Recycling MARC: Using the Library's Catalog to Create an Online Resources Locator

Recycling MARC: Using the Library's Catalog to Create an “Online Resources Locator
Providing access to online resources has become a core element of academic library websites. Keeping this access up to date has become increasingly difficult as the number of electronic resources have grown. This poster session will illustrate how the University of California, Irvine Libraries developed a searchable electronic resources database using data from records in the Libraries’ catalog. Starting with categories identified by Public Services staff, as most useful to patrons, catalogers analyzed the MARC records and constructed search strategies using MARC data to retrieve e-resources from the online catalog that matched those categories. Resources were exported to tables in a SQL database for further manipulation. The resulting Web interface allows for searching and browsing in categories that replicate the lists of resources that were previously maintained manually, and is updated weekly using scripts. The interface and retrieval methods are customized for electronic resources in a way that cannot yet be done in the online catalog The presentation will highlight the methods used to implement the “Online Resources Locator” and plans for the next phase of development, lessons learned, results of user testing, and use statistics. To search the database:
http://www.lib.uci.edu/online/resources/eresources.php
Poster session available at :
http://webfiles.uci.edu/htomren/presentations/

Online Resources Locator
Library-wide project began in 2002 to build an automated electronic resources search tool
Collaborative effort involving the Web Advisory Committee, Information Technology staff, Design Services staff, and catalogers

Goals
Organize e-resources into categories that are useful to patrons and staff
Provide access to electronic resources outside of the constraints of the OPAC
Provide both searching and browsing capabilities
Replace the manually updated A-Z lists of e-resources

Eliminate redundancy by using records in the local catalog
Use LC classification to create a subject browse
Create an automated method to update with new e-resources
Goals

Process
Categories of e-resources were defined
Search criteria created for each category based on elements in the MARC records
Resulting lists of e-resources reviewed by bibliographers
Search criteria refined as necessary
MARC data exported from ILS to MS SQL

IT Script Create review file in ILS for all cataloged internet records. Export the relevant MARC fields that will be used in further queries. FTP tab-delimited data from ILS to UNIX server. FTP from the UNIX server to the database server. Use MS SQL to separate resources into categories based on MARC criteria supplied by catalogers. Clean up files and process text for Web display. 1 2 3 4 5

Ongoing Tasks
Script is run weekly by IT staff
Following update, cataloger checks for resources erroneously added or dropped from database. Cataloger troubleshoots whether add/drop was caused by cataloging error or scripting issue.
Script is updated as necessary

E-Resources Categories
Online Journals
Article Databases
News Resources
Reference Resources
Statistical and Data Resources

Online Journals Serial Type = p

Article Databases Serial type = d

News Resources Serial Type = n OR Subject has "newspapers"

Reference Resources Subject has dictionaries, encyclopedias, acronyms, glossaries, gazetteers, atlases, abbreviations, almanacs, thesauri, quotations, or directories

Statistical and Data Resources Subject has "statistics" Filters: Subject does not have periodicals,Date Type does not equal "s" or "r", Serial type does not equal "p" (unless Nature of Entire Work equals "s")

Current Interface

Subject Browse Feature
Uses Library of Congress Classification
Based on Columbia's Hierarchical Interface to LC Classification mapping table
Modified for local use with input from subject bibliographers
Three-level hierarchy

LC Mapping Table

Level One

Level Two

Level Three

User Testing and New Design
Information and Computer Sciences students analyzed the E-Resource Locator using Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) principles
Goals were to create an improved new interface and integrate the Browse by Subject module into the new design
Students analyzed earlier user test data and identified problem areas
Created a new prototype based on recommendations from user testing

User Recommendations
Use of tabs to represent the categorical options
Make searching, browse by title, and browse by subject available on every page
Rename the page “Find Online Resources.”
Reorganize the "Other Resources" links

New Interface

Future Enhancements
Add an Electronic Books category with government document filter
Expand journal category to optionally include all serials
Add more categories: electronic audio, video, maps, images
Map resources to multiple subject areas

Challenges
Changes to cataloging rules and coding
Teaching MARC to non-catalogers
Quality checking – weekly adds and drops
Responding to new requests and new resources

Lessons Learned
MARC can be used outside of the ILS
Project parameters need to be very specific
Working within a library-wide team is rewarding
Working within a library-wide team can be challenging
You can never do too much user-testing
You are never completely finished

Conclusion
We were successful in completing the first phase of the E-resources Locator and will soon be launching the new interface design with subject-browsing.
We will soon begin the second phase of the project which will expand the types of e-resources included.

Conclusion
We were successful in harnessing the MARC data already present in our catalog to create a new tool to provide additional access to electronic resources.

Presented by
University of California Irvine Libraries
Vicki Grahame, [email_address]
Holly Tomren, [email_address]

Recycling MARC: Using the Library's Catalog to Create an Online Resources Locator

by Holly Tomren

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