SOCIAL CATALOGUES: THE NEW FACE OF THE PUBLIC LIBRARY CATALOGUE

Laurel Tarulli

Collection Access Librarian

Halifax Public Libraries

tarulll@halifax.ca

SOCIAL CATALOGUES: THE NEW FACE OF THE PUBLIC LIBRARY CATALOGUE

The catalogue: present and future

OCLC Report: Online Catalogs: What Users and Librarians Want

Features of social catalogues

Purchasing a social catalogue/discovery tool

Enhancing the features in our existing library catalogues

Examples

LIBRARY CATALOGUES: THE PRESENTOUR CATALOGUES TODAY

Part of the larger package of an ILS A single component among many components No emphasis by vendor to excel at this component

regardless of the fact this it is the only component that patrons use

Complex search interface

Not consistent with well-established user conventions. Google vs. The library catalogue Amazon vs. The library catalogue

GOOGLE VS. THE LIBRARY CATALOGUE

Google – Ability to personalize homepage

The Library Catalogue – Basic homepage

The Library Catalogue – Basic homepage

The Library Catalogue – Basic homepage

AMAZON VS. THE LIBRARY CATALOGUE

Amazon – Standard Record

AMAZON VS. THE LIBRARY CATALOGUE

Amazon – Standard Record

AMAZON VS. THE LIBRARY CATALOGUE

Amazon – Standard Record

The Library Catalogue – Standard Record

The Library Catalogue – Standard Record

OUR CATALOGUES TODAY CONT...

Unable to rank results according to relevancy or interest

Limited in scope

Tied to print materials and are less able to address electronic content

Unable to deliver online content to user

Lack social network features to engage library users

Lack enriched content in bibliographic records.Library Technology Report, July/August 2007 vol.

43/no.4

ONLINE CATALOGUES: WHAT USERS AND LIBRARIANS WANT

Users – “Seamless discovery through delivery”

Delivery is more important than discovery Where is it? Is it available? Format? How soon can I have it?

Simple search box with option for advanced searching

Easier access to online content and links

ONLINE CATALOGUES: WHAT USERS AND LIBRARIANS WANT

Enriched content such as summaries, tables of contents and excerpts are expected and highly desirable Reviews Ratings Cover art

Relevant search results that are obvious Related subjects and subject categories

Ability to narrow results is important Faceted searching

Online Catalogs: What Users and Librarians Want

An OCLC Report March 2009

ONLINE CATALOGUES: WHAT USERS AND LIBRARIANS WANT

Librarians Merge duplicate records. One record rather than multiple

records of an item due to format or edition

Like users, they would like to see more enriched content, such as summaries, tables of contents and excerpts

Reviews Ratings Cover art

While librarians desire other features, these are the two that ranked the highest. Other features depended on the area of librarianship.

Online Catalogs: What Users and Librarians Want

An OCLC Report March 2009

KEY FINDINGS FOR LIBRARIANS AND USERS

High priority on delivery

Users place more value on access to online content and links than librarians

While librarians believe that standard access points are essential (ex. ISBN), users place more value on enriched content (ex. summaries, tables of contents) for identifying items they want

Enriched content is a priority for both users and librarians – “more subject information”

Online Catalogs: What Users and Librarians Want

An OCLC Report March 2009

SOCIAL CATALOGUES:NEXT-GENERATION LIBRARY CATALOGUES

Why were they created? User expectations Competition with web-based software such as

LibraryThing, Amazon, Google and social networking sites such as Facebook

Limitations of cataloguing module delivered by ILS vendors

Access to larger bodies of content Access to more advanced search technologies Freedom to personalize appearance Freedom to change or update software more frequently,

rather than being tied to the development cycle of an ILS vendor

FEATURES OF SOCIAL CATALOGUES Single sign on

Federated search interface

Expanded scope Discovery and display of all types of content in the collection and beyond

Allows for easier customization and additional software options and enhancements

Ranked results

User intuitive interfaces Did you mean? Feature No dead ends Search suggestions

FEATURES CONT... More cover art images, tables of contents and summaries

More reviews

RSS feed/Twitter New items in the collections New reading lists

Mobile interface/Integration with hand-held devices

User generated contributions Writing reviews Rating items Creating booklists Tagging Adding reading suggestions

FEATURES OF SOCIAL CATALOGUES CONT...

Faceted navigation Narrowing down search results Clustering software

Example: Vivisimo http://vivismo.com

Recommendations Related materials Reading suggestions

HOW DO SOCIAL CATALOGUES WORK?

