An Introduction to Next Generation Library Interfaces Northern Suburban Library System Buffalo Grove, IL March 18, 2008 Marshall Breeding Director for Innovative Technologies and Research Vanderbilt University

Abstract Marshall Breeding, Director of Innovative Technologies and Research at Jean & Alexander Heard Library, Vanderbilt University, and author of a 40-page report on “Next Generation Library Catalogs” (Library Technology Reports, July/August 2007) will present an overview of this emerging genre of products that aim to provide libraries with better tools for delivering content and services to their users. Also included in Mr. Breeding’s informative “tour” will be the general features and capabilities of Next-Gen catalogs and some of the options currently available to libraries. Marshall Breeding, Director of Innovative Technologies and Research at Jean & Alexander Heard Library, Vanderbilt University, and author of a 40-page report on “Next Generation Library Catalogs” (Library Technology Reports, July/August 2007) will present an overview of this emerging genre of products that aim to provide libraries with better tools for delivering content and services to their users. Also included in Mr. Breeding’s informative “tour” will be the general features and capabilities of Next-Gen catalogs and some of the options currently available to libraries.

Crowded Landscape of Information Providers on the Web Lots of non-library Web destinations deliver content to library patrons Lots of non-library Web destinations deliver content to library patrons –Google Scholar –Amazon –Wikipedia –Ask.com Do Library Web sites and catalogs meet the information needs of our users? Do Library Web sites and catalogs meet the information needs of our users? Do they attract their interest? Do they attract their interest?

Troubling statistic Where do you typically begin your search for information on a particular topic? College Students Response: 89%Search engines (Google 62%) 89%Search engines (Google 62%) 2%Library Web Site (total respondents -> 1%) 2%Library Web Site (total respondents -> 1%) 2%Online Database 2%Online Database 1% 1% 1% Online News 1% Online News 1% Online bookstores 1% Online bookstores 0% Instant Messaging / Online Chat 0% Instant Messaging / Online Chat OCLC. Perceptions of Libraries and Information Resources (2005) p

The best Library OPAC?

Demand for compelling library interfaces Urgent need for libraries to offer interfaces their users will like to use Urgent need for libraries to offer interfaces their users will like to use Move out of the 1990’s Move out of the 1990’s Powerful search capabilities in tune with how the Web works today Powerful search capabilities in tune with how the Web works today User expectations set by other Web destination User expectations set by other Web destination Eg: iLink / iBistro introduced in 2000 Eg: iLink / iBistro introduced in 2000

Inadequacy of ILS OPACs Online Catalog modules provided with an ILS subject to broad criticism as failing to meet expectations of growing segments of library patrons. Online Catalog modules provided with an ILS subject to broad criticism as failing to meet expectations of growing segments of library patrons. Not great at delivering electronic content Not great at delivering electronic content Complex text-based interfaces Complex text-based interfaces Relatively weak keyword search engines Relatively weak keyword search engines Lack of good relevancy sorting Lack of good relevancy sorting Narrow scope of content Narrow scope of content

Typical Library Web site components Books: Library OPAC (ILS module) Books: Library OPAC (ILS module) Articles: Aggregated content products, e- journal collections Articles: Aggregated content products, e- journal collections OpenURL linking services OpenURL linking services E-journal finding aids (Often managed by link resolver) E-journal finding aids (Often managed by link resolver) Local digital collections Local digital collections –ETDs, photos, rich media collections Metasearch engines Metasearch engines All searched separately All searched separately

Change underway Widespread dissatisfaction with most of the current OPACs. Many efforts toward next- generation catalogs and interfaces. Widespread dissatisfaction with most of the current OPACs. Many efforts toward next- generation catalogs and interfaces. Movement among libraries to break out of the current mold of library catalogs and offer new interfaces better suited to the expectations of library users. Movement among libraries to break out of the current mold of library catalogs and offer new interfaces better suited to the expectations of library users. Decoupling of the front-end interface from the back-end library automation system. Decoupling of the front-end interface from the back-end library automation system.

