Personalized Information Environments : An Architecture for Customizable Access to Distributed Digital Libraries

James C. French     french@cs.virginia.edu     (Department of Computer Science)   Charles L. Viles     viles@ils.unc.edu     (School of Information and Library Science)

D-Lib Magazine ( web site)
(ReLIS:doi:dlibma:v:5:y:1999:i:6:p:2766)

Abstract:

A Personalized Information Environment or "PIE" is a conceptual architecture that allows unified, highly customizable access to distributed information resources by providing users the tools to compose personalized collections from a palette of information resources. The architecture also provides for the efficient exchange of inter-resource meta-information like collection statistics in order to maximize retrieval effectiveness. We identify four conceptual requirements for a PIE: customizability, efficient and effective search, controlled sharability, and privacy and security. Specific technologies needed to achieve these requirements in practice include distributed object systems, resource summarization tools, and integrated security and privacy mechanisms. This paper includes the enunciation of the user-centered PIE vision, an architectural requirements specification, and an architectural description that meets the specification and supports the vision. We also describe our current implementation and research efforts conducted within the PIE framework.

Month: June 1999

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