Reconstituting Library Services for E-Learning Portals Joy Muller, Jane Foo OLA 2006 Superconference February 2, 2006 Presentation available at: http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps Overview Our Goals The Portal The Environment Politics and Partnerships Implementation Notes Demo Last.

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Transcript Reconstituting Library Services for E-Learning Portals Joy Muller, Jane Foo OLA 2006 Superconference February 2, 2006 Presentation available at: http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps Overview Our Goals The Portal The Environment Politics and Partnerships Implementation Notes Demo Last.

Slide 1

Reconstituting Library Services
for E-Learning Portals
Joy Muller, Jane Foo
OLA 2006 Superconference
February 2, 2006

Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Overview
Our Goals
The Portal
The Environment
Politics and Partnerships
Implementation Notes
Demo
Last Words
Comments and Questions

To Reconstitute
To bring a dried or dehydrated product to its original
consistency by adding a liquid
http://www.tyson.com/UserControls/ViewTerms.aspx

Construct or form anew or provide with a new structure;
"The governing board was reconstituted"
http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

 Let’s repackage what we can offer into
“products” that can be more easily accessed and
used by our students and faculty.

E-Learning
Covers a wide set of applications and processes
such as Web based learning, computer based
learning, virtual classrooms, and digital
collaboration.
http://www.cybermediacrations.com/elearning/glossary.htm

“Searching for a permanent, comfortable and
serviceable position that is nimble enough to be
flexible, accessible and continually up to date
with the wider ‘university’ structure”
OCLC Task Force Report on Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning

Seneca College
Mission Statement and Vision
To contribute to Canadian society by being a
transformation leader in providing students
with career-related education and training.
Our vision is to lead:








in Student Success
In Access to Higher Education
In Learning
In Applied Research
In Innovation
In our Commitment to People
In our Commitment to Diversity and Equity in Employment

E-Learning – Goals
Enrich & support pedagogy
Accessibility of learning materials and
support

Support students in life-long learning
Intra and inter school and institutional
sharing of course materials

Contribution to public knowledge

Portal
A Web based tool that provides a
customizable interface to information
aggregated from a variety of sources.
Krisellen Maloney, ASIS Bulletin

Lorcan Dempsey: p-portals and m-portals
The Recombinant Library: Portals and People

The college portal plays an important part in the
students’ academic tasks
 Focus on integrating with the user flow
 Personal Learning Landscape

The Portal: MySeneca Usage
In a 7 day period during the first 2 weeks of
this semester:
16.5 million hits occurred on My.Seneca.
42,158 announcements were viewed through the "My.Seneca Announcements" module.
62,871 student Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
11,511 staff Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
5,213 edits occurred to personalize specific modules.
9,775 changes were made to portal pages contents.
4,803 changes were made to portal layout of modules.

Licensed Digital Databases
ENCompass for
Digital Collections
::Create & manage
digital assets

Linkfinder Plus

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

::Directly access
full-text content
across
various
sources

Link
Resolver

Ask Us
Now

Ask Us Now
::Chat and interact with a
librarian online

Remote
Access

ENCompass for
Resource
Federated
Access
::Find published
articles & digital
objects via one
search

::Access and search for published content in
electronic form

e-Journals

Search
ILS

Library Catalogue
::Look up books, print periodicals, videos, DVDs, CDs

EZProxy
::Access any
restricted
resources
off-campus

Serials
Solutions
::Find an electronic
journal, magazine or
newspaper

Community
System
Learning
System

?

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

The Portal: Structure & Support
Seneca College
IT Council

Information
Technology &
Telecommunications

Portal
Committee

BB Admin
& Support

Office of
Research
& Innovation
Academic
e-Learning
Liaison

Seneca
Libraries

Deans
& Chairs

e-Learning
Centres

Faculty

The Portal: MySeneca History
September 2000:
Launch of BlackBoard
CMS (Version 4)

January 2002:
Launch of My.Seneca

December 2000:

Spring 2003:

First Portal
Committee Meeting

Load issues after
upgrade to BB 6

August 2005:
October
2004:
Launch of
Employee
Portal

Launch of first nonITT Student
Services Tab

Summer 2001:
First draft of
student portal (with
library portal)

October 2000:
First demo of library
material in BB

November 2004:
First discussions
about a library portal

December 2004:
Access to library
module admin

April 2005:
Library development
tab and modules

Why:
“Information literacy should not be
considered a given, even among “net-gen”
students .… Techniques for finding and
assessing relevant information from the
array of resources available … are crucial,
especially in light of the rising trend toward
collaborative work.”
The Horizon Report, 2006 Edition.

Our Goal

The Portal: The Library’s Plan
Determine targeted user group
Develop timelines
Funding/Resource Requirements
Methodology
Training
Marketing

MyLibrary Justification
More services & greater integration
Improved awareness of our resources
Improved access to our resources
Customizability
Greater efficiency
Demand for sound pedagogy
Librarians excel at collaboration
Environmental need to enhance skill sets
Provision of successful lifelong learning skills

Getting College Buy-In
Partnerships/Politics
Agenda
Presentation
Approval process

Library and Collaboration
Technology skills
Access
Impact
“Collaboration is related to innovation. There
would be significant gains in Canada’s
innovation performance if we were to increase
the level of collaboration.”
Conference Board of Canada

Implementing Reconstitution
The Approach
Content and Functionality
Technical Information

Limitations

What is Our Approach, Anyway?
Low-Fi and Iterative
User-centred
Staff-driven
Keeping the “big picture” in mind
No wheel re-invention
Dynamic content wherever possible
(“just text” is boring)
Focus on what we want, then on what
we can / are allowed do

Let’s Plan!
Content Chunking
What is “Chunking”?
= breaking down information into its smallest manageable
components (content unit).
Guidelines





One functionality (service) or content per “chunk”
The service / content has to be able to stand on its own.
Plan for a “chunk” size that is suitable for width and height constraints.
Limit navigation by keeping the “chunk” content within it wherever
possible. Avoid linking to other services / content.

Deliverables
A list of proposed “chunks” with label and the intended audience.

Chunking Example

Review & Select
… We ended up with 46 suggested modules!
Module Prioritization & Layout
• Default vs. Optional
• Left Navigation Links
vs. Modules
• Roles
• Type of Module

We narrowed down the selections to 5 left navigation
links and 26 priority 1 and 2 modules…

Module Candidates
Priority 1: Required Content
Academic Honesty
Virtual Reference (Ask Us Now)
Contact Information
Copyright
Remote Access Instructions
Library Instruction and Course
Support
Citing Sources (MLA, APA)
Article Databases & Express Article
Search
Library Catalogue Search
Subject Guides
Library News
My Library Account

Priority 2: Optional Content
Quick Reference Tools: Dictionaries ,
Encyclopedias, Almanacs /
Factbooks, Maps & Atlases,
Directories
Collection Development
Faculty Manuals
Audio-Visual Services: Videos &
DVDs
AV Services: Electronic Classrooms
AV Services: Equipment
Find a Journal (A-Z Search)
Research by Course
Library Forms
Information for Students
New Books

Priority 3: Want-to-Haves
 Group Study Room Bookings
 My eJournals & eBooks
 My Databases

Module Design & Layout

Very limited design possibilities





Frame
Left Navigation Bar (Links)
2-column versus 1-column
module colours and borders

Re-cyle and Re-use
Existing Modules
• Library/AV Modules
• Seneca Custom
Modules (Weblinks,
Toronto Weather,
Announcements)
• Pre-built RSS feeds
• Online Reference Tools
(search, dictionary,
maps, weather, quotes)
• Time Magazine

Pre-built Content …

Our
demo
version
so far

Technicalities…
Standards: CSS, HTML, Accessibility
Roles
Frame Environment
Modules Type: HTML, Weblinks, RSS
Custom-Programming: BB Building
Blocks – web app package consisting
of JSP and XML files
Portal System = Courseware System
No integration with Content System





<script type="text/javascript">



Internal Constraints
No JSP expertise & IDE; no access to Oracle
No access to “Live” Modules on production
Development server is not synched with
production server
Lack of procedures and policies
Lack of pre-developed customizable modules
(e.g., for RSS)
List of modules cannot be re-organized
No separation of content and formatting
(only one external CSS file)

Community
System
Digital
Collections

Learning
System

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

Alternative Paths:
Persistent Links in Course Content,
Course Pages, Referatory, Course
Integrator, eReserves

If We Did it Again…Lessons Learned
Plan for a departmental/external
programming (funding implications)
Ask more questions
Define / Agree on policies and
procedures
Get involved as soon as possible
Be patient

Still to Do
Show demo tab to Portal Committee
Release new tab to staff and faculty
for feedback and review
Prepare for training, education and
marketing
Work on a new collaborative
agreement with ITT to speed up
development time

Future Goals
Usability testing
Much more personalization: XML
records of ejournals and ebooks, new
books, staff etc. should allow far more
personalization options!
More integration with Courseware and
Content System
Focus on content management

Thank you. Any Questions?
Joy Muller
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x3042

Jane Foo
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x2011
senlibjane (Yahoo), [email protected] (MSN),
313050248 (ICQ)
Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Works Cited
Boss, Richard W. “Library Portals”. Tech Notes. Mar. 2005. American Library Assn. 19 Jan., 2006
.
CARL E-Learning Working Group. “Libraries and E-Learning.” Nov. 2005. Canadian Assn. of Research Libraries.
.

Dempsey, Lorcan. “The Recombinant Library: Portals and People.” Sept. 2003. OCLC.
.
Maloney, Krisellen. “Portals in Libraries: Library Technology and Planning for Change.” Bulletin of the American Society
of Information Science and Technology Oct/Nov 2004. 20 Jan. 2006 Oct-04/maloney.html>.
OCLC E-Learning Task Force. “Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning.” Oct. 2003. OCLC. 20 Jan. 2006
.
New Media Consortium & EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative. “The Horizon Report: 2006 Edition.” 31 Jan., 2006.
New Media Consortium. .
Portal Webliography. Ed. Eric Lease Morgan. 21 Nov. 2001. Infomotions. 20 Jan., 2006
.


Slide 2

Reconstituting Library Services
for E-Learning Portals
Joy Muller, Jane Foo
OLA 2006 Superconference
February 2, 2006

Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Overview
Our Goals
The Portal
The Environment
Politics and Partnerships
Implementation Notes
Demo
Last Words
Comments and Questions

To Reconstitute
To bring a dried or dehydrated product to its original
consistency by adding a liquid
http://www.tyson.com/UserControls/ViewTerms.aspx

Construct or form anew or provide with a new structure;
"The governing board was reconstituted"
http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

 Let’s repackage what we can offer into
“products” that can be more easily accessed and
used by our students and faculty.

E-Learning
Covers a wide set of applications and processes
such as Web based learning, computer based
learning, virtual classrooms, and digital
collaboration.
http://www.cybermediacrations.com/elearning/glossary.htm

“Searching for a permanent, comfortable and
serviceable position that is nimble enough to be
flexible, accessible and continually up to date
with the wider ‘university’ structure”
OCLC Task Force Report on Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning

Seneca College
Mission Statement and Vision
To contribute to Canadian society by being a
transformation leader in providing students
with career-related education and training.
Our vision is to lead:








in Student Success
In Access to Higher Education
In Learning
In Applied Research
In Innovation
In our Commitment to People
In our Commitment to Diversity and Equity in Employment

E-Learning – Goals
Enrich & support pedagogy
Accessibility of learning materials and
support

Support students in life-long learning
Intra and inter school and institutional
sharing of course materials

Contribution to public knowledge

Portal
A Web based tool that provides a
customizable interface to information
aggregated from a variety of sources.
Krisellen Maloney, ASIS Bulletin

Lorcan Dempsey: p-portals and m-portals
The Recombinant Library: Portals and People

The college portal plays an important part in the
students’ academic tasks
 Focus on integrating with the user flow
 Personal Learning Landscape

The Portal: MySeneca Usage
In a 7 day period during the first 2 weeks of
this semester:
16.5 million hits occurred on My.Seneca.
42,158 announcements were viewed through the "My.Seneca Announcements" module.
62,871 student Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
11,511 staff Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
5,213 edits occurred to personalize specific modules.
9,775 changes were made to portal pages contents.
4,803 changes were made to portal layout of modules.

Licensed Digital Databases
ENCompass for
Digital Collections
::Create & manage
digital assets

Linkfinder Plus

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

::Directly access
full-text content
across
various
sources

Link
Resolver

Ask Us
Now

Ask Us Now
::Chat and interact with a
librarian online

Remote
Access

ENCompass for
Resource
Federated
Access
::Find published
articles & digital
objects via one
search

::Access and search for published content in
electronic form

e-Journals

Search
ILS

Library Catalogue
::Look up books, print periodicals, videos, DVDs, CDs

EZProxy
::Access any
restricted
resources
off-campus

Serials
Solutions
::Find an electronic
journal, magazine or
newspaper

Community
System
Learning
System

?

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

The Portal: Structure & Support
Seneca College
IT Council

Information
Technology &
Telecommunications

Portal
Committee

BB Admin
& Support

Office of
Research
& Innovation
Academic
e-Learning
Liaison

Seneca
Libraries

Deans
& Chairs

e-Learning
Centres

Faculty

The Portal: MySeneca History
September 2000:
Launch of BlackBoard
CMS (Version 4)

January 2002:
Launch of My.Seneca

December 2000:

Spring 2003:

First Portal
Committee Meeting

Load issues after
upgrade to BB 6

August 2005:
October
2004:
Launch of
Employee
Portal

Launch of first nonITT Student
Services Tab

Summer 2001:
First draft of
student portal (with
library portal)

October 2000:
First demo of library
material in BB

November 2004:
First discussions
about a library portal

December 2004:
Access to library
module admin

April 2005:
Library development
tab and modules

Why:
“Information literacy should not be
considered a given, even among “net-gen”
students .… Techniques for finding and
assessing relevant information from the
array of resources available … are crucial,
especially in light of the rising trend toward
collaborative work.”
The Horizon Report, 2006 Edition.

Our Goal

The Portal: The Library’s Plan
Determine targeted user group
Develop timelines
Funding/Resource Requirements
Methodology
Training
Marketing

MyLibrary Justification
More services & greater integration
Improved awareness of our resources
Improved access to our resources
Customizability
Greater efficiency
Demand for sound pedagogy
Librarians excel at collaboration
Environmental need to enhance skill sets
Provision of successful lifelong learning skills

Getting College Buy-In
Partnerships/Politics
Agenda
Presentation
Approval process

Library and Collaboration
Technology skills
Access
Impact
“Collaboration is related to innovation. There
would be significant gains in Canada’s
innovation performance if we were to increase
the level of collaboration.”
Conference Board of Canada

Implementing Reconstitution
The Approach
Content and Functionality
Technical Information

Limitations

What is Our Approach, Anyway?
Low-Fi and Iterative
User-centred
Staff-driven
Keeping the “big picture” in mind
No wheel re-invention
Dynamic content wherever possible
(“just text” is boring)
Focus on what we want, then on what
we can / are allowed do

Let’s Plan!
Content Chunking
What is “Chunking”?
= breaking down information into its smallest manageable
components (content unit).
Guidelines





One functionality (service) or content per “chunk”
The service / content has to be able to stand on its own.
Plan for a “chunk” size that is suitable for width and height constraints.
Limit navigation by keeping the “chunk” content within it wherever
possible. Avoid linking to other services / content.

Deliverables
A list of proposed “chunks” with label and the intended audience.

Chunking Example

Review & Select
… We ended up with 46 suggested modules!
Module Prioritization & Layout
• Default vs. Optional
• Left Navigation Links
vs. Modules
• Roles
• Type of Module

We narrowed down the selections to 5 left navigation
links and 26 priority 1 and 2 modules…

Module Candidates
Priority 1: Required Content
Academic Honesty
Virtual Reference (Ask Us Now)
Contact Information
Copyright
Remote Access Instructions
Library Instruction and Course
Support
Citing Sources (MLA, APA)
Article Databases & Express Article
Search
Library Catalogue Search
Subject Guides
Library News
My Library Account

Priority 2: Optional Content
Quick Reference Tools: Dictionaries ,
Encyclopedias, Almanacs /
Factbooks, Maps & Atlases,
Directories
Collection Development
Faculty Manuals
Audio-Visual Services: Videos &
DVDs
AV Services: Electronic Classrooms
AV Services: Equipment
Find a Journal (A-Z Search)
Research by Course
Library Forms
Information for Students
New Books

Priority 3: Want-to-Haves
 Group Study Room Bookings
 My eJournals & eBooks
 My Databases

Module Design & Layout

Very limited design possibilities





Frame
Left Navigation Bar (Links)
2-column versus 1-column
module colours and borders

Re-cyle and Re-use
Existing Modules
• Library/AV Modules
• Seneca Custom
Modules (Weblinks,
Toronto Weather,
Announcements)
• Pre-built RSS feeds
• Online Reference Tools
(search, dictionary,
maps, weather, quotes)
• Time Magazine

Pre-built Content …

Our
demo
version
so far

Technicalities…
Standards: CSS, HTML, Accessibility
Roles
Frame Environment
Modules Type: HTML, Weblinks, RSS
Custom-Programming: BB Building
Blocks – web app package consisting
of JSP and XML files
Portal System = Courseware System
No integration with Content System


Find Books,
Videos & DVDs



<script type="text/javascript">



Internal Constraints
No JSP expertise & IDE; no access to Oracle
No access to “Live” Modules on production
Development server is not synched with
production server
Lack of procedures and policies
Lack of pre-developed customizable modules
(e.g., for RSS)
List of modules cannot be re-organized
No separation of content and formatting
(only one external CSS file)

Community
System
Digital
Collections

Learning
System

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

Alternative Paths:
Persistent Links in Course Content,
Course Pages, Referatory, Course
Integrator, eReserves

If We Did it Again…Lessons Learned
Plan for a departmental/external
programming (funding implications)
Ask more questions
Define / Agree on policies and
procedures
Get involved as soon as possible
Be patient

Still to Do
Show demo tab to Portal Committee
Release new tab to staff and faculty
for feedback and review
Prepare for training, education and
marketing
Work on a new collaborative
agreement with ITT to speed up
development time

Future Goals
Usability testing
Much more personalization: XML
records of ejournals and ebooks, new
books, staff etc. should allow far more
personalization options!
More integration with Courseware and
Content System
Focus on content management

Thank you. Any Questions?
Joy Muller
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x3042

Jane Foo
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x2011
senlibjane (Yahoo), [email protected] (MSN),
313050248 (ICQ)
Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Works Cited
Boss, Richard W. “Library Portals”. Tech Notes. Mar. 2005. American Library Assn. 19 Jan., 2006
.
CARL E-Learning Working Group. “Libraries and E-Learning.” Nov. 2005. Canadian Assn. of Research Libraries.
.

Dempsey, Lorcan. “The Recombinant Library: Portals and People.” Sept. 2003. OCLC.
.
Maloney, Krisellen. “Portals in Libraries: Library Technology and Planning for Change.” Bulletin of the American Society
of Information Science and Technology Oct/Nov 2004. 20 Jan. 2006 Oct-04/maloney.html>.
OCLC E-Learning Task Force. “Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning.” Oct. 2003. OCLC. 20 Jan. 2006
.
New Media Consortium & EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative. “The Horizon Report: 2006 Edition.” 31 Jan., 2006.
New Media Consortium. .
Portal Webliography. Ed. Eric Lease Morgan. 21 Nov. 2001. Infomotions. 20 Jan., 2006
.


Slide 3

Reconstituting Library Services
for E-Learning Portals
Joy Muller, Jane Foo
OLA 2006 Superconference
February 2, 2006

Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Overview
Our Goals
The Portal
The Environment
Politics and Partnerships
Implementation Notes
Demo
Last Words
Comments and Questions

To Reconstitute
To bring a dried or dehydrated product to its original
consistency by adding a liquid
http://www.tyson.com/UserControls/ViewTerms.aspx

Construct or form anew or provide with a new structure;
"The governing board was reconstituted"
http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

 Let’s repackage what we can offer into
“products” that can be more easily accessed and
used by our students and faculty.

E-Learning
Covers a wide set of applications and processes
such as Web based learning, computer based
learning, virtual classrooms, and digital
collaboration.
http://www.cybermediacrations.com/elearning/glossary.htm

“Searching for a permanent, comfortable and
serviceable position that is nimble enough to be
flexible, accessible and continually up to date
with the wider ‘university’ structure”
OCLC Task Force Report on Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning

Seneca College
Mission Statement and Vision
To contribute to Canadian society by being a
transformation leader in providing students
with career-related education and training.
Our vision is to lead:








in Student Success
In Access to Higher Education
In Learning
In Applied Research
In Innovation
In our Commitment to People
In our Commitment to Diversity and Equity in Employment

E-Learning – Goals
Enrich & support pedagogy
Accessibility of learning materials and
support

Support students in life-long learning
Intra and inter school and institutional
sharing of course materials

Contribution to public knowledge

Portal
A Web based tool that provides a
customizable interface to information
aggregated from a variety of sources.
Krisellen Maloney, ASIS Bulletin

Lorcan Dempsey: p-portals and m-portals
The Recombinant Library: Portals and People

The college portal plays an important part in the
students’ academic tasks
 Focus on integrating with the user flow
 Personal Learning Landscape

The Portal: MySeneca Usage
In a 7 day period during the first 2 weeks of
this semester:
16.5 million hits occurred on My.Seneca.
42,158 announcements were viewed through the "My.Seneca Announcements" module.
62,871 student Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
11,511 staff Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
5,213 edits occurred to personalize specific modules.
9,775 changes were made to portal pages contents.
4,803 changes were made to portal layout of modules.

Licensed Digital Databases
ENCompass for
Digital Collections
::Create & manage
digital assets

Linkfinder Plus

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

::Directly access
full-text content
across
various
sources

Link
Resolver

Ask Us
Now

Ask Us Now
::Chat and interact with a
librarian online

Remote
Access

ENCompass for
Resource
Federated
Access
::Find published
articles & digital
objects via one
search

::Access and search for published content in
electronic form

e-Journals

Search
ILS

Library Catalogue
::Look up books, print periodicals, videos, DVDs, CDs

EZProxy
::Access any
restricted
resources
off-campus

Serials
Solutions
::Find an electronic
journal, magazine or
newspaper

Community
System
Learning
System

?

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

The Portal: Structure & Support
Seneca College
IT Council

Information
Technology &
Telecommunications

Portal
Committee

BB Admin
& Support

Office of
Research
& Innovation
Academic
e-Learning
Liaison

Seneca
Libraries

Deans
& Chairs

e-Learning
Centres

Faculty

The Portal: MySeneca History
September 2000:
Launch of BlackBoard
CMS (Version 4)

January 2002:
Launch of My.Seneca

December 2000:

Spring 2003:

First Portal
Committee Meeting

Load issues after
upgrade to BB 6

August 2005:
October
2004:
Launch of
Employee
Portal

Launch of first nonITT Student
Services Tab

Summer 2001:
First draft of
student portal (with
library portal)

October 2000:
First demo of library
material in BB

November 2004:
First discussions
about a library portal

December 2004:
Access to library
module admin

April 2005:
Library development
tab and modules

Why:
“Information literacy should not be
considered a given, even among “net-gen”
students .… Techniques for finding and
assessing relevant information from the
array of resources available … are crucial,
especially in light of the rising trend toward
collaborative work.”
The Horizon Report, 2006 Edition.

Our Goal

The Portal: The Library’s Plan
Determine targeted user group
Develop timelines
Funding/Resource Requirements
Methodology
Training
Marketing

MyLibrary Justification
More services & greater integration
Improved awareness of our resources
Improved access to our resources
Customizability
Greater efficiency
Demand for sound pedagogy
Librarians excel at collaboration
Environmental need to enhance skill sets
Provision of successful lifelong learning skills

Getting College Buy-In
Partnerships/Politics
Agenda
Presentation
Approval process

Library and Collaboration
Technology skills
Access
Impact
“Collaboration is related to innovation. There
would be significant gains in Canada’s
innovation performance if we were to increase
the level of collaboration.”
Conference Board of Canada

Implementing Reconstitution
The Approach
Content and Functionality
Technical Information

Limitations

What is Our Approach, Anyway?
Low-Fi and Iterative
User-centred
Staff-driven
Keeping the “big picture” in mind
No wheel re-invention
Dynamic content wherever possible
(“just text” is boring)
Focus on what we want, then on what
we can / are allowed do

Let’s Plan!
Content Chunking
What is “Chunking”?
= breaking down information into its smallest manageable
components (content unit).
Guidelines





One functionality (service) or content per “chunk”
The service / content has to be able to stand on its own.
Plan for a “chunk” size that is suitable for width and height constraints.
Limit navigation by keeping the “chunk” content within it wherever
possible. Avoid linking to other services / content.

Deliverables
A list of proposed “chunks” with label and the intended audience.

Chunking Example

Review & Select
… We ended up with 46 suggested modules!
Module Prioritization & Layout
• Default vs. Optional
• Left Navigation Links
vs. Modules
• Roles
• Type of Module

We narrowed down the selections to 5 left navigation
links and 26 priority 1 and 2 modules…

Module Candidates
Priority 1: Required Content
Academic Honesty
Virtual Reference (Ask Us Now)
Contact Information
Copyright
Remote Access Instructions
Library Instruction and Course
Support
Citing Sources (MLA, APA)
Article Databases & Express Article
Search
Library Catalogue Search
Subject Guides
Library News
My Library Account

Priority 2: Optional Content
Quick Reference Tools: Dictionaries ,
Encyclopedias, Almanacs /
Factbooks, Maps & Atlases,
Directories
Collection Development
Faculty Manuals
Audio-Visual Services: Videos &
DVDs
AV Services: Electronic Classrooms
AV Services: Equipment
Find a Journal (A-Z Search)
Research by Course
Library Forms
Information for Students
New Books

Priority 3: Want-to-Haves
 Group Study Room Bookings
 My eJournals & eBooks
 My Databases

Module Design & Layout

Very limited design possibilities





Frame
Left Navigation Bar (Links)
2-column versus 1-column
module colours and borders

Re-cyle and Re-use
Existing Modules
• Library/AV Modules
• Seneca Custom
Modules (Weblinks,
Toronto Weather,
Announcements)
• Pre-built RSS feeds
• Online Reference Tools
(search, dictionary,
maps, weather, quotes)
• Time Magazine

Pre-built Content …

Our
demo
version
so far

Technicalities…
Standards: CSS, HTML, Accessibility
Roles
Frame Environment
Modules Type: HTML, Weblinks, RSS
Custom-Programming: BB Building
Blocks – web app package consisting
of JSP and XML files
Portal System = Courseware System
No integration with Content System


Find Books,
Videos & DVDs



<script type="text/javascript">



Internal Constraints
No JSP expertise & IDE; no access to Oracle
No access to “Live” Modules on production
Development server is not synched with
production server
Lack of procedures and policies
Lack of pre-developed customizable modules
(e.g., for RSS)
List of modules cannot be re-organized
No separation of content and formatting
(only one external CSS file)

Community
System
Digital
Collections

Learning
System

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

Alternative Paths:
Persistent Links in Course Content,
Course Pages, Referatory, Course
Integrator, eReserves

If We Did it Again…Lessons Learned
Plan for a departmental/external
programming (funding implications)
Ask more questions
Define / Agree on policies and
procedures
Get involved as soon as possible
Be patient

Still to Do
Show demo tab to Portal Committee
Release new tab to staff and faculty
for feedback and review
Prepare for training, education and
marketing
Work on a new collaborative
agreement with ITT to speed up
development time

Future Goals
Usability testing
Much more personalization: XML
records of ejournals and ebooks, new
books, staff etc. should allow far more
personalization options!
More integration with Courseware and
Content System
Focus on content management

Thank you. Any Questions?
Joy Muller
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x3042

Jane Foo
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x2011
senlibjane (Yahoo), [email protected] (MSN),
313050248 (ICQ)
Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Works Cited
Boss, Richard W. “Library Portals”. Tech Notes. Mar. 2005. American Library Assn. 19 Jan., 2006
.
CARL E-Learning Working Group. “Libraries and E-Learning.” Nov. 2005. Canadian Assn. of Research Libraries.
.

Dempsey, Lorcan. “The Recombinant Library: Portals and People.” Sept. 2003. OCLC.
.
Maloney, Krisellen. “Portals in Libraries: Library Technology and Planning for Change.” Bulletin of the American Society
of Information Science and Technology Oct/Nov 2004. 20 Jan. 2006 Oct-04/maloney.html>.
OCLC E-Learning Task Force. “Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning.” Oct. 2003. OCLC. 20 Jan. 2006
.
New Media Consortium & EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative. “The Horizon Report: 2006 Edition.” 31 Jan., 2006.
New Media Consortium. .
Portal Webliography. Ed. Eric Lease Morgan. 21 Nov. 2001. Infomotions. 20 Jan., 2006
.


Slide 4

Reconstituting Library Services
for E-Learning Portals
Joy Muller, Jane Foo
OLA 2006 Superconference
February 2, 2006

Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Overview
Our Goals
The Portal
The Environment
Politics and Partnerships
Implementation Notes
Demo
Last Words
Comments and Questions

To Reconstitute
To bring a dried or dehydrated product to its original
consistency by adding a liquid
http://www.tyson.com/UserControls/ViewTerms.aspx

Construct or form anew or provide with a new structure;
"The governing board was reconstituted"
http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

 Let’s repackage what we can offer into
“products” that can be more easily accessed and
used by our students and faculty.

E-Learning
Covers a wide set of applications and processes
such as Web based learning, computer based
learning, virtual classrooms, and digital
collaboration.
http://www.cybermediacrations.com/elearning/glossary.htm

“Searching for a permanent, comfortable and
serviceable position that is nimble enough to be
flexible, accessible and continually up to date
with the wider ‘university’ structure”
OCLC Task Force Report on Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning

Seneca College
Mission Statement and Vision
To contribute to Canadian society by being a
transformation leader in providing students
with career-related education and training.
Our vision is to lead:








in Student Success
In Access to Higher Education
In Learning
In Applied Research
In Innovation
In our Commitment to People
In our Commitment to Diversity and Equity in Employment

E-Learning – Goals
Enrich & support pedagogy
Accessibility of learning materials and
support

Support students in life-long learning
Intra and inter school and institutional
sharing of course materials

Contribution to public knowledge

Portal
A Web based tool that provides a
customizable interface to information
aggregated from a variety of sources.
Krisellen Maloney, ASIS Bulletin

Lorcan Dempsey: p-portals and m-portals
The Recombinant Library: Portals and People

The college portal plays an important part in the
students’ academic tasks
 Focus on integrating with the user flow
 Personal Learning Landscape

The Portal: MySeneca Usage
In a 7 day period during the first 2 weeks of
this semester:
16.5 million hits occurred on My.Seneca.
42,158 announcements were viewed through the "My.Seneca Announcements" module.
62,871 student Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
11,511 staff Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
5,213 edits occurred to personalize specific modules.
9,775 changes were made to portal pages contents.
4,803 changes were made to portal layout of modules.

