaurus   content="agricultural economics">

**Notes:**
<TITLE> "Who Will Pay for On-Farm Environmental Improvements in the 21st Century?" </TITLE>
<META content="Dublin Core Metadata Template (NAL Metadata)">
<META   name=NAL.Title   content="Who Will Pay for On-Farm Environmental Improvements in the 21st Century?">
<META   name=NAL.Creator Scheme="PersonalName"   content="Clark, Andy">
<META   name=NAL.Creator Scheme="PersonalName"   content="Gagnon, Stuart R.">
<META   name=NAL.Subject.Keyword   content="agricultural economics">
<META   name=NAL.Subject.NAL Thesaurus   content="agricultural economics">

## Use of Handles at NAL

- <META   name=NAL.Description   content=""Agriculture in the United States has historically produced a food supply that is relatively inexpensive.” That benefits our society. However, agriculture, like other land uses, can have negative impacts on the natural environment. That detracts from our quality of life. To counter this, many people are working toward the goal of protecting the environment while maintaining the agricultural producer's ability to operate a viable enterprise that provides an adequate standard of living, contributes to the community and produces high quality, affordable food."">
- <META   name=NAL.Publisher   content="National Agricultural Library">
- <META   name=NAL.Date.Created   content="2000-05-11" Scheme="ISO8601">
- <META   name=NAL.Date.Issued   content="2000-04-00" Scheme="ISO8601">
- <META   name=NAL.Date.Modified   content="2001-08-15" Scheme="ISO8601" >

**Notes:**
<META   name=NAL.Description   content=""Agriculture in the United States has historically produced a food supply that is relatively inexpensive.” That benefits our society. However, agriculture, like other land uses, can have negative impacts on the natural environment. That detracts from our quality of life. To counter this, many people are working toward the goal of protecting the environment while maintaining the agricultural producer's ability to operate a viable enterprise that provides an adequate standard of living, contributes to the community and produces high quality, affordable food."">
<META   name=NAL.Publisher   content="National Agricultural Library">
<META   name=NAL.Date.Created   content="2000-05-11" Scheme="ISO8601">
<META   name=NAL.Date.Issued   content="2000-04-00" Scheme="ISO8601">
<META   name=NAL.Date.Modified   content="2001-08-15" Scheme="ISO8601" >

## Use of Handles at NAL

- <META   name=NAL.Resource.Availability   content="No Guarantee">
- <META   name=NAL.Type   content="Text">
- <META   name=NAL.Content.Stability   content="Permanence Not Guaranteed">
- <META   name=NAL.Format   content="text/html">
**<META   name=NAL.Identifier content="http://www.nal.usda.gov/wqic/Bibliographies/agecon.html" Scheme="URL" >**
**<META   name=NAL.Identifier.NAL   content="hdl.handle.net/1030.28/NAL0000000c">**
- <META   name=NAL.Source   content="SRB 2000-01" Scheme="Free text" >
- <META   name=NAL.Language   content="eng">
- <META   name=NAL.Coverage.Jurisdiction   content="united states">
- <META   name=NAL.Rights   content="Public Domain">
- </head>

## Use of Handles at NAL

- The metadata record is deposited in a MySQL database maintained at NAL
- The Handle is registered with CNRI
- An e-mail message is sent to NAL’s technical services staff notifying them that metadata has been created.

**Notes:**
2.	The metadata record is deposited in a MySQL database maintained at NAL
3.	The handle is registered with CNRI
4.	An e-mail message is sent to NAL’s technical services staff notifying them that metadata has been created.  The e-mail message contains the set of metadata tags.

## Use of Handles at NAL

- The e-mail message:
- Alerts Technical Services staff that a digital object has been created.
- Contains the metadata for the object, which provides TSD staff with enough information to enable them to search AGRICOLA (**AGRIC**ultural **O**n**L**ine **A**ccess, a bibliographic database of citations to the agricultural literature created by the National Agricultural Library and its cooperators) to determine whether a bibliographic record for the resource already exists.

**Notes:**
The e-mail message:

## Use of Handles at NAL

**Notes:**
SHOW AGRICOLA HOME PAGE

## Use of Handles at NAL

- If a record already exists, it will be modified by adding the following information:
- if the bib record is for the print version of the resource, a note will be added saying that an electronic version of the resource is available and the Handle will be added to the record
- If the bib record is for the electronic version of the resource, the cataloger will replace the URL with the Handle
- If no bibliographic record for the item exists, the item will be cataloged and added to AGRICOLA

## Use of Handles at NAL

**Modified Bibliographic Record for a Print Resource now available electronically:**
- 2  070 0   aS21.D27 #b S64 no. 2000-01
- 3  072  0  E100
- 4  074     0095-A-03
- 5  086 0   A 17.24:2000-01
- 6  090     S441 #b .W49 2000
- 7  090     #b
- 8  049     AGLL
- 9  245 00  Who will pay for on-farm environmental improvements in the 2lst century? : #b a resource guide / #c Compiled by Andy Clark ... [et al.].
- 10  246 3   Who will pay for on farm environmental improvements in the 2lst century
- 11  260     Beltsville, Md. : #b USDA, ARS, National Agricultural Library, #c [2000]
- 12  300     63 p. : #b ill. ; #c 28 cm.

