Catalog Interface Research Articles

Library Sites that Provide Information to Users (Based on Domestic and Foreign Library Experience)

The main purpose of the research is to examine the interaction of electronic library sites as an elements of the information resource management system based on local and foreign experience. It consists of defining the location of electronic sites of libraries and information centers as an element of information resource management, interpreting information resources as a system, analyzing their logistics capabilities. 
 In the digital environment, place of library sites is in the management of information resources. The article examines the characteristics of electronic sites, which form the main interface structure of library systems. Predicated on the experience of specific libraries, the requirements for the use of the electronic resource database are highlighted. Information resources published on domestic and foreign electronic library sites used by academic users and general reader groups were analyzed and their relevant search capabilities were explicated. The article also examines the interaction of the Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy-ADA Library and The US Library of Congress website with the electronic library and electronic catalog interface as an example of domestic and foreign electronic library experience.

Visualizations of bibliographic information: A user experience study

Bibliographic information was presented using five different prototype systems, including four different visualizations of FRBR-based bibliographic information and one more traditional bibliographic information system. This study reports user performance and perceptions using the same tasks across the different visualizations. Users include undergraduate students of a large university in the USA. The study’s methodology is based on a continuation of a study testing the same prototype interfaces in Slovenia, with a number of modifications. The findings show visualization displays performing better on a number of measures than the traditional library catalog interface. A comparison of results highlights some of the differences in findings between the two groups of users. The paper concludes with a discussion on the implications for the design of future bibliographic information interfaces.

Toward Binding Database Interfaces with Scientific Papers

Despite a large variety of facilities helping to either select or manipulate data from Web interfaces, it remains diffcult to provide users with relevant scientific or technical annotations for those data. Introducing such content by hand into a Web interface is a tedious job with a risk of providing in complete or inadequate content. To overcome this diffculty, we are exploring the possibility of using the names of exposed quantities to index a text corpus. This index can be used to show the most relevant text snippets in a given context. The full text can be displayed by user request and automatically scroll down to that snippet. Our approach is based on the conversion of PDF papers into machinereadable files that are indexed by a search engine. Index entries are reported as PDF annotations that are used to control the display. This workflow has been tested on the IVOA standard corpus as a proof of concept. It has then been applied to the XMM-Newtonuser guides for our catalog interface. Finally, it has been adapted to find resources within portals exposing a lot of various data collections.

Mapping the stacks: Sustainability and user experience of animated maps in library discovery interfaces

ABSTRACTAnimated maps of the library stacks were integrated into the catalog interface at Pratt Institute and into the EBSCO Discovery Service interface at Illinois State University. The mapping feature was developed for optimal automation of the update process to enable a range of library personnel to update maps and call-number ranges. The development and implementation process for both institutions is discussed. Usability testing was conducted at Illinois State University to assess how well the feature helps students to locate items throughout the library. Researchers found that students are able to use the feature to successfully navigate through the stacks, but initially they have trouble locating the feature in the interface.

Exploratory Subject Searching in Library Catalogs: Reclaiming the Vision

Librarians have had innovative ideas for ways to use subject and classification data to provide an improved online search experience for decades, and yet, after thirty-plus years of improvements in online catalogs, users continue to struggle with narrowing down their subject searches to produce manageable lists containing only relevant results. This article reports on one attempt to rectify that situation by radically re-envisioning the library catalog interface, enabling users to interact with and explore their search results in a profoundly different way. This new interface gives users the option of viewing a graphical overview of their results, grouped by discipline and subject. Results are depicted as a two-level treemap, which gives users a visual representation of the disciplinary perspectives (as represented by the main classes of the Library of Congress Classification) and topics (as represented by elements of the Library of Congress Subject Headings) included in the results.