Licensed Digital Databases
ENCompass for
Digital Collections
::Create & manage
digital assets

Linkfinder Plus

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

::Directly access
full-text content
across
various
sources

Link
Resolver

Ask Us
Now

Ask Us Now
::Chat and interact with a
librarian online

Remote
Access

ENCompass for
Resource
Federated
Access
::Find published
articles & digital
objects via one
search

::Access and search for published content in
electronic form

e-Journals

Search
ILS

Library Catalogue
::Look up books, print periodicals, videos, DVDs, CDs

EZProxy
::Access any
restricted
resources
off-campus

Serials
Solutions
::Find an electronic
journal, magazine or
newspaper

Community
System
Learning
System

?

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

The Portal: Structure & Support
Seneca College
IT Council

Information
Technology &
Telecommunications

Portal
Committee

BB Admin
& Support

Office of
Research
& Innovation
Academic
e-Learning
Liaison

Seneca
Libraries

Deans
& Chairs

e-Learning
Centres

Faculty

The Portal: MySeneca History
September 2000:
Launch of BlackBoard
CMS (Version 4)

January 2002:
Launch of My.Seneca

December 2000:

Spring 2003:

First Portal
Committee Meeting

Load issues after
upgrade to BB 6

August 2005:
October
2004:
Launch of
Employee
Portal

Launch of first nonITT Student
Services Tab

Summer 2001:
First draft of
student portal (with
library portal)

October 2000:
First demo of library
material in BB

November 2004:
First discussions
about a library portal

December 2004:
Access to library
module admin

April 2005:
Library development
tab and modules

Why:
“Information literacy should not be
considered a given, even among “net-gen”
students .… Techniques for finding and
assessing relevant information from the
array of resources available … are crucial,
especially in light of the rising trend toward
collaborative work.”
The Horizon Report, 2006 Edition.

Our Goal

The Portal: The Library’s Plan
Determine targeted user group
Develop timelines
Funding/Resource Requirements
Methodology
Training
Marketing

MyLibrary Justification
More services & greater integration
Improved awareness of our resources
Improved access to our resources
Customizability
Greater efficiency
Demand for sound pedagogy
Librarians excel at collaboration
Environmental need to enhance skill sets
Provision of successful lifelong learning skills

Getting College Buy-In
Partnerships/Politics
Agenda
Presentation
Approval process

Library and Collaboration
Technology skills
Access
Impact
“Collaboration is related to innovation. There
would be significant gains in Canada’s
innovation performance if we were to increase
the level of collaboration.”
Conference Board of Canada

Implementing Reconstitution
The Approach
Content and Functionality
Technical Information

Limitations

What is Our Approach, Anyway?
Low-Fi and Iterative
User-centred
Staff-driven
Keeping the “big picture” in mind
No wheel re-invention
Dynamic content wherever possible
(“just text” is boring)
Focus on what we want, then on what
we can / are allowed do

Let’s Plan!
Content Chunking
What is “Chunking”?
= breaking down information into its smallest manageable
components (content unit).
Guidelines





One functionality (service) or content per “chunk”
The service / content has to be able to stand on its own.
Plan for a “chunk” size that is suitable for width and height constraints.
Limit navigation by keeping the “chunk” content within it wherever
possible. Avoid linking to other services / content.

Deliverables
A list of proposed “chunks” with label and the intended audience.

Chunking Example

Review & Select
… We ended up with 46 suggested modules!
Module Prioritization & Layout
• Default vs. Optional
• Left Navigation Links
vs. Modules
• Roles
• Type of Module

We narrowed down the selections to 5 left navigation
links and 26 priority 1 and 2 modules…

Module Candidates
Priority 1: Required Content
Academic Honesty
Virtual Reference (Ask Us Now)
Contact Information
Copyright
Remote Access Instructions
Library Instruction and Course
Support
Citing Sources (MLA, APA)
Article Databases & Express Article
Search
Library Catalogue Search
Subject Guides
Library News
My Library Account

Priority 2: Optional Content
Quick Reference Tools: Dictionaries ,
Encyclopedias, Almanacs /
Factbooks, Maps & Atlases,
Directories
Collection Development
Faculty Manuals
Audio-Visual Services: Videos &
DVDs
AV Services: Electronic Classrooms
AV Services: Equipment
Find a Journal (A-Z Search)
Research by Course
Library Forms
Information for Students
New Books

Priority 3: Want-to-Haves
 Group Study Room Bookings
 My eJournals & eBooks
 My Databases

Module Design & Layout

Very limited design possibilities





Frame
Left Navigation Bar (Links)
2-column versus 1-column
module colours and borders

Re-cyle and Re-use
Existing Modules
• Library/AV Modules
• Seneca Custom
Modules (Weblinks,
Toronto Weather,
Announcements)
• Pre-built RSS feeds
• Online Reference Tools
(search, dictionary,
maps, weather, quotes)
• Time Magazine

Pre-built Content …

Our
demo
version
so far

Technicalities…
Standards: CSS, HTML, Accessibility
Roles
Frame Environment
Modules Type: HTML, Weblinks, RSS
Custom-Programming: BB Building
Blocks – web app package consisting
of JSP and XML files
Portal System = Courseware System
No integration with Content System


Find Books,
Videos & DVDs



<script type="text/javascript">



Internal Constraints
No JSP expertise & IDE; no access to Oracle
No access to “Live” Modules on production
Development server is not synched with
production server
Lack of procedures and policies
Lack of pre-developed customizable modules
(e.g., for RSS)
List of modules cannot be re-organized
No separation of content and formatting
(only one external CSS file)

Community
System
Digital
Collections

Learning
System

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

Alternative Paths:
Persistent Links in Course Content,
Course Pages, Referatory, Course
Integrator, eReserves

If We Did it Again…Lessons Learned
Plan for a departmental/external
programming (funding implications)
Ask more questions
Define / Agree on policies and
procedures
Get involved as soon as possible
Be patient

Still to Do
Show demo tab to Portal Committee
Release new tab to staff and faculty
for feedback and review
Prepare for training, education and
marketing
Work on a new collaborative
agreement with ITT to speed up
development time

Future Goals
Usability testing
Much more personalization: XML
records of ejournals and ebooks, new
books, staff etc. should allow far more
personalization options!
More integration with Courseware and
Content System
Focus on content management

Thank you. Any Questions?
Joy Muller
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x3042

Jane Foo
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x2011
senlibjane (Yahoo), [email protected] (MSN),
313050248 (ICQ)
Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Works Cited
Boss, Richard W. “Library Portals”. Tech Notes. Mar. 2005. American Library Assn. 19 Jan., 2006
.
CARL E-Learning Working Group. “Libraries and E-Learning.” Nov. 2005. Canadian Assn. of Research Libraries.
.

Dempsey, Lorcan. “The Recombinant Library: Portals and People.” Sept. 2003. OCLC.
.
Maloney, Krisellen. “Portals in Libraries: Library Technology and Planning for Change.” Bulletin of the American Society
of Information Science and Technology Oct/Nov 2004. 20 Jan. 2006 Oct-04/maloney.html>.
OCLC E-Learning Task Force. “Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning.” Oct. 2003. OCLC. 20 Jan. 2006
.
New Media Consortium & EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative. “The Horizon Report: 2006 Edition.” 31 Jan., 2006.
New Media Consortium. .
Portal Webliography. Ed. Eric Lease Morgan. 21 Nov. 2001. Infomotions. 20 Jan., 2006
.


Slide 5

Reconstituting Library Services
for E-Learning Portals
Joy Muller, Jane Foo
OLA 2006 Superconference
February 2, 2006

Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Overview
Our Goals
The Portal
The Environment
Politics and Partnerships
Implementation Notes
Demo
Last Words
Comments and Questions

To Reconstitute
To bring a dried or dehydrated product to its original
consistency by adding a liquid
http://www.tyson.com/UserControls/ViewTerms.aspx

Construct or form anew or provide with a new structure;
"The governing board was reconstituted"
http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

 Let’s repackage what we can offer into
“products” that can be more easily accessed and
used by our students and faculty.

E-Learning
Covers a wide set of applications and processes
such as Web based learning, computer based
learning, virtual classrooms, and digital
collaboration.
http://www.cybermediacrations.com/elearning/glossary.htm

“Searching for a permanent, comfortable and
serviceable position that is nimble enough to be
flexible, accessible and continually up to date
with the wider ‘university’ structure”
OCLC Task Force Report on Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning

Seneca College
Mission Statement and Vision
To contribute to Canadian society by being a
transformation leader in providing students
with career-related education and training.
Our vision is to lead:








in Student Success
In Access to Higher Education
In Learning
In Applied Research
In Innovation
In our Commitment to People
In our Commitment to Diversity and Equity in Employment

E-Learning – Goals
Enrich & support pedagogy
Accessibility of learning materials and
support

Support students in life-long learning
Intra and inter school and institutional
sharing of course materials

Contribution to public knowledge

Portal
A Web based tool that provides a
customizable interface to information
aggregated from a variety of sources.
Krisellen Maloney, ASIS Bulletin

Lorcan Dempsey: p-portals and m-portals
The Recombinant Library: Portals and People

The college portal plays an important part in the
students’ academic tasks
 Focus on integrating with the user flow
 Personal Learning Landscape

The Portal: MySeneca Usage
In a 7 day period during the first 2 weeks of
this semester:
16.5 million hits occurred on My.Seneca.
42,158 announcements were viewed through the "My.Seneca Announcements" module.
62,871 student Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
11,511 staff Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
5,213 edits occurred to personalize specific modules.
9,775 changes were made to portal pages contents.
4,803 changes were made to portal layout of modules.

Licensed Digital Databases
ENCompass for
Digital Collections
::Create & manage
digital assets

Linkfinder Plus

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

::Directly access
full-text content
across
various
sources

Link
Resolver

Ask Us
Now

Ask Us Now
::Chat and interact with a
librarian online

Remote
Access

ENCompass for
Resource
Federated
Access
::Find published
articles & digital
objects via one
search

::Access and search for published content in
electronic form

e-Journals

Search
ILS

Library Catalogue
::Look up books, print periodicals, videos, DVDs, CDs

EZProxy
::Access any
restricted
resources
off-campus

Serials
Solutions
::Find an electronic
journal, magazine or
newspaper

Community
System
Learning
System

?

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

The Portal: Structure & Support
Seneca College
IT Council

Information
Technology &
Telecommunications

Portal
Committee

BB Admin
& Support

Office of
Research
& Innovation
Academic
e-Learning
Liaison

Seneca
Libraries

Deans
& Chairs

e-Learning
Centres

Faculty

The Portal: MySeneca History
September 2000:
Launch of BlackBoard
CMS (Version 4)

January 2002:
Launch of My.Seneca

December 2000:

Spring 2003:

First Portal
Committee Meeting

Load issues after
upgrade to BB 6

August 2005:
October
2004:
Launch of
Employee
Portal

Launch of first nonITT Student
Services Tab

Summer 2001:
First draft of
student portal (with
library portal)

October 2000:
First demo of library
material in BB

November 2004:
First discussions
about a library portal

December 2004:
Access to library
module admin

April 2005:
Library development
tab and modules

Why:
“Information literacy should not be
considered a given, even among “net-gen”
students .… Techniques for finding and
assessing relevant information from the
array of resources available … are crucial,
especially in light of the rising trend toward
collaborative work.”
The Horizon Report, 2006 Edition.

Our Goal

The Portal: The Library’s Plan
Determine targeted user group
Develop timelines
Funding/Resource Requirements
Methodology
Training
Marketing

MyLibrary Justification
More services & greater integration
Improved awareness of our resources
Improved access to our resources
Customizability
Greater efficiency
Demand for sound pedagogy
Librarians excel at collaboration
Environmental need to enhance skill sets
Provision of successful lifelong learning skills

Getting College Buy-In
Partnerships/Politics
Agenda
Presentation
Approval process

Library and Collaboration
Technology skills
Access
Impact
“Collaboration is related to innovation. There
would be significant gains in Canada’s
innovation performance if we were to increase
the level of collaboration.”
Conference Board of Canada

Implementing Reconstitution
The Approach
Content and Functionality
Technical Information

Limitations

What is Our Approach, Anyway?
Low-Fi and Iterative
User-centred
Staff-driven
Keeping the “big picture” in mind
No wheel re-invention
Dynamic content wherever possible
(“just text” is boring)
Focus on what we want, then on what
we can / are allowed do

Let’s Plan!
Content Chunking
What is “Chunking”?
= breaking down information into its smallest manageable
components (content unit).
Guidelines





One functionality (service) or content per “chunk”
The service / content has to be able to stand on its own.
Plan for a “chunk” size that is suitable for width and height constraints.
Limit navigation by keeping the “chunk” content within it wherever
possible. Avoid linking to other services / content.

Deliverables
A list of proposed “chunks” with label and the intended audience.

Chunking Example

Review & Select
… We ended up with 46 suggested modules!
Module Prioritization & Layout
• Default vs. Optional
• Left Navigation Links
vs. Modules
• Roles
• Type of Module

We narrowed down the selections to 5 left navigation
links and 26 priority 1 and 2 modules…

Module Candidates
Priority 1: Required Content
Academic Honesty
Virtual Reference (Ask Us Now)
Contact Information
Copyright
Remote Access Instructions
Library Instruction and Course
Support
Citing Sources (MLA, APA)
Article Databases & Express Article
Search
Library Catalogue Search
Subject Guides
Library News
My Library Account

Priority 2: Optional Content
Quick Reference Tools: Dictionaries ,
Encyclopedias, Almanacs /
Factbooks, Maps & Atlases,
Directories
Collection Development
Faculty Manuals
Audio-Visual Services: Videos &
DVDs
AV Services: Electronic Classrooms
AV Services: Equipment
Find a Journal (A-Z Search)
Research by Course
Library Forms
Information for Students
New Books

Priority 3: Want-to-Haves
 Group Study Room Bookings
 My eJournals & eBooks
 My Databases

Module Design & Layout

Very limited design possibilities





Frame
Left Navigation Bar (Links)
2-column versus 1-column
module colours and borders

Re-cyle and Re-use
Existing Modules
• Library/AV Modules
• Seneca Custom
Modules (Weblinks,
Toronto Weather,
Announcements)
• Pre-built RSS feeds
• Online Reference Tools
(search, dictionary,
maps, weather, quotes)
• Time Magazine

Pre-built Content …

Our
demo
version
so far

Technicalities…
Standards: CSS, HTML, Accessibility
Roles
Frame Environment
Modules Type: HTML, Weblinks, RSS
Custom-Programming: BB Building
Blocks – web app package consisting
of JSP and XML files
Portal System = Courseware System
No integration with Content System


Find Books,
Videos & DVDs



<script type="text/javascript">



Internal Constraints
No JSP expertise & IDE; no access to Oracle
No access to “Live” Modules on production
Development server is not synched with
production server
Lack of procedures and policies
Lack of pre-developed customizable modules
(e.g., for RSS)
List of modules cannot be re-organized
No separation of content and formatting
(only one external CSS file)

Community
System
Digital
Collections

Learning
System

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

Alternative Paths:
Persistent Links in Course Content,
Course Pages, Referatory, Course
Integrator, eReserves

If We Did it Again…Lessons Learned
Plan for a departmental/external
programming (funding implications)
Ask more questions
Define / Agree on policies and
procedures
Get involved as soon as possible
Be patient

Still to Do
Show demo tab to Portal Committee
Release new tab to staff and faculty
for feedback and review
Prepare for training, education and
marketing
Work on a new collaborative
agreement with ITT to speed up
development time

Future Goals
Usability testing
Much more personalization: XML
records of ejournals and ebooks, new
books, staff etc. should allow far more
personalization options!
More integration with Courseware and
Content System
Focus on content management

Thank you. Any Questions?
Joy Muller
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x3042

Jane Foo
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x2011
senlibjane (Yahoo), [email protected] (MSN),
313050248 (ICQ)
Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Works Cited
Boss, Richard W. “Library Portals”. Tech Notes. Mar. 2005. American Library Assn. 19 Jan., 2006
.
CARL E-Learning Working Group. “Libraries and E-Learning.” Nov. 2005. Canadian Assn. of Research Libraries.
.

Dempsey, Lorcan. “The Recombinant Library: Portals and People.” Sept. 2003. OCLC.
.
Maloney, Krisellen. “Portals in Libraries: Library Technology and Planning for Change.” Bulletin of the American Society
of Information Science and Technology Oct/Nov 2004. 20 Jan. 2006 Oct-04/maloney.html>.
OCLC E-Learning Task Force. “Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning.” Oct. 2003. OCLC. 20 Jan. 2006
.
New Media Consortium & EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative. “The Horizon Report: 2006 Edition.” 31 Jan., 2006.
New Media Consortium. .
Portal Webliography. Ed. Eric Lease Morgan. 21 Nov. 2001. Infomotions. 20 Jan., 2006
.


Slide 6

Reconstituting Library Services
for E-Learning Portals
Joy Muller, Jane Foo
OLA 2006 Superconference
February 2, 2006

Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Overview
Our Goals
The Portal
The Environment
Politics and Partnerships
Implementation Notes
Demo
Last Words
Comments and Questions

To Reconstitute
To bring a dried or dehydrated product to its original
consistency by adding a liquid
http://www.tyson.com/UserControls/ViewTerms.aspx

Construct or form anew or provide with a new structure;
"The governing board was reconstituted"
http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

 Let’s repackage what we can offer into
“products” that can be more easily accessed and
used by our students and faculty.

E-Learning
Covers a wide set of applications and processes
such as Web based learning, computer based
learning, virtual classrooms, and digital
collaboration.
http://www.cybermediacrations.com/elearning/glossary.htm

“Searching for a permanent, comfortable and
serviceable position that is nimble enough to be
flexible, accessible and continually up to date
with the wider ‘university’ structure”
OCLC Task Force Report on Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning

Seneca College
Mission Statement and Vision
To contribute to Canadian society by being a
transformation leader in providing students
with career-related education and training.
Our vision is to lead:








in Student Success
In Access to Higher Education
In Learning
In Applied Research
In Innovation
In our Commitment to People
In our Commitment to Diversity and Equity in Employment

E-Learning – Goals
Enrich & support pedagogy
Accessibility of learning materials and
support

Support students in life-long learning
Intra and inter school and institutional
sharing of course materials

Contribution to public knowledge

Portal
A Web based tool that provides a
customizable interface to information
aggregated from a variety of sources.
Krisellen Maloney, ASIS Bulletin

Lorcan Dempsey: p-portals and m-portals
The Recombinant Library: Portals and People

The college portal plays an important part in the
students’ academic tasks
 Focus on integrating with the user flow
 Personal Learning Landscape

The Portal: MySeneca Usage
In a 7 day period during the first 2 weeks of
this semester:
16.5 million hits occurred on My.Seneca.
42,158 announcements were viewed through the "My.Seneca Announcements" module.
62,871 student Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
11,511 staff Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
5,213 edits occurred to personalize specific modules.
9,775 changes were made to portal pages contents.
4,803 changes were made to portal layout of modules.

Licensed Digital Databases
ENCompass for
Digital Collections
::Create & manage
digital assets

Linkfinder Plus

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

::Directly access
full-text content
across
various
sources

Link
Resolver

Ask Us
Now

Ask Us Now
::Chat and interact with a
librarian online

Remote
Access

ENCompass for
Resource
Federated
Access
::Find published
articles & digital
objects via one
search

::Access and search for published content in
electronic form

e-Journals

Search
ILS

Library Catalogue
::Look up books, print periodicals, videos, DVDs, CDs

EZProxy
::Access any
restricted
resources
off-campus

Serials
Solutions
::Find an electronic
journal, magazine or
newspaper

Community
System
Learning
System

?

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

The Portal: Structure & Support
Seneca College
IT Council

Information
Technology &
Telecommunications

Portal
Committee

BB Admin
& Support

Office of
Research
& Innovation
Academic
e-Learning
Liaison

Seneca
Libraries

Deans
& Chairs

e-Learning
Centres

Faculty

The Portal: MySeneca History
September 2000:
Launch of BlackBoard
CMS (Version 4)

January 2002:
Launch of My.Seneca

December 2000:

Spring 2003:

First Portal
Committee Meeting

Load issues after
upgrade to BB 6

August 2005:
October
2004:
Launch of
Employee
Portal

Launch of first nonITT Student
Services Tab

Summer 2001:
First draft of
student portal (with
library portal)

October 2000:
First demo of library
material in BB

November 2004:
First discussions
about a library portal

December 2004:
Access to library
module admin

April 2005:
Library development
tab and modules

Why:
“Information literacy should not be
considered a given, even among “net-gen”
students .… Techniques for finding and
assessing relevant information from the
array of resources available … are crucial,
especially in light of the rising trend toward
collaborative work.”
The Horizon Report, 2006 Edition.

Our Goal

The Portal: The Library’s Plan
Determine targeted user group
Develop timelines
Funding/Resource Requirements
Methodology
Training
Marketing

MyLibrary Justification
More services & greater integration
Improved awareness of our resources
Improved access to our resources
Customizability
Greater efficiency
Demand for sound pedagogy
Librarians excel at collaboration
Environmental need to enhance skill sets
Provision of successful lifelong learning skills

Getting College Buy-In
Partnerships/Politics
Agenda
Presentation
Approval process

Library and Collaboration
Technology skills
Access
Impact
“Collaboration is related to innovation. There
would be significant gains in Canada’s
innovation performance if we were to increase
the level of collaboration.”
Conference Board of Canada

Implementing Reconstitution
The Approach
Content and Functionality
Technical Information

Limitations

What is Our Approach, Anyway?
Low-Fi and Iterative
User-centred
Staff-driven
Keeping the “big picture” in mind
No wheel re-invention
Dynamic content wherever possible
(“just text” is boring)
Focus on what we want, then on what
we can / are allowed do

Let’s Plan!
Content Chunking
What is “Chunking”?
= breaking down information into its smallest manageable
components (content unit).
Guidelines





One functionality (service) or content per “chunk”
The service / content has to be able to stand on its own.
Plan for a “chunk” size that is suitable for width and height constraints.
Limit navigation by keeping the “chunk” content within it wherever
possible. Avoid linking to other services / content.

Deliverables
A list of proposed “chunks” with label and the intended audience.

Chunking Example

Review & Select
… We ended up with 46 suggested modules!
Module Prioritization & Layout
• Default vs. Optional
• Left Navigation Links
vs. Modules
• Roles
• Type of Module

We narrowed down the selections to 5 left navigation
links and 26 priority 1 and 2 modules…

Module Candidates
Priority 1: Required Content
Academic Honesty
Virtual Reference (Ask Us Now)
Contact Information
Copyright
Remote Access Instructions
Library Instruction and Course
Support
Citing Sources (MLA, APA)
Article Databases & Express Article
Search
Library Catalogue Search
Subject Guides
Library News
My Library Account

Priority 2: Optional Content
Quick Reference Tools: Dictionaries ,
Encyclopedias, Almanacs /
Factbooks, Maps & Atlases,
Directories
Collection Development
Faculty Manuals
Audio-Visual Services: Videos &
DVDs
AV Services: Electronic Classrooms
AV Services: Equipment
Find a Journal (A-Z Search)
Research by Course
Library Forms
Information for Students
New Books

Priority 3: Want-to-Haves
 Group Study Room Bookings
 My eJournals & eBooks
 My Databases

Module Design & Layout

Very limited design possibilities





Frame
Left Navigation Bar (Links)
2-column versus 1-column
module colours and borders

Re-cyle and Re-use
Existing Modules
• Library/AV Modules
• Seneca Custom
Modules (Weblinks,
Toronto Weather,
Announcements)
• Pre-built RSS feeds
• Online Reference Tools
(search, dictionary,
maps, weather, quotes)
• Time Magazine

Pre-built Content …

Our
demo
version
so far

Technicalities…
Standards: CSS, HTML, Accessibility
Roles
Frame Environment
Modules Type: HTML, Weblinks, RSS
Custom-Programming: BB Building
Blocks – web app package consisting
of JSP and XML files
Portal System = Courseware System
No integration with Content System


Find Books,
Videos & DVDs



<script type="text/javascript">



Internal Constraints
No JSP expertise & IDE; no access to Oracle
No access to “Live” Modules on production
Development server is not synched with
production server
Lack of procedures and policies
Lack of pre-developed customizable modules
(e.g., for RSS)
List of modules cannot be re-organized
No separation of content and formatting
(only one external CSS file)

Community
System
Digital
Collections

Learning
System

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

Alternative Paths:
Persistent Links in Course Content,
Course Pages, Referatory, Course
Integrator, eReserves

If We Did it Again…Lessons Learned
Plan for a departmental/external
programming (funding implications)
Ask more questions
Define / Agree on policies and
procedures
Get involved as soon as possible
Be patient

Still to Do
Show demo tab to Portal Committee
Release new tab to staff and faculty
for feedback and review
Prepare for training, education and
marketing
Work on a new collaborative
agreement with ITT to speed up
development time

Future Goals
Usability testing
Much more personalization: XML
records of ejournals and ebooks, new
books, staff etc. should allow far more
personalization options!
More integration with Courseware and
Content System
Focus on content management

Thank you. Any Questions?
Joy Muller
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x3042

Jane Foo
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x2011
senlibjane (Yahoo), [email protected] (MSN),
313050248 (ICQ)
Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Works Cited
Boss, Richard W. “Library Portals”. Tech Notes. Mar. 2005. American Library Assn. 19 Jan., 2006
.
CARL E-Learning Working Group. “Libraries and E-Learning.” Nov. 2005. Canadian Assn. of Research Libraries.
.

Dempsey, Lorcan. “The Recombinant Library: Portals and People.” Sept. 2003. OCLC.
.
Maloney, Krisellen. “Portals in Libraries: Library Technology and Planning for Change.” Bulletin of the American Society
of Information Science and Technology Oct/Nov 2004. 20 Jan. 2006 Oct-04/maloney.html>.
OCLC E-Learning Task Force. “Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning.” Oct. 2003. OCLC. 20 Jan. 2006
.
New Media Consortium & EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative. “The Horizon Report: 2006 Edition.” 31 Jan., 2006.
New Media Consortium. .
Portal Webliography. Ed. Eric Lease Morgan. 21 Nov. 2001. Infomotions. 20 Jan., 2006
.


Slide 7

Reconstituting Library Services
for E-Learning Portals
Joy Muller, Jane Foo
OLA 2006 Superconference
February 2, 2006

Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Overview
Our Goals
The Portal
The Environment
Politics and Partnerships
Implementation Notes
Demo
Last Words
Comments and Questions

To Reconstitute
To bring a dried or dehydrated product to its original
consistency by adding a liquid
http://www.tyson.com/UserControls/ViewTerms.aspx

Construct or form anew or provide with a new structure;
"The governing board was reconstituted"
http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

 Let’s repackage what we can offer into
“products” that can be more easily accessed and
used by our students and faculty.

E-Learning
Covers a wide set of applications and processes
such as Web based learning, computer based
learning, virtual classrooms, and digital
collaboration.
http://www.cybermediacrations.com/elearning/glossary.htm

“Searching for a permanent, comfortable and
serviceable position that is nimble enough to be
flexible, accessible and continually up to date
with the wider ‘university’ structure”
OCLC Task Force Report on Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning

Seneca College
Mission Statement and Vision
To contribute to Canadian society by being a
transformation leader in providing students
with career-related education and training.
Our vision is to lead:








in Student Success
In Access to Higher Education
In Learning
In Applied Research
In Innovation
In our Commitment to People
In our Commitment to Diversity and Equity in Employment

E-Learning – Goals
Enrich & support pedagogy
Accessibility of learning materials and
support

Support students in life-long learning
Intra and inter school and institutional
sharing of course materials

Contribution to public knowledge

Portal
A Web based tool that provides a
customizable interface to information
aggregated from a variety of sources.
Krisellen Maloney, ASIS Bulletin

Lorcan Dempsey: p-portals and m-portals
The Recombinant Library: Portals and People

The college portal plays an important part in the
students’ academic tasks
 Focus on integrating with the user flow
 Personal Learning Landscape

The Portal: MySeneca Usage
In a 7 day period during the first 2 weeks of
this semester:
16.5 million hits occurred on My.Seneca.
42,158 announcements were viewed through the "My.Seneca Announcements" module.
62,871 student Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
11,511 staff Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
5,213 edits occurred to personalize specific modules.
9,775 changes were made to portal pages contents.
4,803 changes were made to portal layout of modules.

Licensed Digital Databases
ENCompass for
Digital Collections
::Create & manage
digital assets

Linkfinder Plus

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

::Directly access
full-text content
across
various
sources

Link
Resolver

Ask Us
Now

Ask Us Now
::Chat and interact with a
librarian online

Remote
Access

ENCompass for
Resource
Federated
Access
::Find published
articles & digital
objects via one
search

::Access and search for published content in
electronic form

e-Journals

Search
ILS

Library Catalogue
::Look up books, print periodicals, videos, DVDs, CDs

EZProxy
::Access any
restricted
resources
off-campus

Serials
Solutions
::Find an electronic
journal, magazine or
newspaper

Community
System
Learning
System

?

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

The Portal: Structure & Support
Seneca College
IT Council

Information
Technology &
Telecommunications

Portal
Committee

BB Admin
& Support

Office of
Research
& Innovation
Academic
e-Learning
Liaison

Seneca
Libraries

Deans
& Chairs

e-Learning
Centres

Faculty

The Portal: MySeneca History
September 2000:
Launch of BlackBoard
CMS (Version 4)

January 2002:
Launch of My.Seneca

December 2000:

Spring 2003:

First Portal
Committee Meeting

Load issues after
upgrade to BB 6

August 2005:
October
2004:
Launch of
Employee
Portal

Launch of first nonITT Student
Services Tab

Summer 2001:
First draft of
student portal (with
library portal)

October 2000:
First demo of library
material in BB

November 2004:
First discussions
about a library portal

December 2004:
Access to library
module admin

April 2005:
Library development
tab and modules

Why:
“Information literacy should not be
considered a given, even among “net-gen”
students .… Techniques for finding and
assessing relevant information from the
array of resources available … are crucial,
especially in light of the rising trend toward
collaborative work.”
The Horizon Report, 2006 Edition.

