Users have choices

The reality of competition

Lloyd SokvitneSenior Manager (Digital Strategies)

State Library of Tasmanialloyd.sokvitne@education.tas.gov.au

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

Thank you

Lloyd SokvitneSenior Manager (Digital Strategies)

State Library of Tasmanialloyd.sokvitne@education.tas.gov.au