Challenges and opportunities in library discovery services gen

Growing discovery:
Challenges and opportunities
in library discovery services
Robin Fay robinfay.com | LibraryScope

Strengths, Weaknesses,
Opportunities & Threats
Where we are vs. where most users are

Images: CC licensed

We are one tiny
part of the
connected data
landscape -
bibliographic
and descriptive
data

Our data still looks like
this much of the time.

Our users are here
connected by data that
is relational and
dynamic, building
relationships from the
data as the user needs
it

Data challenges
• The common thread in ILS – MARC
• It defines indexing (whether or not a
field of data is actually searched)
and then display (whether that field
shows up to the public in search
results).
• Not only must the person creating
the data code it correctly, BUT the
system must be able to interpret
those codes correctly, which relies
on the coding of the programmers,
who build and maintain the ILS.

More data challenges
• Another challenge with MARC, is that it as a
position based language, each space must be
defined, e.g. character counting vs. word
counting.
• Most modern systems and programming
languages do not use a position based language.

Controlled vocabularies
• Another branch in the discovery tree is topic
searching. In the ILS, we use a controlled
vocabulary instead of keywords.
• Pros: Display a topics list; hierarchy from broad to
detailed.
• Cons: Linking between topics is more challenging
and topics can get outdated.
• In comparison, Google search results are a
combination of location based identification (geo
metadata), paid search results, and mining the
entire website for content – not just keywords.

How can we grow
discovery of our
resources?

Growing discovery through maximizing data
Refine, optimize, enrich
• Examine the relationship (mapping) between WMS and
discovery tools, especially in terms of indexing.
• Enrich records that are lacking data or very brief. Adding to
the master record in OCLC, also provides a service to the
profession as a whole (double win!)
• Create new records for materials through the lens of users
needs.
• Clean up data where needed, especially in terms of those
fields which impact searching. Inventory as needed.
• Create and update LHR (Local Holdings Records in OCLC) for
serials and periodicals. Impacts ILL and other services.
• Metrics – statistics and reports
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

Growing discovery through maximizing data
Refine, optimize, enrich
• Minimize the deficiencies of MARC through expanding its
capability.
• Provide tools and resources along every step of the search
process to assist the user in finding what they need.
Main principles of metadata description (FRBR User Tasks)
• Can they find their topic?
• Can they identify appropriate resources?
• Can they pick the best resource?
• Can they acquire that resource?
• How can we facilitate that process?

Growing discovery through personalized exploration
Engage, Support, Lead (to resources)
• Provide popup tool tips where possible to explain definitions
and terms
• Consider branding and terms – do users know what Libguides
are?
• Provide help everywhere – Didn’t find what you were looking
for? On search results. Bib citation screens. Everywhere.
• Using popups? Provide easy navigation out and help.
• Provide more ways for feedback within the library website as a
whole, including the catalog. Surprisingly enough, students and
faculty WILL report when a record is wrong in the catalog.
• Social logins? Interesting idea in academia.

A popup upon
mouse over
for definitions
or information
Better, but why not more
information?

In many ILS, Help is a menu
item which takes the user
away from the search
results; in some ILS the
search history is not kept,
meaning the user must start
over.
Why not provide help on demand

• Some ILS will pull editions and formats together, while others do not.
Better – more
FRBResque,
but inaccurate
(many more
titles that
would fall
under work in
this catalog)
Others rely on
facets, but no
grouping of
actual titles by
format.
Why not support both? Searching and refinements by
format, but also, allow the user to see all formats and
editions for a particular title (the “work”?)
Only the title is clickable

Support FRBR User Tasks in the catalog. Provide context. Provide enough
information with appropriate terminology.
•
Is there enough
information here
to truly know if
you’ve found
what you are
searching for?
From this screen,
could a user
successfully
perform the FRBR
User Tasks?

Eliminate clutter
and information
that is not relevant
to users.
#2 is confusing.
How would a user
interpret this data?
Held by: My library

Growing discovery through personalized
exploration
Meet the user in the space they are in at that
moment in time.
• Provide suggested resources. Newer cataloging
rules allow for the linking of records by edition,
translation, and other types. (For periodicals, too!)
• Provided linking between print and electronic
serials in MARC records – crosspollinate links
• Provide help at the point of need. Don’t expect
them to leave the space they are in and go look for
help.

Do back buttons work? How
easy is it navigate between the
ILS and 3rd party resources.
In this example from a real
library, the back button does not
work.
It is also not readily apparent
how to get back to the library
website.
Provide lots of navigation
choices to the extent possible.

Growing discovery through personalized
exploration
• Staying up to date as changes occur with the
software that impact library work – OCLC
recently rolled out Digby which is designed to
assist student workers in shelving and other
work.
• Accessibility – ensure that the library catalog,
any of its widgets or representations, as well as
the digital resources are accessible ensuring
that content is inclusive to all of the users.
• About that…

ILS Weakness Commonalities
• Many ILS have some design issues – information
architecture, navigation, help are inconsistent or
inferior, with some accessibility issues.
• Overall, they work well as long as you know what you
are searching for. However, doing a very complex in a
simple search is frustrating and often unsuccessful.
• More embedding of library resources (help, etc.), more
help baked in including Libguides, and a tightening up
of display of data would be useful. Integration of more
resources with the ILS – capitalize on student data
where possible

Strengths...
• Many modern ILS will pull editions together, but few
pull formats, editions, and translations together (the
work level)
• Single signon where possible to create a seamless
experience between 3rd party resources and the ILS.
• Most ILS have a very similar feel which does provide
a level of user comfort for those with experience with
ILS. Easy to determine ebooks.

Growing discovery – final thoughts
• Maximize the data (MARC) – it’s what we have
for now
• Embed support services where you can – help,
Libguides, etc. into the catalog – more
crosspollinating
• Review accessibility and best design practices –
where can they be supported in WMS?

Robin Fay, robinfay.com | LibraryScope
@georgiawebgurl
• ILS reviewed for this
discussion
• WMS
• Alma
• Voyager
• Evergreen

Challenges and opportunities in library discovery services gen

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