Our Goal

The Portal: The Library’s Plan
Determine targeted user group
Develop timelines
Funding/Resource Requirements
Methodology
Training
Marketing

MyLibrary Justification
More services & greater integration
Improved awareness of our resources
Improved access to our resources
Customizability
Greater efficiency
Demand for sound pedagogy
Librarians excel at collaboration
Environmental need to enhance skill sets
Provision of successful lifelong learning skills

Getting College Buy-In
Partnerships/Politics
Agenda
Presentation
Approval process

Library and Collaboration
Technology skills
Access
Impact
“Collaboration is related to innovation. There
would be significant gains in Canada’s
innovation performance if we were to increase
the level of collaboration.”
Conference Board of Canada

Implementing Reconstitution
The Approach
Content and Functionality
Technical Information

Limitations

What is Our Approach, Anyway?
Low-Fi and Iterative
User-centred
Staff-driven
Keeping the “big picture” in mind
No wheel re-invention
Dynamic content wherever possible
(“just text” is boring)
Focus on what we want, then on what
we can / are allowed do

Let’s Plan!
Content Chunking
What is “Chunking”?
= breaking down information into its smallest manageable
components (content unit).
Guidelines





One functionality (service) or content per “chunk”
The service / content has to be able to stand on its own.
Plan for a “chunk” size that is suitable for width and height constraints.
Limit navigation by keeping the “chunk” content within it wherever
possible. Avoid linking to other services / content.

Deliverables
A list of proposed “chunks” with label and the intended audience.

Chunking Example

Review & Select
… We ended up with 46 suggested modules!
Module Prioritization & Layout
• Default vs. Optional
• Left Navigation Links
vs. Modules
• Roles
• Type of Module

We narrowed down the selections to 5 left navigation
links and 26 priority 1 and 2 modules…

Module Candidates
Priority 1: Required Content
Academic Honesty
Virtual Reference (Ask Us Now)
Contact Information
Copyright
Remote Access Instructions
Library Instruction and Course
Support
Citing Sources (MLA, APA)
Article Databases & Express Article
Search
Library Catalogue Search
Subject Guides
Library News
My Library Account

Priority 2: Optional Content
Quick Reference Tools: Dictionaries ,
Encyclopedias, Almanacs /
Factbooks, Maps & Atlases,
Directories
Collection Development
Faculty Manuals
Audio-Visual Services: Videos &
DVDs
AV Services: Electronic Classrooms
AV Services: Equipment
Find a Journal (A-Z Search)
Research by Course
Library Forms
Information for Students
New Books

Priority 3: Want-to-Haves
 Group Study Room Bookings
 My eJournals & eBooks
 My Databases

Module Design & Layout

Very limited design possibilities





Frame
Left Navigation Bar (Links)
2-column versus 1-column
module colours and borders

Re-cyle and Re-use
Existing Modules
• Library/AV Modules
• Seneca Custom
Modules (Weblinks,
Toronto Weather,
Announcements)
• Pre-built RSS feeds
• Online Reference Tools
(search, dictionary,
maps, weather, quotes)
• Time Magazine

Pre-built Content …

Our
demo
version
so far

Technicalities…
Standards: CSS, HTML, Accessibility
Roles
Frame Environment
Modules Type: HTML, Weblinks, RSS
Custom-Programming: BB Building
Blocks – web app package consisting
of JSP and XML files
Portal System = Courseware System
No integration with Content System


Find Books,
Videos & DVDs



<script type="text/javascript">



Internal Constraints
No JSP expertise & IDE; no access to Oracle
No access to “Live” Modules on production
Development server is not synched with
production server
Lack of procedures and policies
Lack of pre-developed customizable modules
(e.g., for RSS)
List of modules cannot be re-organized
No separation of content and formatting
(only one external CSS file)

Community
System
Digital
Collections

Learning
System

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

Alternative Paths:
Persistent Links in Course Content,
Course Pages, Referatory, Course
Integrator, eReserves

If We Did it Again…Lessons Learned
Plan for a departmental/external
programming (funding implications)
Ask more questions
Define / Agree on policies and
procedures
Get involved as soon as possible
Be patient

Still to Do
Show demo tab to Portal Committee
Release new tab to staff and faculty
for feedback and review
Prepare for training, education and
marketing
Work on a new collaborative
agreement with ITT to speed up
development time

Future Goals
Usability testing
Much more personalization: XML
records of ejournals and ebooks, new
books, staff etc. should allow far more
personalization options!
More integration with Courseware and
Content System
Focus on content management

Thank you. Any Questions?
Joy Muller
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x3042

Jane Foo
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x2011
senlibjane (Yahoo), [email protected] (MSN),
313050248 (ICQ)
Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Works Cited
Boss, Richard W. “Library Portals”. Tech Notes. Mar. 2005. American Library Assn. 19 Jan., 2006
.
CARL E-Learning Working Group. “Libraries and E-Learning.” Nov. 2005. Canadian Assn. of Research Libraries.
.

Dempsey, Lorcan. “The Recombinant Library: Portals and People.” Sept. 2003. OCLC.
.
Maloney, Krisellen. “Portals in Libraries: Library Technology and Planning for Change.” Bulletin of the American Society
of Information Science and Technology Oct/Nov 2004. 20 Jan. 2006 Oct-04/maloney.html>.
OCLC E-Learning Task Force. “Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning.” Oct. 2003. OCLC. 20 Jan. 2006
.
New Media Consortium & EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative. “The Horizon Report: 2006 Edition.” 31 Jan., 2006.
New Media Consortium. .
Portal Webliography. Ed. Eric Lease Morgan. 21 Nov. 2001. Infomotions. 20 Jan., 2006
.


Slide 8

Reconstituting Library Services
for E-Learning Portals
Joy Muller, Jane Foo
OLA 2006 Superconference
February 2, 2006

Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Overview
Our Goals
The Portal
The Environment
Politics and Partnerships
Implementation Notes
Demo
Last Words
Comments and Questions

To Reconstitute
To bring a dried or dehydrated product to its original
consistency by adding a liquid
http://www.tyson.com/UserControls/ViewTerms.aspx

Construct or form anew or provide with a new structure;
"The governing board was reconstituted"
http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

 Let’s repackage what we can offer into
“products” that can be more easily accessed and
used by our students and faculty.

E-Learning
Covers a wide set of applications and processes
such as Web based learning, computer based
learning, virtual classrooms, and digital
collaboration.
http://www.cybermediacrations.com/elearning/glossary.htm

“Searching for a permanent, comfortable and
serviceable position that is nimble enough to be
flexible, accessible and continually up to date
with the wider ‘university’ structure”
OCLC Task Force Report on Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning

Seneca College
Mission Statement and Vision
To contribute to Canadian society by being a
transformation leader in providing students
with career-related education and training.
Our vision is to lead:








in Student Success
In Access to Higher Education
In Learning
In Applied Research
In Innovation
In our Commitment to People
In our Commitment to Diversity and Equity in Employment

E-Learning – Goals
Enrich & support pedagogy
Accessibility of learning materials and
support

Support students in life-long learning
Intra and inter school and institutional
sharing of course materials

Contribution to public knowledge

Portal
A Web based tool that provides a
customizable interface to information
aggregated from a variety of sources.
Krisellen Maloney, ASIS Bulletin

Lorcan Dempsey: p-portals and m-portals
The Recombinant Library: Portals and People

The college portal plays an important part in the
students’ academic tasks
 Focus on integrating with the user flow
 Personal Learning Landscape

The Portal: MySeneca Usage
In a 7 day period during the first 2 weeks of
this semester:
16.5 million hits occurred on My.Seneca.
42,158 announcements were viewed through the "My.Seneca Announcements" module.
62,871 student Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
11,511 staff Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
5,213 edits occurred to personalize specific modules.
9,775 changes were made to portal pages contents.
4,803 changes were made to portal layout of modules.

Licensed Digital Databases
ENCompass for
Digital Collections
::Create & manage
digital assets

Linkfinder Plus

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

::Directly access
full-text content
across
various
sources

Link
Resolver

Ask Us
Now

Ask Us Now
::Chat and interact with a
librarian online

Remote
Access

ENCompass for
Resource
Federated
Access
::Find published
articles & digital
objects via one
search

::Access and search for published content in
electronic form

e-Journals

Search
ILS

Library Catalogue
::Look up books, print periodicals, videos, DVDs, CDs

EZProxy
::Access any
restricted
resources
off-campus

Serials
Solutions
::Find an electronic
journal, magazine or
newspaper

Community
System
Learning
System

?

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

The Portal: Structure & Support
Seneca College
IT Council

Information
Technology &
Telecommunications

Portal
Committee

BB Admin
& Support

Office of
Research
& Innovation
Academic
e-Learning
Liaison

Seneca
Libraries

Deans
& Chairs

e-Learning
Centres

Faculty

The Portal: MySeneca History
September 2000:
Launch of BlackBoard
CMS (Version 4)

January 2002:
Launch of My.Seneca

December 2000:

Spring 2003:

First Portal
Committee Meeting

Load issues after
upgrade to BB 6

August 2005:
October
2004:
Launch of
Employee
Portal

Launch of first nonITT Student
Services Tab

Summer 2001:
First draft of
student portal (with
library portal)

October 2000:
First demo of library
material in BB

November 2004:
First discussions
about a library portal

December 2004:
Access to library
module admin

April 2005:
Library development
tab and modules

Why:
“Information literacy should not be
considered a given, even among “net-gen”
students .… Techniques for finding and
assessing relevant information from the
array of resources available … are crucial,
especially in light of the rising trend toward
collaborative work.”
The Horizon Report, 2006 Edition.

Our Goal

The Portal: The Library’s Plan
Determine targeted user group
Develop timelines
Funding/Resource Requirements
Methodology
Training
Marketing

MyLibrary Justification
More services & greater integration
Improved awareness of our resources
Improved access to our resources
Customizability
Greater efficiency
Demand for sound pedagogy
Librarians excel at collaboration
Environmental need to enhance skill sets
Provision of successful lifelong learning skills

Getting College Buy-In
Partnerships/Politics
Agenda
Presentation
Approval process

Library and Collaboration
Technology skills
Access
Impact
“Collaboration is related to innovation. There
would be significant gains in Canada’s
innovation performance if we were to increase
the level of collaboration.”
Conference Board of Canada

Implementing Reconstitution
The Approach
Content and Functionality
Technical Information

Limitations

What is Our Approach, Anyway?
Low-Fi and Iterative
User-centred
Staff-driven
Keeping the “big picture” in mind
No wheel re-invention
Dynamic content wherever possible
(“just text” is boring)
Focus on what we want, then on what
we can / are allowed do

Let’s Plan!
Content Chunking
What is “Chunking”?
= breaking down information into its smallest manageable
components (content unit).
Guidelines





One functionality (service) or content per “chunk”
The service / content has to be able to stand on its own.
Plan for a “chunk” size that is suitable for width and height constraints.
Limit navigation by keeping the “chunk” content within it wherever
possible. Avoid linking to other services / content.

Deliverables
A list of proposed “chunks” with label and the intended audience.

Chunking Example

Review & Select
… We ended up with 46 suggested modules!
Module Prioritization & Layout
• Default vs. Optional
• Left Navigation Links
vs. Modules
• Roles
• Type of Module

We narrowed down the selections to 5 left navigation
links and 26 priority 1 and 2 modules…

Module Candidates
Priority 1: Required Content
Academic Honesty
Virtual Reference (Ask Us Now)
Contact Information
Copyright
Remote Access Instructions
Library Instruction and Course
Support
Citing Sources (MLA, APA)
Article Databases & Express Article
Search
Library Catalogue Search
Subject Guides
Library News
My Library Account

Priority 2: Optional Content
Quick Reference Tools: Dictionaries ,
Encyclopedias, Almanacs /
Factbooks, Maps & Atlases,
Directories
Collection Development
Faculty Manuals
Audio-Visual Services: Videos &
DVDs
AV Services: Electronic Classrooms
AV Services: Equipment
Find a Journal (A-Z Search)
Research by Course
Library Forms
Information for Students
New Books

Priority 3: Want-to-Haves
 Group Study Room Bookings
 My eJournals & eBooks
 My Databases

Module Design & Layout

Very limited design possibilities





Frame
Left Navigation Bar (Links)
2-column versus 1-column
module colours and borders

Re-cyle and Re-use
Existing Modules
• Library/AV Modules
• Seneca Custom
Modules (Weblinks,
Toronto Weather,
Announcements)
• Pre-built RSS feeds
• Online Reference Tools
(search, dictionary,
maps, weather, quotes)
• Time Magazine

Pre-built Content …

Our
demo
version
so far

Technicalities…
Standards: CSS, HTML, Accessibility
Roles
Frame Environment
Modules Type: HTML, Weblinks, RSS
Custom-Programming: BB Building
Blocks – web app package consisting
of JSP and XML files
Portal System = Courseware System
No integration with Content System


Find Books,
Videos & DVDs



<script type="text/javascript">



Internal Constraints
No JSP expertise & IDE; no access to Oracle
No access to “Live” Modules on production
Development server is not synched with
production server
Lack of procedures and policies
Lack of pre-developed customizable modules
(e.g., for RSS)
List of modules cannot be re-organized
No separation of content and formatting
(only one external CSS file)

Community
System
Digital
Collections

Learning
System

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

Alternative Paths:
Persistent Links in Course Content,
Course Pages, Referatory, Course
Integrator, eReserves

If We Did it Again…Lessons Learned
Plan for a departmental/external
programming (funding implications)
Ask more questions
Define / Agree on policies and
procedures
Get involved as soon as possible
Be patient

Still to Do
Show demo tab to Portal Committee
Release new tab to staff and faculty
for feedback and review
Prepare for training, education and
marketing
Work on a new collaborative
agreement with ITT to speed up
development time

Future Goals
Usability testing
Much more personalization: XML
records of ejournals and ebooks, new
books, staff etc. should allow far more
personalization options!
More integration with Courseware and
Content System
Focus on content management

Thank you. Any Questions?
Joy Muller
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x3042

Jane Foo
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x2011
senlibjane (Yahoo), [email protected] (MSN),
313050248 (ICQ)
Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Works Cited
Boss, Richard W. “Library Portals”. Tech Notes. Mar. 2005. American Library Assn. 19 Jan., 2006
.
CARL E-Learning Working Group. “Libraries and E-Learning.” Nov. 2005. Canadian Assn. of Research Libraries.
.

Dempsey, Lorcan. “The Recombinant Library: Portals and People.” Sept. 2003. OCLC.
.
Maloney, Krisellen. “Portals in Libraries: Library Technology and Planning for Change.” Bulletin of the American Society
of Information Science and Technology Oct/Nov 2004. 20 Jan. 2006 Oct-04/maloney.html>.
OCLC E-Learning Task Force. “Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning.” Oct. 2003. OCLC. 20 Jan. 2006
.
New Media Consortium & EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative. “The Horizon Report: 2006 Edition.” 31 Jan., 2006.
New Media Consortium. .
Portal Webliography. Ed. Eric Lease Morgan. 21 Nov. 2001. Infomotions. 20 Jan., 2006
.


Slide 9

Reconstituting Library Services
for E-Learning Portals
Joy Muller, Jane Foo
OLA 2006 Superconference
February 2, 2006

Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Overview
Our Goals
The Portal
The Environment
Politics and Partnerships
Implementation Notes
Demo
Last Words
Comments and Questions

To Reconstitute
To bring a dried or dehydrated product to its original
consistency by adding a liquid
http://www.tyson.com/UserControls/ViewTerms.aspx

Construct or form anew or provide with a new structure;
"The governing board was reconstituted"
http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

 Let’s repackage what we can offer into
“products” that can be more easily accessed and
used by our students and faculty.

E-Learning
Covers a wide set of applications and processes
such as Web based learning, computer based
learning, virtual classrooms, and digital
collaboration.
http://www.cybermediacrations.com/elearning/glossary.htm

“Searching for a permanent, comfortable and
serviceable position that is nimble enough to be
flexible, accessible and continually up to date
with the wider ‘university’ structure”
OCLC Task Force Report on Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning

Seneca College
Mission Statement and Vision
To contribute to Canadian society by being a
transformation leader in providing students
with career-related education and training.
Our vision is to lead:








in Student Success
In Access to Higher Education
In Learning
In Applied Research
In Innovation
In our Commitment to People
In our Commitment to Diversity and Equity in Employment

E-Learning – Goals
Enrich & support pedagogy
Accessibility of learning materials and
support

Support students in life-long learning
Intra and inter school and institutional
sharing of course materials

Contribution to public knowledge

Portal
A Web based tool that provides a
customizable interface to information
aggregated from a variety of sources.
Krisellen Maloney, ASIS Bulletin

Lorcan Dempsey: p-portals and m-portals
The Recombinant Library: Portals and People

The college portal plays an important part in the
students’ academic tasks
 Focus on integrating with the user flow
 Personal Learning Landscape

The Portal: MySeneca Usage
In a 7 day period during the first 2 weeks of
this semester:
16.5 million hits occurred on My.Seneca.
42,158 announcements were viewed through the "My.Seneca Announcements" module.
62,871 student Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
11,511 staff Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
5,213 edits occurred to personalize specific modules.
9,775 changes were made to portal pages contents.
4,803 changes were made to portal layout of modules.

Licensed Digital Databases
ENCompass for
Digital Collections
::Create & manage
digital assets

Linkfinder Plus

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

::Directly access
full-text content
across
various
sources

Link
Resolver

Ask Us
Now

Ask Us Now
::Chat and interact with a
librarian online

Remote
Access

ENCompass for
Resource
Federated
Access
::Find published
articles & digital
objects via one
search

::Access and search for published content in
electronic form

e-Journals

Search
ILS

Library Catalogue
::Look up books, print periodicals, videos, DVDs, CDs

EZProxy
::Access any
restricted
resources
off-campus

Serials
Solutions
::Find an electronic
journal, magazine or
newspaper

Community
System
Learning
System

?

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

The Portal: Structure & Support
Seneca College
IT Council

Information
Technology &
Telecommunications

Portal
Committee

BB Admin
& Support

Office of
Research
& Innovation
Academic
e-Learning
Liaison

Seneca
Libraries

Deans
& Chairs

e-Learning
Centres

Faculty

The Portal: MySeneca History
September 2000:
Launch of BlackBoard
CMS (Version 4)

January 2002:
Launch of My.Seneca

December 2000:

Spring 2003:

First Portal
Committee Meeting

Load issues after
upgrade to BB 6

August 2005:
October
2004:
Launch of
Employee
Portal

Launch of first nonITT Student
Services Tab

Summer 2001:
First draft of
student portal (with
library portal)

October 2000:
First demo of library
material in BB

November 2004:
First discussions
about a library portal

December 2004:
Access to library
module admin

April 2005:
Library development
tab and modules

Why:
“Information literacy should not be
considered a given, even among “net-gen”
students .… Techniques for finding and
assessing relevant information from the
array of resources available … are crucial,
especially in light of the rising trend toward
collaborative work.”
The Horizon Report, 2006 Edition.

Our Goal

The Portal: The Library’s Plan
Determine targeted user group
Develop timelines
Funding/Resource Requirements
Methodology
Training
Marketing

MyLibrary Justification
More services & greater integration
Improved awareness of our resources
Improved access to our resources
Customizability
Greater efficiency
Demand for sound pedagogy
Librarians excel at collaboration
Environmental need to enhance skill sets
Provision of successful lifelong learning skills

Getting College Buy-In
Partnerships/Politics
Agenda
Presentation
Approval process

Library and Collaboration
Technology skills
Access
Impact
“Collaboration is related to innovation. There
would be significant gains in Canada’s
innovation performance if we were to increase
the level of collaboration.”
Conference Board of Canada

Implementing Reconstitution
The Approach
Content and Functionality
Technical Information

Limitations

What is Our Approach, Anyway?
Low-Fi and Iterative
User-centred
Staff-driven
Keeping the “big picture” in mind
No wheel re-invention
Dynamic content wherever possible
(“just text” is boring)
Focus on what we want, then on what
we can / are allowed do

Let’s Plan!
Content Chunking
What is “Chunking”?
= breaking down information into its smallest manageable
components (content unit).
Guidelines





One functionality (service) or content per “chunk”
The service / content has to be able to stand on its own.
Plan for a “chunk” size that is suitable for width and height constraints.
Limit navigation by keeping the “chunk” content within it wherever
possible. Avoid linking to other services / content.

Deliverables
A list of proposed “chunks” with label and the intended audience.

Chunking Example

Review & Select
… We ended up with 46 suggested modules!
Module Prioritization & Layout
• Default vs. Optional
• Left Navigation Links
vs. Modules
• Roles
• Type of Module

We narrowed down the selections to 5 left navigation
links and 26 priority 1 and 2 modules…

Module Candidates
Priority 1: Required Content
Academic Honesty
Virtual Reference (Ask Us Now)
Contact Information
Copyright
Remote Access Instructions
Library Instruction and Course
Support
Citing Sources (MLA, APA)
Article Databases & Express Article
Search
Library Catalogue Search
Subject Guides
Library News
My Library Account

Priority 2: Optional Content
Quick Reference Tools: Dictionaries ,
Encyclopedias, Almanacs /
Factbooks, Maps & Atlases,
Directories
Collection Development
Faculty Manuals
Audio-Visual Services: Videos &
DVDs
AV Services: Electronic Classrooms
AV Services: Equipment
Find a Journal (A-Z Search)
Research by Course
Library Forms
Information for Students
New Books

Priority 3: Want-to-Haves
 Group Study Room Bookings
 My eJournals & eBooks
 My Databases

Module Design & Layout

Very limited design possibilities





Frame
Left Navigation Bar (Links)
2-column versus 1-column
module colours and borders

Re-cyle and Re-use
Existing Modules
• Library/AV Modules
• Seneca Custom
Modules (Weblinks,
Toronto Weather,
Announcements)
• Pre-built RSS feeds
• Online Reference Tools
(search, dictionary,
maps, weather, quotes)
• Time Magazine

Pre-built Content …

Our
demo
version
so far

Technicalities…
Standards: CSS, HTML, Accessibility
Roles
Frame Environment
Modules Type: HTML, Weblinks, RSS
Custom-Programming: BB Building
Blocks – web app package consisting
of JSP and XML files
Portal System = Courseware System
No integration with Content System


Find Books,
Videos & DVDs



<script type="text/javascript">



Internal Constraints
No JSP expertise & IDE; no access to Oracle
No access to “Live” Modules on production
Development server is not synched with
production server
Lack of procedures and policies
Lack of pre-developed customizable modules
(e.g., for RSS)
List of modules cannot be re-organized
No separation of content and formatting
(only one external CSS file)

Community
System
Digital
Collections

Learning
System

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

Alternative Paths:
Persistent Links in Course Content,
Course Pages, Referatory, Course
Integrator, eReserves

If We Did it Again…Lessons Learned
Plan for a departmental/external
programming (funding implications)
Ask more questions
Define / Agree on policies and
procedures
Get involved as soon as possible
Be patient

Still to Do
Show demo tab to Portal Committee
Release new tab to staff and faculty
for feedback and review
Prepare for training, education and
marketing
Work on a new collaborative
agreement with ITT to speed up
development time

Future Goals
Usability testing
Much more personalization: XML
records of ejournals and ebooks, new
books, staff etc. should allow far more
personalization options!
More integration with Courseware and
Content System
Focus on content management

Thank you. Any Questions?
Joy Muller
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x3042

Jane Foo
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x2011
senlibjane (Yahoo), [email protected] (MSN),
313050248 (ICQ)
Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Works Cited
Boss, Richard W. “Library Portals”. Tech Notes. Mar. 2005. American Library Assn. 19 Jan., 2006
.
CARL E-Learning Working Group. “Libraries and E-Learning.” Nov. 2005. Canadian Assn. of Research Libraries.
.

Dempsey, Lorcan. “The Recombinant Library: Portals and People.” Sept. 2003. OCLC.
.
Maloney, Krisellen. “Portals in Libraries: Library Technology and Planning for Change.” Bulletin of the American Society
of Information Science and Technology Oct/Nov 2004. 20 Jan. 2006 Oct-04/maloney.html>.
OCLC E-Learning Task Force. “Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning.” Oct. 2003. OCLC. 20 Jan. 2006
.
New Media Consortium & EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative. “The Horizon Report: 2006 Edition.” 31 Jan., 2006.
New Media Consortium. .
Portal Webliography. Ed. Eric Lease Morgan. 21 Nov. 2001. Infomotions. 20 Jan., 2006
.


Slide 10

Reconstituting Library Services
for E-Learning Portals
Joy Muller, Jane Foo
OLA 2006 Superconference
February 2, 2006

Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Overview
Our Goals
The Portal
The Environment
Politics and Partnerships
Implementation Notes
Demo
Last Words
Comments and Questions

To Reconstitute
To bring a dried or dehydrated product to its original
consistency by adding a liquid
http://www.tyson.com/UserControls/ViewTerms.aspx

Construct or form anew or provide with a new structure;
"The governing board was reconstituted"
http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

 Let’s repackage what we can offer into
“products” that can be more easily accessed and
used by our students and faculty.

E-Learning
Covers a wide set of applications and processes
such as Web based learning, computer based
learning, virtual classrooms, and digital
collaboration.
http://www.cybermediacrations.com/elearning/glossary.htm

“Searching for a permanent, comfortable and
serviceable position that is nimble enough to be
flexible, accessible and continually up to date
with the wider ‘university’ structure”
OCLC Task Force Report on Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning

Seneca College
Mission Statement and Vision
To contribute to Canadian society by being a
transformation leader in providing students
with career-related education and training.
Our vision is to lead:








in Student Success
In Access to Higher Education
In Learning
In Applied Research
In Innovation
In our Commitment to People
In our Commitment to Diversity and Equity in Employment

E-Learning – Goals
Enrich & support pedagogy
Accessibility of learning materials and
support

Support students in life-long learning
Intra and inter school and institutional
sharing of course materials

Contribution to public knowledge

Portal
A Web based tool that provides a
customizable interface to information
aggregated from a variety of sources.
Krisellen Maloney, ASIS Bulletin

Lorcan Dempsey: p-portals and m-portals
The Recombinant Library: Portals and People

The college portal plays an important part in the
students’ academic tasks
 Focus on integrating with the user flow
 Personal Learning Landscape

The Portal: MySeneca Usage
In a 7 day period during the first 2 weeks of
this semester:
16.5 million hits occurred on My.Seneca.
42,158 announcements were viewed through the "My.Seneca Announcements" module.
62,871 student Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
11,511 staff Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
5,213 edits occurred to personalize specific modules.
9,775 changes were made to portal pages contents.
4,803 changes were made to portal layout of modules.

Licensed Digital Databases
ENCompass for
Digital Collections
::Create & manage
digital assets

Linkfinder Plus

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

::Directly access
full-text content
across
various
sources

Link
Resolver

Ask Us
Now

Ask Us Now
::Chat and interact with a
librarian online

Remote
Access

ENCompass for
Resource
Federated
Access
::Find published
articles & digital
objects via one
search

::Access and search for published content in
electronic form

e-Journals

Search
ILS

Library Catalogue
::Look up books, print periodicals, videos, DVDs, CDs

EZProxy
::Access any
restricted
resources
off-campus

Serials
Solutions
::Find an electronic
journal, magazine or
newspaper

Community
System
Learning
System

?

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

The Portal: Structure & Support
Seneca College
IT Council

Information
Technology &
Telecommunications

Portal
Committee

BB Admin
& Support

Office of
Research
& Innovation
Academic
e-Learning
Liaison

Seneca
Libraries

Deans
& Chairs

e-Learning
Centres

Faculty

The Portal: MySeneca History
September 2000:
Launch of BlackBoard
CMS (Version 4)

January 2002:
Launch of My.Seneca

December 2000:

Spring 2003:

First Portal
Committee Meeting

Load issues after
upgrade to BB 6

August 2005:
October
2004:
Launch of
Employee
Portal

Launch of first nonITT Student
Services Tab

Summer 2001:
First draft of
student portal (with
library portal)

October 2000:
First demo of library
material in BB

November 2004:
First discussions
about a library portal

December 2004:
Access to library
module admin

April 2005:
Library development
tab and modules

Why:
“Information literacy should not be
considered a given, even among “net-gen”
students .… Techniques for finding and
assessing relevant information from the
array of resources available … are crucial,
especially in light of the rising trend toward
collaborative work.”
The Horizon Report, 2006 Edition.

Our Goal

The Portal: The Library’s Plan
Determine targeted user group
Develop timelines
Funding/Resource Requirements
Methodology
Training
Marketing

MyLibrary Justification
More services & greater integration
Improved awareness of our resources
Improved access to our resources
Customizability
Greater efficiency
Demand for sound pedagogy
Librarians excel at collaboration
Environmental need to enhance skill sets
Provision of successful lifelong learning skills

Getting College Buy-In
Partnerships/Politics
Agenda
Presentation
Approval process

Library and Collaboration
Technology skills
Access
Impact
“Collaboration is related to innovation. There
would be significant gains in Canada’s
innovation performance if we were to increase
the level of collaboration.”
Conference Board of Canada

Implementing Reconstitution
The Approach
Content and Functionality
Technical Information

Limitations

What is Our Approach, Anyway?
Low-Fi and Iterative
User-centred
Staff-driven
Keeping the “big picture” in mind
No wheel re-invention
Dynamic content wherever possible
(“just text” is boring)
Focus on what we want, then on what
we can / are allowed do

Let’s Plan!
Content Chunking
What is “Chunking”?
= breaking down information into its smallest manageable
components (content unit).
Guidelines





One functionality (service) or content per “chunk”
The service / content has to be able to stand on its own.
Plan for a “chunk” size that is suitable for width and height constraints.
Limit navigation by keeping the “chunk” content within it wherever
possible. Avoid linking to other services / content.

Deliverables
A list of proposed “chunks” with label and the intended audience.

