Lists, Catalogs and Portals: Models and Tools for E- Resource Access Karen Calhoun, Associate University Librarian for Technical Services, Cornell University Library LLNE Spring Meeting April 30, 2004

30 Apr 2004 Calhoun, LLNE2 What’s the Problem? What does the library “hold”? Multiple places to look Confusing Poor leverage of investment in aggregations High labor costs Less than optimal service

30 Apr 2004 Calhoun, LLNE3 What Do Users Want? Faculty and students do more work and study away from campus Loyal to the library, but library is only one element in complex information structure Print still important, but almost half of undergraduates say they rely exclusively or almost exclusively on electronic materials Seamless linking from one information object to another is expected

30 Apr 2004 Calhoun, LLNE4 Toward a New Library Information Space Methods and tools Web-accessible lists New role for catalogs Portals Reference linking (OpenURL) E-resource management systems Objectives Unite print, digital and e- collections Integrate access to all library resources Simplify digital and e- resource management (lower costs AND improve service)

30 Apr 2004 Calhoun, LLNE5 What’s An Aggregation? Collection of publications in electronic form Differ in size, content “Vanilla” “Tutti fruitti surprise”

30 Apr 2004 Calhoun, LLNE6 Types of Aggregators Hosting service for publishers Databases of full text (and citations/abstracts) Gateways Business Source Premier

30 Apr 2004 Calhoun, LLNE7 Why Are They Here To Stay? One selection, one contract, many titles Same scripting and security requirements One interface, many titles Library users WANT THEM

30 Apr 2004 Calhoun, LLNE8 Levels of Access Web-accessible lists Browsing Searching Both Online catalog Portals Reference linking

Web-accessible Lists: Homegrown, Serials Solutions+ example

30 Apr 2004 Calhoun, LLNE10 Another Web-accessible list: Database-driven, Serials Solutions+ example

30 Apr 2004 Calhoun, LLNE11 Another Web-accessible list: Serials Solutions straight up

Online Catalog Access: Single Record Technique

30 Apr 2004 Calhoun, LLNE13 Online Catalog Access: Separate Record Technique

30 Apr 2004 Calhoun, LLNE14 What’s a Portal? A tool for “organized knowledge discovery” LCPAIG: FunctionalitiesList4PublicComment1st html#portalsfunctionalities FunctionalitiesList4PublicComment1st html#portalsfunctionalities

The Dream: A Unifying System Model Other Libraries Catalogs Local Library Catalog Digital Collections Licensed Databases Other (e.g.,DSpace) Many diverse, separate interfaces Portal: an Integrating System Authentication layer Unified Web Interface (“Google-like”)

30 Apr 2004 Calhoun, LLNE16 What’s a Portal (Continued) Help users easily discover what resources are available Help users discover what resources are most useful for their topics Provide parallel searching of multiple resources at the same time Integrate and manage search results Link search results to full text Authenticate and authorize or block user access

30 Apr 2004 Calhoun, LLNE17 Cornell’s Portal Implementation: Part Migration, Part New Functionality EXISTING: “FIND DATABASES” & “FIND E- JOURNALS” Search e-Reference metadata Go to database from search results Browse by subject Authenticate users for restricted resources Search for e-journal titles PLUS: “FIND ARTICLES” Search at article level Simultaneous search across multiple databases Reference linking

30 Apr 2004 Calhoun, LLNE18 Article Level Federated Searching - 1

30 Apr 2004 Calhoun, LLNE19 Article Level Federated Searching - 2

30 Apr 2004 Calhoun, LLNE20 Article Level Federated Searching - 3

30 Apr 2004 Calhoun, LLNE21 Article Level Federated Searching - 4

30 Apr 2004 Calhoun, LLNE22 Reference Linking Major domain for innovation Users expect fully linked information environment Partnerships between content providers, database producers, and library system vendors Catalog represents one element of the interlinked environment

30 Apr 2004 Calhoun, LLNE23 Reference Linking - 1

30 Apr 2004 Calhoun, LLNE24 Reference Linking - 2

30 Apr 2004 Calhoun, LLNE25 Reference Linking - 3

30 Apr 2004 Calhoun, LLNE26 Reference Linking - 4

30 Apr 2004 Calhoun, LLNE27 Reference Linking - 5

30 Apr 2004 Calhoun, LLNE28 OpenURL derPlus/Display?&aulast=Przyblyski&atitle= Revolution+at+a+Standstill%3A+Photograph y+and+the+Paris+Commune+of+1871&title =Yale+French+Studies&volume=101&issn= &spage=54&date=2001&pages=54- 78&stitle=YFS

