Jeff Wisniewski University of Pittsburgh [email_address] Implementing a Next Gen OPAC

this presentation is… Not a full-on case study Not the result of post implementation data analysis (we don’t have that data yet) A look into our implementation, our thoughts on some lessons learned, and a few general musings about the state of the art

Not a full-on case study

Not the result of post implementation data analysis (we don’t have that data yet)

A look into our implementation, our thoughts on some lessons learned, and a few general musings about the state of the art

background Voyager library for approximately 14 years Federated search via WebFeat/SerialsSolutions Local digital collections comprising some 50,000 objects Approximately 350 subscription databases

Voyager library for approximately 14 years

Federated search via WebFeat/SerialsSolutions

Local digital collections comprising some 50,000 objects

Approximately 350 subscription databases

why ? Voyager system Legacy design and functionality Poor usability Inadequately configurable Siloed Old school Web .05

Voyager system

Legacy design and functionality

Poor usability

Inadequately configurable

Siloed

Old school

Web .05

because this…

… is nothing like this

… but this pretty much is

current status New catalog PITTCat+ currently in beta, Aug. – Dec. 2008 Light promotion Hard cutover Jan. 2009

New catalog PITTCat+ currently in beta, Aug. – Dec. 2008

Light promotion

Hard cutover Jan. 2009

goals Intuitive interface, should NOT have to be taught Forgive them father for their sins Expose more of our collection Integrate various silos Get it up and running yesterday

Intuitive interface, should NOT have to be taught

Forgive them father for their sins

Expose more of our collection

Integrate various silos

Get it up and running yesterday

timeline

selection process Literature review (thanks Marshall!) Feature matrix No RFP, used a one page functionality checklist Critical – Highly Desirable – Desirable Vendor demonstrations with staff Staff evaluation Phone interviews

Literature review (thanks Marshall!)

Feature matrix

No RFP, used a one page functionality checklist

Critical – Highly Desirable – Desirable

Vendor demonstrations with staff

Staff evaluation

Phone interviews

selection process lessons No RFP, the world is passing us by… Be flexible in your requirements No product will do EVERYTHING you want Remember you’re doing this for your USERS not your staff You’re NOT selecting a new ILS so stop acting like you are! Please be agile.

No RFP, the world is passing us by…

Be flexible in your requirements

No product will do EVERYTHING you want

Remember you’re doing this for your USERS not your staff

You’re NOT selecting a new ILS so stop acting like you are! Please be agile.

“ Librarians like to search, are good at it, and get paid to do it; Users don’t like to search, are not very good at it, and it costs them to do it”

“ Librarians like to search, are good at it, and get paid to do it;

Users don’t like to search, are not very good at it, and it costs them to do it”

implementation

beta it baby! Beta is a librarians’ best friend Is industry standard More eyeballs Gentle transition Feedback from larger number of users

Beta is a librarians’ best friend

Is industry standard

More eyeballs

Gentle transition

Feedback from larger number of users

it’s not old, it’s classic Traditional PITTCat renamed PITTCat Classic I would vote for keeping your catalog name, or some variation thereof Strongly branded Search logs of catalog, website and federated search show users assume everything searches everything anyway

Traditional PITTCat renamed PITTCat Classic

I would vote for keeping your catalog name, or some variation thereof

Strongly branded

Search logs of catalog, website and federated search show users assume everything searches everything anyway

communication- internal Project wiki Known issues list Feedback

Project wiki

Known issues list

Feedback

communication- external Soft promotion Feedback Usability Article in university paper Website announcements Demonstrations

Soft promotion

Feedback

Usability

Article in university paper

Website announcements

Demonstrations

usability Most products’ interfaces fairly configurable Plain language! Ease of use It’s not a better looking catalog, it’s a completely different animal! (so get out of “catalog” mindset No character limits for most fields!! Usability tested old catalog, currently testing new

Most products’ interfaces fairly configurable

Plain language!

Ease of use

It’s not a better looking catalog, it’s a completely different animal! (so get out of “catalog” mindset

No character limits for most fields!!