Overlays the existing catalogue

Pulls content out of the different components of the ILS including bibliographic records and circulation information Requires accurate and uniform records and access points Will find your “bare-bones” records and expose them

Imports content from other sources LibraryThing Tags Full-text

EXAMPLES OF SOCIAL CATALOGUES:DISCOVERY TOOLS Open Source

Bibliocommons Oakville Public Library http://opl.bibliocommons.com/dashboard

Evergreen Georgia Library http://gapines.org/opac/en-US/skin/default/xml/index.xml Salt Spring Island Public Library http://saltspring.bclibrary.ca *Natural Resources Canada (13 libraries)

Polaris Brampton Library http://catalogue.bramlib.on.ca/polaris

Koha/SOPAC (ILS system) Nelsonville Public Library http://search.athenscounty.lib.oh.us

EXAMPLES OF SOCIAL CATALOGUES/DISCOVERY TOOLS Vendor - Discovery Tools

Worldcat University of Washington http://uwashington.worldcat.org/account/?page=searchItems

AquaBrowser Queens Borough Public Library http://aqua.queenslibrary.org *Halifax Public Libraries (coming soon!)

Endecca North Carolina State University Libraries www.lib.ncsu.edu/catalog McMaster University Library http://libcat.mcmaster.ca/index.jsp

Encore Scottsdale Public Library System http://encore.scottsdaleaz.gov/iii/encore/home?lang=eng

THE FACE OF A SOCIAL CATALOGUE

Koha – Main Page

THE FACE OF A SOCIAL CATALOGUEAquaBrowser – Main Page

AquaBrowser – Short bib display

Encore – Record display

Encore – Record display

PURCHASING A DISCOVERY TOOL

Look at what your competitors are doing. Check out other libraries, play with Amazon, LibraryThing, Facebook and other social catalogues, networks and software. What are they doing? Has it been successful? Why?

Research. Make it broad. What are people saying about social catalogues? Are there surveys to look at? Stories of successes and failures? What about lessons learned on blog posts of first-hand experiences?

PURCHASING A DISCOVERY TOOL

Consider the following:Proprietary vs. Open SourceSystem requirementsUsersBudget, staff resources and time-line

Call vendors and libraries to ask them about their product.Ask for sample RFPs (Requests for proposals)Ask about special customized featuresAddress concerns

“USING WHAT YOU’VE GOT”:IMPLEMENTING SOCIAL FEATURES INTO YOUR EXISTING CATALOGUE

Enriched content from vendors Cover Art Search Inside Features Additional tags, reviews, recommendations

Syndetic Solutions

Google Books

Amazon

LibraryThing for Libraries

IMPLEMENTING SOCIAL FEATURES INTO YOUR EXISTING CATALOGUE Adding enriched content on your own

SummariesTables of contentsAdditional general notes (500s field)ReviewsRSS FeedsRecommended titlesEmbedded live reference chat in the catalogue

Edmonton Public Library http://www.epl.ca David Lee King’s post: Fun with Meebo Widget and the

Library Catalogue http://davidleeking.com/2007/11/30/fun-with-our-meebo-widget-and-the-library-catalog/

WORKING WITH YOUR EXISTING CATALOGUE

Partnering with teams within the libraryCollection Access and Readers’ Services

Halifax Public Libraries Personalized summaries created by the RST that

address appeals and read-a-likes Embedded reading lists Reading suggestions found within bibliographic

records Local genre headings/access points

Coming soon – AquaBrowser!

Halifax Public Libraries:

Collection Access and Readers Services Team working together

Halifax Public Libraries:

Collection Access and Readers Services Team working together

Edmonton Public Library Live Reference Chat in catalogue

RSS Feeds http://www.epl.ca/RSSFeeds/EPLRSSFeeds.cfmhttp://www.epl.ca/eplnewincatalogue.cfm

Book reviews by EPL customers

Add to my list (add to your account)

Recommend this title (send titles/reading suggestions to via email to friends)

WORKING WITH YOUR EXISTING CATALOGUE

Edmonton Public Library:

RSS Feed for New Items in the Catalogue

Edmonton Public Library:

Ask Us located in the Catalogue

Edmonton Public Library:

Ask Us located in the Catalogue

Edmonton Public Library cont...

Catalogue-Lite

What others are reading

Personalized book lists – “You tell us who, what and why you like to read your favourites and we will come up with a list of other titles and others for you to try” – EPL website

Coming soon –BiblioCommons!

CONCLUSION - SOCIAL CATALOGUES

Increases collaboration among cataloguing and other library services

Allows libraries to enter the “playing field” with all of the other web-based social catalogues and software available

Assists in Collection Development and catering our services to our users

The library catalogue becomes the user’s catalogue and personal information space

CONCLUSION

We can implement social features without social catalogues

Promotes user interaction and online social communities

Social catalogues are in our future – “The future is so bright, we’ll have to wear shades” – Karen Calhoun

SOCIAL CATALOGUES: THE NEW FACE OF THE PUBLIC LIBRARY CATALOGUE

Laurel Tarulli

Collection Access Librarian

Halifax Public Libraries

tarulll@halifax.ca