What can We do with the What can We do with the WebPAC? WebPAC?

Is it Relevant in a Web 2.0 WorldIs it Relevant in a Web 2.0 World

John Wenzler: jwenzler@sfsu.edu

San Francisco State University

The Anxiety of FreedomThe Anxiety of Freedom

The “OPAC Sucks” Meme The “OPAC Sucks” Meme

Roy Tennant says that trying to fix the Roy Tennant says that trying to fix the OPAC is like putting “Lipstick on a pig” in OPAC is like putting “Lipstick on a pig” in Library Journal, 2005.Library Journal, 2005.

Karen Schneider does a 3 part series on Karen Schneider does a 3 part series on “How OPACs Suck” on her ALA blog“How OPACs Suck” on her ALA blog

An “OPAC Sucks” video shows up on An “OPAC Sucks” video shows up on YouTube: YouTube: http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?vwww.youtube.com/watch?v=tJD-safYEb0=tJD-safYEb0

David Walker’s “OPAC Sucks” David Walker’s “OPAC Sucks” DemoDemo

Specific Complaints -- PartSpecific Complaints -- Part I IIt is not as good as the old card Catalog

Lack of context when browsing: hard to Lack of context when browsing: hard to see where you are in the indexsee where you are in the index

Less access to experts (i.e. Librarians)Less access to experts (i.e. Librarians) Deceptively non-intimidating user Deceptively non-intimidating user

interfaceinterface

Specific Complaints -- Part IISpecific Complaints -- Part IIIt is not as good as Amazoogle

Relevance Ranking ineffectiveRelevance Ranking ineffective Too many complex search optionsToo many complex search options Poorly integrated with the library’s digital Poorly integrated with the library’s digital

resources and with the Internet in generalresources and with the Internet in general No suggestions or recommendationsNo suggestions or recommendations Lacks user-generated content such a Lacks user-generated content such a

reviews and ratingsreviews and ratings

What can we do about it?What can we do about it?

Outsource Redesign (WebPAC Outsource Redesign (WebPAC refresher)refresher)

Hide the WebPAC (behind a Hide the WebPAC (behind a “discovery layer”)“discovery layer”)

Enhance the WebPACEnhance the WebPAC

WorldCat Local: WorldCat Local: WebPAC in the Back OfficeWebPAC in the Back Office

Scriblio: An Open-source Scriblio: An Open-source “wrapper” for WebPAC“wrapper” for WebPAC

Solrpac: Potential Open-Source Solrpac: Potential Open-Source OptionOption

AquaBrowser: Hip Skin for AquaBrowser: Hip Skin for WebPacWebPac

Encore: WebPAC as Cyrano de Encore: WebPAC as Cyrano de BergeracBergerac

WebPAC for Data -- not for WebPAC for Data -- not for displaydisplay

Enhancements OverviewEnhancements Overview

Innovative Interfaces EnhancementsInnovative Interfaces Enhancements

Third-party EnhancementsThird-party Enhancements

Home Made EnhancementsHome Made Enhancements

III Enhancements: InnReachIII Enhancements: InnReach

III Enhancements: III Enhancements: WebBridge/Pathfinder ProWebBridge/Pathfinder Pro

WebBridge/Pathfinder Pro WebBridge/Pathfinder Pro WindowWindow

Literary Databases for Literary Call Literary Databases for Literary Call NumbersNumbers

Engineering Databases for Engineering Databases for Engineering Call NumbersEngineering Call Numbers

III Enhancements: ERM as a III Enhancements: ERM as a Database Pathfinder in the Database Pathfinder in the

WebPACWebPAC

ERM: Browsing Electronic ERM: Browsing Electronic ResourcesResources

ERM: adding the Ejournal A-Z listERM: adding the Ejournal A-Z list to WebPACto WebPAC

III Enhancements: Metadata III Enhancements: Metadata Builder and Media Builder and Media

ManagementManagement

Media Management: WebPAC as a Media Management: WebPAC as a digital archivedigital archive

III Enhancements: Spellcheck – III Enhancements: Spellcheck – searching for “Omnivore’s searching for “Omnivore’s

dillema”dillema”

III Enhancements: Patron III Enhancements: Patron Reviews Harry got Married?Reviews Harry got Married?

Reading History/Preferred Reading History/Preferred SearchesSearches

RSS Catalog FeedsRSS Catalog Feeds

RSS Patron FeedsRSS Patron Feeds

Updates for patron Updates for patron eventsevents

Overdue booksOverdue books

Pickups availablePickups available

Third Party Enhancements: Third Party Enhancements: LibraryThing LibraryThing

LibraryThing: Another ViewLibraryThing: Another View

Library Thing Tag Browser: Library Thing Tag Browser: Adding Collective Wisdom to Adding Collective Wisdom to

WebPACWebPAC

Third Party Enhancements: Third Party Enhancements: SyndeticsSyndetics

LibX: Adding WebPAC to the LibX: Adding WebPAC to the BrowserBrowser

LibX: Taking WebPAC to the LibX: Taking WebPAC to the JungleJungle

Third Party Enhancements: Google Third Party Enhancements: Google BooksBooks

Third Party Enhancements: Third Party Enhancements: AmazonAmazon

Third Party Enhancements: Third Party Enhancements: Other PossibilitiesOther Possibilities

Amazon: Reviews, Tags, Descriptions Amazon: Reviews, Tags, Descriptions (API Now available)(API Now available)

Google Books: Tags, Jackets, (API Google Books: Tags, Jackets, (API now Available)now Available)

LibraryThing (API now Available)LibraryThing (API now Available) OCLC (API available soon)OCLC (API available soon) Metasearch Engines: Research Pro, Metasearch Engines: Research Pro,

Metalib, WebFeat …Metalib, WebFeat …

Home Made Enhancements: Home Made Enhancements: JavaScript – Context Sensitive JavaScript – Context Sensitive

helphelp

JavaScript: Context Sensitive JavaScript: Context Sensitive HelpHelp

Home Made Enhancements: Home Made Enhancements: Text MessagesText Messages

Adding Reference to Adding Reference to WebPACWebPAC

More JavaScript More JavaScript EnhancementsEnhancements

Facets with JavaScriptFacets with JavaScript

Home Made Enhancements: Home Made Enhancements: Wish Lists and Suggested Wish Lists and Suggested

ReadingReading

Home Made RSS Feeds and Home Made RSS Feeds and Cover BrowserCover Browser

Online New Book DisplayOnline New Book Display

XML Tricks: AADLXML Tricks: AADL

John Wenzler (jwenzler@sfsu.edu)

Slides: http://online.sfsu.edu/~jwenzler/research/webPAC2.ppt

Handout: http://online.sfsu.edu/~jwenzler/research/webPAC2.pdf