Usability tested old catalog, currently testing new

your data under harsh lighting Your data may be uglier than you realized The next gen system will expose past sins and inconsistencies and shine light on cataloging rule changes You will probably need to prioritize issues and do post implementation revisions

Your data may be uglier than you realized

The next gen system will expose past sins and inconsistencies and shine light on cataloging rule changes

You will probably need to prioritize issues and do post implementation revisions

the open Exploit the platform Examine data sources critically and use the best available MARC database records vs. website database descriptions

Exploit the platform

Examine data sources critically and use the best available

MARC database records vs. website database descriptions

it’s not just a prettier OPAC MARC data is just the beginning Internal Website Locally created databases Subject guides, aids OAI External Google books Library thing

MARC data is just the beginning

Internal

Website

Locally created databases

Subject guides, aids

OAI

External

Google books

Library thing

… but it sure is purty! These are by and large visually fluent tools- exploit Syndetics Visual search tools icons Don’t underestimate the power of design, the “wow” factor so DO spend time and energy making it pretty

These are by and large visually fluent tools- exploit

Syndetics

Visual search tools

icons

Don’t underestimate the power of design, the “wow” factor so DO spend time and energy making it pretty

who’s a pretty catalog? Attention web designers: You have 50 milliseconds to make a good first impression! Users judge websites QUICKLY and SUPERFICALLY These judgments are persistent Attention web designers: You have 50 milliseconds to make a good first impression! Behaviour & Information Technology, Volume 25, Issue 2 March 2006 , pages 115 - 126

Attention web designers: You have 50 milliseconds to make a good first impression!

Users judge websites QUICKLY and SUPERFICALLY

These judgments are persistent

Attention web designers: You have 50 milliseconds to make a good first impression!

Behaviour & Information Technology, Volume 25, Issue 2 March 2006 , pages 115 - 126

“… I had a class of Sports and Recreation Management students in working at the library workstations. I had them go to PITTCat+ and search. One student went, "Wow!" as the result popped up. It's the first time I can remember such an amazed and delighted response to a DATABASE. I think PITTCat+ is a hit.” -Pitt librarian

“… I had a class of Sports and Recreation Management students in working at the library workstations. I had them go to PITTCat+ and search. One student went, "Wow!" as the result popped up. It's the first time I can remember such an amazed and delighted response to a DATABASE. I think PITTCat+ is a hit.”

-Pitt librarian

implementation lessons Stand on the shoulders of others Find a configuration you like and work from it Onsite setup assistance is really a bargain Nothing beats face to face! Decide before hand if you’re going to tackle ALL possible changes (wording, data inconsistencies, etc.) as part of implementation

Stand on the shoulders of others

Find a configuration you like and work from it

Onsite setup assistance is really a bargain

Nothing beats face to face!

Decide before hand if you’re going to tackle ALL possible changes (wording, data inconsistencies, etc.) as part of implementation

give your catalog legs Embeddable search box Widget Search bar plug-in Facebook search application University portal for academics One click export options

Embeddable search box

Widget

Search bar plug-in

Facebook search application

University portal for academics

One click export options

the social You may or may not be ready Move ahead anyway Be social while being anti-social Library Thing tags as index terms Sharable lists or bookshelves

You may or may not be ready

Move ahead anyway

Be social while being anti-social

Library Thing tags as index terms

Sharable lists or bookshelves

articles Fed search integration? Like two silos connected (that’s progress!) by a covered walkway Separate engines separate actions

Fed search integration?

Like two silos connected (that’s progress!) by a covered walkway

Separate engines separate actions

are we there yet? are we there yet? Will never be perfect Should never be “done” It’s open, and easier…so keep adding, changing and refining

Will never be perfect

Should never be “done”

It’s open, and easier…so keep adding, changing and refining

general lessons Expectation management journal records still stink Local vs hosted still largely determined by size Staff resistance User enthusiasm Data cleanup and/or workarounds Labeling and naming take more time KISS: Keep it simple….silly 

Expectation management

journal records still stink

Local vs hosted still largely determined by size

Staff resistance

User enthusiasm

Data cleanup and/or workarounds

Labeling and naming take more time

KISS: Keep it simple….silly 

Worth it?

Worth it?

“ It is very difficult to search for music CDs on the old Pittcat. A search for "Beethoven," for example, returns 1306 hits, and there is no way to limit the search just to music CDs. This has been fixed on PittCatPlus. Just thought that you'd like to know that this particular feature of the new PittCat is a big step forward.” -Music faculty Actually there is a way, but it makes doing your taxes seem easy by comparison

“ It is very difficult to search for music CDs on the old Pittcat. A search for "Beethoven," for example, returns 1306 hits, and there is no way to limit the search just to music CDs.

This has been fixed on PittCatPlus. Just thought that you'd like to know that this particular feature of the new PittCat is a big step forward.”

-Music faculty

“… I had a class of Sports and Recreation Management students in working at the library workstations. I had them go to PITTCat+ and search. One student went, "Wow!" as the result popped up. It's the first time I can remember such an amazed and delighted response to a DATABASE. I think PITTCat+ is a hit.” -Pitt librarian

“… I had a class of Sports and Recreation Management students in working at the library workstations. I had them go to PITTCat+ and search. One student went, "Wow!" as the result popped up. It's the first time I can remember such an amazed and delighted response to a DATABASE. I think PITTCat+ is a hit.”

-Pitt librarian

Thank you