A Hybrid Approach to Discovery Services

Over the last few years, changing user expectations and new technologies have led libraries to rethink their approach to helping users more easily discover the breadth of print and electronic resources offered by the library As a central component of this rethinking, many libraries have chosen to subscribe to one of the new web-scale discovery services provided by various library vendors. These services are designed to search quickly and seamlessly across a vast range of local and remote preharvested and indexed content, providing relevancy-ranked results. (1) Princeton University Library (PUL) has also chosen to go this route but with a twist: we have adopted a hybrid combination of Ex Libris's Primo and ProQuest's Summon services. As a member of PUL's Discovery Implementation Group (LDIG) and Website Steering Group, I have been involved with this effort for more than three years. I believe our experience can prove helpful to other libraries implementing a discovery service. BACKGROUND In February 2010, PUL convened a Library Discovery Assessment Group to assess the landscape of these new discovery systems and recommend whether the library should adopt one. Ultimately, the group recommended adopting Primo, primarily because it felt that Primo offered the best option for updating our aging catalog interface. Since PUL uses Ex Libris's Voyager ILS, Primo held out the promise of a smoother transition and better integration of circulation functions and other features. However, there was some hesitation. Primo Central had only just been launched in beta testing in January 2010, and there were no live installations that the group could examine. (2) Also, there were concerns about the amount of content in Primo's unified index, especially compared to Summon, which at the time had broader article coverage and boasted a significant body of news content. In the end, PUL opted for a hybrid approach: using Primo (without its centralized index) as the new discovery interface to Princeton's local content--cataloging data and other repositories, like senior theses and finding aids--while also subscribing to Summon to leverage its unified index of article and news content. In fall 2010, PUL created the LDIG to implement this hybrid solution. Over the past three years, LDIG's work has gone through three main phases. PHASE 1: CONFIGURING AND PREPARING TO LAUNCH The first phase of implementation involved becoming familiar with and configuring the new discovery systems. This primarily meant Primo, as there were numerous configuration choices necessary to prepare and normalize the Library's local data for ingestion. PUL contracted with Ex Libris to integrate the Summon content into the Primo interface via Summon's API, so Summon required little set up beyond turning on our full text packages in the ProQuest knowledgebase. (3) The new system was hosted by Ex Libris on a custom domain, and the Library branded this new system SearchIt@PUL. LDIG initially planned for a public beta launch in early 2011, but that timetable proved too ambitious. LDIG introduced the new system to staff in April 2011, while the public beta launch was pushed back to the beginning of the fall 2011 semester. Various issues contributed to the delay. For one, it took time to learn how PUL's MARC records mapped to Primo's new PNX records, and figuring out which fields were being displayed and indexed for search often required investigation and experimentation. We also ran into significant challenges trying to tailor algorithms for search, deduplication of records, and FRBRization in Primo to work well with our large and diverse collections. For example, there were numerous issues related to the indexing and retrieval of records in foreign characters, especially Chinese, Japanese, and Korean, which was of particular concern because PUL has a highly regarded East Asian library. Working through these and other issues was time-intensive for LDIG members. …

Implementing Summon: an unexpected journey

In the past few years, the user interface to library content has developed from the classic OPAC, through federated search, and has culminated in the selection of discovery tools currently on the market. At The University of Wolverhampton, we selected Summon as our discovery tool back in late 2010. We chose to implement Summon as our sole library catalogue interface instead of as a secondary service alongside an existing OPAC, a decision that was unique amongst Summon customers at the time. This article looks at our experiences during the first two years of using Summon, from the initial implementation, through various stages of user feedback and developments that followed. We hope that sharing these experiences may help those looking to follow a similar path.

Does faceted display in a library catalog increase use of subject headings?

PurposeThis research aimed to explore whether subject facets would increase patron use of subject headings in a faceted (Yufind) versus a non‐faceted (Orbis) catalog interface at Yale University.Design/methodology/approachTwo rounds of think aloud protocol testing were done with students to measure the acceptance and use of subject heading facets. After a faceted and non‐faceted interface were implemented, side‐by‐side, log file analysis was employed to measure and compare use of subject headings in both interfaces.FindingsInitial usability testing showed that patrons would try facets, but had some problems effectively using them. In production from January to May 2011, at least one facet was used in 25.4 percent of Yufind searches, and subject facets were used in 5.1 percent of searches, while in Orbis subject headings were used in 6.4 percent of searches. Facets were used less than subject heading links in records in either interface.Practical implicationsThe findings are important as libraries spend significant staff time adding subject headings to records, and their use by patrons is declining. As measured in two production systems running on exactly the same catalog records, subject heading facets did not successfully increase use of subject headings. Without further refinements, faceted display may not be a successful strategy to increase patron use of subject headings.Originality/valueA comparison of patron generated subject heading use in two concurrently running interfaces, one faceted and one not, has not been done before.

