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Report on: "The Future of the Library Catalog:
The Changing Face of the Library Catalog
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Newport, RI Report by: Bridget Rawding, Merrimack College |
| June 13, 2008 |
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Encore: A proprietary Library 2.0 catalog from Innovative Interfaces Inc. Laura Kohl, Reference Librarian and Patricia Schultz, Technical Services Librarian at Bryant University Laura Kohl and Patricia Schultz spoke about their experience with Encore, a new product from Innovative Interfaces, Inc. (III) that aims to give the library catalog a “facelift” in response to user expectations for flashy new technologies. Encore is not itself a standalone catalog, but rather a product that provides a simplified 2.0 style search interface for the catalog that you already have. It currently works with the III Millennium catalog, as well as ExLibris Voyager and SirsiDynix systems. Development began in 2006 with 14 first wave development partners. Bryant University is a member of the HELIN Library Consortium, which became a second wave development partner. Encore is all keyword searching with an interface very much like Google’s. Kohl noted that “it is for when the librarian is in absentia.” Advantages are that the broad keyword searching finds more hits, and it also includes a “did you mean” feature to help users with typos, spelling errors, etc. Results lists can be sorted by title, date, or relevance. Relevance ranking employs “Right Results Groupings,” an algorithm that weights records to improve results. For example, serials records have added weight, so a search for “Nature” or “Time” will display the periodical record at or near the top of the results list. Exact matches, adjacency, and the appearance of a keyword in significant fields also carry added weight when ranking search results. The brief view of a record can contain book covers, and the side area of the screen can also highlight other selected elements, such as recently added titles, popular choices, federated search results, Yahoo Images, or community tagging. The record details display includes bibliographic information and holdings, although item status may not be available if Encore is not overlaid on a catalog produced by Innovative Interfaces. What does the classic catalog have that Encore does not?
Users can narrow their results in Encore a number of ways. Encore employs faceted searching, so users can limit by format, publication date, language, etc. All these criteria are readily available in a list on the left side of the results list page, and include the number of matching results in each facet. Only one choice from each group can be selected. Encore also uses a hyperlinked tag cloud to present Library of Congress Subject Headings, enabling users to discover alternate and/or narrower subjects relevant to their search. New features in Encore 2.0 include an ISBN search and the ability to track usage using Google Analytics. Kohl and Schultz concluded their presentation with a live demo of Encore.
Open Source: What is available and what can you do to build your own Library 2.0 catalog Timothy Spindler, User Services/Information Systems Librarian at Roger Williams University Open Source catalogs are an alternative to traditional library catalogs. Spindler explained that open source is not just free software. Important characteristics of open source include:
Spindler then talked about each of four Open Source Integrated Library Systems:
WorldCat Local: OCLC's latest catalog that goes beyond the social features of Web 2.0 and integrates the functionality of one-stop shopping for your library. Patrick Moriarty, Library Services Consultant at OCLC. Pat Moriarty gave a presentation on WorldCat Local, a product he described as “beyond the Next Gen Library Catalog.” WorldCat Local provides a platform for discovery and delivery, able to display holdings locally, regionally, or globally. Moriarty noted that WorldCat Local does not replace your catalog, and it is using WorldCat, rather than your local ILS, as its database to connect you to records and delivery options. OCLC is heading toward a full ILS in the future, and starting in December, a metadata search will be available via WorldCat. Moriarty also mentioned that Google will be loading its million digitized books into WorldCat. WorldCat.org was the building block of WorldCat Local, which attempts to address the issue of too many places to search (OPACs, databases, web, etc.) by placing all that content under one simplified search box. WorldCat Local also facilitates delivery, with Interlibrary Loan request functionality built right into the system. It also integrates with the local delivery environment (circulation module, link resolvers, etc.). Moriarty then demonstrated WorldCat Local via the University of Washington Library (http://www.lib.washington.edu). Results show local availability and allow the user to preview a title using Google Books. It also uses faceted searching to enable users to refine their search results. Amazon Reviews will soon be included, and records can be easily shared via Facebook, Del.icio.us, etc. Record pages also show a variety of citation styles (APA, MLA, Chicago, Turabian, etc.), as well as enabling direct export to EndNote and RefWorks. Digital content such as web sources, images, and more are also being added, although of course, not all content is included. Moriarty noted that Elsevier probably will not be loading its content into WorldCat! Configurable features include relevancy ranking, branding, interoperability and metadata, and recent enhancements have included better access to digital content, spellchecking, more social features and tagging. Moriarty further noted that since implementing WorldCat Local, the University of Washington has experienced a 114% increase in interlibrary loan requests. Report by: Bridget Rawding Head of Public Services bridget.rawding@merrimack.edu |
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