The OPAC:The OPAC:Where We Stand, Where We Stand,

Late 2007Late 2007

K.G. SchneiderK.G. SchneiderCollege Center for Library AutomationCollege Center for Library Automation

Tallahassee, FloridaTallahassee, FloridaSeptember, 2007September, 2007

Access 2007 PreconferenceAccess 2007 Preconference(Victoria, BC)(Victoria, BC)

Wednesday, October 10, 2007: Wednesday, October 10, 2007:

How to Skin an OPAC: Integrating Users with the How to Skin an OPAC: Integrating Users with the Social Web Social Web A one day pre-conference on new and emerging A one day pre-conference on new and emerging trends/developments in the area loosely described as trends/developments in the area loosely described as the "social web." What are the issues and implications the "social web." What are the issues and implications for academic libraries in this area? How will it impact for academic libraries in this area? How will it impact on our current online systems and services? Is there on our current online systems and services? Is there new software appearing that can be incorporated into new software appearing that can be incorporated into our current online environments? our current online environments?

http://www.library.ubc.ca/preaccess/http://www.library.ubc.ca/preaccess/

Why botherWhy bother

►““Nothing will replace the look, feel, Nothing will replace the look, feel, and smell of a dusty, old, age-cured and smell of a dusty, old, age-cured card catalog, but it's been a decade or card catalog, but it's been a decade or two since we made the switch two since we made the switch and I and I think it's okay to consider making think it's okay to consider making our OPACs specialour OPACs special.” .”

– – John Blyberg, blyberg.netJohn Blyberg, blyberg.net

Why theyWhy theysucksuck“The reason why relevance ranking has not been implemented in our catalogs is because the library community has not asked for it above things like advanced command-line searching techniques.”

--Eric Lease Morgan

What I know about “search”What I know about “search”

►Most people make typpos some of the Most people make typpos some of the timetime

►Most searches are two, three, or four Most searches are two, three, or four words without Boolean operatorswords without Boolean operators

►Search is a hesitant, iterative, often Search is a hesitant, iterative, often random process of discoveryrandom process of discovery

►Most people start elsewhereMost people start elsewhere►Nobody reads help screensNobody reads help screens►Nobody uses “advanced search”Nobody uses “advanced search”►Raw MARC records frighten end-usersRaw MARC records frighten end-users►People want to like your softwarePeople want to like your software

Last-gen OPACsLast-gen OPACs(Online Public Access Catalogs)(Online Public Access Catalogs)

►Poor at known-item searchesPoor at known-item searches►Weak at discoveryWeak at discovery►Really bad at user engagementReally bad at user engagement►Digital content has to be attached Digital content has to be attached

like artificial limbslike artificial limbs►Walled gardensWalled gardens►Out of sync with user expectationsOut of sync with user expectations►Policy driven by software Policy driven by software

limitationslimitations►Lack emotional connectionLack emotional connection

Higher industry awarenessHigher industry awareness

Progress and ProblemsProgress and Problems

► Better Better OPACsOPACs abound! abound!

► Conceptual models have changed or are being Conceptual models have changed or are being reexaminedreexamined

But…But…

► Some fundamental issues are harder to addressSome fundamental issues are harder to address

Next-gen OPACs:Next-gen OPACs:What’s ImprovedWhat’s Improved

►Ranking (relevance and otherwise)Ranking (relevance and otherwise)►Spell-checkSpell-check►Search as a single omnipresent boxSearch as a single omnipresent box►Recommendation functionsRecommendation functions► Improved integration of digital contentImproved integration of digital content►Overall better ease of use and lifestyle Overall better ease of use and lifestyle

integrationintegration►Software that is sometimes fun and Software that is sometimes fun and

engagingengaging

Emotions matterEmotions matter“The opposite of love is not hate, it’s “The opposite of love is not hate, it’s

indifference.”indifference.”

Four ApproachesFour Approaches

►Ditch the vendor OPAC and bolt a Ditch the vendor OPAC and bolt a separate product on top of your ILSseparate product on top of your ILS

►Go with an ILS that offers next-gen Go with an ILS that offers next-gen featuresfeatures

►Replace the catalog with a “unified Replace the catalog with a “unified finding aid”finding aid”

►Wait for the vendor to catch up with Wait for the vendor to catch up with state-of-the-art functionalitystate-of-the-art functionality

New (Or Renewed)New (Or Renewed)Conceptual ModelsConceptual Models

►Decoupled modulesDecoupled modules►User-centered designUser-centered design►The ILS as middleware (and the The ILS as middleware (and the

