The University of Michigan Library's web site is a consistent, integrated front end on what was a collection of 19 distinctly different library sites and multiple library silos. The library's site now combines a variety of tools (including Drupal, VuFind, Springshare's LibGuides, Ex Libris's Metalib, DSpace, and Solr) within a single interface. In this talk, you will learn about the design process that informed the system architecture and the way we are using data from both open source and proprietary software to break down information silos. Presented at WiLSWOrld 2010 in Madison, Wisonsin

1. Opening What's Closed:Using Open Source Tools to Tear Down [Vendor] Silos Ken Varnumvarnum@umich.edu WiLSWorld21 July 2010

2. Outline Challenges Challenge Answered: Design Challenge Answered: Technology How We Break Down Silos Demonstration Q&A

3. The challenges we faced

4. Our Problem

5. Our Problem Catalog Federated Search Research Guides x 3 300+ database providers Thousands of online journals Dozens of libraries Can’t We All Just Get Along?

6. Information Not Location Web Team charge: allow the Dean to find stuff more easily A vehicle for a single identity – the MLibrary brand Provide a unified user experience Platonic Ideal – Eliminate Silos

7. Design Phase 1

8. Phase I: The Band-Aid Force the brand onto the site Provide consistent navigation Identify duplicated content Practice the idea of thinking of ourselves as one Reduced, but didn’t eliminate, heterogeneity of interface

11. Data Gathering Broad user survey One question survey Focus groups Advisory groups

13. Did not want to know where to start: information, not location

14. Single interface & design would reduce confusion

16. Design Phase 2

17. Visual Priorities Provide a ubiquitous, persistent FIND function Establish clear visual hierarchy Make us look hip, clean, contemporary Show off our treasures (they’re never seen!) Tell our news Reveal things that aren’t known about us

19. Visual Elements Soft colors don’t compete with primary function Regular rhythms help users anticipate – use a grid Design philosophy – keep it simple If the design is invisible, the design succeeds

24. Today’s Gateway

25. INTEGRATION

26. Putting the User First Review what users told us: Wanted librarians to tell them what was important Wanted easy starting poit Wanted unified design No lists of links* Built site around search and browse Used technology to beat silos into access * Except faculty. They LOVE their A-Z online journals list

27. Development Principles We  open source software Preference for building over buying Trend toward customization of generic tool We have in-house capability to customize Drupal, VuFind, Solr But use more than open source Still live in a vendor-driven environment Metalib, EZProxy, SFX, Aleph ILS

28. Ex Libris Catalog (Aleph) Federated Search (Metalib) Link Resolver (SFX) Largely closed systems

29. VuFind Open Source OPAC Based on Solr Largely open

30. LibGuides Moved subject content out of web site Better presentation for our users without building a tool Still wanted to include in site search Open data, not open application

31. DSpace Institutional Repository Metadata Somewhat open

32. Drupal Heart of the site Biggest strength: you can make it do anything Biggest weakness: you can make it do anything Enables very complex data flows Largely open

33. Apache Solr Search (mostly) happens here We index lots of data from lots of sources But we aren’t building an index of everything VuFind DSpace (“Deep Blue”)

34. Obligatory Data Flow Vision Test

35. demonstration

36. User testing and site revisions

37. The road to Hell is paved with benign neglect. -- Me

38. A Year in Review The punch list morphed into remodeling and redesign needs Reacting to feedback Conducting usability work

39. Post Redesign: It Never Ends Integrating other services & applications Article Discovery is the 3rd leg of the stool (web and catalog done) Mobile interfaces New User Experience Department just formed

40. Gateway Page Layout Participatory Design Volunteers get print-out of gateway page Circle things they like X-out things they don’t like Use post-its to add things that they want Learned interesting things about what students & librarians value Faculty study underway this term

41. Suzanne Chapman, suzchap@umich.edu

42. Suzanne Chapman, suzchap@umich.edu

43. Suzanne Chapman, suzchap@umich.edu

44. Q&A Ken Varnum Web Systems Manager University of Michigan Library varnum@umich.edu @varnum lib.umich.edu/users/varnum