nextgen catalogs: an overview of current products and use
DESCRIPTION
A presentation given to students at the University of Denver Library and Information Science.TRANSCRIPT
NEXTGEN CATALOGS: AN OVERVIEW OF CURRENT PRODUCTS AND USE
Nina McHaleSeptember 27 2010University of Denver, Morgridge College of Education
OUR AGENDA
What is a “NextGen” Catalog? Definition and Features
The Big Three: A Look at Current Products and Vendors
Product Selection: Things to Consider when Choosing a Next Gen Catalog
Librarian Perceptions of NextGen Catalogs Integration into the Library’s Web Site and Existing
Electronic Resources WorldCat@Auraria: Demo of WorldCat Local at the
Auraria Library
NEXTGEN CATALOGS…
..are “discovery layer” services that draw content from silos (i.e., catalogs, databases, repositories) and display it for end users
…attempt to bridge the hyperstructured world of library standards and data and end user expectations
…are able to support a “single-search” box, but do not/cannot search everything
FEATURES
Faceted display: formats, authors, years, topics, locations, languages, collections
Tag/word clouds Concept maps (AquaBrowser and Encore) Book jacket images “Social” (i.e., user-added) features:
tagging resources, creating lists, user reviews
Interconnectivity with other resources
QUESTIONS
Are NextGen catalogs replacements for traditional/classic catalogs?
What’s the difference between federated searching and NextGen catalogs?
What’s the difference between NextGen catalogs and Web Scale Discovery?
How is a NextGen catalog like a cupcake?
I’m a programmer, can’t I make my own?
THE BIG THREE
AquaBrowser Created by Medialab, licensed by Serials
Solutions www.serialssolutions.com/aquabrowser-features
WorldCat Local OCLC www.oclc.org/worldcatlocal/features/default.htm
Encore Innovative Interfaces, Inc. encoreforlibraries.com
AQUABROWSER: DISCOVER DENVER PUBLIC LIBRARY
WORLDCAT@AURARIA
ENCORE: JEFFERSON COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY
PRODUCT SELECTION PROCESS
Identify a group to guide the selection process Conduct an scan of existing products, then
narrow the field to 3-5 major contenders Read reviews of products (Charleston Advisor,
librarian blogs, customer testimonials, etc.) Research current clients for the products
(press releases, www.librarytechnology.org) Invite vendors to pitch their products Share demos with library staff and customers
PRODUCT SELECTION TIPS
“Features Matrix” or “Go With Your Gut”? Evaluate products for web accessibility
(Section 508/WCAG) Evaluate the performance, specifically
search speed, of products Always evaluate products in the context
of what works best in your environment Make your process as inclusive as
possible
LIBRARIAN PERSPECTIVES
Reference and instruction librarians and other advanced searchers (i.e., faculty) typically do not like NextGen catalogs
Perception is that it is a “dumbing down” of research process, which conflicts with pedagogical nature of their roles
Metasearch products do NOT search “everything,” so it’s too much “satisficing”
Indexing of native interfaces is still better than indexing by metasearch tools
INTEGRATING A NEXTGEN PRODUCT
During setup, vendor takes care of much of the initial configuration of a hosted instance
Most, however, do not directly provide advice or support for fully integrating it into the Library’s web page and existing electronic resources
As with any changes to a library site, design decisions should be informed by evidence
WORLDCAT LOCAL@AURARIA
“START MY RESEARCH”
DEMO: “ALL” SEARCH RESULTS SCREEN
TOP OF BOOK RECORD
BOTTOM OF BOOK RECORD
TOP OF ARTICLE RECORD
MIDDLE OF ARTICLE RECORD
BOTTOM OF ARTICLE RECORD
