Academic research libraries are in the midst of monumental changes in how they acquire, organize, and deliver information. Advances in information technology have altered many of the core functions of libraries and have increased the ability of researchers to leverage technology to access and distribute information. Start of pull quote: (skip pull quote) Advances in information technology have altered many of the core functions of libraries and have increased the ability of researchers to leverage technology to access and distribute information. End of pull quote. These changes mirror how the general public has developed and honed their information usage behaviors to take full advantage of the possibilities brought about by a robust digital information environment. It has become incumbent on libraries, as information providers, to offer increased functionality in our systems and services and to otherwise enhance the user experience in every way possible.
This year’s operating plan for the Libraries addresses the need to provide high quality discovery tools, like databases, websites, and finding aids that help people identify relevant information, while seeking to improve the access tools and systems that we provide for faculty and students to get resources and services. We have named this initiative “Better Access,” with the aim of improving the existing tools and developing new ones that help our faculty and students access information. There are three major areas that the Libraries will be concentrating on for the coming year: linking to fulltext resources (OpenURL resolution in library lingo), simultaneous searching of multiple resources (the official term is Metasearch or Federated Search), and enhancing the Libraries’ online catalog Blais by incorporating Web 2.0 technologies.
OpenURL resolution technology allows users to link directly from a database record or other bibliographic citation directly to an available fulltext article or explore other associated services, such as searching the web, author searching, or reference searching. We currently use Serials Solutions’ Article Linker OpenURL product to create our “Get this item” button, but there are additional OpenURL providers who offer a range of enhanced services to libraries. The Libraries are interested in investigating other OpenURL software and how their services can fit within our overall goals as we transition from content-based services to user-centered services. The team will identify and document institutional requirements for an OpenURL resolver by documenting the current resolver’s functionality, assessing other vendor products and solutions, addressing the interoperability of those solutions with our other information resources, and testing the usability of new products.
Metasearch (also called Federated Search) software allows our users to select and search a number of databases simultaneously. It also allows us to group common resources together in search sets to provide our students and faculty with more powerful methods to identify relevant content. In addition, many metasearch products also include a number of associated software applications that provide users with advanced capabilities to monitor, manage, save, and share information. The Libraries do not currently have metasearch software deployed, so the team charged with exploring this technology will outline the search needs of our students and faculty and how current metasearch software solutions meet those needs.
Next Generation OPACs integrate Web 2.0 technologies which provide users with extensive new search and browse functionality. Start of pull quote: (skip pull quote) Improving our users’ ability to discover information and then access it efficiently is extremely important to us. End of pull quote. Blais is one of our most critical resources since it is the primary description, discovery, and access point for our collections. The addition of new technologies and services within the Blais system could greatly enhance our users’ research experience. The Libraries have already released one example of a Web 2.0 technology in Blais with the debut of LibraryThing for Libraries, which provides us with “tags” for our books. Tags are user-defined natural language terms applied to books, photos, music, etc., by readers themselves (not by the authors, publishers, or librarians). Tags are just one type of enhancement that libraries are utilizing to make their collections more discoverable from their catalogs. This team’s work investigating and experimenting with new and innovative technologies will help us remain on the cutting edge of user-based services for our students and faculty.
Improving our users’ ability to discover information and then access it efficiently is extremely important to us. The Better Access initiative described above will ensure that we have the most effective discovery and access tools while also providing new and novel services. The work of the three teams on OpenURL resolution, Metasearch, and Next Generation OPACs will provide our students and faculty with new ways to search and browse information; new ways to store, distribute, and manipulate that information; and new ways to discover related information in the most efficient ways possible.
For more information or if you have questions or suggestions about these initiatives, please contact:
Jason Price (OpenURL)
jason.price (at) libraries.claremont.edu
Sheree Fu (Metasearch)
sheree.fu (at) libraries.claremont.edu
Alex Chappell (Next Gen OPAC)
alexandra.chappell (at) libraries.claremont.edu
