oclc online computer library center the library catalog does it have a future? gary r. houk oclc nyc...
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OCLC Online Computer Library Center
The Library Catalog
Does it have a future?Gary R. Houk
OCLC
NYC June 10, 2003SLA Conference
OverviewOverview
Where did we come from?
Where are we going?
Metadata and Standards
Propelling discovery
Enabling retrieval
HELPING PATRONS FIND IT GET IT
Where did we come from?Where did we come from?
Started with an inventory of physical items:– Metadata on sealed clay tablet tax records– Pinakes, a catalog in 120 books (Alexandria)– The card catalog– COM (Computer Output Microfiche)– MARC format arrives– Shared online catalogs and ILL (OCLC, RLIN)– OPACs (Online Public Access Catalogs)
We added electronic resource descriptions
We add links to those electronic resources
We put the catalogs on the Web … but the indices are not visible outside the library portal
Where are we going?Changing library
collections
Where are we going?Changing library
collectionshighlow
low
highu
niq
uen
ess
uni
que
ne
ssBooksJournalsNewspapersGovt. docsCD, DVDMapsScores
Special collectionsRare booksLocal/Historical newspapersLocal history materialsArchives & Manuscripts, Theses & dissertations
Research & learning materials •ePrints/tech reports•Learning objects•Courseware•E-portfolios•Research data files
Freely-accessible web resourcesOpen source softwareNewsgroup archivesBlogsRSS
collected
Managing metadata (present)Managing metadata (present)
For the last century, a significant emphasis on describing and organizing physical collections at the item level
Leveraging cooperative metadata resources– Strengthened cooperative programs
• PCC (BIBCO, CONSER, NACO, SACO)– Better interoperability within the library space
• Various interfaces of ILS vendors & bib. Utilities• Use of Z39.50
Always the push for better, faster, cheaper– Shelf-ready services– Cataloging of widely held non-unique items are
more and more automated
Numerous standards evolving– METS, MODS, XML, Dublin Core, EAD, etc.
http://mapageweb.umontreal.ca/turner/meta/english/metamap.html
MetaMapMetaMap
There is life beyond MARC21!There is life beyond MARC21!
Metadata landscape evolving– Plethora of standards, but converging on common
base layers (XML, Unicode)– Interoperability gaining favor (e.g., Dublin Core) – Capturing “upstream” metadata from authors,
publishers and distributors (non print & non-English)– Evaluative metadata no longer optional as users
expect to see cover art, annotations, reviews, etc.
New modes for metadata publishing & transfer– OAI (Open Archives Initiative)
A new conceptual model – Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records– FRBR implementations nascent, but promising– Grouping of related records could lead to economies
for creating new records
Propelling discovery (present)Propelling discovery (present)
Library catalogs facilitate both known item and more general subject, etc. searches
Scope of discovery shifting– Traditionally emphasized physical holdings– Increasingly including records for remotely held
resources, and/or,– Serving as portals to facilitate searching remote
databases– Consortia/group catalogs increasingly favored –
search/show all holdings popular with a set of users
Library catalogs just one option against many:– Users use search engines, Amazon, other sources for
initial discovery, then searching library catalog for known items
Why Library Catalogs Fail as Information
Finding Tools
Why Library Catalogs Fail as Information
Finding ToolsThey are unable to search the entire universe of information
Local catalogs often lack books that can be requested
They have too little information about items
Most are unable to accept multiple metadata formats
Many have “hostile” user interfaces
Union catalogs often have multiple records for the same item (which to request?)
There are too many to consult and no way for users to figure out which one to search
Propelling discovery (forward)Propelling discovery (forward)
The library catalog is rich in content but we need better finding aids (Google, Amazon)– Only librarians like to search, everyone else likes to
find (Roy Tennant)
Custom “local” views of collections within the larger union catalog (OCLC Group Services)
• By state, region, library type, format type, topic, ..
Digital Collections– ILS vendors adding digital object modules to support
management, searching of digitized materials, electronic finding aids
– OCLC also active in this space• Harvesting of ContentDM records into WorldCat
Increase the visibility of library collections • OCLC Library Access Cooperative Pilot test
Propelling greater visibilityPropelling greater visibility
OCLC will be testing a cooperative service that integrates libraries into the Web services used by information seekers.
Public view of WorldCat
Access from heavily used web services
Links to libraries and their services
EXAMPLE
EXAMPLE
What Better Case for FRBR?What Better Case for FRBR?
Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records / IFLA Study Group on the Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records
Defines a bibliographic model independent of cataloging rules
Clusters bibliographic items into a four-level structure:– Work (distinct intellectual or artistic creation)
• Expression (intellectual or artistic realization of a work)
– Manifestation (the physical embodiment of an expression of a work)
» Item (a single exemplar of a manifestation)
OCLC & FRBROCLC & FRBR
OCLC Office of Research has developed an algorithm to “FRBRize” WorldCat
Sample use: Research’s Fiction Finder prototype– Research team mined record content from a subset (all
records for fiction materials) of WorldCat and applied FRBR algorithm and additional processing to yield:
• A best-of-related-records’-content enriched record view for every work of fiction represented in WorldCat
• Better searching, browsing (esp. genre), and search results displays for WorldCat fiction records
• An optimized work-set record display that combines the enriched record view with a user-friendly, presentation of links to groups of related WorldCat records (e.g., a list of links with one link per language to all editions of the work published in language x, language y, etc.)
Fiction Finder result set display
Fiction Finder result set display
Fiction Finder record display Fiction Finder record display
Record display exampleRecord display example
WorldCat record
Enriched display
Enabling retrieval (present)Enabling retrieval (present)
Beyond discovery - find and retrieve landscape– Traditional call number–based retrieval– Many innovations in ILL/document delivery
• Circulation-based ILL (esp. consortial ILS)• Patron-initiated ILL (e.g., OCLC FirstSearch)• ILL management software (e.g., ILLIAD)• Multiple choices among doc supplier vendors
– Strong trend towards e-resource delivery• E-journals (often linked to A&I dbs)• E-books (e.g., netLibrary)• E-reserves (often supported by ILS, but also done
through reserve pak vendors)• Standards bodies, associations, technical publishers,
govt. agencies routinely issuing materials in e-format
Enabling retrieval (forward)Enabling retrieval (forward)
On the horizon:– FRBR could aid ILL and Acquisitions
• Experimental OCLC xISBN service, similar
– Standard patron data format (NCIP)• Will facilitate easier patron authentication
across systems & suppliers• Should make system migration easier
– Persistent identifiers• Still a problematic area• New tools like Open URLs will help
– Improved rights and resolution• Difficult to solve, but work progressing• Useful systems now (e.g., SFX), better soon• OCLC working on Rights & Resolution service
OCLC Online Computer Library Center
So does the Library Catalog have a
future?Definitely
But will your Mother recognize it!
OCLC Online Computer Library Center
Questions?