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This paper describes the provision of a Web Services interface that will extend the possibility of machine-to-machine access to the zetoc current awareness service, within the JISC Information Environment and eScience applications. This bespoke interface includes open standard XML metadata for searches and responses where possible. Elements from the OpenURL XML metadata formats for journals and books are used to transmit the bibliographic citation information that is an integral part of a zetoc record for a journal article or conference paper.

zetoc is a current awareness and document delivery service providing World Wide Web and Z39.50 access to the British Library's Electronic Table of Contents database of journal articles and conference papers, along with an email alerting service. An experimental prototype version of zetoc is under development, based on open standards, including Dublin Core and XML, and using the open source, leading-edge Cheshire II information retrieval technology. Enhancements investigated in this prototype include request and delivery of discovered articles, location of electronic articles using OpenURL technology, and additional current awareness functionality including the exposure of journal issue metadata according to the Open Archives Initiative protocol. These experimental developments will enhance the zetoc service to improve the information environment for researchers and learners.