Post on 19-Dec-2015
transcript
Users have choices
The reality of competition
Lloyd SokvitneSenior Manager (Digital Strategies)
State Library of Tasmanialloyd.sokvitne@education.tas.gov.au
User choices
• traditional offline services• libraries and bookshops
• new online services• library OPACs• library resources (extra) – image collections, etc• web search engines• web services: bookshops, maps, directories, mashups
But the OPAC is so much better
• High quality data
• Neutrality – no commercial bias
• Professionalism regarding information retrieval
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
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??
Redesigning the OPAC
• Developed as a tool to access the ILMS
• ILMS products – enhancements slow
• The game has changed
• Move the data OUT!
Circulation
Cataloguing
Acquisitions
ILMS
OPAC
A 3-tier architecture
Uncoupling the data from the applications that create itThe data should be usable by any application
Client Service
Data Storage
Applications
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
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
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
Data issues
• Lots– Do we have the right data?
• 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?
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
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
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
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!