The Ship Has Sailed and We Aren't On It: How Catalogers Could Support User Tasks and Why We Won’t

The article begins by describing the possible characteristics of a catalog interface built to leverage a future FRBR bibliographic framework and discussing the viability of a FRBR-ized catalog interface. The author then examines current trends in interface design, which leverage conventional cataloging data structures. This survey of the literature is followed by recommendations for adapting cataloging practices to enhance the efficacy of current interface designs. The author concludes by proposing that catalogers have a choice to make about the direction of functional cataloging initiatives.

A tale of two interfaces: How facets affect the library catalog search

AbstractIn the summer of 2008 all University of North Carolina libraries switched from a traditional library catalog interface supporting text‐based searching (TextOnly) to a text and facet‐based interface (TextFacet) to improve users' search experiences. This study seeks to understand the differences between these two interfaces and how they affect the search experience of the novice user. In this study, 40 participants were asked to search for resources using both interfaces. Their search times and accuracy were measured across three types of search tasks (known, partially known, and exploratory). After completing the searches, they were asked a series of questions about their experiences. The data were analyzed in order to identify strengths and weaknesses in both search interfaces. Thirty‐six out of 40 participants preferred the TextFacet interface to the TextOnly interface. Using three dependent variables—time, accuracy, and rating—the two interfaces were compared and interactions were tested with the three task types. Search times for the TextFacet were shorter and participants preferred the TextFacet search interface over the TextOnly search interface. Performances across the three task types were different in terms of search time. The partially known and exploratory task types showed similar distributions for rating and accuracy. These distributions were distinctly different from the known task type. The results of this study may assist libraries in developing improved library catalog search interfaces that utilize facets as well as text searching.

Effectiveness of real-time query expansion in a library catalog

Query expansion (QE) is a potentially effective technique to help searchers formulate or improve their search. In January 2010, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) Library made an effort to improve user interactions with authority data in its online catalog. It introduced a real- time query expansion feature for the catalog interface that would provide real-time suggestions based on what the user had typed in the search box. QE is not a new technique, and has been widely used in web search interfaces. It has rarely been adopted by library catalogs though. From the libraries perspective, populating the query expansion feature with authority data provides a balance between traditional library use of authority records and the expectations users have from their use of Web search engines. By analyzing the search logs from the library server, we investigate the impact of this feature on users' search behavior. Two sampling periods of logs were chosen: April 2009 (before the feature's launch) and April 2010 (after the feature's launch). Totally, we have analyzed approximately 200M log data with approximately 800,000 useful log records. Results showed that users take the suggestions 20.26% of all searches. There was a significant increase in the rate of subject searches. The library catalog interface supporting dynamic query expansion also leads to longer queries, less query iterations per search, and fewer result items viewed per search. In addition, search failure rate has seen a great drop. However, results also imply some issues may exist with the use of query expansion, necessitating proper handling of the search expansion interface. Our findings have implications for how query expansions should be offered to library catalogs to increase the use of library's collection.

The Whole Brain Catalog: Platform for neuroscientific data integration

The Whole Brain Catalog: Platform for neuroscientific data integration

CDI/THREDDS interoperability in the SeaDataNet framework

Abstract. SeaDataNet is an EU funded project aiming to create and operate a pan-European, marine data infrastructure for managing the large and diverse datasets (i.e. temperature, salinity current, sea level, chemical, physical and biological properties) collected by the oceanographic fleets and the new automatic observation systems. In order to make the SeaDataNet system compliant with the INSPIRE Implementing Rules for discovery service, an ISO 19139 encoding of the SeaDataNet Common Data Index (CDI) metadata model was defined. Moreover, the problem of heterogeneous data sources has been addressed. In fact, a widely used system of SeaDataNet partners and oceanographic-marine community is THREDDS/OPeNDAP; this raises up the problem of federating into SeaDataNet framework THREDDS/OPeNDAP systems as well. In this paper we describe an interoperability framework to access resources (i.e. data and services) that are available through CDI and THREDDS/OPeNDAP services. The proposed solution implements a common catalog interface to discover and access the two heterogeneous resources in a common way. This catalog service is fully distributed and implements international standards as far as geospatial information discovery and query are concerned. The developed solution is called GI-cat and was experimented in the framework of the SeaDataNet European project.

