The document discusses the implementation of Blacklight as a discovery layer for IU's library system, enhancing user experience by allowing easier access to resources through a new interface. Key features include search faceting, relevance sorting, and permanent URLs, aimed at making navigation more user-friendly. The timeline for development includes patron services rollout, interface testing, and staff training, with additional features planned for the future.

1. Redefining IUCAT’s public interface:
Blacklight
Librarians Day
Indiana University Libraries
June 8, 2012
Courtney Greene, IUB | Mary Popp, IUB | Randi Stocker, IUPUI

2. What We’re Going to Do Today
• Blacklight as a “Discovery Layer”
• Look, Flow, and Functionality
• Questions?
• Implementation Specifics
• Timeline, Development priorities
• Testing & Training
• Questions?

3. Blacklight as a “Discovery Layer”
• Blacklight as an “overlay”
• Blacklight interface overlays the information in the
SIRSI/Dynix database with tools to make the resource
easier to find
• Adds functions that make it easier for a non-expert
user to locate material
• Visible Differences from current IUCAT
• Interface, Facets, Relevancy, Book jackets
• Hidden gains
• Back button, Permanent URLs, Cite/Export tools

4. Users can choose different
types of searches
Users can limit their
search with different
facets

5. Displays the actions you take
Sorts by relevance!
Weights sections of a
bibliographic record so as to
boost some records to the
top of the results list

6. To narrow search results apply facets:
Format = book
Library = IUPUI University Library Displays the
limits applied
Displays book
jackets

7. Format icons
show in hit list

8. Apply facets:
Format = serial Note that relevance ranking
Library = IUPUI University Library pushes the title nearer to the top
Displays
the
facets
applied

9. URLs will automatically be permalinks And the browser’s
BACK BUTTON works!
New
features
Return to
hit list

10. Easily limit searches through use of
facets: date, format, location, etc.

11. Adding publication year will
help push desired items
nearer to the top of the list

12. Add another term to
further narrow search
results using operators
[AND, OR, NOT --
must be in all-CAPS]

13. Note that Blacklight doesn’t use truncation – instead uses word stemming
Word stemming – “effective” also retrieves “effectiveness”

14. Question Break *
* Following the session, we will be
happy to answer additional questions

15. Implementation:
timeline & development
priorities
• August
– Patron services (My Account, renew, request)
– Vernacular
– Advanced search

16. Working now
Searches to be on Request
added initially: Delivery,
Series ALF request
ISBN/ISSN

17. Implementation:
timeline & development
priorities
• August
– Patron services (My Account, renew, request)
– Vernacular
– Advanced search
• December:
– Campus views
– Additional work on interface (user testing)
• Plans for staff training being developed
now

18. A couple of design concepts for
campus views – these are just drafts,
or examples to consider

19. Looking forward…
• Authentication/authorization
• Browse by call number (see next slide for
an example from Stanford)
• Transition to OLE

21. Your Questions *
* Following the session, we will be happy
to answer any additional questions

22. Thank you!
* Access the Blacklight interface:
http://blacklight.uits.iu.edu
* Please feel free to send questions to:
iucat@indiana.edu
* DLITF Sharepoint site: http://go.iu.edu/4pT