Working toward a new generation of library interfaces Redefinition of the “library catalog” Redefinition of the “library catalog” Traditional notions of the library catalog are being questioned Traditional notions of the library catalog are being questioned Better information delivery tools Better information delivery tools More powerful search capabilities More powerful search capabilities More elegant presentation More elegant presentation

Redefinition of library catalogs More comprehensive information discovery environments More comprehensive information discovery environments It’s no longer enough to provide a catalog limited to print resources It’s no longer enough to provide a catalog limited to print resources Digital resources cannot be an afterthought Digital resources cannot be an afterthought Forcing users to use different interfaces depending on type of content becoming less tenable Forcing users to use different interfaces depending on type of content becoming less tenable Libraries working toward consolidated search environments that give equal footing to digital and print resources Libraries working toward consolidated search environments that give equal footing to digital and print resources

Comprehensive Search Service More like OAI More like OAI –Open Archives Initiative –Consolidated search services based on metadata and data gathered in advance Problems of scale diminished Problems of scale diminished Problems of cooperation persist Problems of cooperation persist Eg: Royal Library of Denmark Eg: Royal Library of Denmark

Web 2.0 Flavorings A more social and collaborative approach A more social and collaborative approach Web Tools and technology that foster collaboration Web Tools and technology that foster collaboration Blogs, wiki, blogs, tagging, social bookmarking, user rating, user reviews Blogs, wiki, blogs, tagging, social bookmarking, user rating, user reviews

Web 2.0 supporting technologies Web services Web services XML APIs XML APIs AJAX (asynchronous JavaScript and XML) AJAX (asynchronous JavaScript and XML)

The holy grail of New Gen Library Interfaces A single point of entry into all the content and services offered by the library A single point of entry into all the content and services offered by the library Print + Electronic Print + Electronic Local + Remote Local + Remote Locally created Content Locally created Content

Interface expectations Millennial generation library users are well acclimated to the Web Millennial generation library users are well acclimated to the Web Used to relevancy ranking Used to relevancy ranking –The “good stuff” should be listed first –Users tend not to delve deep into a result list –Good relevancy requires a sophisticated approach, including objective matching criteria supplemented by popularity and relatedness factors. “Did you mean?” and other features to avoid “No results found” “Did you mean?” and other features to avoid “No results found” More like this More like this

Interface expectations (cont…) Very rapid response. Users have a low tolerance for slow systems Very rapid response. Users have a low tolerance for slow systems Rich visual information: book jacket images, rating scores, etc. Rich visual information: book jacket images, rating scores, etc. Let users drill down through the result set incrementally narrowing the field Let users drill down through the result set incrementally narrowing the field Faceted Browsing Faceted Browsing –Drill-down vs up-front Boolean or “Advanced Search” –gives the users clues about the number of hits in each sub topic –Ability to explore collections without a priori knowledge Navigational Bread crumbs Navigational Bread crumbs

Appropriate organizational structures LCSH vs FAST (Faceted Application of Subject Terminology) LCSH vs FAST (Faceted Application of Subject Terminology) Full MARC vs Dublin Core or MODS Full MARC vs Dublin Core or MODS Discipline-specific thesauri or ontologies Discipline-specific thesauri or ontologies “tags” “tags”

Deep search Increasing opportunities to search the full contents Increasing opportunities to search the full contents –Google Library Print, Google Publisher, Open Content Alliance, Microsoft Live Book Search, etc. –High-quality metadata will improve search precision Commercial search providers already offer “search inside the book” Commercial search providers already offer “search inside the book” No comprehensive full text search for books quite yet No comprehensive full text search for books quite yet Not currently available through library search environments Not currently available through library search environments

