Singapore Infopedia: A comprehensive online heritage encyclopedia

1. Singapore Infopedia • an online heritage encyclopedia – • Bonny Tan • National Library Board • bonny_tan@nlb.gov.sg • tanbonny@gmail.com • October 2006

2. Brief History • Objectives & audience • User needs assessment • Encyclopedia Framework

3. ‘MR’ Coll ‘SEA’ Coll ‘SING’ Coll ‘Q’ Coll Zoology/Anthropology TYS & Gibson-Hill Log & Rost Travels RAS Singapore Institution 1823 - 1843 National Library 1960 – 1995 Raffles Library & Museum 1874 – 1959 Syonan Hakubutsu Kan 1942 - 1945 Singapore Library 1844 - 1874 National Library Board 1995 - Brief History – Singapore/SEA Collections Children’s Asian Cdn

4. Brief History • 1824 – 1994 : Collections • 1995 – 1997 : BPR, technology • 1997 – 2004 : InfoXpress (IX) • 1997 – 1999 : Survey of IX • 2003 – 2005 : Spore Infopedia (SP) • 2004 : Survey of SP needs

6. User Needs Assessment (1998) • Total – 548 users in 4 library types • Users of the InfoXpress kiosk • Enquiry service and content • Electronic tracking

7. Others 6% Out dated information Too little 1% information 37% Couldn’t find information Too much 42% information 1% Irrelevant information 13% User Needs Assessment (1998) • Couldn’t find information (42%) • Too little info (37%) • Mistook it for OPAC, wanted non-Singapore, non-history information • Wanted more history content Reasons for dissatisfaction amongst users of InfoXpress

8. User Needs Assessment (1998)

9. Objectives & Audience • Singapore history • Online encyclopedia • Support National Education • Promote Singapore & Southeast Asia collections • Pictures included

10. Objectives & Audience • Students of NE – 11 to 16 • Teachers of NE, history, social science • Singaporeana researchers • Hobbyist & history buffs • Tourists, online tourist • Societies, organisations

11. User Needs Assessment (2004) • Total surveyed : 117 (135) • National Education teachers for ages 11 – 16 • 36% had 1- 3 years, 25% 4 – 10, 30% more than 10 • All but 1 used the internet • Types of resources used • Types of collections/experts used • Portal preferences

12. Resources Used

13. Resources Used - Results • News articles, photos & artefacts – classroom work & project work • Limited use of the web portals • Valued activities – history outings

14. Resources Used - Recommendations • Incorporate images and news articles • Have tools to appropriate information for teaching & presentation • Include virtual tours of historical sites

15. Collections/Experts Used - Results • Personal collections cf curriculum pack & school library • Library inaccessible, Internet accessible • Consult colleagues rather than librarians

16. Collections/Experts Used - Recommendations • Incorporate tools to appropriate info, create personal folders • Allow content sharing, community building • Allow for personalisation

17. Portal Preferences • Encyclopedia, 43% ranked 1 for service desired • Ask-a-Librarian services, 30% ranked 9th • Content – for data with little published information • Payment 63% $1 – 5 (50% pay 0 for personal collections, though 31% pay between $ 1 - $20)

18. Singapore Infopedia (2005) • Launched in 2005 • Part of Singapore Pages • 1,000 articles = 100 - 300 documents a year • Nature, Architecture, Cultural, Arts, Commerce, Politics

19. Framework

20. Content functions Metadata Content management tools Content Framework Fig. 1.1. Singapore Infopedia (2004) – Contents manager (prototype)

23. Thank you