Chunking Example

Review & Select
… We ended up with 46 suggested modules!
Module Prioritization & Layout
• Default vs. Optional
• Left Navigation Links
vs. Modules
• Roles
• Type of Module

We narrowed down the selections to 5 left navigation
links and 26 priority 1 and 2 modules…

Module Candidates
Priority 1: Required Content
Academic Honesty
Virtual Reference (Ask Us Now)
Contact Information
Copyright
Remote Access Instructions
Library Instruction and Course
Support
Citing Sources (MLA, APA)
Article Databases & Express Article
Search
Library Catalogue Search
Subject Guides
Library News
My Library Account

Priority 2: Optional Content
Quick Reference Tools: Dictionaries ,
Encyclopedias, Almanacs /
Factbooks, Maps & Atlases,
Directories
Collection Development
Faculty Manuals
Audio-Visual Services: Videos &
DVDs
AV Services: Electronic Classrooms
AV Services: Equipment
Find a Journal (A-Z Search)
Research by Course
Library Forms
Information for Students
New Books

Priority 3: Want-to-Haves
 Group Study Room Bookings
 My eJournals & eBooks
 My Databases

Module Design & Layout

Very limited design possibilities





Frame
Left Navigation Bar (Links)
2-column versus 1-column
module colours and borders

Re-cyle and Re-use
Existing Modules
• Library/AV Modules
• Seneca Custom
Modules (Weblinks,
Toronto Weather,
Announcements)
• Pre-built RSS feeds
• Online Reference Tools
(search, dictionary,
maps, weather, quotes)
• Time Magazine

Pre-built Content …

Our
demo
version
so far

Technicalities…
Standards: CSS, HTML, Accessibility
Roles
Frame Environment
Modules Type: HTML, Weblinks, RSS
Custom-Programming: BB Building
Blocks – web app package consisting
of JSP and XML files
Portal System = Courseware System
No integration with Content System


Find Books,
Videos & DVDs



<script type="text/javascript">



Internal Constraints
No JSP expertise & IDE; no access to Oracle
No access to “Live” Modules on production
Development server is not synched with
production server
Lack of procedures and policies
Lack of pre-developed customizable modules
(e.g., for RSS)
List of modules cannot be re-organized
No separation of content and formatting
(only one external CSS file)

Community
System
Digital
Collections

Learning
System

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

Alternative Paths:
Persistent Links in Course Content,
Course Pages, Referatory, Course
Integrator, eReserves

If We Did it Again…Lessons Learned
Plan for a departmental/external
programming (funding implications)
Ask more questions
Define / Agree on policies and
procedures
Get involved as soon as possible
Be patient

Still to Do
Show demo tab to Portal Committee
Release new tab to staff and faculty
for feedback and review
Prepare for training, education and
marketing
Work on a new collaborative
agreement with ITT to speed up
development time

Future Goals
Usability testing
Much more personalization: XML
records of ejournals and ebooks, new
books, staff etc. should allow far more
personalization options!
More integration with Courseware and
Content System
Focus on content management

Thank you. Any Questions?
Joy Muller
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x3042

Jane Foo
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x2011
senlibjane (Yahoo), [email protected] (MSN),
313050248 (ICQ)
Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Works Cited
Boss, Richard W. “Library Portals”. Tech Notes. Mar. 2005. American Library Assn. 19 Jan., 2006
.
CARL E-Learning Working Group. “Libraries and E-Learning.” Nov. 2005. Canadian Assn. of Research Libraries.
.

Dempsey, Lorcan. “The Recombinant Library: Portals and People.” Sept. 2003. OCLC.
.
Maloney, Krisellen. “Portals in Libraries: Library Technology and Planning for Change.” Bulletin of the American Society
of Information Science and Technology Oct/Nov 2004. 20 Jan. 2006 Oct-04/maloney.html>.
OCLC E-Learning Task Force. “Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning.” Oct. 2003. OCLC. 20 Jan. 2006
.
New Media Consortium & EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative. “The Horizon Report: 2006 Edition.” 31 Jan., 2006.
New Media Consortium. .
Portal Webliography. Ed. Eric Lease Morgan. 21 Nov. 2001. Infomotions. 20 Jan., 2006
.


Slide 11

Reconstituting Library Services
for E-Learning Portals
Joy Muller, Jane Foo
OLA 2006 Superconference
February 2, 2006

Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Overview
Our Goals
The Portal
The Environment
Politics and Partnerships
Implementation Notes
Demo
Last Words
Comments and Questions

To Reconstitute
To bring a dried or dehydrated product to its original
consistency by adding a liquid
http://www.tyson.com/UserControls/ViewTerms.aspx

Construct or form anew or provide with a new structure;
"The governing board was reconstituted"
http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

 Let’s repackage what we can offer into
“products” that can be more easily accessed and
used by our students and faculty.

E-Learning
Covers a wide set of applications and processes
such as Web based learning, computer based
learning, virtual classrooms, and digital
collaboration.
http://www.cybermediacrations.com/elearning/glossary.htm

“Searching for a permanent, comfortable and
serviceable position that is nimble enough to be
flexible, accessible and continually up to date
with the wider ‘university’ structure”
OCLC Task Force Report on Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning

Seneca College
Mission Statement and Vision
To contribute to Canadian society by being a
transformation leader in providing students
with career-related education and training.
Our vision is to lead:








in Student Success
In Access to Higher Education
In Learning
In Applied Research
In Innovation
In our Commitment to People
In our Commitment to Diversity and Equity in Employment

E-Learning – Goals
Enrich & support pedagogy
Accessibility of learning materials and
support

Support students in life-long learning
Intra and inter school and institutional
sharing of course materials

Contribution to public knowledge

Portal
A Web based tool that provides a
customizable interface to information
aggregated from a variety of sources.
Krisellen Maloney, ASIS Bulletin

Lorcan Dempsey: p-portals and m-portals
The Recombinant Library: Portals and People

The college portal plays an important part in the
students’ academic tasks
 Focus on integrating with the user flow
 Personal Learning Landscape

The Portal: MySeneca Usage
In a 7 day period during the first 2 weeks of
this semester:
16.5 million hits occurred on My.Seneca.
42,158 announcements were viewed through the "My.Seneca Announcements" module.
62,871 student Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
11,511 staff Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
5,213 edits occurred to personalize specific modules.
9,775 changes were made to portal pages contents.
4,803 changes were made to portal layout of modules.

Licensed Digital Databases
ENCompass for
Digital Collections
::Create & manage
digital assets

Linkfinder Plus

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

::Directly access
full-text content
across
various
sources

Link
Resolver

Ask Us
Now

Ask Us Now
::Chat and interact with a
librarian online

Remote
Access

ENCompass for
Resource
Federated
Access
::Find published
articles & digital
objects via one
search

::Access and search for published content in
electronic form

e-Journals

Search
ILS

Library Catalogue
::Look up books, print periodicals, videos, DVDs, CDs

EZProxy
::Access any
restricted
resources
off-campus

Serials
Solutions
::Find an electronic
journal, magazine or
newspaper

Community
System
Learning
System

?

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

The Portal: Structure & Support
Seneca College
IT Council

Information
Technology &
Telecommunications

Portal
Committee

BB Admin
& Support

Office of
Research
& Innovation
Academic
e-Learning
Liaison

Seneca
Libraries

Deans
& Chairs

e-Learning
Centres

Faculty

The Portal: MySeneca History
September 2000:
Launch of BlackBoard
CMS (Version 4)

January 2002:
Launch of My.Seneca

December 2000:

Spring 2003:

First Portal
Committee Meeting

Load issues after
upgrade to BB 6

August 2005:
October
2004:
Launch of
Employee
Portal

Launch of first nonITT Student
Services Tab

Summer 2001:
First draft of
student portal (with
library portal)

October 2000:
First demo of library
material in BB

November 2004:
First discussions
about a library portal

December 2004:
Access to library
module admin

April 2005:
Library development
tab and modules

Why:
“Information literacy should not be
considered a given, even among “net-gen”
students .… Techniques for finding and
assessing relevant information from the
array of resources available … are crucial,
especially in light of the rising trend toward
collaborative work.”
The Horizon Report, 2006 Edition.

Our Goal

The Portal: The Library’s Plan
Determine targeted user group
Develop timelines
Funding/Resource Requirements
Methodology
Training
Marketing

MyLibrary Justification
More services & greater integration
Improved awareness of our resources
Improved access to our resources
Customizability
Greater efficiency
Demand for sound pedagogy
Librarians excel at collaboration
Environmental need to enhance skill sets
Provision of successful lifelong learning skills

Getting College Buy-In
Partnerships/Politics
Agenda
Presentation
Approval process

Library and Collaboration
Technology skills
Access
Impact
“Collaboration is related to innovation. There
would be significant gains in Canada’s
innovation performance if we were to increase
the level of collaboration.”
Conference Board of Canada

Implementing Reconstitution
The Approach
Content and Functionality
Technical Information

Limitations

What is Our Approach, Anyway?
Low-Fi and Iterative
User-centred
Staff-driven
Keeping the “big picture” in mind
No wheel re-invention
Dynamic content wherever possible
(“just text” is boring)
Focus on what we want, then on what
we can / are allowed do

Let’s Plan!
Content Chunking
What is “Chunking”?
= breaking down information into its smallest manageable
components (content unit).
Guidelines





One functionality (service) or content per “chunk”
The service / content has to be able to stand on its own.
Plan for a “chunk” size that is suitable for width and height constraints.
Limit navigation by keeping the “chunk” content within it wherever
possible. Avoid linking to other services / content.

Deliverables
A list of proposed “chunks” with label and the intended audience.

Chunking Example

Review & Select
… We ended up with 46 suggested modules!
Module Prioritization & Layout
• Default vs. Optional
• Left Navigation Links
vs. Modules
• Roles
• Type of Module

We narrowed down the selections to 5 left navigation
links and 26 priority 1 and 2 modules…

Module Candidates
Priority 1: Required Content
Academic Honesty
Virtual Reference (Ask Us Now)
Contact Information
Copyright
Remote Access Instructions
Library Instruction and Course
Support
Citing Sources (MLA, APA)
Article Databases & Express Article
Search
Library Catalogue Search
Subject Guides
Library News
My Library Account

Priority 2: Optional Content
Quick Reference Tools: Dictionaries ,
Encyclopedias, Almanacs /
Factbooks, Maps & Atlases,
Directories
Collection Development
Faculty Manuals
Audio-Visual Services: Videos &
DVDs
AV Services: Electronic Classrooms
AV Services: Equipment
Find a Journal (A-Z Search)
Research by Course
Library Forms
Information for Students
New Books

Priority 3: Want-to-Haves
 Group Study Room Bookings
 My eJournals & eBooks
 My Databases

Module Design & Layout

Very limited design possibilities





Frame
Left Navigation Bar (Links)
2-column versus 1-column
module colours and borders

Re-cyle and Re-use
Existing Modules
• Library/AV Modules
• Seneca Custom
Modules (Weblinks,
Toronto Weather,
Announcements)
• Pre-built RSS feeds
• Online Reference Tools
(search, dictionary,
maps, weather, quotes)
• Time Magazine

Pre-built Content …

Our
demo
version
so far

Technicalities…
Standards: CSS, HTML, Accessibility
Roles
Frame Environment
Modules Type: HTML, Weblinks, RSS
Custom-Programming: BB Building
Blocks – web app package consisting
of JSP and XML files
Portal System = Courseware System
No integration with Content System


Find Books,
Videos & DVDs



<script type="text/javascript">



Internal Constraints
No JSP expertise & IDE; no access to Oracle
No access to “Live” Modules on production
Development server is not synched with
production server
Lack of procedures and policies
Lack of pre-developed customizable modules
(e.g., for RSS)
List of modules cannot be re-organized
No separation of content and formatting
(only one external CSS file)

Community
System
Digital
Collections

Learning
System

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

Alternative Paths:
Persistent Links in Course Content,
Course Pages, Referatory, Course
Integrator, eReserves

If We Did it Again…Lessons Learned
Plan for a departmental/external
programming (funding implications)
Ask more questions
Define / Agree on policies and
procedures
Get involved as soon as possible
Be patient

Still to Do
Show demo tab to Portal Committee
Release new tab to staff and faculty
for feedback and review
Prepare for training, education and
marketing
Work on a new collaborative
agreement with ITT to speed up
development time

Future Goals
Usability testing
Much more personalization: XML
records of ejournals and ebooks, new
books, staff etc. should allow far more
personalization options!
More integration with Courseware and
Content System
Focus on content management

Thank you. Any Questions?
Joy Muller
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x3042

Jane Foo
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x2011
senlibjane (Yahoo), [email protected] (MSN),
313050248 (ICQ)
Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Works Cited
Boss, Richard W. “Library Portals”. Tech Notes. Mar. 2005. American Library Assn. 19 Jan., 2006
.
CARL E-Learning Working Group. “Libraries and E-Learning.” Nov. 2005. Canadian Assn. of Research Libraries.
.

Dempsey, Lorcan. “The Recombinant Library: Portals and People.” Sept. 2003. OCLC.
.
Maloney, Krisellen. “Portals in Libraries: Library Technology and Planning for Change.” Bulletin of the American Society
of Information Science and Technology Oct/Nov 2004. 20 Jan. 2006 Oct-04/maloney.html>.
OCLC E-Learning Task Force. “Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning.” Oct. 2003. OCLC. 20 Jan. 2006
.
New Media Consortium & EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative. “The Horizon Report: 2006 Edition.” 31 Jan., 2006.
New Media Consortium. .
Portal Webliography. Ed. Eric Lease Morgan. 21 Nov. 2001. Infomotions. 20 Jan., 2006
.


Slide 12

Reconstituting Library Services
for E-Learning Portals
Joy Muller, Jane Foo
OLA 2006 Superconference
February 2, 2006

Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Overview
Our Goals
The Portal
The Environment
Politics and Partnerships
Implementation Notes
Demo
Last Words
Comments and Questions

To Reconstitute
To bring a dried or dehydrated product to its original
consistency by adding a liquid
http://www.tyson.com/UserControls/ViewTerms.aspx

Construct or form anew or provide with a new structure;
"The governing board was reconstituted"
http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

 Let’s repackage what we can offer into
“products” that can be more easily accessed and
used by our students and faculty.

E-Learning
Covers a wide set of applications and processes
such as Web based learning, computer based
learning, virtual classrooms, and digital
collaboration.
http://www.cybermediacrations.com/elearning/glossary.htm

“Searching for a permanent, comfortable and
serviceable position that is nimble enough to be
flexible, accessible and continually up to date
with the wider ‘university’ structure”
OCLC Task Force Report on Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning

Seneca College
Mission Statement and Vision
To contribute to Canadian society by being a
transformation leader in providing students
with career-related education and training.
Our vision is to lead:








in Student Success
In Access to Higher Education
In Learning
In Applied Research
In Innovation
In our Commitment to People
In our Commitment to Diversity and Equity in Employment

E-Learning – Goals
Enrich & support pedagogy
Accessibility of learning materials and
support

Support students in life-long learning
Intra and inter school and institutional
sharing of course materials

Contribution to public knowledge

Portal
A Web based tool that provides a
customizable interface to information
aggregated from a variety of sources.
Krisellen Maloney, ASIS Bulletin

Lorcan Dempsey: p-portals and m-portals
The Recombinant Library: Portals and People

The college portal plays an important part in the
students’ academic tasks
 Focus on integrating with the user flow
 Personal Learning Landscape

The Portal: MySeneca Usage
In a 7 day period during the first 2 weeks of
this semester:
16.5 million hits occurred on My.Seneca.
42,158 announcements were viewed through the "My.Seneca Announcements" module.
62,871 student Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
11,511 staff Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
5,213 edits occurred to personalize specific modules.
9,775 changes were made to portal pages contents.
4,803 changes were made to portal layout of modules.

Licensed Digital Databases
ENCompass for
Digital Collections
::Create & manage
digital assets

Linkfinder Plus

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

::Directly access
full-text content
across
various
sources

Link
Resolver

Ask Us
Now

Ask Us Now
::Chat and interact with a
librarian online

Remote
Access

ENCompass for
Resource
Federated
Access
::Find published
articles & digital
objects via one
search

::Access and search for published content in
electronic form

e-Journals

Search
ILS

Library Catalogue
::Look up books, print periodicals, videos, DVDs, CDs

EZProxy
::Access any
restricted
resources
off-campus

Serials
Solutions
::Find an electronic
journal, magazine or
newspaper

Community
System
Learning
System

?

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

The Portal: Structure & Support
Seneca College
IT Council

Information
Technology &
Telecommunications

Portal
Committee

BB Admin
& Support

Office of
Research
& Innovation
Academic
e-Learning
Liaison

Seneca
Libraries

Deans
& Chairs

e-Learning
Centres

Faculty

The Portal: MySeneca History
September 2000:
Launch of BlackBoard
CMS (Version 4)

January 2002:
Launch of My.Seneca

December 2000:

Spring 2003:

First Portal
Committee Meeting

Load issues after
upgrade to BB 6

August 2005:
October
2004:
Launch of
Employee
Portal

Launch of first nonITT Student
Services Tab

Summer 2001:
First draft of
student portal (with
library portal)

October 2000:
First demo of library
material in BB

November 2004:
First discussions
about a library portal

December 2004:
Access to library
module admin

April 2005:
Library development
tab and modules

Why:
“Information literacy should not be
considered a given, even among “net-gen”
students .… Techniques for finding and
assessing relevant information from the
array of resources available … are crucial,
especially in light of the rising trend toward
collaborative work.”
The Horizon Report, 2006 Edition.

Our Goal

The Portal: The Library’s Plan
Determine targeted user group
Develop timelines
Funding/Resource Requirements
Methodology
Training
Marketing

MyLibrary Justification
More services & greater integration
Improved awareness of our resources
Improved access to our resources
Customizability
Greater efficiency
Demand for sound pedagogy
Librarians excel at collaboration
Environmental need to enhance skill sets
Provision of successful lifelong learning skills

Getting College Buy-In
Partnerships/Politics
Agenda
Presentation
Approval process

Library and Collaboration
Technology skills
Access
Impact
“Collaboration is related to innovation. There
would be significant gains in Canada’s
innovation performance if we were to increase
the level of collaboration.”
Conference Board of Canada

Implementing Reconstitution
The Approach
Content and Functionality
Technical Information

Limitations

What is Our Approach, Anyway?
Low-Fi and Iterative
User-centred
Staff-driven
Keeping the “big picture” in mind
No wheel re-invention
Dynamic content wherever possible
(“just text” is boring)
Focus on what we want, then on what
we can / are allowed do

Let’s Plan!
Content Chunking
What is “Chunking”?
= breaking down information into its smallest manageable
components (content unit).
Guidelines





One functionality (service) or content per “chunk”
The service / content has to be able to stand on its own.
Plan for a “chunk” size that is suitable for width and height constraints.
Limit navigation by keeping the “chunk” content within it wherever
possible. Avoid linking to other services / content.

Deliverables
A list of proposed “chunks” with label and the intended audience.

Chunking Example

Review & Select
… We ended up with 46 suggested modules!
Module Prioritization & Layout
• Default vs. Optional
• Left Navigation Links
vs. Modules
• Roles
• Type of Module

We narrowed down the selections to 5 left navigation
links and 26 priority 1 and 2 modules…

Module Candidates
Priority 1: Required Content
Academic Honesty
Virtual Reference (Ask Us Now)
Contact Information
Copyright
Remote Access Instructions
Library Instruction and Course
Support
Citing Sources (MLA, APA)
Article Databases & Express Article
Search
Library Catalogue Search
Subject Guides
Library News
My Library Account

Priority 2: Optional Content
Quick Reference Tools: Dictionaries ,
Encyclopedias, Almanacs /
Factbooks, Maps & Atlases,
Directories
Collection Development
Faculty Manuals
Audio-Visual Services: Videos &
DVDs
AV Services: Electronic Classrooms
AV Services: Equipment
Find a Journal (A-Z Search)
Research by Course
Library Forms
Information for Students
New Books

Priority 3: Want-to-Haves
 Group Study Room Bookings
 My eJournals & eBooks
 My Databases

Module Design & Layout

Very limited design possibilities





Frame
Left Navigation Bar (Links)
2-column versus 1-column
module colours and borders

Re-cyle and Re-use
Existing Modules
• Library/AV Modules
• Seneca Custom
Modules (Weblinks,
Toronto Weather,
Announcements)
• Pre-built RSS feeds
• Online Reference Tools
(search, dictionary,
maps, weather, quotes)
• Time Magazine

Pre-built Content …

Our
demo
version
so far

Technicalities…
Standards: CSS, HTML, Accessibility
Roles
Frame Environment
Modules Type: HTML, Weblinks, RSS
Custom-Programming: BB Building
Blocks – web app package consisting
of JSP and XML files
Portal System = Courseware System
No integration with Content System


Find Books,
Videos & DVDs



<script type="text/javascript">



Internal Constraints
No JSP expertise & IDE; no access to Oracle
No access to “Live” Modules on production
Development server is not synched with
production server
Lack of procedures and policies
Lack of pre-developed customizable modules
(e.g., for RSS)
List of modules cannot be re-organized
No separation of content and formatting
(only one external CSS file)

Community
System
Digital
Collections

Learning
System

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

Alternative Paths:
Persistent Links in Course Content,
Course Pages, Referatory, Course
Integrator, eReserves

If We Did it Again…Lessons Learned
Plan for a departmental/external
programming (funding implications)
Ask more questions
Define / Agree on policies and
procedures
Get involved as soon as possible
Be patient

Still to Do
Show demo tab to Portal Committee
Release new tab to staff and faculty
for feedback and review
Prepare for training, education and
marketing
Work on a new collaborative
agreement with ITT to speed up
development time

Future Goals
Usability testing
Much more personalization: XML
records of ejournals and ebooks, new
books, staff etc. should allow far more
personalization options!
More integration with Courseware and
Content System
Focus on content management

Thank you. Any Questions?
Joy Muller
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x3042

Jane Foo
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x2011
senlibjane (Yahoo), [email protected] (MSN),
313050248 (ICQ)
Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Works Cited
Boss, Richard W. “Library Portals”. Tech Notes. Mar. 2005. American Library Assn. 19 Jan., 2006
.
CARL E-Learning Working Group. “Libraries and E-Learning.” Nov. 2005. Canadian Assn. of Research Libraries.
.

Dempsey, Lorcan. “The Recombinant Library: Portals and People.” Sept. 2003. OCLC.
.
Maloney, Krisellen. “Portals in Libraries: Library Technology and Planning for Change.” Bulletin of the American Society
of Information Science and Technology Oct/Nov 2004. 20 Jan. 2006 Oct-04/maloney.html>.
OCLC E-Learning Task Force. “Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning.” Oct. 2003. OCLC. 20 Jan. 2006
.
New Media Consortium & EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative. “The Horizon Report: 2006 Edition.” 31 Jan., 2006.
New Media Consortium. .
Portal Webliography. Ed. Eric Lease Morgan. 21 Nov. 2001. Infomotions. 20 Jan., 2006
.


Slide 13

Reconstituting Library Services
for E-Learning Portals
Joy Muller, Jane Foo
OLA 2006 Superconference
February 2, 2006

Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Overview
Our Goals
The Portal
The Environment
Politics and Partnerships
Implementation Notes
Demo
Last Words
Comments and Questions

To Reconstitute
To bring a dried or dehydrated product to its original
consistency by adding a liquid
http://www.tyson.com/UserControls/ViewTerms.aspx

Construct or form anew or provide with a new structure;
"The governing board was reconstituted"
http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

 Let’s repackage what we can offer into
“products” that can be more easily accessed and
used by our students and faculty.

E-Learning
Covers a wide set of applications and processes
such as Web based learning, computer based
learning, virtual classrooms, and digital
collaboration.
http://www.cybermediacrations.com/elearning/glossary.htm

“Searching for a permanent, comfortable and
serviceable position that is nimble enough to be
flexible, accessible and continually up to date
with the wider ‘university’ structure”
OCLC Task Force Report on Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning

Seneca College
Mission Statement and Vision
To contribute to Canadian society by being a
transformation leader in providing students
with career-related education and training.
Our vision is to lead:








in Student Success
In Access to Higher Education
In Learning
In Applied Research
In Innovation
In our Commitment to People
In our Commitment to Diversity and Equity in Employment

E-Learning – Goals
Enrich & support pedagogy
Accessibility of learning materials and
support

Support students in life-long learning
Intra and inter school and institutional
sharing of course materials

Contribution to public knowledge

Portal
A Web based tool that provides a
customizable interface to information
aggregated from a variety of sources.
Krisellen Maloney, ASIS Bulletin

Lorcan Dempsey: p-portals and m-portals
The Recombinant Library: Portals and People

The college portal plays an important part in the
students’ academic tasks
 Focus on integrating with the user flow
 Personal Learning Landscape

The Portal: MySeneca Usage
In a 7 day period during the first 2 weeks of
this semester:
16.5 million hits occurred on My.Seneca.
42,158 announcements were viewed through the "My.Seneca Announcements" module.
62,871 student Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
11,511 staff Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
5,213 edits occurred to personalize specific modules.
9,775 changes were made to portal pages contents.
4,803 changes were made to portal layout of modules.

Licensed Digital Databases
ENCompass for
Digital Collections
::Create & manage
digital assets

Linkfinder Plus

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

::Directly access
full-text content
across
various
sources

Link
Resolver

Ask Us
Now

Ask Us Now
::Chat and interact with a
librarian online

Remote
Access

ENCompass for
Resource
Federated
Access
::Find published
articles & digital
objects via one
search

::Access and search for published content in
electronic form

e-Journals

Search
ILS

Library Catalogue
::Look up books, print periodicals, videos, DVDs, CDs

EZProxy
::Access any
restricted
resources
off-campus

Serials
Solutions
::Find an electronic
journal, magazine or
newspaper

Community
System
Learning
System

?

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

The Portal: Structure & Support
Seneca College
IT Council

Information
Technology &
Telecommunications

Portal
Committee

BB Admin
& Support

Office of
Research
& Innovation
Academic
e-Learning
Liaison

Seneca
Libraries

Deans
& Chairs

e-Learning
Centres

Faculty

The Portal: MySeneca History
September 2000:
Launch of BlackBoard
CMS (Version 4)

January 2002:
Launch of My.Seneca

December 2000:

Spring 2003:

First Portal
Committee Meeting

Load issues after
upgrade to BB 6

August 2005:
October
2004:
Launch of
Employee
Portal

Launch of first nonITT Student
Services Tab

Summer 2001:
First draft of
student portal (with
library portal)

October 2000:
First demo of library
material in BB

November 2004:
First discussions
about a library portal

December 2004:
Access to library
module admin

April 2005:
Library development
tab and modules

Why:
“Information literacy should not be
considered a given, even among “net-gen”
students .… Techniques for finding and
assessing relevant information from the
array of resources available … are crucial,
especially in light of the rising trend toward
collaborative work.”
The Horizon Report, 2006 Edition.

Our Goal

The Portal: The Library’s Plan
Determine targeted user group
Develop timelines
Funding/Resource Requirements
Methodology
Training
Marketing

MyLibrary Justification
More services & greater integration
Improved awareness of our resources
Improved access to our resources
Customizability
Greater efficiency
Demand for sound pedagogy
Librarians excel at collaboration
Environmental need to enhance skill sets
Provision of successful lifelong learning skills

Getting College Buy-In
Partnerships/Politics
Agenda
Presentation
Approval process

Library and Collaboration
Technology skills
Access
Impact
“Collaboration is related to innovation. There
would be significant gains in Canada’s
innovation performance if we were to increase
the level of collaboration.”
Conference Board of Canada

Implementing Reconstitution
The Approach
Content and Functionality
Technical Information

Limitations

What is Our Approach, Anyway?
Low-Fi and Iterative
User-centred
Staff-driven
Keeping the “big picture” in mind
No wheel re-invention
Dynamic content wherever possible
(“just text” is boring)
Focus on what we want, then on what
we can / are allowed do

Let’s Plan!
Content Chunking
What is “Chunking”?
= breaking down information into its smallest manageable
components (content unit).
Guidelines





One functionality (service) or content per “chunk”
The service / content has to be able to stand on its own.
Plan for a “chunk” size that is suitable for width and height constraints.
Limit navigation by keeping the “chunk” content within it wherever
possible. Avoid linking to other services / content.

Deliverables
A list of proposed “chunks” with label and the intended audience.

Chunking Example

Review & Select
… We ended up with 46 suggested modules!
Module Prioritization & Layout
• Default vs. Optional
• Left Navigation Links
vs. Modules
• Roles
• Type of Module

We narrowed down the selections to 5 left navigation
links and 26 priority 1 and 2 modules…

Module Candidates
Priority 1: Required Content
Academic Honesty
Virtual Reference (Ask Us Now)
Contact Information
Copyright
Remote Access Instructions
Library Instruction and Course
Support
Citing Sources (MLA, APA)
Article Databases & Express Article
Search
Library Catalogue Search
Subject Guides
Library News
My Library Account

Priority 2: Optional Content
Quick Reference Tools: Dictionaries ,
Encyclopedias, Almanacs /
Factbooks, Maps & Atlases,
Directories
Collection Development
Faculty Manuals
Audio-Visual Services: Videos &
DVDs
AV Services: Electronic Classrooms
AV Services: Equipment
Find a Journal (A-Z Search)
Research by Course
Library Forms
Information for Students
New Books

Priority 3: Want-to-Haves
 Group Study Room Bookings
 My eJournals & eBooks
 My Databases

Module Design & Layout

Very limited design possibilities





Frame
Left Navigation Bar (Links)
2-column versus 1-column
module colours and borders

Re-cyle and Re-use
Existing Modules
• Library/AV Modules
• Seneca Custom
Modules (Weblinks,
Toronto Weather,
Announcements)
• Pre-built RSS feeds
• Online Reference Tools
(search, dictionary,
maps, weather, quotes)
• Time Magazine

Pre-built Content …

Our
demo
version
so far

Technicalities…
Standards: CSS, HTML, Accessibility
Roles
Frame Environment
Modules Type: HTML, Weblinks, RSS
Custom-Programming: BB Building
Blocks – web app package consisting
of JSP and XML files
Portal System = Courseware System
No integration with Content System


Find Books,
Videos & DVDs



<script type="text/javascript">



Internal Constraints
No JSP expertise & IDE; no access to Oracle
No access to “Live” Modules on production
Development server is not synched with
production server
Lack of procedures and policies
Lack of pre-developed customizable modules
(e.g., for RSS)
List of modules cannot be re-organized
No separation of content and formatting
(only one external CSS file)

Community
System
Digital
Collections

Learning
System

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

Alternative Paths:
Persistent Links in Course Content,
Course Pages, Referatory, Course
Integrator, eReserves

If We Did it Again…Lessons Learned
Plan for a departmental/external
programming (funding implications)
Ask more questions
Define / Agree on policies and
procedures
Get involved as soon as possible
Be patient

Still to Do
Show demo tab to Portal Committee
Release new tab to staff and faculty
for feedback and review
Prepare for training, education and
marketing
Work on a new collaborative
agreement with ITT to speed up
development time

Future Goals
Usability testing
Much more personalization: XML
records of ejournals and ebooks, new
books, staff etc. should allow far more
personalization options!
More integration with Courseware and
Content System
Focus on content management

Thank you. Any Questions?
Joy Muller
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x3042

Jane Foo
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x2011
senlibjane (Yahoo), [email protected] (MSN),
313050248 (ICQ)
Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Works Cited
Boss, Richard W. “Library Portals”. Tech Notes. Mar. 2005. American Library Assn. 19 Jan., 2006
.
CARL E-Learning Working Group. “Libraries and E-Learning.” Nov. 2005. Canadian Assn. of Research Libraries.
.

Dempsey, Lorcan. “The Recombinant Library: Portals and People.” Sept. 2003. OCLC.
.
Maloney, Krisellen. “Portals in Libraries: Library Technology and Planning for Change.” Bulletin of the American Society
of Information Science and Technology Oct/Nov 2004. 20 Jan. 2006 Oct-04/maloney.html>.
OCLC E-Learning Task Force. “Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning.” Oct. 2003. OCLC. 20 Jan. 2006
.
New Media Consortium & EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative. “The Horizon Report: 2006 Edition.” 31 Jan., 2006.
New Media Consortium. .
Portal Webliography. Ed. Eric Lease Morgan. 21 Nov. 2001. Infomotions. 20 Jan., 2006
.