Implementing VuFind as an alternative to Voyager's WebVoyage interface

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present a case study of what is involved in implementing the VuFind discovery tool.Design/methodology/approachThe paper documents Western Michigan University's experience with VuFind thus far, in several stages: planning; pre‐alpha testing; alpha testing; and beta testing.FindingsThe implementation process took longer than the authors originally expected. Users' input was not consistent and demanded software customization. WMU began with a relatively loose project management approach, but later reinforced the project with a specific scope statement and prioritized items within the scope to arrive at a beta‐testable version of VuFind.Practical implicationsThe benefits of using open source software include low barrier and cost to entry, highly customizable code, and unlimited instances (libraries may run as many copies of as many components as needed, on as many pieces of hardware as they have, for as many purposes as they wish). One significant cost is in human resources required to install, configure and customize open source software.Originality/valueThe paper provides a unique account of one library's experience providing an alternative catalog interface using open source software. It also uniquely reports on VuFind hardware and software architectures and some initial testing results and evaluation.

A Faceted Catalogue Aids Doctoral-Level Searchers

A Review of:
 Olson, Tod A. “Utility of a Faceted Catalog for Scholarly Research” Library Hi Tech 25.4 (2007): 550-61.
 
 
 Objective – To learn whether a faceted catalogue and word cloud aids in the discovery process. 
 
 Design – User study. 
 
 Setting – Large academic research library in the United States.
 
 Subjects – Twelve PhD candidates in the humanities, the majority of whom are engaged with researching, proposing, or writing their dissertations. 
 
 Methods – The library’s entire catalogue of 5.2 million records was loaded into the AquaBrowser OPAC search interface. A pilot study was conducted using three humanities graduate students employed by the library. Following the pilot, the main study was conducted using graduate students in the humanities. Graduate students in the social sciences were desired for the study, but were not able to be contacted due to time constraints. Once selected, the test subjects were asked to use an interface that offered both facets and tag clouds for enhanced search quality. Test subjects were allowed to choose the topic they would like to research; all chose to research their dissertation topic. A moderator and recorder facilitated research conducted with the faceted catalogue. The moderator ensured that students commented on their findings, cleared up any confusion with using the interface, and kept the students on task. Only when students remarked that a new discovery had been made were those discoveries noted. The impact to the discovery process of faceted navigation and AquaBrowser’s word cloud was studied while the impact of relevance ranking was not.
 
 Main Results – The article asserts that results from both the pilot and main study were sufficiently similar to justify combining them for the paper, but the advantage that students employed by the library might have over other students is not discussed. Nine of the twelve students used in the study found new results using the faceted catalogue and word cloud. The responses of the user group to the faceted catalogue and word cloud were “overwhelmingly positive” (555). However, since students were allowed to move freely between the word cloud and faceted navigation tool, it is difficult to attribute new discoveries solely to one or the other. However, when a new discovery could be “attributed primarily to one factor or another” (555) it was noted. The faceted navigation tool aided discovery at least four times and the word cloud aided discovery at least six.
 
 Conclusion – A faceted catalogue interface with a word cloud feature clearly aids in the discovery process for more advanced researchers—those with specialized subject knowledge, familiarity with their library’s collection, and experience in researching their area. However, facets and word clouds have limitations: records with limited cataloguing have little to offer faceted navigation; catalogue records from diverse providers introduce controlled vocabularies beyond LCSH and MeSH into search returns, resulting in the same word potentially appearing multiple times in the same return albeit with different meanings; the word cloud may contain certain words that researchers feel to be irrelevant. Despite these issues, the use of word clouds and faceted navigation (and relevance ranking) appears to be beneficial to research conducted by experienced subject searchers in the humanities.

