understanding the new discovery landscape: federated search, web-scale discovery, next- generation...
TRANSCRIPT
UNDERSTANDING THE NEW DISCOVERY LANDSCAPE: Federated Search, Web-scale Discovery, Next-Generation Catalog and the rest
Marshall BreedingDirector for Innovative Technology and ResearchVanderbilt University LibraryFounder and Publisher, Library Technology Guideshttp://www.librarytechnology.org/http://twitter.com/mbreeding
Library Journal Webinar May 6, 2010
Description
"Discovery" is a hot topic these days, as libraries everywhere look for ways to increase collection usage, improve user experience, and raise the profile and value of the library. From OPACs to federated search to discovery layers to web-scale discovery, choices are growing, but so is confusion about the meaning and methodology of discovery. You’ve been to the conference sessions, read the articles and blog posts… are the gray areas just getting grayer?
Agenda
Learn the lingo, distinguish between current discovery product offerings, and examine today’s revolution in genuine discovery from Marshall Breeding of Vanderbilt University and editor of Library Technology Guides and the Smart Libraries Newsletter. Breeding has reported on discovery since its humble, often clunky beginnings to the present, training a keen eye on both theory and practical application.
Crowded Landscape of Information Providers on the Web
Lots of non-library Web destinations deliver content to library patrons Google Search / Google Scholar Amazon.com Wikipedia Ask.com
Evolution of library collection discovery tools
Bound handwritten catalogs Card Catalogs Library online catalogs – OPACs Next-Gen Catalogs / Discovery interfaces Web-scale discovery services
Modernized Interface
Single search box Query tools
Did you mean Type-ahead
Relevance ranked results Faceted navigation Enhanced visual displays
Cover art Summaries, reviews,
Recommendation services
Disjointed approach to information and service delivery
Silos Prevail Books: Library OPAC (ILS module) Articles: Aggregated content products, e-journal
collections OpenURL linking services E-journal finding aids (Often managed by link
resolver) Local digital collections
ETDs, photos, rich media collections Metasearch engines
All searched separately
Lack of unified Web presence User’s don’t understand the distinctions
we make Catalog? Articles and Databases? Digital Library? Search our Site? Search interfaces based on content formats
or management applications Non-library Web sites are much more
unified
A simple vision
A single point of entry to all the content and services offered by the library
…but with precision, nuanced sophistication, and multiple dimensions
Search:
Online Catalog vs. Discovery Layer
Online Catalog Interface
conventions from an earlier Web era
Scope: Tied to the ILS and its content domain
Discovery Layer Modern interface
elements Scope: aims to
address broad range of components that constitute library collections
Social discovery
Tags, user-supplied ratings and reviews Leverage social networking interactions to
assist readers in identifying interesting materials: BiblioCommons
Leverage use data for a recommendation service of scholarly content based on link resolver data: Ex Libris bX service
Deep indexing Metadata can no longer serve as the only basis for
discovery Increasing opportunities to search the full contents
Google Library Print, Google Publisher, Open Content Alliance, government publications, etc.
High-quality metadata will improve search precision Commercial search providers already offer “search
inside the book” and searching across the full text of large book collections
Important transition to full-text book search beginning in library projects HathiTrust indexing 6 million volumes Must become a routine component of library discovery
Deep search highly improved by high-quality metadata
Discovery product Trend
Initial products focused on technology AquaBrowser, Endeca, Primo, Encore, VUfind Mostly locally-installed software
Current phase focused on integrated access to both local content and remote articles to deliver Web-scale discovery. Examples: Summon (Serials Solutions) WorldCat Local (OCLC) EBSCO Discovery Service (EBSCO) Primo Central Encore Synergy
Beyond Federated search
Federated Search / Metasearch use real-time queries against multiple information targets
No centralized index – presentation of dynamic results
Shallow results -- only a few results initially fetched from each target
Difficult to calculate relevancy Performance challenges
Beyond local discovery interfaces
Pre-populated indexes Web-scale
Exploits the full depth and breadth of library collections
Beyond the bounds of the local library’s collection
Targets the universe of objective, vetted library content
Pre-populated discovery services
New-generation interface Harvested local content
ILS metadata Institutional repositories, ETDs, Digital Collection
platforms Vendor-supplied indexes of library content
E-journals, databases, e-books Full-text and metadata corresponding to e-content
subscriptions Book collections beyond local library collections
Includes full-text indexing to the fullest extent possible
Federated Search
Search: Digital
Collections
ProQuest
EBSCOhost
…MLA
Bibliography
ABC-CLIO
Search Results
Real-time query and responses
ILS Data
Discovery Interface
Search: Digital
Collections
ProQuest
EBSCOhost
…MLA
Bibliography
ABC-CLIO
Search Results
Real-time query and responses
ILS Data
Local Index
Meta
Search
En
gin
e
Web-scale Search
Search: Digital
Collections
ProQuest
EBSCOhost
…MLA
Bibliography
ABC-CLIO
Search Results
Pre-built harvesting and indexing
Con
solid
ate
d In
dex
ILS Data
Web-scale Search + Federated Search
Search: Digital
Collections
ProQuest
…MLA
Bibliography
ABC-CLIO
Search Results
Pre-built harvesting and indexing
Con
solid
ate
d
Index
ILS Data
FedSearch Non-
harvestable
Resources
Next-Gen Library Catalogs
Marshall BreedingNeal-Schuman PublishersMarch 2010
Volume 1 of The Tech Set
Questions / Follow-up
Marshall Breedinghttp://www.librarytechnology.orgmarshall.breeding@vanderbi
lt.edu