**Notes:**
2  070 0   aS21.D27 #b S64 no. 2000-01
3  072  0  E100
4  074     0095-A-03
5  086 0   A 17.24:2000-01
6  090     S441 #b .W49 2000
7  090     #b  
8  049     AGLL
9  245 00  Who will pay for on-farm environmental improvements in the 2lst century? : #b a resource guide / #c Compiled by Andy Clark ... [et al.].
10  246 3   Who will pay for on farm environmental improvements in the 2lst century
11  260     Beltsville, Md. : #b USDA, ARS, National Agricultural Library, #c [2000]
12  300     63 p. : #b ill. ; #c 28 cm.

## Use of Handles at NAL

- 13  490 1   Special reference briefs series, #x 1052-536X ; #v SRB 2000-01
- 14  500     Shipping list no.: 2000-0261-P.
- 15  500     "April 2000."
- 16  500     Includes index.
**17  530     Also available via remote access.**
- 18  650  0  Sustainable agriculture #z United States #v Bibliography.
- 18  650  0  Sustainable agriculture #z United States #v Bibliography.
- 19  650  0  Sustainable agriculture #z United States #x Computer network resources.
- 20  650  0  Agriculture #x Environmental aspects #z United States #x Finance #x Computer network resources.
- 21  650  0  Agricultural pollution #z United States #v Bibliography.
- 23  700 1   Clark, Andy.
- 24  710 2   National Agricultural Library (U.S.)
- 25  830  0  Special reference briefs ; #v NAL-SRB. 2000-01.
**26  856 41  #u **_[http://hdl.handle.net/1030.28/NAL0000000c](http://hdl.handle.net/1030.28/NAL0000000c)_

## Use of Handles at NAL

**CREATING NEW BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORDS FROM METADATA**
**Currently, the process of creating new bibliographic records from metadata is a semi-automatic process:**
**-****	****The cataloger copies the URL from the metadata contained in the e-mail message and copies it into OCLC’s Connexion (cataloging interface)**

**Notes:**
CREATING NEW BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORDS FROM METADATA	

Currently, the process of creating new bibliographic records from metadata is a semi-automatic process:

-	The cataloger copies the URL from the metadata contained in the e-mail message and copies it into OCLC’s Connexion (cataloging interface)

## Use of Handles at NAL

## Use of Handles at NAL

- -	Connexion program extracts the metadata from the resource and creates a preliminary bibliographic record

**Notes:**
-	Connexion extracts the metadata from the resource and creates a preliminary bibliographic record

## Use of Handles at NAL

**Notes:**
SHOW PRELIMINARY RECORD

## Use of Handles at NAL

-     	The cataloger “cleans up” the preliminary record, referring to the metadata in the e-mail message as necessary
-     	The cataloger adds the Handle to the bibliographic record

**Notes:**

-	The cataloger “cleans up” the preliminary record, referring to the metadata in the e-mail message as necessary

## Use of Handles at NAL

- We have had preliminary talks with OCLC about developing a procedure to export the NAL metadata records directly to Connexion, which would create the bibliographic records from the metadata and deposit the records directly into the Connexion database

## Use of Handles at NAL

- The completed bibliographic record is exported to AGRICOLA from Connexion.

## Use of Handles at NAL

- NAL customers search the AGRICOLA site for the resources they require.  Records for resources in electronic form for which we have created metadata will contain a Handle; all the customer need do is click on the Handle to retrieve the resource.

**Notes:**
NAL customers who come to the AGRICOLA Web site can search for the items they require, and if the item is available in electronic form, they can pull up the record, click on the handle, and retrieve the item.

## Use of Handles at NAL

- Any item to which NAL has assigned a handle can also be retrieved from the CNRI site:
**http://hdl.handle.net/****	**
- in the text box fill in the handle (NAL’s ID and the identification number)
**1030.28/NAL0000000c**

## Maintaining Handles

- -	NAL staff are required to inform the Cataloging Branch whenever the URL of a resource to which a handle has been assigned
- -	Cataloging branch staff edit the records in NAL’s MySQL database and also in the CNRI Handle system so that the Handle will continue to resolve to the resource

**Notes:**
-	NAL staff are required to inform the Cataloging Branch whenever the URL of a resource to which a handle has been assigned
-	Cataloging branch staff edit the records in NAL’s MySQL database and also in the CNRI database so that the handle will continue to resolve to the resource

## Conclusion

**It has been a lengthy process**
**-****	****to develop the metadata element set for NAL**
**-****	****to develop the identifier system**
**-****	****to research and select a naming system**
**-****	****to educate staff as to the importance of ****	****metadata and Handles**
**-****	****to educate staff on how to create metadata**
**          ****registering metadata creators**
**         ****	****to maintain records in the MySQL database and ****	****the CNRI repository when a URL for a resource  **
**          ****	****changes**

## Conclusion

**However, we feel that the effort has been well worth it because:**
**-****	****Electronic resources created by NAL staff ****	****	****have increased accessibility**
**	****-****	****through bibliographic records in ****	****	****	****AGRICOLA**
**	****-****	****through OCLC’s Connexion**
**	****-****	****through CNRI**
**	****-****	****through standard search engines ****	****	****	****because of the metadata embedded in ****	****	****them**
**	**

## Conclusion

**-****	****Bibliographic records containing URLs for ****	****electronic resources have to be modified ****	****every time a URL changes.  **
**-****	****Bibliographic records containing Handles ****	****will not have to be edited when a resource ****	****moves to a different directory or server or ****	****is renamed. **

## Contact Information:

**Sherry L. Davids**
**National Agricultural Library**
**301-504-5729**
**sdavids@nal.usda.gov**