a practical guide to a user-focused digital library
DESCRIPTION
Co-presentation with Qin Zhu (HP Labs) at the 2008 Internet Librarian ConferenceTRANSCRIPT
A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO A USER-FOCUSED DIGITAL LIBRARY QIN ZHU – HP LABSSOPHIA GUEVARA – W.K. KELLOGG FOUNDATION
Important tools, tips, and practices
Internet Librarian 2008A Practical Guide to a User-Focused Digital Library
Agenda
• Understand your library environment, settings and users
• Understand your digital library content• Work with your digital library content• Promote your digital library content• Get insights of digital library content usage• Make adjustments for your collection• Q &A
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Digital Library
Users
Internet Librarian 2008A Practical Guide to a User-Focused Digital Library
What is a digital library?
Digital Library
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“ Digital libraries are a set of
electronic resources and
associated technical capabilities
for creating, searching and using
information.”“ Digital libraries are
constructed, collected and
organized, by (and for) a
community of users, and their
functional capabilities support
the information needs and
uses of that community. ”
Borgman, Christine L. What are digital libraries? Competing visions, Information Processing and Management 35 (1999) 227±243
Internet Librarian 2008A Practical Guide to a User-Focused Digital Library
A building blocks approach: -- users and digital library
Users Digital Library
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Internet Librarian 2008A Practical Guide to a User-Focused Digital Library
Do you know your users?
Users
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information
needs
information
preferences
information
seeking
behavior
information
consumption
capabilities
Internet Librarian 2008A Practical Guide to a User-Focused Digital Library
User - Understand your library environment and settings
• Who is the user?
• What are the goals or your organization/users? What are their preferences and capabilities?
• How can you align your services with these goals in mind?
Users
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Internet Librarian 2008A Practical Guide to a User-Focused Digital Library
Do you know your digital content?
Digital Library
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Digital content
Digital
collection Digital access
Internet Librarian 2008A Practical Guide to a User-Focused Digital Library
Library Environment –Digital library approach
• Library physical and space constraints
• User information needs, more digital resources
• User information seeking behavior, getting information online
Digital Library
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Internet Librarian 2008A Practical Guide to a User-Focused Digital Library
Library Environment –Digital content
• What kind of digital content is available? E-Journals E-Books E-Reference Image collection Digital audios Digital videos Electronic databases
Digital Library
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Internet Librarian 2008A Practical Guide to a User-Focused Digital Library
1. Discovery
2. Trial
3. Selection
4. Acquisition
5. Access
6. Renew or cancel?
Tamar Sadeh, Mark Ellingsen. 2005. Electronic resource management systems: the need and the realization. New Library
World 106, no. 5/6 (May 1): 208-218. http://www.proquest.com/ (accessed April 23, 2008).
Digital Content Life Cycle
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Digital Library
Users
Internet Librarian 2008A Practical Guide to a User-Focused Digital Library
Discovery
• Aware of a new e-resource and begins to collect
information that will help him or her decide if the
resource should warrant further interest.
– bibliographic details,
– packages in which this content may be included
– terms of access (worldwide, site-based, seat-based).
• Questions to consider
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Digital Library
Internet Librarian 2008A Practical Guide to a User-Focused Digital Library
Trial
• Try out the e-resource
• Gathers the valuable feedback and other
information needed to ensure that this product is
of interest to their users, serves a worthwhile
need and performs as expected.
• Questions to consider
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Digital Library
Users
Internet Librarian 2008A Practical Guide to a User-Focused Digital Library
Content Analysis - Content
• Content level
• Content coverage
• Content subject focus
• Content overlap
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Digital Library
Internet Librarian 2008A Practical Guide to a User-Focused Digital Library
Content Analysis - Tools
• Content provider site
• ERM system – Electronic Resource Management system
• ILS system - Integrated Library System
• Comparison tools – CUFTS, databases, Excel, write your own program
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Digital Library
Internet Librarian 2008A Practical Guide to a User-Focused Digital Library
Content Analysis - Tools
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Digital Library
http://lib-cufts.lib.sfu.ca/CUFTS/compare.cgi
Internet Librarian 2008A Practical Guide to a User-Focused Digital Library
Content Analysis - Content
• You know your collection, you know what you are looking for
• Easy to talk to content provider
Content level - check
Content coverage - check
Content subject focus - check
Content overlap – check
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Digital Library
Internet Librarian 2008A Practical Guide to a User-Focused Digital Library
Selection
• The decision
– Acquire the resource?
– If so, what kind of financial commitment are you
making?
