1. Users have choices The reality of competition
Lloyd Sokvitne
Senior Manager (Digital Strategies)
State Library of Tasmania

2. Your ILMS Information discovery in libraries Inhospitable Distant
Uninviting

3. Information discovery on the web
Inviting
Friendly
Easy

4. Today’s Presentation User choices Redesigning the OPAC
Real life experience
Conclusions

5. User choices traditional offline services new online services
libraries and bookshops
new online services
library OPACs
library resources (extra) – image collections, etc
web search engines
web services: bookshops, maps, directories, mashups

6. But the OPAC is so much better
High quality data
Neutrality – no commercial bias
Professionalism regarding information retrieval

7. Why are the competitors winning?
they reflect user behaviour
satisficing
they provide pertinent information
book covers, reviews, ratings, etc
they treat the user as important
personalise the process
allow interaction

8. The cold reality Near enough is in fact good enough
The experience is as important as the result
its not about glitz
Its about about real user behaviours
hide complexity
Can we justify what it costs to catalogue an item??

9. They will vote with their feetVS

10. Redesigning the OPAC ILMS Developed as a tool to access the ILMS
Circulation
Cataloguing
Acquisitions
ILMS
OPAC
Developed as a tool to access the ILMS
ILMS products
enhancements slow
The game has changed
Move the data OUT!

11. A 3-tier architecture
Client Service
Data Storage
Applications
Uncoupling the data from the applications that create it
The data should be usable by any application

12. 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

13. Case Study: State Library of Tasmania
Extracting data from the ILMS
Using an external search engine to index
Using that software to deliver the interface
Linking back to the ILMS when necessary

14. Software issues
None

15. Design issues How should it work?
no precedents
starting with the user and their behaviour
looking at the competition
facets, the open display of content
ranking – critical
providing supplementary information
There will be lots of trial and error
ongoing review and development CRITICAL

16. Data issues Lots Do we have the right data? Will it make sense?
How can we use it
correct it, modify it (at source, post-export)
Will it make sense?
Where do we get the data we don’t have
other places – the web
other places – other modules, e.g. circulation data
create it – who, where, cost?

17. - Ask now
- Recent
additions
- etc ?

22. - Ask now
- Recent
additions
- etc

26. Next steps – moving to a gateway
the software can access more than holdings
what about other library resources
developing a gateway
importing data from our other datastores
how should it work?
developing OPAC2.0
importing data from outside the library

27. Summary 1: Lets treat our users as real people
they accept (only want) good enough
they will use the best service for their need
we need to be proactive, not wait for ILMS systems to solve our problems

28. Summary 2: Data is just a commodity
it has no intrinsic value unless it contributes to our outcomes
we need to create the right data
lets create the right facet data
why spend money producing unnecessary data
we need to share the right data
evaluative, value-added data is important
from libraries rather than commercial sources

29. Summary 3: The OPAC is not dead
an online catalogue can be interesting, easy to use, and effective
it will be librarians who move it forward
but we must take risks, make mistakes, accept evolution!

30. The new OPAC2.0
Easy
Relevant
Busy and used
A connected library

31. Thank you Lloyd Sokvitne Senior Manager (Digital Strategies)
State Library of Tasmania