1

IncreasingNUS Libraries’ Visibility in the Virtual World

Tan Kah ChingSenior Librarian

(Automation & Asset Organisation)NUS Libraries

Email: clbtkc@nus.edu.sg19 Oct 2007

2

Agenda Introduction Environment Scanning

Horizon Reports Library Technology Trends Technology Trends to Watch User Surveys

Increasing Our Visibility Next-Generation Library Interface Resource Teams

Summary Q & A

3

Introduction About NUS Libraries

Library Portal Integrated Virtual Learning Environment

(IVLE) Increasing our visibility by:

1. Finding out what Users want2. Joining Users in Their Spaces3. Showing the way back to Library Spaces

4

Environmental Scanning

5

Horizon Report Annual report started in 2004 Highlights 6 areas of emerging technology

that will impact higher education over the next one to five years

Produced by the New Media Consortium (NMC) and the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI)

For more information: http://horizon.nmc.org/wiki/Main_Page

6

Library Technology Trends LITA Blog’s ‘Top Technology Trends’

Category Recent postings following ALA Conference

2007 URL: http://litablog.org

/category/top-technology-trends/

7

Technology Trends to Watch1. Next-generation discovery tools2. User-created contents & social

networking3. Extended learning, virtual worlds &

educational gaming4. Emerging forms of publication5. Context-sensitive wireless solutions

8

User Surveys Surveys of Library users to find out:

Information Needs OPAC Usability

Survey findings:1. More online user education programmes 2. Better promotion of services, through online

means3. More regular updates on library4. More friendly Library portal interface, with

ranking, most borrowed books, grouping of results, federated searching, etc.

9

Increasing Our Visibility

Next-Generation Library Interface

10

Areas of Concern1. Current Library Portal is complex2. No unified search interface - LINC, E-

Resources, etc.3. Unable to provide context-sensitive links

to online contents to users4. Limited navigational features & contents 5. Social networking features that allow

users to annotate, review, rank, compare & contrast, and share the contents with other users

11

Federated Search or Metasearch Problem – search

individual information resources separately

Solution – one interface to search multiple information resources simultaneously

Taken from NISO’s website. Presentation by Andrew Pace: http://www.niso.org/news/events_workshops/OpenURL-05-ppts/2-1-pace.ppt (date: 21 Mar 2007)

12

Delivering Content to the User Using a link resolver

based on the OpenURL standard (ANSI/NISO Z39.88) (http://openurl.info/registry)

Allow users to access the actual contents from wherever they are

Taken from Serials Solutions’ website: http://www.serialssolutions.com/alOURL04.asp

(date: 21 Mar 2007)

13

Faceted Navigation Rich bibliographic information in library

catalogues and/or databases Derive facets from retrieved results Present facets as means to narrow down

search results Easy to use, visually appealing Examples:

Textual presentation – McMaster University Library: http://libcat.mcmaster.ca/index.jsp

Visual presentation – Queens Library: http://aqua.queenslibrary.org/

14

Enriched Content Contents include:

Cover art images, such as book jackets, movie cases, etc. Table of contents

MARC or Non-MARC Searchable or Not

Summaries Reviews

Examples: MARC TOC – National University of Singapore: http://

linc.nus.edu.sg Non-MARC Contents – Ann Arbor District Library:

http://www.aadl.org/catalog Mashing up Amazom.com with Singapore National Library

Board’s Catalogue – BookJetty.com: http://bookjetty.com/

15

Web 2.0: Enabling User Contributions User tagging

Assigning informal terms to items of interest “Folksonomy” as a supplement to traditional subject

headings provided by libraries Tag clouds

User ratings & reviews Expressing opinions regarding works in the catalogue

Social Information: Similar titles, Other editions, etc.

Examples: User tagging, ratings & reviews – Ann Arbor District

Library: http://www.aadl.org/catalog Tag clouds, Similar titles, Other editions – Danbury

Public Library with LibraryThing for Libraries: http://cat.danburylibrary.org/search

16

Other Features Keyword Searching

Google-like simple search box Relevancy

Most relevant items first “Did you mean …?”

Detect common spelling errors Suggest indexed term(s) that will work

Recommendations “Users that borrowed X also borrowed Y” Most popular titles, Similar titles …

17

Putting Them All Together New interface with access to all contents

Harvesting into local index Incorporating backend federated search engine

Interface characteristics Simple search box AJAX technology

Wanted features Relevancy ranking, Popular choices, Faceted navigation,

Tag cloud, “Did you mean …?”, User-contributed content, Enriched content, etc.

Examples Innovative Interfaces’ Encore:

http://www.iii.com/encore/main_index2.html Ex Libris’ Primo: http://www.exlibrisgroup.com/primo.htm

18

Increasing Our Visibility

Resource Teams

19

Purpose of Resource Teams Subject-based Resource Teams to build

closer relationships with Faculty and Students

Focus on Outreach, Collection Development and User Education

20

Preparing Staff for Web 2.0 Focus Group on Web 2.0 Technologies

Monitor technology development Assess relevance to our IT Plans and make

recommendations Prepare staff for use of these tools Using blog/wiki to share the information & build

up staff competencies

21

From User Spaces to Library Space Linking back from Google

WorldCat OpenURL Linking

Library profiles, examples: MySpace

UIUC Undergraduate Library Facebook applications:

UIUC Library Search NUS Online Community

Examples: Google Scholar Support for Libraries:

http://scholar.google.com/intl/en/scholar/libraries.html MySpace Library Profiles – UIUC Undergraduate Library:

http://www.myspace.com/undergradlibrary Facebook Applications: http://www.facebook.com/developers/

22

Using What Users are Using Library guides

The Biz Wiki Blogs & RSS

Means to update users Means to deliver information to users

Lists of new items Lists of relevant items

Example: The Biz Wiki:

http://www.library.ohiou.edu/subjects/bizwiki/index.php/Main_Page

23

Bringing Library Portal into IVLE Collaboration with Centre for Instructional

Technology (CIT) Increased presence in new version of IVLE

“NUS Libraries” option to bring user’s preferences in the Library Portal directly into IVLE

Users can access their Modules in IVLE directly from Library Portal

24

Developing Online Multimedia Tutorials Explore use of web 2.0 tools, such as

online videos, videocasting, podcasting, etc.

Criteria for online multimedia tutorials Peer-Reviewed Instructional Materials Online

(PRIMO) from ACRL’s Instruction Section Selection Criteria

Example: Peer-Reviewed Instructional Materials Online (PRIMO):

http://www.ala.org/ala/acrlbucket/is/iscommittees/webpages/emergingtech/primo/index.htm

25

In Summary1. Finding out what Users want

Environmental scans User behaviours & feedback

2. Joining Users in Their Spaces Adopting what they are using Going to where they are

3. Showing the way back to Library Spaces Adapting what we have to what they want Linking back to what we can provide

26

Q & AThank You!