RUGCombine & Livetrix : search for a perfect interface ....?

transcript

Central Medical Library, UMCG, www.rug.nl/umcg/bibliotheek 1

Presentation & workshop at Norwegian Knowledge Centre for the Health Services

Olso, January 15th 2007 &NTNU Library (UBiT)

Trondheim, January 17th & 18th 2007

Guus van den BrekelCoördinator Electronic Services, Central Medical LibraryUniversity Medical Center GroningenWebsite: www.rug.nl/umcg/bibliotheekBlog: Digicmb.blogspot.com

RUGCombine & Livetrix

the search for a perfect search interface …?

RUGCombine :

Library Resources Portal

• Federated search (Quick & Advanced)

• All databases

• All E-Journals

• Personalization : My Library

Our Metalib: RUG Combine

• Introduced v2 as pilot 2004, Faculty of Medicine and University

Medical Centre (Hospital staff)

• Migrated to v3 in January 2005, completing introduction to the

whole of the University september 2005

• NOT only gateway (OPAC, Guide, Lists); usage modest so far

• Our SFX: RUGlinks

• Introduced 2002, v3 since 2005

RUGCombine = Metalib out of the box

• But with extensive modifications IN the box

• Layout and resticted functionality

• Problem: no content

Shocking Statistics (1)15% errors:•technical measures > reducing to 1.5% errors/flaws

50% zero or false results:

•Misspellings and typos in search terms

•Picking databases at random

•Unable to understand QuickSearch, MetaSearch, Find Database

•Using the wrong search keys

Metalib statistics

Shocking Statistics (2)

• Using search keys wrong

• Using Dutch search terms in English language databases

• Using non-specific terms, phrases that are too broad

• Lack of understanding of Boolean logic or database

peculiarities

LiveTrix = X-Server +Metalib

• xml

• Working outside the box

• Modulair, you can add/connect stuff, flexible

• Harvesting & analysing records

• Statistics modules (from logfiles)

– Metalib statistics

– SFX-statistics

A Short Term example

“Building around the box”

From statistics to new services

From Metalib -> LiveTrix

http://Livetrix.ub.rug.nl

Already implemented in LiveTrix (1)

• Discovery/suggestion tool

(no need to select resource/database or subject first!

• Spellcheck/adviser

• Translation

• Query Analysis

• Inline- SFX & lending info with OPAC records

• Impact factor info with Journals

• Related strings info

Already implemented in LiveTrix (2)

• Relevant help at point of need

• Alert service (RSS & Email)

• Relation Databases

• WorkBench

• Bookmarks

• TinyUrl creation

• Just in production:

– Cumulated lending figures OPAC

– Separate record selection to WorkBench

– Fulltext availability on First Selection Screen

LiveTrix: under the hood

•Search terms are sent to all databases in the background.

•The first 300 titles from each database are retrieved. These titles are indexed both as a string and word for word, as well as counted. A relation network is built up. From then on, the system knows in which databases these terms occur.

•In the next query, suggestions about databases (“likely sources”) are given on the basis of these ever expanding indexes.

•Dito for suggestions about word relations.

•The indexes are also used for correcting typos and word/phrase suggestions.

•Suggestions about similar sounding phrases are given upon phonetic matches (“Soundex”).

Source: Redesigning our Combine Harvester (MetaLib) (Ane W. van der Leij, University of Groningen, NL)

Complex phrases

Dutch ! (obesity)

Quotes

Name handling

• new central information system:

component-based software, no monolithic ILS

• Open standards and protocols: inter-operability

• modular web-based library services

• Web 2.0 social software

On The Long Term (1)On The SHORT Term (1)

On The SHORT Term (2)

• use of logs stats, evaluate and re-use

• “Make the data work harder”.

Combinations of data-sets can be used to create

new services.

• in more ways than one; platform independent

RUGCombine & Livetrix : search for a perfect interface ....?

Technology