Slide 14

Reconstituting Library Services
for E-Learning Portals
Joy Muller, Jane Foo
OLA 2006 Superconference
February 2, 2006

Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Overview
Our Goals
The Portal
The Environment
Politics and Partnerships
Implementation Notes
Demo
Last Words
Comments and Questions

To Reconstitute
To bring a dried or dehydrated product to its original
consistency by adding a liquid
http://www.tyson.com/UserControls/ViewTerms.aspx

Construct or form anew or provide with a new structure;
"The governing board was reconstituted"
http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

 Let’s repackage what we can offer into
“products” that can be more easily accessed and
used by our students and faculty.

E-Learning
Covers a wide set of applications and processes
such as Web based learning, computer based
learning, virtual classrooms, and digital
collaboration.
http://www.cybermediacrations.com/elearning/glossary.htm

“Searching for a permanent, comfortable and
serviceable position that is nimble enough to be
flexible, accessible and continually up to date
with the wider ‘university’ structure”
OCLC Task Force Report on Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning

Seneca College
Mission Statement and Vision
To contribute to Canadian society by being a
transformation leader in providing students
with career-related education and training.
Our vision is to lead:








in Student Success
In Access to Higher Education
In Learning
In Applied Research
In Innovation
In our Commitment to People
In our Commitment to Diversity and Equity in Employment

E-Learning – Goals
Enrich & support pedagogy
Accessibility of learning materials and
support

Support students in life-long learning
Intra and inter school and institutional
sharing of course materials

Contribution to public knowledge

Portal
A Web based tool that provides a
customizable interface to information
aggregated from a variety of sources.
Krisellen Maloney, ASIS Bulletin

Lorcan Dempsey: p-portals and m-portals
The Recombinant Library: Portals and People

The college portal plays an important part in the
students’ academic tasks
 Focus on integrating with the user flow
 Personal Learning Landscape

The Portal: MySeneca Usage
In a 7 day period during the first 2 weeks of
this semester:
16.5 million hits occurred on My.Seneca.
42,158 announcements were viewed through the "My.Seneca Announcements" module.
62,871 student Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
11,511 staff Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
5,213 edits occurred to personalize specific modules.
9,775 changes were made to portal pages contents.
4,803 changes were made to portal layout of modules.

Licensed Digital Databases
ENCompass for
Digital Collections
::Create & manage
digital assets

Linkfinder Plus

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

::Directly access
full-text content
across
various
sources

Link
Resolver

Ask Us
Now

Ask Us Now
::Chat and interact with a
librarian online

Remote
Access

ENCompass for
Resource
Federated
Access
::Find published
articles & digital
objects via one
search

::Access and search for published content in
electronic form

e-Journals

Search
ILS

Library Catalogue
::Look up books, print periodicals, videos, DVDs, CDs

EZProxy
::Access any
restricted
resources
off-campus

Serials
Solutions
::Find an electronic
journal, magazine or
newspaper

Community
System
Learning
System

?

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

The Portal: Structure & Support
Seneca College
IT Council

Information
Technology &
Telecommunications

Portal
Committee

BB Admin
& Support

Office of
Research
& Innovation
Academic
e-Learning
Liaison

Seneca
Libraries

Deans
& Chairs

e-Learning
Centres

Faculty

The Portal: MySeneca History
September 2000:
Launch of BlackBoard
CMS (Version 4)

January 2002:
Launch of My.Seneca

December 2000:

Spring 2003:

First Portal
Committee Meeting

Load issues after
upgrade to BB 6

August 2005:
October
2004:
Launch of
Employee
Portal

Launch of first nonITT Student
Services Tab

Summer 2001:
First draft of
student portal (with
library portal)

October 2000:
First demo of library
material in BB

November 2004:
First discussions
about a library portal

December 2004:
Access to library
module admin

April 2005:
Library development
tab and modules

Why:
“Information literacy should not be
considered a given, even among “net-gen”
students .… Techniques for finding and
assessing relevant information from the
array of resources available … are crucial,
especially in light of the rising trend toward
collaborative work.”
The Horizon Report, 2006 Edition.

Our Goal

The Portal: The Library’s Plan
Determine targeted user group
Develop timelines
Funding/Resource Requirements
Methodology
Training
Marketing

MyLibrary Justification
More services & greater integration
Improved awareness of our resources
Improved access to our resources
Customizability
Greater efficiency
Demand for sound pedagogy
Librarians excel at collaboration
Environmental need to enhance skill sets
Provision of successful lifelong learning skills

Getting College Buy-In
Partnerships/Politics
Agenda
Presentation
Approval process

Library and Collaboration
Technology skills
Access
Impact
“Collaboration is related to innovation. There
would be significant gains in Canada’s
innovation performance if we were to increase
the level of collaboration.”
Conference Board of Canada

Implementing Reconstitution
The Approach
Content and Functionality
Technical Information

Limitations

What is Our Approach, Anyway?
Low-Fi and Iterative
User-centred
Staff-driven
Keeping the “big picture” in mind
No wheel re-invention
Dynamic content wherever possible
(“just text” is boring)
Focus on what we want, then on what
we can / are allowed do

Let’s Plan!
Content Chunking
What is “Chunking”?
= breaking down information into its smallest manageable
components (content unit).
Guidelines





One functionality (service) or content per “chunk”
The service / content has to be able to stand on its own.
Plan for a “chunk” size that is suitable for width and height constraints.
Limit navigation by keeping the “chunk” content within it wherever
possible. Avoid linking to other services / content.

Deliverables
A list of proposed “chunks” with label and the intended audience.

Chunking Example

Review & Select
… We ended up with 46 suggested modules!
Module Prioritization & Layout
• Default vs. Optional
• Left Navigation Links
vs. Modules
• Roles
• Type of Module

We narrowed down the selections to 5 left navigation
links and 26 priority 1 and 2 modules…

Module Candidates
Priority 1: Required Content
Academic Honesty
Virtual Reference (Ask Us Now)
Contact Information
Copyright
Remote Access Instructions
Library Instruction and Course
Support
Citing Sources (MLA, APA)
Article Databases & Express Article
Search
Library Catalogue Search
Subject Guides
Library News
My Library Account

Priority 2: Optional Content
Quick Reference Tools: Dictionaries ,
Encyclopedias, Almanacs /
Factbooks, Maps & Atlases,
Directories
Collection Development
Faculty Manuals
Audio-Visual Services: Videos &
DVDs
AV Services: Electronic Classrooms
AV Services: Equipment
Find a Journal (A-Z Search)
Research by Course
Library Forms
Information for Students
New Books

Priority 3: Want-to-Haves
 Group Study Room Bookings
 My eJournals & eBooks
 My Databases

Module Design & Layout

Very limited design possibilities





Frame
Left Navigation Bar (Links)
2-column versus 1-column
module colours and borders

Re-cyle and Re-use
Existing Modules
• Library/AV Modules
• Seneca Custom
Modules (Weblinks,
Toronto Weather,
Announcements)
• Pre-built RSS feeds
• Online Reference Tools
(search, dictionary,
maps, weather, quotes)
• Time Magazine

Pre-built Content …

Our
demo
version
so far

Technicalities…
Standards: CSS, HTML, Accessibility
Roles
Frame Environment
Modules Type: HTML, Weblinks, RSS
Custom-Programming: BB Building
Blocks – web app package consisting
of JSP and XML files
Portal System = Courseware System
No integration with Content System


Find Books,
Videos & DVDs



<script type="text/javascript">



Internal Constraints
No JSP expertise & IDE; no access to Oracle
No access to “Live” Modules on production
Development server is not synched with
production server
Lack of procedures and policies
Lack of pre-developed customizable modules
(e.g., for RSS)
List of modules cannot be re-organized
No separation of content and formatting
(only one external CSS file)

Community
System
Digital
Collections

Learning
System

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

Alternative Paths:
Persistent Links in Course Content,
Course Pages, Referatory, Course
Integrator, eReserves

If We Did it Again…Lessons Learned
Plan for a departmental/external
programming (funding implications)
Ask more questions
Define / Agree on policies and
procedures
Get involved as soon as possible
Be patient

Still to Do
Show demo tab to Portal Committee
Release new tab to staff and faculty
for feedback and review
Prepare for training, education and
marketing
Work on a new collaborative
agreement with ITT to speed up
development time

Future Goals
Usability testing
Much more personalization: XML
records of ejournals and ebooks, new
books, staff etc. should allow far more
personalization options!
More integration with Courseware and
Content System
Focus on content management

Thank you. Any Questions?
Joy Muller
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x3042

Jane Foo
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x2011
senlibjane (Yahoo), [email protected] (MSN),
313050248 (ICQ)
Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Works Cited
Boss, Richard W. “Library Portals”. Tech Notes. Mar. 2005. American Library Assn. 19 Jan., 2006
.
CARL E-Learning Working Group. “Libraries and E-Learning.” Nov. 2005. Canadian Assn. of Research Libraries.
.

Dempsey, Lorcan. “The Recombinant Library: Portals and People.” Sept. 2003. OCLC.
.
Maloney, Krisellen. “Portals in Libraries: Library Technology and Planning for Change.” Bulletin of the American Society
of Information Science and Technology Oct/Nov 2004. 20 Jan. 2006 Oct-04/maloney.html>.
OCLC E-Learning Task Force. “Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning.” Oct. 2003. OCLC. 20 Jan. 2006
.
New Media Consortium & EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative. “The Horizon Report: 2006 Edition.” 31 Jan., 2006.
New Media Consortium. .
Portal Webliography. Ed. Eric Lease Morgan. 21 Nov. 2001. Infomotions. 20 Jan., 2006
.


Slide 15

Reconstituting Library Services
for E-Learning Portals
Joy Muller, Jane Foo
OLA 2006 Superconference
February 2, 2006

Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Overview
Our Goals
The Portal
The Environment
Politics and Partnerships
Implementation Notes
Demo
Last Words
Comments and Questions

To Reconstitute
To bring a dried or dehydrated product to its original
consistency by adding a liquid
http://www.tyson.com/UserControls/ViewTerms.aspx

Construct or form anew or provide with a new structure;
"The governing board was reconstituted"
http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

 Let’s repackage what we can offer into
“products” that can be more easily accessed and
used by our students and faculty.

E-Learning
Covers a wide set of applications and processes
such as Web based learning, computer based
learning, virtual classrooms, and digital
collaboration.
http://www.cybermediacrations.com/elearning/glossary.htm

“Searching for a permanent, comfortable and
serviceable position that is nimble enough to be
flexible, accessible and continually up to date
with the wider ‘university’ structure”
OCLC Task Force Report on Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning

Seneca College
Mission Statement and Vision
To contribute to Canadian society by being a
transformation leader in providing students
with career-related education and training.
Our vision is to lead:








in Student Success
In Access to Higher Education
In Learning
In Applied Research
In Innovation
In our Commitment to People
In our Commitment to Diversity and Equity in Employment

E-Learning – Goals
Enrich & support pedagogy
Accessibility of learning materials and
support

Support students in life-long learning
Intra and inter school and institutional
sharing of course materials

Contribution to public knowledge

Portal
A Web based tool that provides a
customizable interface to information
aggregated from a variety of sources.
Krisellen Maloney, ASIS Bulletin

Lorcan Dempsey: p-portals and m-portals
The Recombinant Library: Portals and People

The college portal plays an important part in the
students’ academic tasks
 Focus on integrating with the user flow
 Personal Learning Landscape

The Portal: MySeneca Usage
In a 7 day period during the first 2 weeks of
this semester:
16.5 million hits occurred on My.Seneca.
42,158 announcements were viewed through the "My.Seneca Announcements" module.
62,871 student Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
11,511 staff Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
5,213 edits occurred to personalize specific modules.
9,775 changes were made to portal pages contents.
4,803 changes were made to portal layout of modules.

Licensed Digital Databases
ENCompass for
Digital Collections
::Create & manage
digital assets

Linkfinder Plus

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

::Directly access
full-text content
across
various
sources

Link
Resolver

Ask Us
Now

Ask Us Now
::Chat and interact with a
librarian online

Remote
Access

ENCompass for
Resource
Federated
Access
::Find published
articles & digital
objects via one
search

::Access and search for published content in
electronic form

e-Journals

Search
ILS

Library Catalogue
::Look up books, print periodicals, videos, DVDs, CDs

EZProxy
::Access any
restricted
resources
off-campus

Serials
Solutions
::Find an electronic
journal, magazine or
newspaper

Community
System
Learning
System

?

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

The Portal: Structure & Support
Seneca College
IT Council

Information
Technology &
Telecommunications

Portal
Committee

BB Admin
& Support

Office of
Research
& Innovation
Academic
e-Learning
Liaison

Seneca
Libraries

Deans
& Chairs

e-Learning
Centres

Faculty

The Portal: MySeneca History
September 2000:
Launch of BlackBoard
CMS (Version 4)

January 2002:
Launch of My.Seneca

December 2000:

Spring 2003:

First Portal
Committee Meeting

Load issues after
upgrade to BB 6

August 2005:
October
2004:
Launch of
Employee
Portal

Launch of first nonITT Student
Services Tab

Summer 2001:
First draft of
student portal (with
library portal)

October 2000:
First demo of library
material in BB

November 2004:
First discussions
about a library portal

December 2004:
Access to library
module admin

April 2005:
Library development
tab and modules

Why:
“Information literacy should not be
considered a given, even among “net-gen”
students .… Techniques for finding and
assessing relevant information from the
array of resources available … are crucial,
especially in light of the rising trend toward
collaborative work.”
The Horizon Report, 2006 Edition.

Our Goal

The Portal: The Library’s Plan
Determine targeted user group
Develop timelines
Funding/Resource Requirements
Methodology
Training
Marketing

MyLibrary Justification
More services & greater integration
Improved awareness of our resources
Improved access to our resources
Customizability
Greater efficiency
Demand for sound pedagogy
Librarians excel at collaboration
Environmental need to enhance skill sets
Provision of successful lifelong learning skills

Getting College Buy-In
Partnerships/Politics
Agenda
Presentation
Approval process

Library and Collaboration
Technology skills
Access
Impact
“Collaboration is related to innovation. There
would be significant gains in Canada’s
innovation performance if we were to increase
the level of collaboration.”
Conference Board of Canada

Implementing Reconstitution
The Approach
Content and Functionality
Technical Information

Limitations

What is Our Approach, Anyway?
Low-Fi and Iterative
User-centred
Staff-driven
Keeping the “big picture” in mind
No wheel re-invention
Dynamic content wherever possible
(“just text” is boring)
Focus on what we want, then on what
we can / are allowed do

Let’s Plan!
Content Chunking
What is “Chunking”?
= breaking down information into its smallest manageable
components (content unit).
Guidelines





One functionality (service) or content per “chunk”
The service / content has to be able to stand on its own.
Plan for a “chunk” size that is suitable for width and height constraints.
Limit navigation by keeping the “chunk” content within it wherever
possible. Avoid linking to other services / content.

Deliverables
A list of proposed “chunks” with label and the intended audience.

Chunking Example

Review & Select
… We ended up with 46 suggested modules!
Module Prioritization & Layout
• Default vs. Optional
• Left Navigation Links
vs. Modules
• Roles
• Type of Module

We narrowed down the selections to 5 left navigation
links and 26 priority 1 and 2 modules…

Module Candidates
Priority 1: Required Content
Academic Honesty
Virtual Reference (Ask Us Now)
Contact Information
Copyright
Remote Access Instructions
Library Instruction and Course
Support
Citing Sources (MLA, APA)
Article Databases & Express Article
Search
Library Catalogue Search
Subject Guides
Library News
My Library Account

Priority 2: Optional Content
Quick Reference Tools: Dictionaries ,
Encyclopedias, Almanacs /
Factbooks, Maps & Atlases,
Directories
Collection Development
Faculty Manuals
Audio-Visual Services: Videos &
DVDs
AV Services: Electronic Classrooms
AV Services: Equipment
Find a Journal (A-Z Search)
Research by Course
Library Forms
Information for Students
New Books

Priority 3: Want-to-Haves
 Group Study Room Bookings
 My eJournals & eBooks
 My Databases

Module Design & Layout

Very limited design possibilities





Frame
Left Navigation Bar (Links)
2-column versus 1-column
module colours and borders

Re-cyle and Re-use
Existing Modules
• Library/AV Modules
• Seneca Custom
Modules (Weblinks,
Toronto Weather,
Announcements)
• Pre-built RSS feeds
• Online Reference Tools
(search, dictionary,
maps, weather, quotes)
• Time Magazine

Pre-built Content …

Our
demo
version
so far

Technicalities…
Standards: CSS, HTML, Accessibility
Roles
Frame Environment
Modules Type: HTML, Weblinks, RSS
Custom-Programming: BB Building
Blocks – web app package consisting
of JSP and XML files
Portal System = Courseware System
No integration with Content System


Find Books,
Videos & DVDs



<script type="text/javascript">



Internal Constraints
No JSP expertise & IDE; no access to Oracle
No access to “Live” Modules on production
Development server is not synched with
production server
Lack of procedures and policies
Lack of pre-developed customizable modules
(e.g., for RSS)
List of modules cannot be re-organized
No separation of content and formatting
(only one external CSS file)

Community
System
Digital
Collections

Learning
System

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

Alternative Paths:
Persistent Links in Course Content,
Course Pages, Referatory, Course
Integrator, eReserves

If We Did it Again…Lessons Learned
Plan for a departmental/external
programming (funding implications)
Ask more questions
Define / Agree on policies and
procedures
Get involved as soon as possible
Be patient

Still to Do
Show demo tab to Portal Committee
Release new tab to staff and faculty
for feedback and review
Prepare for training, education and
marketing
Work on a new collaborative
agreement with ITT to speed up
development time

Future Goals
Usability testing
Much more personalization: XML
records of ejournals and ebooks, new
books, staff etc. should allow far more
personalization options!
More integration with Courseware and
Content System
Focus on content management

Thank you. Any Questions?
Joy Muller
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x3042

Jane Foo
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x2011
senlibjane (Yahoo), [email protected] (MSN),
313050248 (ICQ)
Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Works Cited
Boss, Richard W. “Library Portals”. Tech Notes. Mar. 2005. American Library Assn. 19 Jan., 2006
.
CARL E-Learning Working Group. “Libraries and E-Learning.” Nov. 2005. Canadian Assn. of Research Libraries.
.

Dempsey, Lorcan. “The Recombinant Library: Portals and People.” Sept. 2003. OCLC.
.
Maloney, Krisellen. “Portals in Libraries: Library Technology and Planning for Change.” Bulletin of the American Society
of Information Science and Technology Oct/Nov 2004. 20 Jan. 2006 Oct-04/maloney.html>.
OCLC E-Learning Task Force. “Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning.” Oct. 2003. OCLC. 20 Jan. 2006
.
New Media Consortium & EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative. “The Horizon Report: 2006 Edition.” 31 Jan., 2006.
New Media Consortium. .
Portal Webliography. Ed. Eric Lease Morgan. 21 Nov. 2001. Infomotions. 20 Jan., 2006
.


Slide 16

Reconstituting Library Services
for E-Learning Portals
Joy Muller, Jane Foo
OLA 2006 Superconference
February 2, 2006

Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Overview
Our Goals
The Portal
The Environment
Politics and Partnerships
Implementation Notes
Demo
Last Words
Comments and Questions

To Reconstitute
To bring a dried or dehydrated product to its original
consistency by adding a liquid
http://www.tyson.com/UserControls/ViewTerms.aspx

Construct or form anew or provide with a new structure;
"The governing board was reconstituted"
http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

 Let’s repackage what we can offer into
“products” that can be more easily accessed and
used by our students and faculty.

E-Learning
Covers a wide set of applications and processes
such as Web based learning, computer based
learning, virtual classrooms, and digital
collaboration.
http://www.cybermediacrations.com/elearning/glossary.htm

“Searching for a permanent, comfortable and
serviceable position that is nimble enough to be
flexible, accessible and continually up to date
with the wider ‘university’ structure”
OCLC Task Force Report on Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning

Seneca College
Mission Statement and Vision
To contribute to Canadian society by being a
transformation leader in providing students
with career-related education and training.
Our vision is to lead:








in Student Success
In Access to Higher Education
In Learning
In Applied Research
In Innovation
In our Commitment to People
In our Commitment to Diversity and Equity in Employment

E-Learning – Goals
Enrich & support pedagogy
Accessibility of learning materials and
support

Support students in life-long learning
Intra and inter school and institutional
sharing of course materials

Contribution to public knowledge

Portal
A Web based tool that provides a
customizable interface to information
aggregated from a variety of sources.
Krisellen Maloney, ASIS Bulletin

Lorcan Dempsey: p-portals and m-portals
The Recombinant Library: Portals and People

The college portal plays an important part in the
students’ academic tasks
 Focus on integrating with the user flow
 Personal Learning Landscape

The Portal: MySeneca Usage
In a 7 day period during the first 2 weeks of
this semester:
16.5 million hits occurred on My.Seneca.
42,158 announcements were viewed through the "My.Seneca Announcements" module.
62,871 student Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
11,511 staff Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
5,213 edits occurred to personalize specific modules.
9,775 changes were made to portal pages contents.
4,803 changes were made to portal layout of modules.

Licensed Digital Databases
ENCompass for
Digital Collections
::Create & manage
digital assets

Linkfinder Plus

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

::Directly access
full-text content
across
various
sources

Link
Resolver

Ask Us
Now

Ask Us Now
::Chat and interact with a
librarian online

Remote
Access

ENCompass for
Resource
Federated
Access
::Find published
articles & digital
objects via one
search

::Access and search for published content in
electronic form

e-Journals

Search
ILS

Library Catalogue
::Look up books, print periodicals, videos, DVDs, CDs

EZProxy
::Access any
restricted
resources
off-campus

Serials
Solutions
::Find an electronic
journal, magazine or
newspaper

Community
System
Learning
System

?

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

The Portal: Structure & Support
Seneca College
IT Council

Information
Technology &
Telecommunications

Portal
Committee

BB Admin
& Support

Office of
Research
& Innovation
Academic
e-Learning
Liaison

Seneca
Libraries

Deans
& Chairs

e-Learning
Centres

Faculty

The Portal: MySeneca History
September 2000:
Launch of BlackBoard
CMS (Version 4)

January 2002:
Launch of My.Seneca

December 2000:

Spring 2003:

First Portal
Committee Meeting

Load issues after
upgrade to BB 6

August 2005:
October
2004:
Launch of
Employee
Portal

Launch of first nonITT Student
Services Tab

Summer 2001:
First draft of
student portal (with
library portal)

October 2000:
First demo of library
material in BB

November 2004:
First discussions
about a library portal

December 2004:
Access to library
module admin

April 2005:
Library development
tab and modules

Why:
“Information literacy should not be
considered a given, even among “net-gen”
students .… Techniques for finding and
assessing relevant information from the
array of resources available … are crucial,
especially in light of the rising trend toward
collaborative work.”
The Horizon Report, 2006 Edition.

Our Goal

The Portal: The Library’s Plan
Determine targeted user group
Develop timelines
Funding/Resource Requirements
Methodology
Training
Marketing

MyLibrary Justification
More services & greater integration
Improved awareness of our resources
Improved access to our resources
Customizability
Greater efficiency
Demand for sound pedagogy
Librarians excel at collaboration
Environmental need to enhance skill sets
Provision of successful lifelong learning skills

Getting College Buy-In
Partnerships/Politics
Agenda
Presentation
Approval process

Library and Collaboration
Technology skills
Access
Impact
“Collaboration is related to innovation. There
would be significant gains in Canada’s
innovation performance if we were to increase
the level of collaboration.”
Conference Board of Canada

Implementing Reconstitution
The Approach
Content and Functionality
Technical Information

Limitations

What is Our Approach, Anyway?
Low-Fi and Iterative
User-centred
Staff-driven
Keeping the “big picture” in mind
No wheel re-invention
Dynamic content wherever possible
(“just text” is boring)
Focus on what we want, then on what
we can / are allowed do

Let’s Plan!
Content Chunking
What is “Chunking”?
= breaking down information into its smallest manageable
components (content unit).
Guidelines





One functionality (service) or content per “chunk”
The service / content has to be able to stand on its own.
Plan for a “chunk” size that is suitable for width and height constraints.
Limit navigation by keeping the “chunk” content within it wherever
possible. Avoid linking to other services / content.

Deliverables
A list of proposed “chunks” with label and the intended audience.

Chunking Example

Review & Select
… We ended up with 46 suggested modules!
Module Prioritization & Layout
• Default vs. Optional
• Left Navigation Links
vs. Modules
• Roles
• Type of Module

We narrowed down the selections to 5 left navigation
links and 26 priority 1 and 2 modules…

Module Candidates
Priority 1: Required Content
Academic Honesty
Virtual Reference (Ask Us Now)
Contact Information
Copyright
Remote Access Instructions
Library Instruction and Course
Support
Citing Sources (MLA, APA)
Article Databases & Express Article
Search
Library Catalogue Search
Subject Guides
Library News
My Library Account

Priority 2: Optional Content
Quick Reference Tools: Dictionaries ,
Encyclopedias, Almanacs /
Factbooks, Maps & Atlases,
Directories
Collection Development
Faculty Manuals
Audio-Visual Services: Videos &
DVDs
AV Services: Electronic Classrooms
AV Services: Equipment
Find a Journal (A-Z Search)
Research by Course
Library Forms
Information for Students
New Books

Priority 3: Want-to-Haves
 Group Study Room Bookings
 My eJournals & eBooks
 My Databases

Module Design & Layout

Very limited design possibilities





Frame
Left Navigation Bar (Links)
2-column versus 1-column
module colours and borders

Re-cyle and Re-use
Existing Modules
• Library/AV Modules
• Seneca Custom
Modules (Weblinks,
Toronto Weather,
Announcements)
• Pre-built RSS feeds
• Online Reference Tools
(search, dictionary,
maps, weather, quotes)
• Time Magazine

Pre-built Content …

Our
demo
version
so far

Technicalities…
Standards: CSS, HTML, Accessibility
Roles
Frame Environment
Modules Type: HTML, Weblinks, RSS
Custom-Programming: BB Building
Blocks – web app package consisting
of JSP and XML files
Portal System = Courseware System
No integration with Content System


Find Books,
Videos & DVDs



<script type="text/javascript">



Internal Constraints
No JSP expertise & IDE; no access to Oracle
No access to “Live” Modules on production
Development server is not synched with
production server
Lack of procedures and policies
Lack of pre-developed customizable modules
(e.g., for RSS)
List of modules cannot be re-organized
No separation of content and formatting
(only one external CSS file)

Community
System
Digital
Collections

Learning
System

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

Alternative Paths:
Persistent Links in Course Content,
Course Pages, Referatory, Course
Integrator, eReserves

If We Did it Again…Lessons Learned
Plan for a departmental/external
programming (funding implications)
Ask more questions
Define / Agree on policies and
procedures
Get involved as soon as possible
Be patient

Still to Do
Show demo tab to Portal Committee
Release new tab to staff and faculty
for feedback and review
Prepare for training, education and
marketing
Work on a new collaborative
agreement with ITT to speed up
development time

Future Goals
Usability testing
Much more personalization: XML
records of ejournals and ebooks, new
books, staff etc. should allow far more
personalization options!
More integration with Courseware and
Content System
Focus on content management

Thank you. Any Questions?
Joy Muller
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x3042

Jane Foo
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x2011
senlibjane (Yahoo), [email protected] (MSN),
313050248 (ICQ)
Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Works Cited
Boss, Richard W. “Library Portals”. Tech Notes. Mar. 2005. American Library Assn. 19 Jan., 2006
.
CARL E-Learning Working Group. “Libraries and E-Learning.” Nov. 2005. Canadian Assn. of Research Libraries.
.

Dempsey, Lorcan. “The Recombinant Library: Portals and People.” Sept. 2003. OCLC.
.
Maloney, Krisellen. “Portals in Libraries: Library Technology and Planning for Change.” Bulletin of the American Society
of Information Science and Technology Oct/Nov 2004. 20 Jan. 2006 Oct-04/maloney.html>.
OCLC E-Learning Task Force. “Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning.” Oct. 2003. OCLC. 20 Jan. 2006
.
New Media Consortium & EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative. “The Horizon Report: 2006 Edition.” 31 Jan., 2006.
New Media Consortium. .
Portal Webliography. Ed. Eric Lease Morgan. 21 Nov. 2001. Infomotions. 20 Jan., 2006
.


Slide 17

Reconstituting Library Services
for E-Learning Portals
Joy Muller, Jane Foo
OLA 2006 Superconference
February 2, 2006

Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Overview
Our Goals
The Portal
The Environment
Politics and Partnerships
Implementation Notes
Demo
Last Words
Comments and Questions

To Reconstitute
To bring a dried or dehydrated product to its original
consistency by adding a liquid
http://www.tyson.com/UserControls/ViewTerms.aspx

Construct or form anew or provide with a new structure;
"The governing board was reconstituted"
http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

 Let’s repackage what we can offer into
“products” that can be more easily accessed and
used by our students and faculty.

E-Learning
Covers a wide set of applications and processes
such as Web based learning, computer based
learning, virtual classrooms, and digital
collaboration.
http://www.cybermediacrations.com/elearning/glossary.htm

“Searching for a permanent, comfortable and
serviceable position that is nimble enough to be
flexible, accessible and continually up to date
with the wider ‘university’ structure”
OCLC Task Force Report on Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning

Seneca College
Mission Statement and Vision
To contribute to Canadian society by being a
transformation leader in providing students
with career-related education and training.
Our vision is to lead:








in Student Success
In Access to Higher Education
In Learning
In Applied Research
In Innovation
In our Commitment to People
In our Commitment to Diversity and Equity in Employment

E-Learning – Goals
Enrich & support pedagogy
Accessibility of learning materials and
support

Support students in life-long learning
Intra and inter school and institutional
sharing of course materials

Contribution to public knowledge

Portal
A Web based tool that provides a
customizable interface to information
aggregated from a variety of sources.
Krisellen Maloney, ASIS Bulletin

Lorcan Dempsey: p-portals and m-portals
The Recombinant Library: Portals and People

The college portal plays an important part in the
students’ academic tasks
 Focus on integrating with the user flow
 Personal Learning Landscape

The Portal: MySeneca Usage
In a 7 day period during the first 2 weeks of
this semester:
16.5 million hits occurred on My.Seneca.
42,158 announcements were viewed through the "My.Seneca Announcements" module.
62,871 student Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
11,511 staff Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
5,213 edits occurred to personalize specific modules.
9,775 changes were made to portal pages contents.
4,803 changes were made to portal layout of modules.

