The 'Paths' project is a three-year initiative aimed at enhancing user interaction with digital cultural heritage collections through a user-centered approach. It offers tools for creating and navigating paths that blend linear exploration with user-generated content, supported by natural language processing and various browsing mechanisms. Positive user feedback on prototype systems indicates a need for dynamic, engaging digital libraries that encourage exploration and education.

1. Personalised
paths
through
digital
library
collec4ons
Kate Fernie, MDR Partners (Consulting) Ltd
eCult Dialogue Day, 19th September 2013, Dubrovnik

2. PATHS: project basics
• A STREP funded under the FP7 programme
• 36 month project - 1/1/2011 to 31/12/2013
• 6 partners in 5 countries
•
University of Sheffield
•
Universidad del Pais Vasco
•
i-sieve technologies Ltd
•
Asplan Viak Internet Ltd
•
MDR Partners
•
(Alinari 24 Ora Spa)
http://www.paths-project.eu

3. Introduction
Large quantities of digital cultural heritage material have
become available online
Museum exhibitions offer narratives organised by theme
yet digital libraries are often limited to a simple keyword
search
eCult Dialogue Day, 19th September 2013, Dubrovnik

4. Introducing paths
We’re introducing the idea of paths into digital library collections
This is not a new idea – some online examples are Walden’s
Paths, Trailmeme and Timelines
eCult Dialogue Day, 19th September 2013, Dubrovnik

5. We think we can do more
PATHS Research areas:
• Information access: Methods for exploring and
navigating digital cultural heritage collections, including
paths, topic maps, tag-clouds, hierarchical concept
structures and recommender services.
• Natural Language Processing: analysing item metadata
to improve indexing, enable use of ontologies, and
generating links between items in the collection and with
external background material.
• Educational informatics: adapting to individual learners
in relation to being directed and being allowed the
freedom to explore autonomously
eCult Dialogue Day, 19th September 2013, Dubrovnik

6. User-centred development
What do people want from digital libraries /
how might they use paths?
Users
Gather user requirements and behaviours
Develop prototype system
Evaluate and test system with potential end
users
http://www.paths-project.eu/eng/Resources/User-Requirements-Analysis

7. Prototype
The content is from Europeana, enriched by the project team
using NLP techniques
http://explorer.paths-project.eu/

8. So what are paths?
Paths can be created by experts or any registered user
on any topic or theme
they can be linear or include branches
and they can intersect with other paths

9. User interpretations of paths
Hypertext trails
Search
history
Learning
process
Process
oriented
Information
seeking journey
Paths
Transaction
process
eCult Dialogue Day, 19th September 2013, Dubrovnik
Linked
metadata
Through route
Augmented
reality
Starting
point / way in
Encouraging
exploration
and enriching
data

10. Path following
Continue on this path
Description by path creator
Users can simply follow a path in a similar way to
reading a narrative or viewing an exhibition.

11. Encouraging exploration of the collections
Tempting users to deviate from
the path by exploring the links

12. Different user scenarios
Classroom
activities
Curated
collections
Leisure
users
Local
historians
Paths
Researchers
• PATHS system incorporates tools to support different
activity levels from path following to active
exploration and use of the contents
eCult Dialogue Day, 19th September 2013, Dubrovnik

13. Searching the collections
The prototype includes keyword searches
eCult Dialogue Day, 19th September 2013, Dubrovnik

14. Tools for browsing: thesaurus
eCult Dialogue Day, 19th September 2013, Dubrovnik

15. Browsing the collection as a tag cloud
Same taxonomy, different view
eCult Dialogue Day, 19th September 2013, Dubrovnik

16. Collection overviews: topic map
Same taxonomy different
view
th
eCult Dialogue Day, 19 September 2013, Dubrovnik

17. User study
“Imagine you are a student who has been asked to
create a path as part of a university assignment. You
have been asked to use primary source materials to
create a mini online exhibition suitable for a target
group within the general public and/or school visitor
categories. Your goal is to introduce a historical or artfocussed topic in a popular, accessible way, and to
encourage further use and exploration of cultural
heritage resources.”
eCult Dialogue Day, 19th September 2013, Dubrovnik

18. Creating paths
Users who have registered and logged into
the system can add items to their
workspace and create their own paths

19. Finding items
Users can find items to include in their path by any of the
methods above – selecting from paths, search results or by
browsing using the thesaurus, tag cloud or topic map

20. Workspace
You can add items to your
workspace until you’re
ready to start creating a
path or editing one of your
existing paths

21. Editing paths
This is an unpublished path
that I’m still working on

22. Drag and drop from workspace
I’ve created a new
branch by dragging and
dropping an item from
the workspace

23. Editing nodes
Users can add their own descriptions of
the item nodes on a path which can
include links to external resources, notes
or exercises

24. Adding text nodes
Users can also add text only nodes to a
path for example exercises, notes,
discussion

25. User evaluation
• Second round of evaluation trials just completed
• User feedback on the prototype systems has been very
good: very positive feedback on path creation tools and
search mechanisms
• About to start field trials and evaluation of a mobile app.
eCult Dialogue Day, 19th September 2013, Dubrovnik

26. Technology and exploitation
• PATHS has a flexible modular architecture consisting
of web-services, data storage and end-user interfaces
• Natural language processing of the metadata
allows search capabilities to be enhanced
• Web services support users, path creation and
editing, querying, interacting with topic
hierarchies and a recommender service
• Components intended to be suitable for
implementation in any digital library system
• Market study and exploitation this autumn
eCult Dialogue Day, 19th September 2013, Dubrovnik

27. Thanks for your attention!
kate.fernie@mdrpartners.com
http://www.paths-project.eu
Twitter @PATHS_project
eCult Dialogue Day, 19th September 2013, Dubrovnik