4.1    Levels of functionality

Since we do not expect that an ILS will necessarily support all the functions we recommend immediately, and some of the functions we recommend are more important than others, the functions described below are categorized according to their necessity in a few basic usage profiles that were expressed or implied in a number of our survey responses.

• Level 1: Basic Discovery Interfaces: This level represents a minimal set of functions essential to support applications that provide discovery outside the ILS.  The focus is on enabling external systems that support new methods of discovery while still relying on the ILS for other traditional OPAC functionality. This level represents a minimal set of functions with the goal of being easily implemented by ILS's and used by applications. Some important functions are not included at this level, and we encourage vendors and developers to go beyond it where possible.

• Level 2:  Elementary OPAC supplement: This level describes a set of functions needed for a reasonably broad range of practical discovery applications that operate in tandem with the OPAC. We assume here, to be appealing and straightforward for users, a supplement would need to support essentially the same breadth of discovery as the elementary OPAC alternative profile below. However, it might not need to support all the delivery functions, if those were better handled by the underlying OPAC. This use case requires functions for seamlessly passing control between the OPAC and external discovery applications, in both directions (not just to the OPAC, as in Level 1).

• Level 3: Elementary OPAC alternative: This level describes a set of functions needed for a practical discovery application that can operate completely independently of the OPAC. Such an application would need the essential discovery and delivery features of an OPAC, including search and browse, real-time availability information, delivery, and patron services. While not all of the OPAC's functionality has to be replicated in the application, enough has to be available to make it attractive to users as an alternative to the normal OPAC interface.

• Level 4: Robust/domain specific discovery platforms: This level describes functions required to build useful discovery applications beyond the elementary level. It includes domain-specific functions that might not apply to all libraries, but that might be important for particular kinds of libraries (such as academic libraries dealing with course reserves or public libraries dealing more heavily in e-commerce to handle fine transactions.)

Several ILS and application vendors and developers have pledged native support for Level 1 as described in this document.  We therefore give special attention to the specifications of Level 1 functions in order to support rapid and uniform imlementation.

4.2 List of functions by level

Level 1: Basic Discovery Interfaces

?    HarvestBibliographicRecords (in Data Aggregation)
?    HarvestExtendedRecords (in Data Aggregation)
?    GetAvailability (in Real Time Search)
?    GoToBibliographicRequestPage (in OPAC interaction)

Level 2: Elementary OPAC supplement

All of the above, plus

?    HarvestAuthorityRecords (in Data Aggregation)
?    HarvestHoldingsRecords [may be folded into HarvestExtendedRecords]
?    GetRecords (in Real Time Search)
?    Search (in Real Time Search)
?    Scan (in Real Time Search)
?    GetAuthorityRecords (in Real Time Search)
?    Either OutputRewritablePage or OutputIntermediateFormat (in OPAC interaction)

Level 3: Elementary OPAC alternative

All of the above, plus

?    LookupPatron (in Patron Functionality, as are the functions below)
?    AuthenticatePatron
?    GetPatronInfo
?    GetPatronStatus
?    RenewLoan
?    HoldTitle
?    HoldItem
?    CancelHold
?    RecallItem
?    CancelRecall

Level 4: Robust/domain specific discovery platforms

All of the above, plus

?    Explain (in Real Time Search)
?    SearchCourseReserves (in Real Time Search; for academic libraries)

• ejl: what about the fine/block stuff for public libraries?
  • PayFine / ClearFine
  • BlockPatron
  • UnblockPatron

?    Both OutputRewritablePage and OutputIntermediateFormat (in OPAC interaction)