Utility of a faceted catalog for scholarly research

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to determine whether a faceted OPAC interface offers improvements to information discovery in scholarly research.Design/methodology/approachThe 5.2 million records of an entire library catalog were loaded into a faceted navigation interface and an attractive search term suggestion tool. Humanities PhD students at the dissertation level and familiar with this collection were observed while using this interface to continue their research into the literature on their dissertation topic.FindingsFrom a group of 12 subjects, nine reported finding materials that they had not found in their previous use of the traditional catalog interface.Research limitations/implicationsNo attempt is made to isolate the effects of relevance ranking on discovery from those of faceted navigation or the search term suggestions. The differences between the circumstances of scholars who did and did not find previously undiscovered materials are not examined.Practical implicationsFaceted interface and search term suggestion in a library catalog may enable those scholars who are highly dependent on library materials to find materials that would remain hidden in a traditional library catalog.Originality/valueThis article considers whether faceted navigation increases the range of relevant materials that scholars discover, and is of interest to libraries which are considering adding faceted navigation and other features to their catalog interface.

A Race Against the Clock: Re-Tooling the Tutorial–What Happens When Your Library Gets a New Online Catalog?

ABSTRACT What happens to your Web-based library tutorial when your university gets a new online catalog? In the spring of 2000, the Instructional Services staff at the University of Iowa Libraries got the chance to answer this question. The new online catalog was to be up and running by August. The task at hand: rewrite and redesign the existing tutorial to reflect the many changes that would be brought about by the new catalog, and do it in the face of a rapidly approaching deadline. Moreover, staff had to undertake this revision without being able to see the final catalog interface because it, too, was being constantly modified. This article outlines the steps of the revision process and examines the challenges and opportunities involved in re-tooling the tutorial.

The ASVIN Project: a study of electronic and printed veterinary science journals in the UK and Ireland.

ASVIN was a Research Support for Libraries Programme (RSLP) Funded Project, whose principal aim was to develop better co-operation between nine libraries in the veterinary and animal health field. The project examined a number of library-related areas, such as journal archiving, collection development policies, development of a common Z39.50 catalogue interface, grey literature, and printed and electronic journals. This paper examines the latter, whilst also providing a detailed analysis of printed journals held in partner libraries. Comparisons of the nine partner library collections are undertaken with a range of secondary sources, and an ASVIN core list of veterinary journals was developed. It looks at some of the issues relating to e-journals, expressing the benefits and concerns that many librarians are experiencing, such as licensing arrangements, archiving and general management issues.

Consortia purchasing: a feasibility study for the UK veterinary and animal health field

ASVIN was a project funded by the Research Support for Libraries Programme (RSLP). The principal aim was to develop better co‐operation between nine UK libraries in the veterinary and animal health field. The project examined a number of library related areas, such as journal archiving, collection development policies, development of a common Z39.50 catalogue interface, grey literature, electronic journals and consortia purchasing. This paper examines the latter issue, taking a brief look at the historical developments and exploring the reasons why libraries enter consortia. It then focuses on the effects upon collection development, models of consortia and describes the ASVIN experience.

A Classification of Internet Retail Stores

:This article describes an empirical method for classifying Internet retail sites for electronic commerce. The technique used 35 observable Internet retail site attributes and features of online stores as the raw data to classify the online stores into meaningful groups. This paper presents a classification of online retail stores based upon an August 1996 convenience sample of 137 Internet retail stores. Descriptive statistics for 44 variables provide a snapshot of key attributes and features of online stores. Subsequent cluster and factor analysis identified five distinct Web catalog interface categories: superstores, promotional stores, plain sales stores, one-page stores, and product listings. Online stores differ primarily on the three dimensions: size, service offerings, and interface quality. A preponderance of the stores in the study hod limited product selection, few service features, and poor interfaces. This categorization provides a better understanding of the strategies pursued in Internet-based marketing and will be helpful for Internet retail store designers as well as for researchers to structure and target further analyses in this domain.