• Remember that when users get used to a resource, it can be
difficult to explain that you are declining access to their
favorite product due to a limited budget
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Digital Library
Internet Librarian 2008A Practical Guide to a User-Focused Digital Library
Acquisition
• Positive client feedback and the identification of
a vendor that provides an efficient option for
filling an information need brings us to the
acquisitions process.
• Questions to consider
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Digital Library
Internet Librarian 2008A Practical Guide to a User-Focused Digital Library
Licensing 101
• Contract template
– A standard license agreement is available at Yale
University's LibLicense site:
http://www.library.yale.edu/~llicense/modlic.shtml
• Connect with your procurement and legal
departments. Understand what you will and
won’t accept
• Understand your options in access and pricing
• Be flexible
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Digital Library
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Internet Librarian 2008A Practical Guide to a User-Focused Digital Library
Digital Content Licensing
Resources
• Yale University Library – Council on Library &
Information Resources. LIBLICENSE:
http://www.library.yale.edu/~llicense/
• Contract management systems
• Licensing Digital Content: A Practical Guide for
Librarians by Lesley Ellen Harris
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Digital Library
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Internet Librarian 2008A Practical Guide to a User-Focused Digital Library
Access
• With the paperwork out of the way and access to
the content ensured, you now have to decide how
you will provide your users with easy access to
the product. You also need to be prepared to
complete routine maintenance as necessary.
Encourage your users to provide feedback.
• Access stage questions
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Digital Library
Internet Librarian 2008A Practical Guide to a User-Focused Digital Library
Digital Content Deployment
• User access and authentication layerDifferent content authentication methods from
content providers IP authentication URL referral Username and password
How the different methods integrate with your existing access and authentication system Institution single sign on method Athens Proxy server
Digital Library
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Internet Librarian 2008A Practical Guide to a User-Focused Digital Library
Digital Content Deployment
• Providing information access points Depending the content level, different information
access points can be provided List resource to your library resource A to Z list List resource to your library research guide, path finder List resource to your library subject guide List e-journals to your library journal/e-journal list Integrate the content at the publication level to your library catalog Implement OpenURL reference linking Provide federated search to access content from different sources Provide Alert service Provide RSS feeds
Digital Library
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Internet Librarian 2008A Practical Guide to a User-Focused Digital Library
Digital Content Deployment
• Providing searching points for digital content
• Is the content at top level searchable• Is the content at publication level findable• Is the content at fulltext level searchable
Digital Library
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Internet Librarian 2008A Practical Guide to a User-Focused Digital Library
Digital Content Deployment
• Content integration Integrate and aggregate content from different
providers Journal A to Z list Library Catalog Federated Search Federated Alerts Integrate content to designated site via RSS feed Creating content resource referencing via OpenURL
Digital Library
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Internet Librarian 2008A Practical Guide to a User-Focused Digital Library
Promoting Digital Content
• Why should you promote?• Increase the value of your library in users’ eyes
• What should you promote – users• Ease of use and accessibility• 24 hour availability of content
• What should you promote – key decision makers• Improved efficiency and efficacy
Digital Library
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Internet Librarian 2008A Practical Guide to a User-Focused Digital Library
Promoting Digital Content
• Using various technologiesWeb 1.0Web 2.0Web 3.0…
Digital Library
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Users
Internet Librarian 2008A Practical Guide to a User-Focused Digital Library
Promoting Digital Content
• Make the content part of user information searching and using flow
• Let the content work for you, not you work on the content
• Follow your users trends• Go where your users go
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Digital Library
Users
Internet Librarian 2008A Practical Guide to a User-Focused Digital Library
Reviewing usage
• Why is this important?
• The collection of usage statistics– Systems: ERM’s
– SUSHI
• Various methods of statistic collection– Site visits, page visits, time spent on site, downloads,
etc.
– COUNTER
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Digital Library
Internet Librarian 2008A Practical Guide to a User-Focused Digital Library
Reviewing usage
• Study your log files
• Understand your user behavior
• Understand how your users access the content
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Digital Library
Users
Internet Librarian 2008A Practical Guide to a User-Focused Digital Library
Renew or cancel
• With your subscription coming to an end, it is up
to you to determine if the resource will remain in
your electronic collection.
• Questions to consider
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Digital Library
Users
Internet Librarian 2008A Practical Guide to a User-Focused Digital Library
Enhance the flow
Users Digital Library
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Internet Librarian 2008A Practical Guide to a User-Focused Digital Library
Thank You!
Questions&
Answers
Qin Zhu – HP Labs, [email protected] Guevara – W.K. Kellogg Foundation
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