users have choices the reality of competition lloyd sokvitne senior manager (digital strategies)...
Post on 19-Dec-2015
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Users have choices
The reality of competition
Lloyd SokvitneSenior Manager (Digital Strategies)
State Library of [email protected]
Your ILMSInhospitable
Distant
Uninviting
Information discovery in libraries
Information discovery on the web
Inviting
Friendly
Easy
Today’s Presentation
1. User choices
2. Redesigning the OPAC
3. Real life experience
4. Conclusions
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??
They will vote with their feet
VS
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
Software issues
• None
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?
- Ask now
- Recent
additions
- etc ?
- Ask now
- Recent
additions
- etc
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!
A connected library
Easy
Relevant
Busy and used
The new OPAC2.0