30 Apr 2004 Calhoun, LLNE29 Open Linking & Link Resolvers A link resolver accepts metadata (an OpenURL) from a source and presents links based on logic and business rules administered locally It knows what the user has access to Relies on “knowledge base”

Open Linking & Link Resolvers Source Link Resolver Metadata OPAC Link Full Text ILL Link Open linking introduces a “resolver” into the linking process OpenURL standardizes this part of the communication

30 Apr 2004 Calhoun, LLNE31 Federated search: what’s missing Response time comparatively slow Practical limits to number of databases that can be: Configured for searching Searched at once Incomplete search results (also due to practical limits) Lack of control over what is returned in search result sets Order of search results displays not as useful as they should be Other limitations on what can (or can’t) be displayed

30 Apr 2004 Calhoun, LLNE32 Limitations of Reference Linking No link resolver and library doesn’t have access to full text of journal Have link resolver, but knowledge base is incorrect or out of date Inconsistent metadata within a database and across databases Bad metadata Varied application of citation standards; non-use of citation standards Library has full text for journal but not the volume/issue the user wants Full text availability lags behind citation availability No alternative to “get full text” presented And on and on

Summary: Pros and Cons of 4 Levels of Access Method/ToolProsCons Web-accessible lists Many ways to produce one Amenable to in-house solutions Can use services like SerialsSolutions, Tdnet Users like them, some say users prefer them Often incomplete Have to look in multiple places for holdings info Can require dual maintenance Static lists can be hard to maintain Access to journal only (not direct to articles) Catalog access (via single or separate record technique) One place to look (provided all are cataloged) Many ways to find (title, keyword, subject) Can be incomplete (if not all cataloged) Can be expensive and slow Access to journals only (not direct to articles) Some users find catalog searching/records complex Portal Unified access to many discrete resources via one interface Federated search saves time Good for discovery Access at article level Can link search results to full text This is how users want to work Response time comparatively slow Limits on number of databases that can be searched at once Limits of number of hits returned (searches not comprehensive) Same searches return different results from different databases Order of search results displays not as useful as they should be Reference linking This is how users want to work, with fully interlinked info environment Saves staff and user time Easy and convenient Can provide other services as well as full text linking Can make print collection more visible To maximize usefulness, need link resolver and knowledge base OpenURLs don’t always work (see list in presentation)

30 Apr 2004 Calhoun, LLNE34 What Do We Need to Do? Figure it out together: collaborate with selectors, acquisitions staff, reference staff, information technology staff Share the work with other libraries and other organizations Seek creative solutions; be nimble Libraries and librarians cannot win if they do not play

30 Apr 2004 Calhoun, LLNE35 Riding the Strawberry Roan He says this here's one pony that's never been rode, And the man that gets on him is bound to get throwed. I got all het up and I asked what he'd pay To ride this old nag for a couple of days. Well, he offered me ten, and I says, "I'm your man, For the bronc isn't living that I couldn't fan." He says, "Get your saddle, I'll give you the chance." So we hopped in his buckboard and rode to his ranch.

Bibliography Blake, Miriam and Frances Knudson Metadata and reference linking. LCATS 26 (3): Breeding, Marshall The many facets of managing electronic resources. Computers in libraries 24 (1): 25- Calhoun, Karen and Bill Kara Aggregation or aggravation? Optimizing access to full text journals. ALCTS Newsletter Online 11 (1). Calhoun, Karen E-journal access using the catalog, federated search, and reference linking systems. Background paper for CONSER Summit. g-fedsearch-openURL.html g-fedsearch-openURL.html Coombs, Karen A Reaching the CROSSROADS of two lists for periodical holdings. Computers in libraries 24 (1): 14- Degon, John and Liz Maisey Linking to full text: using Serials Solutions. Conference presentation. ataloging/serials/assumpt.ppt ataloging/serials/assumpt.ppt Friedlander, Amy Dimensions and use of the scholarly information environment: introduction to a data set assembled by the Digital Library Federation and Outsell Inc /contents.html 110/contents.html Meagher, Elizabeth S. and Christopher Brown Gold Rush: integrated access to aggregated journal text through the OPAC. LRTS 48 (1):