Interoperable Digital Library Programmes? We Must Have QA!

Abstract

Digital library programmes often seek to provide interoperability through use of open standards. In practice, however, deployment of open standards in a compliant manner is not necessarily easy. The author argues that a strict checking regime would be inappropriate in many circumstances. The author proposes deployment of quality assurance (QA) principles which provide documented policies on the standards and best practices to be implemented and systematic procedures for measuring compliance with these policies. The paper describes the work of the QA Focus project which has developed a QA methodology to support JISCs digital library programmes. A summary of the application of the methodology to support selection of standards and the deployment of deliverables into service is given. The author argues that similar approaches are needed if we are to provide interoperability across digital library programmes.