Beyond Discovery Fulfillment oriented Fulfillment oriented Search -> select -> view Search -> select -> view Delivery/Fulfillment much harder than discovery Delivery/Fulfillment much harder than discovery Back-end complexity should be as seamless as possible to the user Back-end complexity should be as seamless as possible to the user

Library-specific Features Appropriate relevance factors Appropriate relevance factors –Objective keyword ranking + Library weightings –Circulation frequency, OCLC holdings, scholarly content Results grouping (FRBR) Results grouping (FRBR) Collection focused (vs sales-driven) Collection focused (vs sales-driven)

Enterprise Integration Ability to deliver content and services through non-library applications Ability to deliver content and services through non-library applications Campus portal solutions Campus portal solutions Courseware Courseware Social networking environments Social networking environments Search portals / Feed aggregators Search portals / Feed aggregators

Smart and Sophisticated Much more difficult than old gen OPACS Much more difficult than old gen OPACS Not a dumbed-down approach Not a dumbed-down approach Wed library specific requirements and expectations with e-commerce technologies Wed library specific requirements and expectations with e-commerce technologies

Architecture and Standards Need to have an standard approach for connecting new generation interfaces with ILS and other repositories Need to have an standard approach for connecting new generation interfaces with ILS and other repositories Proprietary and ad hoc methods currently prevail Proprietary and ad hoc methods currently prevail Digital Library Federation Digital Library Federation –ILS-Discovery Interface Group

New-Gen Library Interfaces Current Commercial and Open Source Products

Common characteristics Decoupled interface Decoupled interface Mass export of catalog data Mass export of catalog data Alternative search engine Alternative search engine Alternative interface Alternative interface Hooks back into the ILS for holdings and patron services Hooks back into the ILS for holdings and patron services

Endeca Guided Navigation North Carolina State University North Carolina State Universityhttp:// McMaster University McMaster Universityhttp://libcat.mcmaster.ca/ Phoenix Public Library Phoenix Public Libraryhttp:// Florida Center for Library Automation Florida Center for Library Automationhttp://catalog.fcla.edu/ux.jsp

AquaBrowser Library Queens Borough Public Library Queens Borough Public Library – Oklahoma State University Oklahoma State University – University of Chicago University of Chicago –

Ex Libris Primo Discovery and Delivery platform for academic libraries Discovery and Delivery platform for academic libraries Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt Universityhttp://alphasearch.library.vanderbilt.edu University of Minnesota University of Minnesota bweb/action/search.do?vid=TWINCITIES bweb/action/search.do?vid=TWINCITIES University of Iowa University of Iowa

Encore from Innovative Interfaces Designed for academic, public and special libraries Designed for academic, public and special libraries Nashville Public Library Nashville Public Library Scottsdale Public Library Scottsdale Public Library Yale University Lillian Goldman Law Library Yale University Lillian Goldman Law Library

OCLC Worldcat Local OCLC Worldcat customized for local library catalog OCLC Worldcat customized for local library catalog –Relies on hooks into ILS for local services –Tied to library holdings set in WorldCat University of Washington Libraries University of Washington Libraries University of California Melvyl Catalog University of California Melvyl Catalog

SirsiDynix No faceted search product currently available: No faceted search product currently available: –Enterprise Portal Solution –Rooms / SchoolRooms –iLink / iBistro (legacy) Product based on FAST announced in March 2006 – withdrawn Product based on FAST announced in March 2006 – withdrawn Product based on Brainware Globalbrain announced in Nov 2007 Product based on Brainware Globalbrain announced in Nov 2007 –Prototype Expected by April 2008

The Library Corporation Indigo Indigo Library Positioning Software Library Positioning Software

VUFind – Villanova University Based on Apache Solr search toolkit

Library-developed solutions eXtensible Catalog eXtensible Catalog University of Rochester – River Campus Libraries University of Rochester – River Campus Libraries Financial support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Financial support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

For more information Next Generation Library Catalogs by Marshall Breeding Library Technology Reports June/July 2007 ALA TechSource

Questions and Discussion