[OAI-implementers] DSpace OAI-PMH support changes, issues

[Tansley, Robert]

> On Thu, 10 Jun 2004, Tansley, Robert wrote:
> > - Are Handles appropriate IDs for the OAI metadata records? 
> > Originally, it seemed pointless to me to use anything else; forcing 
> > people to jump through yet another hoop to get yet another 
> unique ID 
> > to get set up.  However, on occasion people have indicated they'd 
> > rather use an oai: prefixed identifier.  If anyone can 
> offer reasons 
> > and suggestions either way I'd appreciate it.
> 
> Aside from the possibility of changing ids to get around the 
> changing sets problem, I can't see why an oai-identifier 
> would be preferred to a handle.

One potential scenario I've thought of is where >1 DSpace contains the same item, with the same Handle (resource ID).  Each DSpace might have different/additional metadata though and in any case probably shouldn't use the same ID for OAI-PMH.  So, perhaps an easy way forward is to use an OAI identifier of the form:

oai:(dspace hostname):(handle)

E.g.

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/1234

 Robert Tansley / Digital Media Systems Programme / HP Labs
 http://www.hpl.hp.com/personal/Robert_Tansley/