Licensed Digital Databases
ENCompass for
Digital Collections
::Create & manage
digital assets

Linkfinder Plus

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

::Directly access
full-text content
across
various
sources

Link
Resolver

Ask Us
Now

Ask Us Now
::Chat and interact with a
librarian online

Remote
Access

ENCompass for
Resource
Federated
Access
::Find published
articles & digital
objects via one
search

::Access and search for published content in
electronic form

e-Journals

Search
ILS

Library Catalogue
::Look up books, print periodicals, videos, DVDs, CDs

EZProxy
::Access any
restricted
resources
off-campus

Serials
Solutions
::Find an electronic
journal, magazine or
newspaper

Community
System
Learning
System

?

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

The Portal: Structure & Support
Seneca College
IT Council

Information
Technology &
Telecommunications

Portal
Committee

BB Admin
& Support

Office of
Research
& Innovation
Academic
e-Learning
Liaison

Seneca
Libraries

Deans
& Chairs

e-Learning
Centres

Faculty

The Portal: MySeneca History
September 2000:
Launch of BlackBoard
CMS (Version 4)

January 2002:
Launch of My.Seneca

December 2000:

Spring 2003:

First Portal
Committee Meeting

Load issues after
upgrade to BB 6

August 2005:
October
2004:
Launch of
Employee
Portal

Launch of first nonITT Student
Services Tab

Summer 2001:
First draft of
student portal (with
library portal)

October 2000:
First demo of library
material in BB

November 2004:
First discussions
about a library portal

December 2004:
Access to library
module admin

April 2005:
Library development
tab and modules

Why:
“Information literacy should not be
considered a given, even among “net-gen”
students .… Techniques for finding and
assessing relevant information from the
array of resources available … are crucial,
especially in light of the rising trend toward
collaborative work.”
The Horizon Report, 2006 Edition.

Our Goal

The Portal: The Library’s Plan
Determine targeted user group
Develop timelines
Funding/Resource Requirements
Methodology
Training
Marketing

MyLibrary Justification
More services & greater integration
Improved awareness of our resources
Improved access to our resources
Customizability
Greater efficiency
Demand for sound pedagogy
Librarians excel at collaboration
Environmental need to enhance skill sets
Provision of successful lifelong learning skills

Getting College Buy-In
Partnerships/Politics
Agenda
Presentation
Approval process

Library and Collaboration
Technology skills
Access
Impact
“Collaboration is related to innovation. There
would be significant gains in Canada’s
innovation performance if we were to increase
the level of collaboration.”
Conference Board of Canada

Implementing Reconstitution
The Approach
Content and Functionality
Technical Information

Limitations

What is Our Approach, Anyway?
Low-Fi and Iterative
User-centred
Staff-driven
Keeping the “big picture” in mind
No wheel re-invention
Dynamic content wherever possible
(“just text” is boring)
Focus on what we want, then on what
we can / are allowed do

Let’s Plan!
Content Chunking
What is “Chunking”?
= breaking down information into its smallest manageable
components (content unit).
Guidelines





One functionality (service) or content per “chunk”
The service / content has to be able to stand on its own.
Plan for a “chunk” size that is suitable for width and height constraints.
Limit navigation by keeping the “chunk” content within it wherever
possible. Avoid linking to other services / content.

Deliverables
A list of proposed “chunks” with label and the intended audience.

Chunking Example

Review & Select
… We ended up with 46 suggested modules!
Module Prioritization & Layout
• Default vs. Optional
• Left Navigation Links
vs. Modules
• Roles
• Type of Module

We narrowed down the selections to 5 left navigation
links and 26 priority 1 and 2 modules…

Module Candidates
Priority 1: Required Content
Academic Honesty
Virtual Reference (Ask Us Now)
Contact Information
Copyright
Remote Access Instructions
Library Instruction and Course
Support
Citing Sources (MLA, APA)
Article Databases & Express Article
Search
Library Catalogue Search
Subject Guides
Library News
My Library Account

Priority 2: Optional Content
Quick Reference Tools: Dictionaries ,
Encyclopedias, Almanacs /
Factbooks, Maps & Atlases,
Directories
Collection Development
Faculty Manuals
Audio-Visual Services: Videos &
DVDs
AV Services: Electronic Classrooms
AV Services: Equipment
Find a Journal (A-Z Search)
Research by Course
Library Forms
Information for Students
New Books

Priority 3: Want-to-Haves
 Group Study Room Bookings
 My eJournals & eBooks
 My Databases

Module Design & Layout

Very limited design possibilities





Frame
Left Navigation Bar (Links)
2-column versus 1-column
module colours and borders

Re-cyle and Re-use
Existing Modules
• Library/AV Modules
• Seneca Custom
Modules (Weblinks,
Toronto Weather,
Announcements)
• Pre-built RSS feeds
• Online Reference Tools
(search, dictionary,
maps, weather, quotes)
• Time Magazine

Pre-built Content …

Our
demo
version
so far

Technicalities…
Standards: CSS, HTML, Accessibility
Roles
Frame Environment
Modules Type: HTML, Weblinks, RSS
Custom-Programming: BB Building
Blocks – web app package consisting
of JSP and XML files
Portal System = Courseware System
No integration with Content System


Find Books,
Videos & DVDs



<script type="text/javascript">



Internal Constraints
No JSP expertise & IDE; no access to Oracle
No access to “Live” Modules on production
Development server is not synched with
production server
Lack of procedures and policies
Lack of pre-developed customizable modules
(e.g., for RSS)
List of modules cannot be re-organized
No separation of content and formatting
(only one external CSS file)

Community
System
Digital
Collections

Learning
System

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

Alternative Paths:
Persistent Links in Course Content,
Course Pages, Referatory, Course
Integrator, eReserves

If We Did it Again…Lessons Learned
Plan for a departmental/external
programming (funding implications)
Ask more questions
Define / Agree on policies and
procedures
Get involved as soon as possible
Be patient

Still to Do
Show demo tab to Portal Committee
Release new tab to staff and faculty
for feedback and review
Prepare for training, education and
marketing
Work on a new collaborative
agreement with ITT to speed up
development time

Future Goals
Usability testing
Much more personalization: XML
records of ejournals and ebooks, new
books, staff etc. should allow far more
personalization options!
More integration with Courseware and
Content System
Focus on content management

Thank you. Any Questions?
Joy Muller
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x3042

Jane Foo
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x2011
senlibjane (Yahoo), [email protected] (MSN),
313050248 (ICQ)
Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Works Cited
Boss, Richard W. “Library Portals”. Tech Notes. Mar. 2005. American Library Assn. 19 Jan., 2006
.
CARL E-Learning Working Group. “Libraries and E-Learning.” Nov. 2005. Canadian Assn. of Research Libraries.
.

Dempsey, Lorcan. “The Recombinant Library: Portals and People.” Sept. 2003. OCLC.
.
Maloney, Krisellen. “Portals in Libraries: Library Technology and Planning for Change.” Bulletin of the American Society
of Information Science and Technology Oct/Nov 2004. 20 Jan. 2006 Oct-04/maloney.html>.
OCLC E-Learning Task Force. “Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning.” Oct. 2003. OCLC. 20 Jan. 2006
.
New Media Consortium & EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative. “The Horizon Report: 2006 Edition.” 31 Jan., 2006.
New Media Consortium. .
Portal Webliography. Ed. Eric Lease Morgan. 21 Nov. 2001. Infomotions. 20 Jan., 2006
.


Slide 18

Reconstituting Library Services
for E-Learning Portals
Joy Muller, Jane Foo
OLA 2006 Superconference
February 2, 2006

Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Overview
Our Goals
The Portal
The Environment
Politics and Partnerships
Implementation Notes
Demo
Last Words
Comments and Questions

To Reconstitute
To bring a dried or dehydrated product to its original
consistency by adding a liquid
http://www.tyson.com/UserControls/ViewTerms.aspx

Construct or form anew or provide with a new structure;
"The governing board was reconstituted"
http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

 Let’s repackage what we can offer into
“products” that can be more easily accessed and
used by our students and faculty.

E-Learning
Covers a wide set of applications and processes
such as Web based learning, computer based
learning, virtual classrooms, and digital
collaboration.
http://www.cybermediacrations.com/elearning/glossary.htm

“Searching for a permanent, comfortable and
serviceable position that is nimble enough to be
flexible, accessible and continually up to date
with the wider ‘university’ structure”
OCLC Task Force Report on Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning

Seneca College
Mission Statement and Vision
To contribute to Canadian society by being a
transformation leader in providing students
with career-related education and training.
Our vision is to lead:








in Student Success
In Access to Higher Education
In Learning
In Applied Research
In Innovation
In our Commitment to People
In our Commitment to Diversity and Equity in Employment

E-Learning – Goals
Enrich & support pedagogy
Accessibility of learning materials and
support

Support students in life-long learning
Intra and inter school and institutional
sharing of course materials

Contribution to public knowledge

Portal
A Web based tool that provides a
customizable interface to information
aggregated from a variety of sources.
Krisellen Maloney, ASIS Bulletin

Lorcan Dempsey: p-portals and m-portals
The Recombinant Library: Portals and People

The college portal plays an important part in the
students’ academic tasks
 Focus on integrating with the user flow
 Personal Learning Landscape

The Portal: MySeneca Usage
In a 7 day period during the first 2 weeks of
this semester:
16.5 million hits occurred on My.Seneca.
42,158 announcements were viewed through the "My.Seneca Announcements" module.
62,871 student Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
11,511 staff Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
5,213 edits occurred to personalize specific modules.
9,775 changes were made to portal pages contents.
4,803 changes were made to portal layout of modules.

Licensed Digital Databases
ENCompass for
Digital Collections
::Create & manage
digital assets

Linkfinder Plus

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

::Directly access
full-text content
across
various
sources

Link
Resolver

Ask Us
Now

Ask Us Now
::Chat and interact with a
librarian online

Remote
Access

ENCompass for
Resource
Federated
Access
::Find published
articles & digital
objects via one
search

::Access and search for published content in
electronic form

e-Journals

Search
ILS

Library Catalogue
::Look up books, print periodicals, videos, DVDs, CDs

EZProxy
::Access any
restricted
resources
off-campus

Serials
Solutions
::Find an electronic
journal, magazine or
newspaper

Community
System
Learning
System

?

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

The Portal: Structure & Support
Seneca College
IT Council

Information
Technology &
Telecommunications

Portal
Committee

BB Admin
& Support

Office of
Research
& Innovation
Academic
e-Learning
Liaison

Seneca
Libraries

Deans
& Chairs

e-Learning
Centres

Faculty

The Portal: MySeneca History
September 2000:
Launch of BlackBoard
CMS (Version 4)

January 2002:
Launch of My.Seneca

December 2000:

Spring 2003:

First Portal
Committee Meeting

Load issues after
upgrade to BB 6

August 2005:
October
2004:
Launch of
Employee
Portal

Launch of first nonITT Student
Services Tab

Summer 2001:
First draft of
student portal (with
library portal)

October 2000:
First demo of library
material in BB

November 2004:
First discussions
about a library portal

December 2004:
Access to library
module admin

April 2005:
Library development
tab and modules

Why:
“Information literacy should not be
considered a given, even among “net-gen”
students .… Techniques for finding and
assessing relevant information from the
array of resources available … are crucial,
especially in light of the rising trend toward
collaborative work.”
The Horizon Report, 2006 Edition.

Our Goal

The Portal: The Library’s Plan
Determine targeted user group
Develop timelines
Funding/Resource Requirements
Methodology
Training
Marketing

MyLibrary Justification
More services & greater integration
Improved awareness of our resources
Improved access to our resources
Customizability
Greater efficiency
Demand for sound pedagogy
Librarians excel at collaboration
Environmental need to enhance skill sets
Provision of successful lifelong learning skills

Getting College Buy-In
Partnerships/Politics
Agenda
Presentation
Approval process

Library and Collaboration
Technology skills
Access
Impact
“Collaboration is related to innovation. There
would be significant gains in Canada’s
innovation performance if we were to increase
the level of collaboration.”
Conference Board of Canada

Implementing Reconstitution
The Approach
Content and Functionality
Technical Information

Limitations

What is Our Approach, Anyway?
Low-Fi and Iterative
User-centred
Staff-driven
Keeping the “big picture” in mind
No wheel re-invention
Dynamic content wherever possible
(“just text” is boring)
Focus on what we want, then on what
we can / are allowed do

Let’s Plan!
Content Chunking
What is “Chunking”?
= breaking down information into its smallest manageable
components (content unit).
Guidelines





One functionality (service) or content per “chunk”
The service / content has to be able to stand on its own.
Plan for a “chunk” size that is suitable for width and height constraints.
Limit navigation by keeping the “chunk” content within it wherever
possible. Avoid linking to other services / content.

Deliverables
A list of proposed “chunks” with label and the intended audience.

Chunking Example

Review & Select
… We ended up with 46 suggested modules!
Module Prioritization & Layout
• Default vs. Optional
• Left Navigation Links
vs. Modules
• Roles
• Type of Module

We narrowed down the selections to 5 left navigation
links and 26 priority 1 and 2 modules…

Module Candidates
Priority 1: Required Content
Academic Honesty
Virtual Reference (Ask Us Now)
Contact Information
Copyright
Remote Access Instructions
Library Instruction and Course
Support
Citing Sources (MLA, APA)
Article Databases & Express Article
Search
Library Catalogue Search
Subject Guides
Library News
My Library Account

Priority 2: Optional Content
Quick Reference Tools: Dictionaries ,
Encyclopedias, Almanacs /
Factbooks, Maps & Atlases,
Directories
Collection Development
Faculty Manuals
Audio-Visual Services: Videos &
DVDs
AV Services: Electronic Classrooms
AV Services: Equipment
Find a Journal (A-Z Search)
Research by Course
Library Forms
Information for Students
New Books

Priority 3: Want-to-Haves
 Group Study Room Bookings
 My eJournals & eBooks
 My Databases

Module Design & Layout

Very limited design possibilities





Frame
Left Navigation Bar (Links)
2-column versus 1-column
module colours and borders

Re-cyle and Re-use
Existing Modules
• Library/AV Modules
• Seneca Custom
Modules (Weblinks,
Toronto Weather,
Announcements)
• Pre-built RSS feeds
• Online Reference Tools
(search, dictionary,
maps, weather, quotes)
• Time Magazine

Pre-built Content …

Our
demo
version
so far

Technicalities…
Standards: CSS, HTML, Accessibility
Roles
Frame Environment
Modules Type: HTML, Weblinks, RSS
Custom-Programming: BB Building
Blocks – web app package consisting
of JSP and XML files
Portal System = Courseware System
No integration with Content System


Find Books,
Videos & DVDs



<script type="text/javascript">



Internal Constraints
No JSP expertise & IDE; no access to Oracle
No access to “Live” Modules on production
Development server is not synched with
production server
Lack of procedures and policies
Lack of pre-developed customizable modules
(e.g., for RSS)
List of modules cannot be re-organized
No separation of content and formatting
(only one external CSS file)

Community
System
Digital
Collections

Learning
System

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

Alternative Paths:
Persistent Links in Course Content,
Course Pages, Referatory, Course
Integrator, eReserves

If We Did it Again…Lessons Learned
Plan for a departmental/external
programming (funding implications)
Ask more questions
Define / Agree on policies and
procedures
Get involved as soon as possible
Be patient

Still to Do
Show demo tab to Portal Committee
Release new tab to staff and faculty
for feedback and review
Prepare for training, education and
marketing
Work on a new collaborative
agreement with ITT to speed up
development time

Future Goals
Usability testing
Much more personalization: XML
records of ejournals and ebooks, new
books, staff etc. should allow far more
personalization options!
More integration with Courseware and
Content System
Focus on content management

Thank you. Any Questions?
Joy Muller
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x3042

Jane Foo
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x2011
senlibjane (Yahoo), [email protected] (MSN),
313050248 (ICQ)
Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Works Cited
Boss, Richard W. “Library Portals”. Tech Notes. Mar. 2005. American Library Assn. 19 Jan., 2006
.
CARL E-Learning Working Group. “Libraries and E-Learning.” Nov. 2005. Canadian Assn. of Research Libraries.
.

Dempsey, Lorcan. “The Recombinant Library: Portals and People.” Sept. 2003. OCLC.
.
Maloney, Krisellen. “Portals in Libraries: Library Technology and Planning for Change.” Bulletin of the American Society
of Information Science and Technology Oct/Nov 2004. 20 Jan. 2006 Oct-04/maloney.html>.
OCLC E-Learning Task Force. “Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning.” Oct. 2003. OCLC. 20 Jan. 2006
.
New Media Consortium & EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative. “The Horizon Report: 2006 Edition.” 31 Jan., 2006.
New Media Consortium. .
Portal Webliography. Ed. Eric Lease Morgan. 21 Nov. 2001. Infomotions. 20 Jan., 2006
.


Slide 19

Reconstituting Library Services
for E-Learning Portals
Joy Muller, Jane Foo
OLA 2006 Superconference
February 2, 2006

Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Overview
Our Goals
The Portal
The Environment
Politics and Partnerships
Implementation Notes
Demo
Last Words
Comments and Questions

To Reconstitute
To bring a dried or dehydrated product to its original
consistency by adding a liquid
http://www.tyson.com/UserControls/ViewTerms.aspx

Construct or form anew or provide with a new structure;
"The governing board was reconstituted"
http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

 Let’s repackage what we can offer into
“products” that can be more easily accessed and
used by our students and faculty.

E-Learning
Covers a wide set of applications and processes
such as Web based learning, computer based
learning, virtual classrooms, and digital
collaboration.
http://www.cybermediacrations.com/elearning/glossary.htm

“Searching for a permanent, comfortable and
serviceable position that is nimble enough to be
flexible, accessible and continually up to date
with the wider ‘university’ structure”
OCLC Task Force Report on Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning

Seneca College
Mission Statement and Vision
To contribute to Canadian society by being a
transformation leader in providing students
with career-related education and training.
Our vision is to lead:








in Student Success
In Access to Higher Education
In Learning
In Applied Research
In Innovation
In our Commitment to People
In our Commitment to Diversity and Equity in Employment

E-Learning – Goals
Enrich & support pedagogy
Accessibility of learning materials and
support

Support students in life-long learning
Intra and inter school and institutional
sharing of course materials

Contribution to public knowledge

Portal
A Web based tool that provides a
customizable interface to information
aggregated from a variety of sources.
Krisellen Maloney, ASIS Bulletin

Lorcan Dempsey: p-portals and m-portals
The Recombinant Library: Portals and People

The college portal plays an important part in the
students’ academic tasks
 Focus on integrating with the user flow
 Personal Learning Landscape

The Portal: MySeneca Usage
In a 7 day period during the first 2 weeks of
this semester:
16.5 million hits occurred on My.Seneca.
42,158 announcements were viewed through the "My.Seneca Announcements" module.
62,871 student Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
11,511 staff Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
5,213 edits occurred to personalize specific modules.
9,775 changes were made to portal pages contents.
4,803 changes were made to portal layout of modules.

Licensed Digital Databases
ENCompass for
Digital Collections
::Create & manage
digital assets

Linkfinder Plus

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

::Directly access
full-text content
across
various
sources

Link
Resolver

Ask Us
Now

Ask Us Now
::Chat and interact with a
librarian online

Remote
Access

ENCompass for
Resource
Federated
Access
::Find published
articles & digital
objects via one
search

::Access and search for published content in
electronic form

e-Journals

Search
ILS

Library Catalogue
::Look up books, print periodicals, videos, DVDs, CDs

EZProxy
::Access any
restricted
resources
off-campus

Serials
Solutions
::Find an electronic
journal, magazine or
newspaper

Community
System
Learning
System

?

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

The Portal: Structure & Support
Seneca College
IT Council

Information
Technology &
Telecommunications

Portal
Committee

BB Admin
& Support

Office of
Research
& Innovation
Academic
e-Learning
Liaison

Seneca
Libraries

Deans
& Chairs

e-Learning
Centres

Faculty

The Portal: MySeneca History
September 2000:
Launch of BlackBoard
CMS (Version 4)

January 2002:
Launch of My.Seneca

December 2000:

Spring 2003:

First Portal
Committee Meeting

Load issues after
upgrade to BB 6

August 2005:
October
2004:
Launch of
Employee
Portal

Launch of first nonITT Student
Services Tab

Summer 2001:
First draft of
student portal (with
library portal)

October 2000:
First demo of library
material in BB

November 2004:
First discussions
about a library portal

December 2004:
Access to library
module admin

April 2005:
Library development
tab and modules

Why:
“Information literacy should not be
considered a given, even among “net-gen”
students .… Techniques for finding and
assessing relevant information from the
array of resources available … are crucial,
especially in light of the rising trend toward
collaborative work.”
The Horizon Report, 2006 Edition.

Our Goal

The Portal: The Library’s Plan
Determine targeted user group
Develop timelines
Funding/Resource Requirements
Methodology
Training
Marketing

MyLibrary Justification
More services & greater integration
Improved awareness of our resources
Improved access to our resources
Customizability
Greater efficiency
Demand for sound pedagogy
Librarians excel at collaboration
Environmental need to enhance skill sets
Provision of successful lifelong learning skills

Getting College Buy-In
Partnerships/Politics
Agenda
Presentation
Approval process

Library and Collaboration
Technology skills
Access
Impact
“Collaboration is related to innovation. There
would be significant gains in Canada’s
innovation performance if we were to increase
the level of collaboration.”
Conference Board of Canada

Implementing Reconstitution
The Approach
Content and Functionality
Technical Information

Limitations

What is Our Approach, Anyway?
Low-Fi and Iterative
User-centred
Staff-driven
Keeping the “big picture” in mind
No wheel re-invention
Dynamic content wherever possible
(“just text” is boring)
Focus on what we want, then on what
we can / are allowed do

Let’s Plan!
Content Chunking
What is “Chunking”?
= breaking down information into its smallest manageable
components (content unit).
Guidelines





One functionality (service) or content per “chunk”
The service / content has to be able to stand on its own.
Plan for a “chunk” size that is suitable for width and height constraints.
Limit navigation by keeping the “chunk” content within it wherever
possible. Avoid linking to other services / content.

Deliverables
A list of proposed “chunks” with label and the intended audience.

Chunking Example

Review & Select
… We ended up with 46 suggested modules!
Module Prioritization & Layout
• Default vs. Optional
• Left Navigation Links
vs. Modules
• Roles
• Type of Module

We narrowed down the selections to 5 left navigation
links and 26 priority 1 and 2 modules…

Module Candidates
Priority 1: Required Content
Academic Honesty
Virtual Reference (Ask Us Now)
Contact Information
Copyright
Remote Access Instructions
Library Instruction and Course
Support
Citing Sources (MLA, APA)
Article Databases & Express Article
Search
Library Catalogue Search
Subject Guides
Library News
My Library Account

Priority 2: Optional Content
Quick Reference Tools: Dictionaries ,
Encyclopedias, Almanacs /
Factbooks, Maps & Atlases,
Directories
Collection Development
Faculty Manuals
Audio-Visual Services: Videos &
DVDs
AV Services: Electronic Classrooms
AV Services: Equipment
Find a Journal (A-Z Search)
Research by Course
Library Forms
Information for Students
New Books

Priority 3: Want-to-Haves
 Group Study Room Bookings
 My eJournals & eBooks
 My Databases

Module Design & Layout

Very limited design possibilities





Frame
Left Navigation Bar (Links)
2-column versus 1-column
module colours and borders

Re-cyle and Re-use
Existing Modules
• Library/AV Modules
• Seneca Custom
Modules (Weblinks,
Toronto Weather,
Announcements)
• Pre-built RSS feeds
• Online Reference Tools
(search, dictionary,
maps, weather, quotes)
• Time Magazine

Pre-built Content …

Our
demo
version
so far

Technicalities…
Standards: CSS, HTML, Accessibility
Roles
Frame Environment
Modules Type: HTML, Weblinks, RSS
Custom-Programming: BB Building
Blocks – web app package consisting
of JSP and XML files
Portal System = Courseware System
No integration with Content System


Find Books,
Videos & DVDs



<script type="text/javascript">



Internal Constraints
No JSP expertise & IDE; no access to Oracle
No access to “Live” Modules on production
Development server is not synched with
production server
Lack of procedures and policies
Lack of pre-developed customizable modules
(e.g., for RSS)
List of modules cannot be re-organized
No separation of content and formatting
(only one external CSS file)

Community
System
Digital
Collections

Learning
System

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

Alternative Paths:
Persistent Links in Course Content,
Course Pages, Referatory, Course
Integrator, eReserves

If We Did it Again…Lessons Learned
Plan for a departmental/external
programming (funding implications)
Ask more questions
Define / Agree on policies and
procedures
Get involved as soon as possible
Be patient

Still to Do
Show demo tab to Portal Committee
Release new tab to staff and faculty
for feedback and review
Prepare for training, education and
marketing
Work on a new collaborative
agreement with ITT to speed up
development time

Future Goals
Usability testing
Much more personalization: XML
records of ejournals and ebooks, new
books, staff etc. should allow far more
personalization options!
More integration with Courseware and
Content System
Focus on content management

Thank you. Any Questions?
Joy Muller
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x3042

Jane Foo
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x2011
senlibjane (Yahoo), [email protected] (MSN),
313050248 (ICQ)
Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Works Cited
Boss, Richard W. “Library Portals”. Tech Notes. Mar. 2005. American Library Assn. 19 Jan., 2006
.
CARL E-Learning Working Group. “Libraries and E-Learning.” Nov. 2005. Canadian Assn. of Research Libraries.
.

Dempsey, Lorcan. “The Recombinant Library: Portals and People.” Sept. 2003. OCLC.
.
Maloney, Krisellen. “Portals in Libraries: Library Technology and Planning for Change.” Bulletin of the American Society
of Information Science and Technology Oct/Nov 2004. 20 Jan. 2006 Oct-04/maloney.html>.
OCLC E-Learning Task Force. “Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning.” Oct. 2003. OCLC. 20 Jan. 2006
.
New Media Consortium & EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative. “The Horizon Report: 2006 Edition.” 31 Jan., 2006.
New Media Consortium. .
Portal Webliography. Ed. Eric Lease Morgan. 21 Nov. 2001. Infomotions. 20 Jan., 2006
.


Slide 20

Reconstituting Library Services
for E-Learning Portals
Joy Muller, Jane Foo
OLA 2006 Superconference
February 2, 2006

Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Overview
Our Goals
The Portal
The Environment
Politics and Partnerships
Implementation Notes
Demo
Last Words
Comments and Questions

To Reconstitute
To bring a dried or dehydrated product to its original
consistency by adding a liquid
http://www.tyson.com/UserControls/ViewTerms.aspx

Construct or form anew or provide with a new structure;
"The governing board was reconstituted"
http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

 Let’s repackage what we can offer into
“products” that can be more easily accessed and
used by our students and faculty.

E-Learning
Covers a wide set of applications and processes
such as Web based learning, computer based
learning, virtual classrooms, and digital
collaboration.
http://www.cybermediacrations.com/elearning/glossary.htm

“Searching for a permanent, comfortable and
serviceable position that is nimble enough to be
flexible, accessible and continually up to date
with the wider ‘university’ structure”
OCLC Task Force Report on Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning

Seneca College
Mission Statement and Vision
To contribute to Canadian society by being a
transformation leader in providing students
with career-related education and training.
Our vision is to lead:








in Student Success
In Access to Higher Education
In Learning
In Applied Research
In Innovation
In our Commitment to People
In our Commitment to Diversity and Equity in Employment

E-Learning – Goals
Enrich & support pedagogy
Accessibility of learning materials and
support

Support students in life-long learning
Intra and inter school and institutional
sharing of course materials

Contribution to public knowledge

Portal
A Web based tool that provides a
customizable interface to information
aggregated from a variety of sources.
Krisellen Maloney, ASIS Bulletin

Lorcan Dempsey: p-portals and m-portals
The Recombinant Library: Portals and People

The college portal plays an important part in the
students’ academic tasks
 Focus on integrating with the user flow
 Personal Learning Landscape

The Portal: MySeneca Usage
In a 7 day period during the first 2 weeks of
this semester:
16.5 million hits occurred on My.Seneca.
42,158 announcements were viewed through the "My.Seneca Announcements" module.
62,871 student Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
11,511 staff Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
5,213 edits occurred to personalize specific modules.
9,775 changes were made to portal pages contents.
4,803 changes were made to portal layout of modules.

Licensed Digital Databases
ENCompass for
Digital Collections
::Create & manage
digital assets

Linkfinder Plus

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

::Directly access
full-text content
across
various
sources

Link
Resolver

Ask Us
Now

Ask Us Now
::Chat and interact with a
librarian online

Remote
Access

ENCompass for
Resource
Federated
Access
::Find published
articles & digital
objects via one
search

::Access and search for published content in
electronic form

e-Journals

Search
ILS

Library Catalogue
::Look up books, print periodicals, videos, DVDs, CDs

EZProxy
::Access any
restricted
resources
off-campus

Serials
Solutions
::Find an electronic
journal, magazine or
newspaper

Community
System
Learning
System

?

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

The Portal: Structure & Support
Seneca College
IT Council

Information
Technology &
Telecommunications

Portal
Committee

BB Admin
& Support

Office of
Research
& Innovation
Academic
e-Learning
Liaison

Seneca
Libraries

Deans
& Chairs

e-Learning
Centres

Faculty

The Portal: MySeneca History
September 2000:
Launch of BlackBoard
CMS (Version 4)

January 2002:
Launch of My.Seneca

December 2000:

Spring 2003:

First Portal
Committee Meeting

Load issues after
upgrade to BB 6

August 2005:
October
2004:
Launch of
Employee
Portal

Launch of first nonITT Student
Services Tab

Summer 2001:
First draft of
student portal (with
library portal)

October 2000:
First demo of library
material in BB

November 2004:
First discussions
about a library portal

December 2004:
Access to library
module admin

April 2005:
Library development
tab and modules

Why:
“Information literacy should not be
considered a given, even among “net-gen”
students .… Techniques for finding and
assessing relevant information from the
array of resources available … are crucial,
especially in light of the rising trend toward
collaborative work.”
The Horizon Report, 2006 Edition.

Our Goal

The Portal: The Library’s Plan
Determine targeted user group
Develop timelines
Funding/Resource Requirements
Methodology
Training
Marketing

MyLibrary Justification
More services & greater integration
Improved awareness of our resources
Improved access to our resources
Customizability
Greater efficiency
Demand for sound pedagogy
Librarians excel at collaboration
Environmental need to enhance skill sets
Provision of successful lifelong learning skills

Getting College Buy-In
Partnerships/Politics
Agenda
Presentation
Approval process

Library and Collaboration
Technology skills
Access
Impact
“Collaboration is related to innovation. There
would be significant gains in Canada’s
innovation performance if we were to increase
the level of collaboration.”
Conference Board of Canada

Implementing Reconstitution
The Approach
Content and Functionality
Technical Information

Limitations

What is Our Approach, Anyway?
Low-Fi and Iterative
User-centred
Staff-driven
Keeping the “big picture” in mind
No wheel re-invention
Dynamic content wherever possible
(“just text” is boring)
Focus on what we want, then on what
we can / are allowed do

Let’s Plan!
Content Chunking
What is “Chunking”?
= breaking down information into its smallest manageable
components (content unit).
Guidelines





One functionality (service) or content per “chunk”
The service / content has to be able to stand on its own.
Plan for a “chunk” size that is suitable for width and height constraints.
Limit navigation by keeping the “chunk” content within it wherever
possible. Avoid linking to other services / content.

