Next Generation OPACs

Kat Hagedorn

Scott Martin

Jake Glenn

July 12, 2007

What is it?

• What do you think?

• In one “definition” *– Not a catalog– Not multiple databases– Utilizes 2.0 services– Built using “things” that are open– Built with the user in mind…always

Mostly, Eric Lease Morgan’s talk http://www.library.nd.edu/daiad/morgan/musings/ngc/

Outline

• Kat: faceted browsing

• Scott: social tagging

• Jake: open data

Faceted browse

• What is it?• AKA faceted classification• AKA hierarchical faceted categories

• “…allows the assignment of multiple classifications to an object, enabling the classifications to be ordered in multiple ways, rather than in a single, pre-determined, taxonomic order.” *

Wikipediahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faceted_classification

Studies say…

• Facets help users because – “…simultaneously shows previews of

where to go next, and how to return to previous states in the exploration…”

– “…reduces mental work by promoting recognition over recall and suggesting logical but perhaps unexpected alternatives at every turn…”

“Clustering vs. Faceted Categories for Information Exploration”Marti A. Hearst

Catalogs using facets

• Easier to see than say…• NCSU Libraries (sorta) started it all• http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/catalog/• Also have worked to integrate catalog

with quick search on library gateway• http://diglib.org/forums/spring2007/

presentations/sierra.pdf

Catalogs using facets

• McMaster Library Catalogue

• http://libcat.mcmaster.ca/

Catalogs using facets

• Plymouth State University

• http://lamson.wpopac.net/library/

• (not using Endeca, actually built using open source tool WordPress)

Questions? Discussion?

Social tagging

• What is it?– Labelling items using un- or semi-

controlled vocabulary– Ability to view and search other people’s

tags as well as your own

Example: Flickr (http://www.flickr.com)

Tagging in a library: AADL

• http://www.aadl.org/catalog

• Items tagged by AADL patrons

• At present, clearly not representative of AADL holdings

Tagging tools: LibraryThing

• http://www.librarything.com• Flickr for your book collection: enter and tag

titles from your personal bookshelf, and search other users’ collections

• Over 15 million titles cataloged• Integration tools for library OPACs available

(example: http://www.librarything.com/demo_nypl.html)

Tagging tools: PennTags

• http://tags.library.upenn.edu/

• Similar to del.icio.us (tagging Web bookmarks; http://del.icio.us), but limited to UPenn community

• Allows tagging of library catalog items, some journal articles in addition to Web links

Questions? Discussion?

Open Data

“The OPAC Has Left The Building!”

- Christopher Harris (Infomancy)

What Is An OPAC, Anyway?

• Online - because electronic catalogs had previously been offline with terminal access only.

• Public Access - as opposed to private mainframes with usage accounting to track every second of access time.

• Catalog - a set of MARC records (machine-encoded document surrogates).

The Network Reconfigures The Library Systems Environment

Mashupability

“The coolest thing to do with your data will be thought of by

someone else.”

- Jo Walsh & Rufus Pollock (Open Knowledge Foundation)XTech 2007

Who’s Doing This?

• NCSU: CatalogWS

• AADL: PatREST

• Others?

CatalogWS

PatREST

Demo Time

Could We Do It Here?

Yes!

Questions? Discussion?

Don’t forget!

• Please fill out the session feedback form– https://lessons.ummu.umich.edu/2k/mlib20/

nextgenopacs– Available from the Lib2.0 Events page

• This presentation is also on the site• Do your 13 things!

– http://www.lib.umich.edu/lib20/13things.html

• Use the Project Blog to post ideas– http://mblog.lib.umich.edu/lib20projects/

OPAC Feedback

• The Aleph OPAC group wants your feedback! What features would you like to see in a next-generation Mirlyn catalog? Send your thoughts to:

ngo-feedback@umich.edu