OPAC as userware)OPAC as userware)►Union catalogsUnion catalogs►Leveraging other people’s data Leveraging other people’s data

and data modelsand data models►Enterprise open sourceEnterprise open source

The value of open sourceThe value of open source

Koha, Evergreen – proven productsKoha, Evergreen – proven products

-- Industrial-strength, professional-quality-- Industrial-strength, professional-quality

► Better vendor competitionBetter vendor competition►Healthier service orientationHealthier service orientation► Actual fixesActual fixes►Disrupts the ILS market in a way that Disrupts the ILS market in a way that

benefits the consumerbenefits the consumer

Conceptual Models Under Conceptual Models Under FireFire

► Institutional silosInstitutional silos Worldcat Local is in productionWorldcat Local is in production PINES has been live for over a yearPINES has been live for over a year Librarians are openly questioning the Librarians are openly questioning the

cost/value of local metadata enrichmentcost/value of local metadata enrichment► Stovepipe applicationsStovepipe applications► Stovepipe developmentStovepipe development►Design that drives library policyDesign that drives library policy►Non-interoperabilityNon-interoperability► FODM (Funky Old Data Models)FODM (Funky Old Data Models)

Spell-check (last-gen)Spell-check (last-gen)These errors cause up to 10% of all failed searches.These errors cause up to 10% of all failed searches.

Spellcheck at SkokieSpellcheck at Skokie

The ranking problemThe ranking problem(Cream should float to the top)(Cream should float to the top)

► It is difficult to get ranking to work well It is difficult to get ranking to work well in a surrogate-record environment in a surrogate-record environment But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t tryBut that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try

►Surrogate recordSurrogate record: a database record : a database record stands in for the object (such as a book)stands in for the object (such as a book)

►Digital objectDigital object: the actual thing itself : the actual thing itself (ebook, full-text article)(ebook, full-text article)

Ranking, last-genRanking, last-gen

Real-world OPAC test of searching the term Real-world OPAC test of searching the term “million” (first-page results):“million” (first-page results):

►Hog heaven: the story of the Harley-Hog heaven: the story of the Harley-Davidson empire Davidson empire

► The rock from Mars: a detective story on The rock from Mars: a detective story on two planets / Kathy Sawyer two planets / Kathy Sawyer

► The Johnstown Flood The Johnstown Flood ►Mosby's 2006 drug consult for nurses Mosby's 2006 drug consult for nurses ►Hotel Rwanda Hotel Rwanda ► Teens cook dessertTeens cook dessert

Decoupling the OPAC from the Decoupling the OPAC from the ILS:ILS:

Conceptual ReadjustmentsConceptual Readjustments►The OPAC as a search engine for The OPAC as a search engine for

library materialslibrary materials Oriented toward user discovery and Oriented toward user discovery and

personal managementpersonal management

►The ILS as a suite of tools for collection The ILS as a suite of tools for collection maintenancemaintenance Oriented toward library staff activitiesOriented toward library staff activities

* Hosted Hegemonic OPAC

Strengths of WorldCat LocalStrengths of WorldCat Local

►Leverages quasi-global databaseLeverages quasi-global database►Development driven by nonprofit Development driven by nonprofit

organization with large research organization with large research divisiondivision

►Consistent look and feel from one Consistent look and feel from one library catalog to anotherlibrary catalog to another

Questions about WorldCat Questions about WorldCat LocalLocal

►Will development keep pace with user Will development keep pace with user expectations?expectations?

►Will OCLC stay in this space?Will OCLC stay in this space?►Will costs stay reasonable?Will costs stay reasonable?►How does this compare with the PINES How does this compare with the PINES

approach?approach?

Issues withIssues withDecouplingDecoupling

► Eventually, the Eventually, the applications need to applications need to “hook up”“hook up”

► Increased Increased maintenance of maintenance of effort at the library effort at the library levellevel

► Scramble to Scramble to develop develop interoperability interoperability standards that standards that meet realistic needsmeet realistic needs

Hard Problems to SolveHard Problems to Solve

►Aging legacy data structureAging legacy data structure Why we have walled gardensWhy we have walled gardens

►Core taxonomy (LCSH) is complex, Core taxonomy (LCSH) is complex, expensive, and non-intuitiveexpensive, and non-intuitive

►Our record-based dataOur record-based data►Records versus content (surrogate Records versus content (surrogate

records versus the objects)records versus the objects)►Getting “in the river” of user Getting “in the river” of user

experienceexperience

Fluffy BunniesFluffy Bunnies(A personal list)(A personal list)

►Word cloudsWord clouds► Tagging (without Tagging (without

incorporating separate outside incorporating separate outside social content)social content)

► Rate/review (without Rate/review (without incorporating external social incorporating external social content)content)

► RSS (unless labeled and RSS (unless labeled and marketed very carefully)marketed very carefully)