Deliverables
A list of proposed “chunks” with label and the intended audience.

Chunking Example

Review & Select
… We ended up with 46 suggested modules!
Module Prioritization & Layout
• Default vs. Optional
• Left Navigation Links
vs. Modules
• Roles
• Type of Module

We narrowed down the selections to 5 left navigation
links and 26 priority 1 and 2 modules…

Module Candidates
Priority 1: Required Content
Academic Honesty
Virtual Reference (Ask Us Now)
Contact Information
Copyright
Remote Access Instructions
Library Instruction and Course
Support
Citing Sources (MLA, APA)
Article Databases & Express Article
Search
Library Catalogue Search
Subject Guides
Library News
My Library Account

Priority 2: Optional Content
Quick Reference Tools: Dictionaries ,
Encyclopedias, Almanacs /
Factbooks, Maps & Atlases,
Directories
Collection Development
Faculty Manuals
Audio-Visual Services: Videos &
DVDs
AV Services: Electronic Classrooms
AV Services: Equipment
Find a Journal (A-Z Search)
Research by Course
Library Forms
Information for Students
New Books

Priority 3: Want-to-Haves
 Group Study Room Bookings
 My eJournals & eBooks
 My Databases

Module Design & Layout

Very limited design possibilities





Frame
Left Navigation Bar (Links)
2-column versus 1-column
module colours and borders

Re-cyle and Re-use
Existing Modules
• Library/AV Modules
• Seneca Custom
Modules (Weblinks,
Toronto Weather,
Announcements)
• Pre-built RSS feeds
• Online Reference Tools
(search, dictionary,
maps, weather, quotes)
• Time Magazine

Pre-built Content …

Our
demo
version
so far

Technicalities…
Standards: CSS, HTML, Accessibility
Roles
Frame Environment
Modules Type: HTML, Weblinks, RSS
Custom-Programming: BB Building
Blocks – web app package consisting
of JSP and XML files
Portal System = Courseware System
No integration with Content System


Find Books,
Videos & DVDs



<script type="text/javascript">



Internal Constraints
No JSP expertise & IDE; no access to Oracle
No access to “Live” Modules on production
Development server is not synched with
production server
Lack of procedures and policies
Lack of pre-developed customizable modules
(e.g., for RSS)
List of modules cannot be re-organized
No separation of content and formatting
(only one external CSS file)

Community
System
Digital
Collections

Learning
System

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

Alternative Paths:
Persistent Links in Course Content,
Course Pages, Referatory, Course
Integrator, eReserves

If We Did it Again…Lessons Learned
Plan for a departmental/external
programming (funding implications)
Ask more questions
Define / Agree on policies and
procedures
Get involved as soon as possible
Be patient

Still to Do
Show demo tab to Portal Committee
Release new tab to staff and faculty
for feedback and review
Prepare for training, education and
marketing
Work on a new collaborative
agreement with ITT to speed up
development time

Future Goals
Usability testing
Much more personalization: XML
records of ejournals and ebooks, new
books, staff etc. should allow far more
personalization options!
More integration with Courseware and
Content System
Focus on content management

Thank you. Any Questions?
Joy Muller
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x3042

Jane Foo
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x2011
senlibjane (Yahoo), [email protected] (MSN),
313050248 (ICQ)
Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Works Cited
Boss, Richard W. “Library Portals”. Tech Notes. Mar. 2005. American Library Assn. 19 Jan., 2006
.
CARL E-Learning Working Group. “Libraries and E-Learning.” Nov. 2005. Canadian Assn. of Research Libraries.
.

Dempsey, Lorcan. “The Recombinant Library: Portals and People.” Sept. 2003. OCLC.
.
Maloney, Krisellen. “Portals in Libraries: Library Technology and Planning for Change.” Bulletin of the American Society
of Information Science and Technology Oct/Nov 2004. 20 Jan. 2006 Oct-04/maloney.html>.
OCLC E-Learning Task Force. “Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning.” Oct. 2003. OCLC. 20 Jan. 2006
.
New Media Consortium & EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative. “The Horizon Report: 2006 Edition.” 31 Jan., 2006.
New Media Consortium. .
Portal Webliography. Ed. Eric Lease Morgan. 21 Nov. 2001. Infomotions. 20 Jan., 2006
.


Slide 21

Reconstituting Library Services
for E-Learning Portals
Joy Muller, Jane Foo
OLA 2006 Superconference
February 2, 2006

Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Overview
Our Goals
The Portal
The Environment
Politics and Partnerships
Implementation Notes
Demo
Last Words
Comments and Questions

To Reconstitute
To bring a dried or dehydrated product to its original
consistency by adding a liquid
http://www.tyson.com/UserControls/ViewTerms.aspx

Construct or form anew or provide with a new structure;
"The governing board was reconstituted"
http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

 Let’s repackage what we can offer into
“products” that can be more easily accessed and
used by our students and faculty.

E-Learning
Covers a wide set of applications and processes
such as Web based learning, computer based
learning, virtual classrooms, and digital
collaboration.
http://www.cybermediacrations.com/elearning/glossary.htm

“Searching for a permanent, comfortable and
serviceable position that is nimble enough to be
flexible, accessible and continually up to date
with the wider ‘university’ structure”
OCLC Task Force Report on Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning

Seneca College
Mission Statement and Vision
To contribute to Canadian society by being a
transformation leader in providing students
with career-related education and training.
Our vision is to lead:








in Student Success
In Access to Higher Education
In Learning
In Applied Research
In Innovation
In our Commitment to People
In our Commitment to Diversity and Equity in Employment

E-Learning – Goals
Enrich & support pedagogy
Accessibility of learning materials and
support

Support students in life-long learning
Intra and inter school and institutional
sharing of course materials

Contribution to public knowledge

Portal
A Web based tool that provides a
customizable interface to information
aggregated from a variety of sources.
Krisellen Maloney, ASIS Bulletin

Lorcan Dempsey: p-portals and m-portals
The Recombinant Library: Portals and People

The college portal plays an important part in the
students’ academic tasks
 Focus on integrating with the user flow
 Personal Learning Landscape

The Portal: MySeneca Usage
In a 7 day period during the first 2 weeks of
this semester:
16.5 million hits occurred on My.Seneca.
42,158 announcements were viewed through the "My.Seneca Announcements" module.
62,871 student Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
11,511 staff Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
5,213 edits occurred to personalize specific modules.
9,775 changes were made to portal pages contents.
4,803 changes were made to portal layout of modules.

Licensed Digital Databases
ENCompass for
Digital Collections
::Create & manage
digital assets

Linkfinder Plus

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

::Directly access
full-text content
across
various
sources

Link
Resolver

Ask Us
Now

Ask Us Now
::Chat and interact with a
librarian online

Remote
Access

ENCompass for
Resource
Federated
Access
::Find published
articles & digital
objects via one
search

::Access and search for published content in
electronic form

e-Journals

Search
ILS

Library Catalogue
::Look up books, print periodicals, videos, DVDs, CDs

EZProxy
::Access any
restricted
resources
off-campus

Serials
Solutions
::Find an electronic
journal, magazine or
newspaper

Community
System
Learning
System

?

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

The Portal: Structure & Support
Seneca College
IT Council

Information
Technology &
Telecommunications

Portal
Committee

BB Admin
& Support

Office of
Research
& Innovation
Academic
e-Learning
Liaison

Seneca
Libraries

Deans
& Chairs

e-Learning
Centres

Faculty

The Portal: MySeneca History
September 2000:
Launch of BlackBoard
CMS (Version 4)

January 2002:
Launch of My.Seneca

December 2000:

Spring 2003:

First Portal
Committee Meeting

Load issues after
upgrade to BB 6

August 2005:
October
2004:
Launch of
Employee
Portal

Launch of first nonITT Student
Services Tab

Summer 2001:
First draft of
student portal (with
library portal)

October 2000:
First demo of library
material in BB

November 2004:
First discussions
about a library portal

December 2004:
Access to library
module admin

April 2005:
Library development
tab and modules

Why:
“Information literacy should not be
considered a given, even among “net-gen”
students .… Techniques for finding and
assessing relevant information from the
array of resources available … are crucial,
especially in light of the rising trend toward
collaborative work.”
The Horizon Report, 2006 Edition.

Our Goal

The Portal: The Library’s Plan
Determine targeted user group
Develop timelines
Funding/Resource Requirements
Methodology
Training
Marketing

MyLibrary Justification
More services & greater integration
Improved awareness of our resources
Improved access to our resources
Customizability
Greater efficiency
Demand for sound pedagogy
Librarians excel at collaboration
Environmental need to enhance skill sets
Provision of successful lifelong learning skills

Getting College Buy-In
Partnerships/Politics
Agenda
Presentation
Approval process

Library and Collaboration
Technology skills
Access
Impact
“Collaboration is related to innovation. There
would be significant gains in Canada’s
innovation performance if we were to increase
the level of collaboration.”
Conference Board of Canada

Implementing Reconstitution
The Approach
Content and Functionality
Technical Information

Limitations

What is Our Approach, Anyway?
Low-Fi and Iterative
User-centred
Staff-driven
Keeping the “big picture” in mind
No wheel re-invention
Dynamic content wherever possible
(“just text” is boring)
Focus on what we want, then on what
we can / are allowed do

Let’s Plan!
Content Chunking
What is “Chunking”?
= breaking down information into its smallest manageable
components (content unit).
Guidelines





One functionality (service) or content per “chunk”
The service / content has to be able to stand on its own.
Plan for a “chunk” size that is suitable for width and height constraints.
Limit navigation by keeping the “chunk” content within it wherever
possible. Avoid linking to other services / content.

Deliverables
A list of proposed “chunks” with label and the intended audience.

Chunking Example

Review & Select
… We ended up with 46 suggested modules!
Module Prioritization & Layout
• Default vs. Optional
• Left Navigation Links
vs. Modules
• Roles
• Type of Module

We narrowed down the selections to 5 left navigation
links and 26 priority 1 and 2 modules…

Module Candidates
Priority 1: Required Content
Academic Honesty
Virtual Reference (Ask Us Now)
Contact Information
Copyright
Remote Access Instructions
Library Instruction and Course
Support
Citing Sources (MLA, APA)
Article Databases & Express Article
Search
Library Catalogue Search
Subject Guides
Library News
My Library Account

Priority 2: Optional Content
Quick Reference Tools: Dictionaries ,
Encyclopedias, Almanacs /
Factbooks, Maps & Atlases,
Directories
Collection Development
Faculty Manuals
Audio-Visual Services: Videos &
DVDs
AV Services: Electronic Classrooms
AV Services: Equipment
Find a Journal (A-Z Search)
Research by Course
Library Forms
Information for Students
New Books

Priority 3: Want-to-Haves
 Group Study Room Bookings
 My eJournals & eBooks
 My Databases

Module Design & Layout

Very limited design possibilities





Frame
Left Navigation Bar (Links)
2-column versus 1-column
module colours and borders

Re-cyle and Re-use
Existing Modules
• Library/AV Modules
• Seneca Custom
Modules (Weblinks,
Toronto Weather,
Announcements)
• Pre-built RSS feeds
• Online Reference Tools
(search, dictionary,
maps, weather, quotes)
• Time Magazine

Pre-built Content …

Our
demo
version
so far

Technicalities…
Standards: CSS, HTML, Accessibility
Roles
Frame Environment
Modules Type: HTML, Weblinks, RSS
Custom-Programming: BB Building
Blocks – web app package consisting
of JSP and XML files
Portal System = Courseware System
No integration with Content System


Find Books,
Videos & DVDs



<script type="text/javascript">



Internal Constraints
No JSP expertise & IDE; no access to Oracle
No access to “Live” Modules on production
Development server is not synched with
production server
Lack of procedures and policies
Lack of pre-developed customizable modules
(e.g., for RSS)
List of modules cannot be re-organized
No separation of content and formatting
(only one external CSS file)

Community
System
Digital
Collections

Learning
System

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

Alternative Paths:
Persistent Links in Course Content,
Course Pages, Referatory, Course
Integrator, eReserves

If We Did it Again…Lessons Learned
Plan for a departmental/external
programming (funding implications)
Ask more questions
Define / Agree on policies and
procedures
Get involved as soon as possible
Be patient

Still to Do
Show demo tab to Portal Committee
Release new tab to staff and faculty
for feedback and review
Prepare for training, education and
marketing
Work on a new collaborative
agreement with ITT to speed up
development time

Future Goals
Usability testing
Much more personalization: XML
records of ejournals and ebooks, new
books, staff etc. should allow far more
personalization options!
More integration with Courseware and
Content System
Focus on content management

Thank you. Any Questions?
Joy Muller
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x3042

Jane Foo
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x2011
senlibjane (Yahoo), [email protected] (MSN),
313050248 (ICQ)
Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Works Cited
Boss, Richard W. “Library Portals”. Tech Notes. Mar. 2005. American Library Assn. 19 Jan., 2006
.
CARL E-Learning Working Group. “Libraries and E-Learning.” Nov. 2005. Canadian Assn. of Research Libraries.
.

Dempsey, Lorcan. “The Recombinant Library: Portals and People.” Sept. 2003. OCLC.
.
Maloney, Krisellen. “Portals in Libraries: Library Technology and Planning for Change.” Bulletin of the American Society
of Information Science and Technology Oct/Nov 2004. 20 Jan. 2006 Oct-04/maloney.html>.
OCLC E-Learning Task Force. “Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning.” Oct. 2003. OCLC. 20 Jan. 2006
.
New Media Consortium & EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative. “The Horizon Report: 2006 Edition.” 31 Jan., 2006.
New Media Consortium. .
Portal Webliography. Ed. Eric Lease Morgan. 21 Nov. 2001. Infomotions. 20 Jan., 2006
.


Slide 22

Reconstituting Library Services
for E-Learning Portals
Joy Muller, Jane Foo
OLA 2006 Superconference
February 2, 2006

Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Overview
Our Goals
The Portal
The Environment
Politics and Partnerships
Implementation Notes
Demo
Last Words
Comments and Questions

To Reconstitute
To bring a dried or dehydrated product to its original
consistency by adding a liquid
http://www.tyson.com/UserControls/ViewTerms.aspx

Construct or form anew or provide with a new structure;
"The governing board was reconstituted"
http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

 Let’s repackage what we can offer into
“products” that can be more easily accessed and
used by our students and faculty.

E-Learning
Covers a wide set of applications and processes
such as Web based learning, computer based
learning, virtual classrooms, and digital
collaboration.
http://www.cybermediacrations.com/elearning/glossary.htm

“Searching for a permanent, comfortable and
serviceable position that is nimble enough to be
flexible, accessible and continually up to date
with the wider ‘university’ structure”
OCLC Task Force Report on Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning

Seneca College
Mission Statement and Vision
To contribute to Canadian society by being a
transformation leader in providing students
with career-related education and training.
Our vision is to lead:








in Student Success
In Access to Higher Education
In Learning
In Applied Research
In Innovation
In our Commitment to People
In our Commitment to Diversity and Equity in Employment

E-Learning – Goals
Enrich & support pedagogy
Accessibility of learning materials and
support

Support students in life-long learning
Intra and inter school and institutional
sharing of course materials

Contribution to public knowledge

Portal
A Web based tool that provides a
customizable interface to information
aggregated from a variety of sources.
Krisellen Maloney, ASIS Bulletin

Lorcan Dempsey: p-portals and m-portals
The Recombinant Library: Portals and People

The college portal plays an important part in the
students’ academic tasks
 Focus on integrating with the user flow
 Personal Learning Landscape

The Portal: MySeneca Usage
In a 7 day period during the first 2 weeks of
this semester:
16.5 million hits occurred on My.Seneca.
42,158 announcements were viewed through the "My.Seneca Announcements" module.
62,871 student Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
11,511 staff Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
5,213 edits occurred to personalize specific modules.
9,775 changes were made to portal pages contents.
4,803 changes were made to portal layout of modules.

Licensed Digital Databases
ENCompass for
Digital Collections
::Create & manage
digital assets

Linkfinder Plus

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

::Directly access
full-text content
across
various
sources

Link
Resolver

Ask Us
Now

Ask Us Now
::Chat and interact with a
librarian online

Remote
Access

ENCompass for
Resource
Federated
Access
::Find published
articles & digital
objects via one
search

::Access and search for published content in
electronic form

e-Journals

Search
ILS

Library Catalogue
::Look up books, print periodicals, videos, DVDs, CDs

EZProxy
::Access any
restricted
resources
off-campus

Serials
Solutions
::Find an electronic
journal, magazine or
newspaper

Community
System
Learning
System

?

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

The Portal: Structure & Support
Seneca College
IT Council

Information
Technology &
Telecommunications

Portal
Committee

BB Admin
& Support

Office of
Research
& Innovation
Academic
e-Learning
Liaison

Seneca
Libraries

Deans
& Chairs

e-Learning
Centres

Faculty

The Portal: MySeneca History
September 2000:
Launch of BlackBoard
CMS (Version 4)

January 2002:
Launch of My.Seneca

December 2000:

Spring 2003:

First Portal
Committee Meeting

Load issues after
upgrade to BB 6

August 2005:
October
2004:
Launch of
Employee
Portal

Launch of first nonITT Student
Services Tab

Summer 2001:
First draft of
student portal (with
library portal)

October 2000:
First demo of library
material in BB

November 2004:
First discussions
about a library portal

December 2004:
Access to library
module admin

April 2005:
Library development
tab and modules

Why:
“Information literacy should not be
considered a given, even among “net-gen”
students .… Techniques for finding and
assessing relevant information from the
array of resources available … are crucial,
especially in light of the rising trend toward
collaborative work.”
The Horizon Report, 2006 Edition.

Our Goal

The Portal: The Library’s Plan
Determine targeted user group
Develop timelines
Funding/Resource Requirements
Methodology
Training
Marketing

MyLibrary Justification
More services & greater integration
Improved awareness of our resources
Improved access to our resources
Customizability
Greater efficiency
Demand for sound pedagogy
Librarians excel at collaboration
Environmental need to enhance skill sets
Provision of successful lifelong learning skills

Getting College Buy-In
Partnerships/Politics
Agenda
Presentation
Approval process

Library and Collaboration
Technology skills
Access
Impact
“Collaboration is related to innovation. There
would be significant gains in Canada’s
innovation performance if we were to increase
the level of collaboration.”
Conference Board of Canada

Implementing Reconstitution
The Approach
Content and Functionality
Technical Information

Limitations

What is Our Approach, Anyway?
Low-Fi and Iterative
User-centred
Staff-driven
Keeping the “big picture” in mind
No wheel re-invention
Dynamic content wherever possible
(“just text” is boring)
Focus on what we want, then on what
we can / are allowed do

Let’s Plan!
Content Chunking
What is “Chunking”?
= breaking down information into its smallest manageable
components (content unit).
Guidelines





One functionality (service) or content per “chunk”
The service / content has to be able to stand on its own.
Plan for a “chunk” size that is suitable for width and height constraints.
Limit navigation by keeping the “chunk” content within it wherever
possible. Avoid linking to other services / content.

Deliverables
A list of proposed “chunks” with label and the intended audience.

Chunking Example

Review & Select
… We ended up with 46 suggested modules!
Module Prioritization & Layout
• Default vs. Optional
• Left Navigation Links
vs. Modules
• Roles
• Type of Module

We narrowed down the selections to 5 left navigation
links and 26 priority 1 and 2 modules…

Module Candidates
Priority 1: Required Content
Academic Honesty
Virtual Reference (Ask Us Now)
Contact Information
Copyright
Remote Access Instructions
Library Instruction and Course
Support
Citing Sources (MLA, APA)
Article Databases & Express Article
Search
Library Catalogue Search
Subject Guides
Library News
My Library Account

Priority 2: Optional Content
Quick Reference Tools: Dictionaries ,
Encyclopedias, Almanacs /
Factbooks, Maps & Atlases,
Directories
Collection Development
Faculty Manuals
Audio-Visual Services: Videos &
DVDs
AV Services: Electronic Classrooms
AV Services: Equipment
Find a Journal (A-Z Search)
Research by Course
Library Forms
Information for Students
New Books

Priority 3: Want-to-Haves
 Group Study Room Bookings
 My eJournals & eBooks
 My Databases

Module Design & Layout

Very limited design possibilities





Frame
Left Navigation Bar (Links)
2-column versus 1-column
module colours and borders

Re-cyle and Re-use
Existing Modules
• Library/AV Modules
• Seneca Custom
Modules (Weblinks,
Toronto Weather,
Announcements)
• Pre-built RSS feeds
• Online Reference Tools
(search, dictionary,
maps, weather, quotes)
• Time Magazine

Pre-built Content …

Our
demo
version
so far

Technicalities…
Standards: CSS, HTML, Accessibility
Roles
Frame Environment
Modules Type: HTML, Weblinks, RSS
Custom-Programming: BB Building
Blocks – web app package consisting
of JSP and XML files
Portal System = Courseware System
No integration with Content System


Find Books,
Videos & DVDs



<script type="text/javascript">



Internal Constraints
No JSP expertise & IDE; no access to Oracle
No access to “Live” Modules on production
Development server is not synched with
production server
Lack of procedures and policies
Lack of pre-developed customizable modules
(e.g., for RSS)
List of modules cannot be re-organized
No separation of content and formatting
(only one external CSS file)

Community
System
Digital
Collections

Learning
System

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

Alternative Paths:
Persistent Links in Course Content,
Course Pages, Referatory, Course
Integrator, eReserves

If We Did it Again…Lessons Learned
Plan for a departmental/external
programming (funding implications)
Ask more questions
Define / Agree on policies and
procedures
Get involved as soon as possible
Be patient

Still to Do
Show demo tab to Portal Committee
Release new tab to staff and faculty
for feedback and review
Prepare for training, education and
marketing
Work on a new collaborative
agreement with ITT to speed up
development time

Future Goals
Usability testing
Much more personalization: XML
records of ejournals and ebooks, new
books, staff etc. should allow far more
personalization options!
More integration with Courseware and
Content System
Focus on content management

Thank you. Any Questions?
Joy Muller
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x3042

Jane Foo
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x2011
senlibjane (Yahoo), [email protected] (MSN),
313050248 (ICQ)
Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Works Cited
Boss, Richard W. “Library Portals”. Tech Notes. Mar. 2005. American Library Assn. 19 Jan., 2006
.
CARL E-Learning Working Group. “Libraries and E-Learning.” Nov. 2005. Canadian Assn. of Research Libraries.
.

Dempsey, Lorcan. “The Recombinant Library: Portals and People.” Sept. 2003. OCLC.
.
Maloney, Krisellen. “Portals in Libraries: Library Technology and Planning for Change.” Bulletin of the American Society
of Information Science and Technology Oct/Nov 2004. 20 Jan. 2006 Oct-04/maloney.html>.
OCLC E-Learning Task Force. “Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning.” Oct. 2003. OCLC. 20 Jan. 2006
.
New Media Consortium & EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative. “The Horizon Report: 2006 Edition.” 31 Jan., 2006.
New Media Consortium. .
Portal Webliography. Ed. Eric Lease Morgan. 21 Nov. 2001. Infomotions. 20 Jan., 2006
.


Slide 23

Reconstituting Library Services
for E-Learning Portals
Joy Muller, Jane Foo
OLA 2006 Superconference
February 2, 2006

Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Overview
Our Goals
The Portal
The Environment
Politics and Partnerships
Implementation Notes
Demo
Last Words
Comments and Questions

To Reconstitute
To bring a dried or dehydrated product to its original
consistency by adding a liquid
http://www.tyson.com/UserControls/ViewTerms.aspx

Construct or form anew or provide with a new structure;
"The governing board was reconstituted"
http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

 Let’s repackage what we can offer into
“products” that can be more easily accessed and
used by our students and faculty.

E-Learning
Covers a wide set of applications and processes
such as Web based learning, computer based
learning, virtual classrooms, and digital
collaboration.
http://www.cybermediacrations.com/elearning/glossary.htm

“Searching for a permanent, comfortable and
serviceable position that is nimble enough to be
flexible, accessible and continually up to date
with the wider ‘university’ structure”
OCLC Task Force Report on Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning

Seneca College
Mission Statement and Vision
To contribute to Canadian society by being a
transformation leader in providing students
with career-related education and training.
Our vision is to lead:








in Student Success
In Access to Higher Education
In Learning
In Applied Research
In Innovation
In our Commitment to People
In our Commitment to Diversity and Equity in Employment

E-Learning – Goals
Enrich & support pedagogy
Accessibility of learning materials and
support

Support students in life-long learning
Intra and inter school and institutional
sharing of course materials

Contribution to public knowledge

Portal
A Web based tool that provides a
customizable interface to information
aggregated from a variety of sources.
Krisellen Maloney, ASIS Bulletin

Lorcan Dempsey: p-portals and m-portals
The Recombinant Library: Portals and People

The college portal plays an important part in the
students’ academic tasks
 Focus on integrating with the user flow
 Personal Learning Landscape

The Portal: MySeneca Usage
In a 7 day period during the first 2 weeks of
this semester:
16.5 million hits occurred on My.Seneca.
42,158 announcements were viewed through the "My.Seneca Announcements" module.
62,871 student Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
11,511 staff Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
5,213 edits occurred to personalize specific modules.
9,775 changes were made to portal pages contents.
4,803 changes were made to portal layout of modules.

Licensed Digital Databases
ENCompass for
Digital Collections
::Create & manage
digital assets

Linkfinder Plus

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

::Directly access
full-text content
across
various
sources

Link
Resolver

Ask Us
Now

Ask Us Now
::Chat and interact with a
librarian online

Remote
Access

ENCompass for
Resource
Federated
Access
::Find published
articles & digital
objects via one
search

::Access and search for published content in
electronic form

e-Journals

Search
ILS

Library Catalogue
::Look up books, print periodicals, videos, DVDs, CDs

EZProxy
::Access any
restricted
resources
off-campus

Serials
Solutions
::Find an electronic
journal, magazine or
newspaper

Community
System
Learning
System

?

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

The Portal: Structure & Support
Seneca College
IT Council

Information
Technology &
Telecommunications

Portal
Committee

BB Admin
& Support

Office of
Research
& Innovation
Academic
e-Learning
Liaison

Seneca
Libraries

Deans
& Chairs

e-Learning
Centres

Faculty

The Portal: MySeneca History
September 2000:
Launch of BlackBoard
CMS (Version 4)

January 2002:
Launch of My.Seneca

December 2000:

Spring 2003:

First Portal
Committee Meeting

Load issues after
upgrade to BB 6

August 2005:
October
2004:
Launch of
Employee
Portal

Launch of first nonITT Student
Services Tab

Summer 2001:
First draft of
student portal (with
library portal)

October 2000:
First demo of library
material in BB

November 2004:
First discussions
about a library portal

December 2004:
Access to library
module admin

April 2005:
Library development
tab and modules

Why:
“Information literacy should not be
considered a given, even among “net-gen”
students .… Techniques for finding and
assessing relevant information from the
array of resources available … are crucial,
especially in light of the rising trend toward
collaborative work.”
The Horizon Report, 2006 Edition.

Our Goal

The Portal: The Library’s Plan
Determine targeted user group
Develop timelines
Funding/Resource Requirements
Methodology
Training
Marketing

MyLibrary Justification
More services & greater integration
Improved awareness of our resources
Improved access to our resources
Customizability
Greater efficiency
Demand for sound pedagogy
Librarians excel at collaboration
Environmental need to enhance skill sets
Provision of successful lifelong learning skills

Getting College Buy-In
Partnerships/Politics
Agenda
Presentation
Approval process

Library and Collaboration
Technology skills
Access
Impact
“Collaboration is related to innovation. There
would be significant gains in Canada’s
innovation performance if we were to increase
the level of collaboration.”
Conference Board of Canada

Implementing Reconstitution
The Approach
Content and Functionality
Technical Information

Limitations

What is Our Approach, Anyway?
Low-Fi and Iterative
User-centred
Staff-driven
Keeping the “big picture” in mind
No wheel re-invention
Dynamic content wherever possible
(“just text” is boring)
Focus on what we want, then on what
we can / are allowed do

Let’s Plan!
Content Chunking
What is “Chunking”?
= breaking down information into its smallest manageable
components (content unit).
Guidelines





One functionality (service) or content per “chunk”
The service / content has to be able to stand on its own.
Plan for a “chunk” size that is suitable for width and height constraints.
Limit navigation by keeping the “chunk” content within it wherever
possible. Avoid linking to other services / content.

Deliverables
A list of proposed “chunks” with label and the intended audience.

Chunking Example

Review & Select
… We ended up with 46 suggested modules!
Module Prioritization & Layout
• Default vs. Optional
• Left Navigation Links
vs. Modules
• Roles
• Type of Module

We narrowed down the selections to 5 left navigation
links and 26 priority 1 and 2 modules…

Module Candidates
Priority 1: Required Content
Academic Honesty
Virtual Reference (Ask Us Now)
Contact Information
Copyright
Remote Access Instructions
Library Instruction and Course
Support
Citing Sources (MLA, APA)
Article Databases & Express Article
Search
Library Catalogue Search
Subject Guides
Library News
My Library Account

Priority 2: Optional Content
Quick Reference Tools: Dictionaries ,
Encyclopedias, Almanacs /
Factbooks, Maps & Atlases,
Directories
Collection Development
Faculty Manuals
Audio-Visual Services: Videos &
DVDs
AV Services: Electronic Classrooms
AV Services: Equipment
Find a Journal (A-Z Search)
Research by Course
Library Forms
Information for Students
New Books

Priority 3: Want-to-Haves
 Group Study Room Bookings
 My eJournals & eBooks
 My Databases

Module Design & Layout

Very limited design possibilities





Frame
Left Navigation Bar (Links)
2-column versus 1-column
module colours and borders

Re-cyle and Re-use
Existing Modules
• Library/AV Modules
• Seneca Custom
Modules (Weblinks,
Toronto Weather,
Announcements)
• Pre-built RSS feeds
• Online Reference Tools
(search, dictionary,
maps, weather, quotes)
• Time Magazine

Pre-built Content …

Our
demo
version
so far

Technicalities…
Standards: CSS, HTML, Accessibility
Roles
Frame Environment
Modules Type: HTML, Weblinks, RSS
Custom-Programming: BB Building
Blocks – web app package consisting
of JSP and XML files
Portal System = Courseware System
No integration with Content System


Find Books,
Videos & DVDs



<script type="text/javascript">



Internal Constraints
No JSP expertise & IDE; no access to Oracle
No access to “Live” Modules on production
Development server is not synched with
production server
Lack of procedures and policies
Lack of pre-developed customizable modules
(e.g., for RSS)
List of modules cannot be re-organized
No separation of content and formatting
(only one external CSS file)

Community
System
Digital
Collections

Learning
System

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

Alternative Paths:
Persistent Links in Course Content,
Course Pages, Referatory, Course
Integrator, eReserves

If We Did it Again…Lessons Learned
Plan for a departmental/external
programming (funding implications)
Ask more questions
Define / Agree on policies and
procedures
Get involved as soon as possible
Be patient

Still to Do
Show demo tab to Portal Committee
Release new tab to staff and faculty
for feedback and review
Prepare for training, education and
marketing
Work on a new collaborative
agreement with ITT to speed up
development time

Future Goals
Usability testing
Much more personalization: XML
records of ejournals and ebooks, new
books, staff etc. should allow far more
personalization options!
More integration with Courseware and
Content System
Focus on content management

Thank you. Any Questions?
Joy Muller
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x3042

Jane Foo
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x2011
senlibjane (Yahoo), [email protected] (MSN),
313050248 (ICQ)
Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Works Cited
Boss, Richard W. “Library Portals”. Tech Notes. Mar. 2005. American Library Assn. 19 Jan., 2006
.
CARL E-Learning Working Group. “Libraries and E-Learning.” Nov. 2005. Canadian Assn. of Research Libraries.
.

