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Escape from Alcatraz Freeing the OPAC from traditional constraints

Learn how we transformed our library's OPAC into an inviting, user-friendly discovery tool by aggregating metadata, providing a single search, and moving outside the ILMS. Discover the challenges and successes with our new discovery model.

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Escape from Alcatraz Freeing the OPAC from traditional constraints

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  1. Escape from AlcatrazFreeing the OPAC from traditional constraints Lloyd Sokvitne Senior Manager (Digital Strategies) State Library of Tasmania lloyd.sokvitne@education.tas.gov.au

  2. Information discovery in libraries Your OPAC Inhospitable Distant Uninviting

  3. Information discovery on the web Inviting Friendly Easy

  4. Today’s presentation Our experience with a new discovery model • Based on aggregating metadata from a variety of sources • What happens when you actually try to use that metadata for discovery • What other challenges emerge

  5. Providing a single search • Disillusioned with federated searching • Aggregating metadata as preferred approach • NLA, OAI, and other successes • Include both Marc and Non-Marc Metadata • Its our own data anyway • Want control over outcomes

  6. Moving outside the ILMS • easier web friendly deliverables • applications adaptable/flexible • client-orientated outcomes • discovery services • interactive web2.0 developments • We are seeing a growing need to be able to interact with the ILS in various ways, so that some functionality can be placed in another interface – Lorcan Dempsey, 20 Jan 20, 2006

  7. MODULES • client interaction • acquisitions • indexing • searching • circulation • DOM Client Service Applications Data Storage A 3-tier architecture Uncoupling the data from the applications that create it Providing client services that are not defined by data containers The data should be usable by any or all applications above it

  8. Aggregated Metadata Information System (AMIS) • Proof of concept developed • 500,000 OPAC Marc records exported • Converted to a common XML format • Other records converted (images, etc) • XML records were indexed using Lucene • 5 hrs on a desktop pc • Query screen written • All up – 2-3 days effort

  9. Screenshot Fast : Able to add new features : Able to participate in web environment

  10. Screenshot Live query works for live data

  11. Also able to provide facets for format, genre, location, subject, etc

  12. Prototype results • Proved concept • Technology part is easy • Tender process almost over, market response good • Identified that we will need to improve the actual data • How did we want our portal to work?

  13. To match user behaviour • Offline behaviour– browsing • Ignored in virtually every library system • facets: open-display of content, and refining • Online behaviour – satisficing/ranking • Ignored in virtually every library system • Ranking as the key determinant • User interaction – ratings, reviews, etc Now possible because we are outside the ILMS

  14. Aggregator metadata • Need appropriate metadata • Valid only if useful to actual searching as performed by our clients • Data mining • frequency of use, number of reservations, etc • Data sharing • reviews, commentaries, tables of contents, etc • Data creation • Libraries – adding more information, discarding unused data • Users – adding ratings, reviews, etc

  15. Next steps • Client interaction modules • reviews, • ratings, • wikis, • RSS, • Blogs, etc • will be added progressively

  16. Data is just a commodity • ILMS integration occurred for efficiency • data storage, consistency, reuse • efficiency now possible in other ways • moving data in large quantities is easy • accessing data in real time is easy An OPAC no longer needs to be something provided by an ILMS

  17. Conclusions • AMIS – technically easy, doable • Need the right metadata to succeed • Need the right search interface • not just a slightly modified OPAC • the design is up to us • (there couldn’t be a better time to be a librarian)

  18. A connected OPAC The new Alcatraz Easy Relevant Busy and used

  19. Thank you Lloyd Sokvitne Senior Manager (Digital Strategies) State Library of Tasmania lloyd.sokvitne@education.tas.gov.au

  20. Recommended reading • Don't Make Me Think : A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability. Steve Krug, 2nd Ed, New Riders Press; 2005 • Rethinking how we provide bibliographic services for the University of California, Final Report: December 2005, Bibliographic Services Task Force (BSTF). http://libraries.universityofcalifornia.edu/sopag/BSTF/Final.pdf • Integrating Information Resources: Principles, Technologies, and Approaches, Heather Christenson and Roy Tenant, http://www.cdlib.org/inside/projects/metasearch/nsdl/nsdl_report2.pdf • Recommendations for urgently needed improvement of OPAC and the role of the National Bibliographic Agency in achieving it. John D Byrum, Jr. http://www.ifla.org/IV/ifla71/papers/124e-Byrum.pdf • Northern Caroline State University Library catalogue –http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/catalog/browse.html ( browsing using Marc data)

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