Dempsey, Lorcan. “The Recombinant Library: Portals and People.” Sept. 2003. OCLC.
.
Maloney, Krisellen. “Portals in Libraries: Library Technology and Planning for Change.” Bulletin of the American Society
of Information Science and Technology Oct/Nov 2004. 20 Jan. 2006 Oct-04/maloney.html>.
OCLC E-Learning Task Force. “Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning.” Oct. 2003. OCLC. 20 Jan. 2006
.
New Media Consortium & EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative. “The Horizon Report: 2006 Edition.” 31 Jan., 2006.
New Media Consortium. .
Portal Webliography. Ed. Eric Lease Morgan. 21 Nov. 2001. Infomotions. 20 Jan., 2006
.


Slide 24

Reconstituting Library Services
for E-Learning Portals
Joy Muller, Jane Foo
OLA 2006 Superconference
February 2, 2006

Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Overview
Our Goals
The Portal
The Environment
Politics and Partnerships
Implementation Notes
Demo
Last Words
Comments and Questions

To Reconstitute
To bring a dried or dehydrated product to its original
consistency by adding a liquid
http://www.tyson.com/UserControls/ViewTerms.aspx

Construct or form anew or provide with a new structure;
"The governing board was reconstituted"
http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

 Let’s repackage what we can offer into
“products” that can be more easily accessed and
used by our students and faculty.

E-Learning
Covers a wide set of applications and processes
such as Web based learning, computer based
learning, virtual classrooms, and digital
collaboration.
http://www.cybermediacrations.com/elearning/glossary.htm

“Searching for a permanent, comfortable and
serviceable position that is nimble enough to be
flexible, accessible and continually up to date
with the wider ‘university’ structure”
OCLC Task Force Report on Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning

Seneca College
Mission Statement and Vision
To contribute to Canadian society by being a
transformation leader in providing students
with career-related education and training.
Our vision is to lead:








in Student Success
In Access to Higher Education
In Learning
In Applied Research
In Innovation
In our Commitment to People
In our Commitment to Diversity and Equity in Employment

E-Learning – Goals
Enrich & support pedagogy
Accessibility of learning materials and
support

Support students in life-long learning
Intra and inter school and institutional
sharing of course materials

Contribution to public knowledge

Portal
A Web based tool that provides a
customizable interface to information
aggregated from a variety of sources.
Krisellen Maloney, ASIS Bulletin

Lorcan Dempsey: p-portals and m-portals
The Recombinant Library: Portals and People

The college portal plays an important part in the
students’ academic tasks
 Focus on integrating with the user flow
 Personal Learning Landscape

The Portal: MySeneca Usage
In a 7 day period during the first 2 weeks of
this semester:
16.5 million hits occurred on My.Seneca.
42,158 announcements were viewed through the "My.Seneca Announcements" module.
62,871 student Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
11,511 staff Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
5,213 edits occurred to personalize specific modules.
9,775 changes were made to portal pages contents.
4,803 changes were made to portal layout of modules.

Licensed Digital Databases
ENCompass for
Digital Collections
::Create & manage
digital assets

Linkfinder Plus

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

::Directly access
full-text content
across
various
sources

Link
Resolver

Ask Us
Now

Ask Us Now
::Chat and interact with a
librarian online

Remote
Access

ENCompass for
Resource
Federated
Access
::Find published
articles & digital
objects via one
search

::Access and search for published content in
electronic form

e-Journals

Search
ILS

Library Catalogue
::Look up books, print periodicals, videos, DVDs, CDs

EZProxy
::Access any
restricted
resources
off-campus

Serials
Solutions
::Find an electronic
journal, magazine or
newspaper

Community
System
Learning
System

?

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

The Portal: Structure & Support
Seneca College
IT Council

Information
Technology &
Telecommunications

Portal
Committee

BB Admin
& Support

Office of
Research
& Innovation
Academic
e-Learning
Liaison

Seneca
Libraries

Deans
& Chairs

e-Learning
Centres

Faculty

The Portal: MySeneca History
September 2000:
Launch of BlackBoard
CMS (Version 4)

January 2002:
Launch of My.Seneca

December 2000:

Spring 2003:

First Portal
Committee Meeting

Load issues after
upgrade to BB 6

August 2005:
October
2004:
Launch of
Employee
Portal

Launch of first nonITT Student
Services Tab

Summer 2001:
First draft of
student portal (with
library portal)

October 2000:
First demo of library
material in BB

November 2004:
First discussions
about a library portal

December 2004:
Access to library
module admin

April 2005:
Library development
tab and modules

Why:
“Information literacy should not be
considered a given, even among “net-gen”
students .… Techniques for finding and
assessing relevant information from the
array of resources available … are crucial,
especially in light of the rising trend toward
collaborative work.”
The Horizon Report, 2006 Edition.

Our Goal

The Portal: The Library’s Plan
Determine targeted user group
Develop timelines
Funding/Resource Requirements
Methodology
Training
Marketing

MyLibrary Justification
More services & greater integration
Improved awareness of our resources
Improved access to our resources
Customizability
Greater efficiency
Demand for sound pedagogy
Librarians excel at collaboration
Environmental need to enhance skill sets
Provision of successful lifelong learning skills

Getting College Buy-In
Partnerships/Politics
Agenda
Presentation
Approval process

Library and Collaboration
Technology skills
Access
Impact
“Collaboration is related to innovation. There
would be significant gains in Canada’s
innovation performance if we were to increase
the level of collaboration.”
Conference Board of Canada

Implementing Reconstitution
The Approach
Content and Functionality
Technical Information

Limitations

What is Our Approach, Anyway?
Low-Fi and Iterative
User-centred
Staff-driven
Keeping the “big picture” in mind
No wheel re-invention
Dynamic content wherever possible
(“just text” is boring)
Focus on what we want, then on what
we can / are allowed do

Let’s Plan!
Content Chunking
What is “Chunking”?
= breaking down information into its smallest manageable
components (content unit).
Guidelines





One functionality (service) or content per “chunk”
The service / content has to be able to stand on its own.
Plan for a “chunk” size that is suitable for width and height constraints.
Limit navigation by keeping the “chunk” content within it wherever
possible. Avoid linking to other services / content.

Deliverables
A list of proposed “chunks” with label and the intended audience.

Chunking Example

Review & Select
… We ended up with 46 suggested modules!
Module Prioritization & Layout
• Default vs. Optional
• Left Navigation Links
vs. Modules
• Roles
• Type of Module

We narrowed down the selections to 5 left navigation
links and 26 priority 1 and 2 modules…

Module Candidates
Priority 1: Required Content
Academic Honesty
Virtual Reference (Ask Us Now)
Contact Information
Copyright
Remote Access Instructions
Library Instruction and Course
Support
Citing Sources (MLA, APA)
Article Databases & Express Article
Search
Library Catalogue Search
Subject Guides
Library News
My Library Account

Priority 2: Optional Content
Quick Reference Tools: Dictionaries ,
Encyclopedias, Almanacs /
Factbooks, Maps & Atlases,
Directories
Collection Development
Faculty Manuals
Audio-Visual Services: Videos &
DVDs
AV Services: Electronic Classrooms
AV Services: Equipment
Find a Journal (A-Z Search)
Research by Course
Library Forms
Information for Students
New Books

Priority 3: Want-to-Haves
 Group Study Room Bookings
 My eJournals & eBooks
 My Databases

Module Design & Layout

Very limited design possibilities





Frame
Left Navigation Bar (Links)
2-column versus 1-column
module colours and borders

Re-cyle and Re-use
Existing Modules
• Library/AV Modules
• Seneca Custom
Modules (Weblinks,
Toronto Weather,
Announcements)
• Pre-built RSS feeds
• Online Reference Tools
(search, dictionary,
maps, weather, quotes)
• Time Magazine

Pre-built Content …

Our
demo
version
so far

Technicalities…
Standards: CSS, HTML, Accessibility
Roles
Frame Environment
Modules Type: HTML, Weblinks, RSS
Custom-Programming: BB Building
Blocks – web app package consisting
of JSP and XML files
Portal System = Courseware System
No integration with Content System


Find Books,
Videos & DVDs



<script type="text/javascript">



Internal Constraints
No JSP expertise & IDE; no access to Oracle
No access to “Live” Modules on production
Development server is not synched with
production server
Lack of procedures and policies
Lack of pre-developed customizable modules
(e.g., for RSS)
List of modules cannot be re-organized
No separation of content and formatting
(only one external CSS file)

Community
System
Digital
Collections

Learning
System

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

Alternative Paths:
Persistent Links in Course Content,
Course Pages, Referatory, Course
Integrator, eReserves

If We Did it Again…Lessons Learned
Plan for a departmental/external
programming (funding implications)
Ask more questions
Define / Agree on policies and
procedures
Get involved as soon as possible
Be patient

Still to Do
Show demo tab to Portal Committee
Release new tab to staff and faculty
for feedback and review
Prepare for training, education and
marketing
Work on a new collaborative
agreement with ITT to speed up
development time

Future Goals
Usability testing
Much more personalization: XML
records of ejournals and ebooks, new
books, staff etc. should allow far more
personalization options!
More integration with Courseware and
Content System
Focus on content management

Thank you. Any Questions?
Joy Muller
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x3042

Jane Foo
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x2011
senlibjane (Yahoo), [email protected] (MSN),
313050248 (ICQ)
Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Works Cited
Boss, Richard W. “Library Portals”. Tech Notes. Mar. 2005. American Library Assn. 19 Jan., 2006
.
CARL E-Learning Working Group. “Libraries and E-Learning.” Nov. 2005. Canadian Assn. of Research Libraries.
.

Dempsey, Lorcan. “The Recombinant Library: Portals and People.” Sept. 2003. OCLC.
.
Maloney, Krisellen. “Portals in Libraries: Library Technology and Planning for Change.” Bulletin of the American Society
of Information Science and Technology Oct/Nov 2004. 20 Jan. 2006 Oct-04/maloney.html>.
OCLC E-Learning Task Force. “Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning.” Oct. 2003. OCLC. 20 Jan. 2006
.
New Media Consortium & EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative. “The Horizon Report: 2006 Edition.” 31 Jan., 2006.
New Media Consortium. .
Portal Webliography. Ed. Eric Lease Morgan. 21 Nov. 2001. Infomotions. 20 Jan., 2006
.


Slide 25

Reconstituting Library Services
for E-Learning Portals
Joy Muller, Jane Foo
OLA 2006 Superconference
February 2, 2006

Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Overview
Our Goals
The Portal
The Environment
Politics and Partnerships
Implementation Notes
Demo
Last Words
Comments and Questions

To Reconstitute
To bring a dried or dehydrated product to its original
consistency by adding a liquid
http://www.tyson.com/UserControls/ViewTerms.aspx

Construct or form anew or provide with a new structure;
"The governing board was reconstituted"
http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

 Let’s repackage what we can offer into
“products” that can be more easily accessed and
used by our students and faculty.

E-Learning
Covers a wide set of applications and processes
such as Web based learning, computer based
learning, virtual classrooms, and digital
collaboration.
http://www.cybermediacrations.com/elearning/glossary.htm

“Searching for a permanent, comfortable and
serviceable position that is nimble enough to be
flexible, accessible and continually up to date
with the wider ‘university’ structure”
OCLC Task Force Report on Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning

Seneca College
Mission Statement and Vision
To contribute to Canadian society by being a
transformation leader in providing students
with career-related education and training.
Our vision is to lead:








in Student Success
In Access to Higher Education
In Learning
In Applied Research
In Innovation
In our Commitment to People
In our Commitment to Diversity and Equity in Employment

E-Learning – Goals
Enrich & support pedagogy
Accessibility of learning materials and
support

Support students in life-long learning
Intra and inter school and institutional
sharing of course materials

Contribution to public knowledge

Portal
A Web based tool that provides a
customizable interface to information
aggregated from a variety of sources.
Krisellen Maloney, ASIS Bulletin

Lorcan Dempsey: p-portals and m-portals
The Recombinant Library: Portals and People

The college portal plays an important part in the
students’ academic tasks
 Focus on integrating with the user flow
 Personal Learning Landscape

The Portal: MySeneca Usage
In a 7 day period during the first 2 weeks of
this semester:
16.5 million hits occurred on My.Seneca.
42,158 announcements were viewed through the "My.Seneca Announcements" module.
62,871 student Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
11,511 staff Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
5,213 edits occurred to personalize specific modules.
9,775 changes were made to portal pages contents.
4,803 changes were made to portal layout of modules.

Licensed Digital Databases
ENCompass for
Digital Collections
::Create & manage
digital assets

Linkfinder Plus

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

::Directly access
full-text content
across
various
sources

Link
Resolver

Ask Us
Now

Ask Us Now
::Chat and interact with a
librarian online

Remote
Access

ENCompass for
Resource
Federated
Access
::Find published
articles & digital
objects via one
search

::Access and search for published content in
electronic form

e-Journals

Search
ILS

Library Catalogue
::Look up books, print periodicals, videos, DVDs, CDs

EZProxy
::Access any
restricted
resources
off-campus

Serials
Solutions
::Find an electronic
journal, magazine or
newspaper

Community
System
Learning
System

?

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

The Portal: Structure & Support
Seneca College
IT Council

Information
Technology &
Telecommunications

Portal
Committee

BB Admin
& Support

Office of
Research
& Innovation
Academic
e-Learning
Liaison

Seneca
Libraries

Deans
& Chairs

e-Learning
Centres

Faculty

The Portal: MySeneca History
September 2000:
Launch of BlackBoard
CMS (Version 4)

January 2002:
Launch of My.Seneca

December 2000:

Spring 2003:

First Portal
Committee Meeting

Load issues after
upgrade to BB 6

August 2005:
October
2004:
Launch of
Employee
Portal

Launch of first nonITT Student
Services Tab

Summer 2001:
First draft of
student portal (with
library portal)

October 2000:
First demo of library
material in BB

November 2004:
First discussions
about a library portal

December 2004:
Access to library
module admin

April 2005:
Library development
tab and modules

Why:
“Information literacy should not be
considered a given, even among “net-gen”
students .… Techniques for finding and
assessing relevant information from the
array of resources available … are crucial,
especially in light of the rising trend toward
collaborative work.”
The Horizon Report, 2006 Edition.

Our Goal

The Portal: The Library’s Plan
Determine targeted user group
Develop timelines
Funding/Resource Requirements
Methodology
Training
Marketing

MyLibrary Justification
More services & greater integration
Improved awareness of our resources
Improved access to our resources
Customizability
Greater efficiency
Demand for sound pedagogy
Librarians excel at collaboration
Environmental need to enhance skill sets
Provision of successful lifelong learning skills

Getting College Buy-In
Partnerships/Politics
Agenda
Presentation
Approval process

Library and Collaboration
Technology skills
Access
Impact
“Collaboration is related to innovation. There
would be significant gains in Canada’s
innovation performance if we were to increase
the level of collaboration.”
Conference Board of Canada

Implementing Reconstitution
The Approach
Content and Functionality
Technical Information

Limitations

What is Our Approach, Anyway?
Low-Fi and Iterative
User-centred
Staff-driven
Keeping the “big picture” in mind
No wheel re-invention
Dynamic content wherever possible
(“just text” is boring)
Focus on what we want, then on what
we can / are allowed do

Let’s Plan!
Content Chunking
What is “Chunking”?
= breaking down information into its smallest manageable
components (content unit).
Guidelines





One functionality (service) or content per “chunk”
The service / content has to be able to stand on its own.
Plan for a “chunk” size that is suitable for width and height constraints.
Limit navigation by keeping the “chunk” content within it wherever
possible. Avoid linking to other services / content.

Deliverables
A list of proposed “chunks” with label and the intended audience.

Chunking Example

Review & Select
… We ended up with 46 suggested modules!
Module Prioritization & Layout
• Default vs. Optional
• Left Navigation Links
vs. Modules
• Roles
• Type of Module

We narrowed down the selections to 5 left navigation
links and 26 priority 1 and 2 modules…

Module Candidates
Priority 1: Required Content
Academic Honesty
Virtual Reference (Ask Us Now)
Contact Information
Copyright
Remote Access Instructions
Library Instruction and Course
Support
Citing Sources (MLA, APA)
Article Databases & Express Article
Search
Library Catalogue Search
Subject Guides
Library News
My Library Account

Priority 2: Optional Content
Quick Reference Tools: Dictionaries ,
Encyclopedias, Almanacs /
Factbooks, Maps & Atlases,
Directories
Collection Development
Faculty Manuals
Audio-Visual Services: Videos &
DVDs
AV Services: Electronic Classrooms
AV Services: Equipment
Find a Journal (A-Z Search)
Research by Course
Library Forms
Information for Students
New Books

Priority 3: Want-to-Haves
 Group Study Room Bookings
 My eJournals & eBooks
 My Databases

Module Design & Layout

Very limited design possibilities





Frame
Left Navigation Bar (Links)
2-column versus 1-column
module colours and borders

Re-cyle and Re-use
Existing Modules
• Library/AV Modules
• Seneca Custom
Modules (Weblinks,
Toronto Weather,
Announcements)
• Pre-built RSS feeds
• Online Reference Tools
(search, dictionary,
maps, weather, quotes)
• Time Magazine

Pre-built Content …

Our
demo
version
so far

Technicalities…
Standards: CSS, HTML, Accessibility
Roles
Frame Environment
Modules Type: HTML, Weblinks, RSS
Custom-Programming: BB Building
Blocks – web app package consisting
of JSP and XML files
Portal System = Courseware System
No integration with Content System


Find Books,
Videos & DVDs



<script type="text/javascript">



Internal Constraints
No JSP expertise & IDE; no access to Oracle
No access to “Live” Modules on production
Development server is not synched with
production server
Lack of procedures and policies
Lack of pre-developed customizable modules
(e.g., for RSS)
List of modules cannot be re-organized
No separation of content and formatting
(only one external CSS file)

Community
System
Digital
Collections

Learning
System

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

Alternative Paths:
Persistent Links in Course Content,
Course Pages, Referatory, Course
Integrator, eReserves

If We Did it Again…Lessons Learned
Plan for a departmental/external
programming (funding implications)
Ask more questions
Define / Agree on policies and
procedures
Get involved as soon as possible
Be patient

Still to Do
Show demo tab to Portal Committee
Release new tab to staff and faculty
for feedback and review
Prepare for training, education and
marketing
Work on a new collaborative
agreement with ITT to speed up
development time

Future Goals
Usability testing
Much more personalization: XML
records of ejournals and ebooks, new
books, staff etc. should allow far more
personalization options!
More integration with Courseware and
Content System
Focus on content management

Thank you. Any Questions?
Joy Muller
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x3042

Jane Foo
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x2011
senlibjane (Yahoo), [email protected] (MSN),
313050248 (ICQ)
Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Works Cited
Boss, Richard W. “Library Portals”. Tech Notes. Mar. 2005. American Library Assn. 19 Jan., 2006
.
CARL E-Learning Working Group. “Libraries and E-Learning.” Nov. 2005. Canadian Assn. of Research Libraries.
.

Dempsey, Lorcan. “The Recombinant Library: Portals and People.” Sept. 2003. OCLC.
.
Maloney, Krisellen. “Portals in Libraries: Library Technology and Planning for Change.” Bulletin of the American Society
of Information Science and Technology Oct/Nov 2004. 20 Jan. 2006 Oct-04/maloney.html>.
OCLC E-Learning Task Force. “Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning.” Oct. 2003. OCLC. 20 Jan. 2006
.
New Media Consortium & EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative. “The Horizon Report: 2006 Edition.” 31 Jan., 2006.
New Media Consortium. .
Portal Webliography. Ed. Eric Lease Morgan. 21 Nov. 2001. Infomotions. 20 Jan., 2006
.


Slide 26

Reconstituting Library Services
for E-Learning Portals
Joy Muller, Jane Foo
OLA 2006 Superconference
February 2, 2006

Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Overview
Our Goals
The Portal
The Environment
Politics and Partnerships
Implementation Notes
Demo
Last Words
Comments and Questions

To Reconstitute
To bring a dried or dehydrated product to its original
consistency by adding a liquid
http://www.tyson.com/UserControls/ViewTerms.aspx

Construct or form anew or provide with a new structure;
"The governing board was reconstituted"
http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

 Let’s repackage what we can offer into
“products” that can be more easily accessed and
used by our students and faculty.

E-Learning
Covers a wide set of applications and processes
such as Web based learning, computer based
learning, virtual classrooms, and digital
collaboration.
http://www.cybermediacrations.com/elearning/glossary.htm

“Searching for a permanent, comfortable and
serviceable position that is nimble enough to be
flexible, accessible and continually up to date
with the wider ‘university’ structure”
OCLC Task Force Report on Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning

Seneca College
Mission Statement and Vision
To contribute to Canadian society by being a
transformation leader in providing students
with career-related education and training.
Our vision is to lead:








in Student Success
In Access to Higher Education
In Learning
In Applied Research
In Innovation
In our Commitment to People
In our Commitment to Diversity and Equity in Employment

E-Learning – Goals
Enrich & support pedagogy
Accessibility of learning materials and
support

Support students in life-long learning
Intra and inter school and institutional
sharing of course materials

Contribution to public knowledge

Portal
A Web based tool that provides a
customizable interface to information
aggregated from a variety of sources.
Krisellen Maloney, ASIS Bulletin

Lorcan Dempsey: p-portals and m-portals
The Recombinant Library: Portals and People

The college portal plays an important part in the
students’ academic tasks
 Focus on integrating with the user flow
 Personal Learning Landscape

The Portal: MySeneca Usage
In a 7 day period during the first 2 weeks of
this semester:
16.5 million hits occurred on My.Seneca.
42,158 announcements were viewed through the "My.Seneca Announcements" module.
62,871 student Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
11,511 staff Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
5,213 edits occurred to personalize specific modules.
9,775 changes were made to portal pages contents.
4,803 changes were made to portal layout of modules.

Licensed Digital Databases
ENCompass for
Digital Collections
::Create & manage
digital assets

Linkfinder Plus

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

::Directly access
full-text content
across
various
sources

Link
Resolver

Ask Us
Now

Ask Us Now
::Chat and interact with a
librarian online

Remote
Access

ENCompass for
Resource
Federated
Access
::Find published
articles & digital
objects via one
search

::Access and search for published content in
electronic form

e-Journals

Search
ILS

Library Catalogue
::Look up books, print periodicals, videos, DVDs, CDs

EZProxy
::Access any
restricted
resources
off-campus

Serials
Solutions
::Find an electronic
journal, magazine or
newspaper

Community
System
Learning
System

?

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

The Portal: Structure & Support
Seneca College
IT Council

Information
Technology &
Telecommunications

Portal
Committee

BB Admin
& Support

Office of
Research
& Innovation
Academic
e-Learning
Liaison

Seneca
Libraries

Deans
& Chairs

e-Learning
Centres

Faculty

The Portal: MySeneca History
September 2000:
Launch of BlackBoard
CMS (Version 4)

January 2002:
Launch of My.Seneca

December 2000:

Spring 2003:

First Portal
Committee Meeting

Load issues after
upgrade to BB 6

August 2005:
October
2004:
Launch of
Employee
Portal

Launch of first nonITT Student
Services Tab

Summer 2001:
First draft of
student portal (with
library portal)

October 2000:
First demo of library
material in BB

November 2004:
First discussions
about a library portal

December 2004:
Access to library
module admin

April 2005:
Library development
tab and modules

Why:
“Information literacy should not be
considered a given, even among “net-gen”
students .… Techniques for finding and
assessing relevant information from the
array of resources available … are crucial,
especially in light of the rising trend toward
collaborative work.”
The Horizon Report, 2006 Edition.

Our Goal

The Portal: The Library’s Plan
Determine targeted user group
Develop timelines
Funding/Resource Requirements
Methodology
Training
Marketing

MyLibrary Justification
More services & greater integration
Improved awareness of our resources
Improved access to our resources
Customizability
Greater efficiency
Demand for sound pedagogy
Librarians excel at collaboration
Environmental need to enhance skill sets
Provision of successful lifelong learning skills

Getting College Buy-In
Partnerships/Politics
Agenda
Presentation
Approval process

Library and Collaboration
Technology skills
Access
Impact
“Collaboration is related to innovation. There
would be significant gains in Canada’s
innovation performance if we were to increase
the level of collaboration.”
Conference Board of Canada

Implementing Reconstitution
The Approach
Content and Functionality
Technical Information

Limitations

What is Our Approach, Anyway?
Low-Fi and Iterative
User-centred
Staff-driven
Keeping the “big picture” in mind
No wheel re-invention
Dynamic content wherever possible
(“just text” is boring)
Focus on what we want, then on what
we can / are allowed do

Let’s Plan!
Content Chunking
What is “Chunking”?
= breaking down information into its smallest manageable
components (content unit).
Guidelines





One functionality (service) or content per “chunk”
The service / content has to be able to stand on its own.
Plan for a “chunk” size that is suitable for width and height constraints.
Limit navigation by keeping the “chunk” content within it wherever
possible. Avoid linking to other services / content.

Deliverables
A list of proposed “chunks” with label and the intended audience.

Chunking Example

Review & Select
… We ended up with 46 suggested modules!
Module Prioritization & Layout
• Default vs. Optional
• Left Navigation Links
vs. Modules
• Roles
• Type of Module

We narrowed down the selections to 5 left navigation
links and 26 priority 1 and 2 modules…

Module Candidates
Priority 1: Required Content
Academic Honesty
Virtual Reference (Ask Us Now)
Contact Information
Copyright
Remote Access Instructions
Library Instruction and Course
Support
Citing Sources (MLA, APA)
Article Databases & Express Article
Search
Library Catalogue Search
Subject Guides
Library News
My Library Account

Priority 2: Optional Content
Quick Reference Tools: Dictionaries ,
Encyclopedias, Almanacs /
Factbooks, Maps & Atlases,
Directories
Collection Development
Faculty Manuals
Audio-Visual Services: Videos &
DVDs
AV Services: Electronic Classrooms
AV Services: Equipment
Find a Journal (A-Z Search)
Research by Course
Library Forms
Information for Students
New Books

Priority 3: Want-to-Haves
 Group Study Room Bookings
 My eJournals & eBooks
 My Databases

Module Design & Layout

Very limited design possibilities





Frame
Left Navigation Bar (Links)
2-column versus 1-column
module colours and borders

Re-cyle and Re-use
Existing Modules
• Library/AV Modules
• Seneca Custom
Modules (Weblinks,
Toronto Weather,
Announcements)
• Pre-built RSS feeds
• Online Reference Tools
(search, dictionary,
maps, weather, quotes)
• Time Magazine

Pre-built Content …

Our
demo
version
so far

Technicalities…
Standards: CSS, HTML, Accessibility
Roles
Frame Environment
Modules Type: HTML, Weblinks, RSS
Custom-Programming: BB Building
Blocks – web app package consisting
of JSP and XML files
Portal System = Courseware System
No integration with Content System


Find Books,
Videos & DVDs



<script type="text/javascript">



Internal Constraints
No JSP expertise & IDE; no access to Oracle
No access to “Live” Modules on production
Development server is not synched with
production server
Lack of procedures and policies
Lack of pre-developed customizable modules
(e.g., for RSS)
List of modules cannot be re-organized
No separation of content and formatting
(only one external CSS file)

Community
System
Digital
Collections

Learning
System

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

Alternative Paths:
Persistent Links in Course Content,
Course Pages, Referatory, Course
Integrator, eReserves

If We Did it Again…Lessons Learned
Plan for a departmental/external
programming (funding implications)
Ask more questions
Define / Agree on policies and
procedures
Get involved as soon as possible
Be patient

Still to Do
Show demo tab to Portal Committee
Release new tab to staff and faculty
for feedback and review
Prepare for training, education and
marketing
Work on a new collaborative
agreement with ITT to speed up
development time

Future Goals
Usability testing
Much more personalization: XML
records of ejournals and ebooks, new
books, staff etc. should allow far more
personalization options!
More integration with Courseware and
Content System
Focus on content management

Thank you. Any Questions?
Joy Muller
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x3042

Jane Foo
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x2011
senlibjane (Yahoo), [email protected] (MSN),
313050248 (ICQ)
Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Works Cited
Boss, Richard W. “Library Portals”. Tech Notes. Mar. 2005. American Library Assn. 19 Jan., 2006
.
CARL E-Learning Working Group. “Libraries and E-Learning.” Nov. 2005. Canadian Assn. of Research Libraries.
.

Dempsey, Lorcan. “The Recombinant Library: Portals and People.” Sept. 2003. OCLC.
.
Maloney, Krisellen. “Portals in Libraries: Library Technology and Planning for Change.” Bulletin of the American Society
of Information Science and Technology Oct/Nov 2004. 20 Jan. 2006 Oct-04/maloney.html>.
OCLC E-Learning Task Force. “Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning.” Oct. 2003. OCLC. 20 Jan. 2006
.
New Media Consortium & EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative. “The Horizon Report: 2006 Edition.” 31 Jan., 2006.
New Media Consortium. .
Portal Webliography. Ed. Eric Lease Morgan. 21 Nov. 2001. Infomotions. 20 Jan., 2006
.


Slide 27

Reconstituting Library Services
for E-Learning Portals
Joy Muller, Jane Foo
OLA 2006 Superconference
February 2, 2006

Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Overview
Our Goals
The Portal
The Environment
Politics and Partnerships
Implementation Notes
Demo
Last Words
Comments and Questions

To Reconstitute
To bring a dried or dehydrated product to its original
consistency by adding a liquid
http://www.tyson.com/UserControls/ViewTerms.aspx

Construct or form anew or provide with a new structure;
"The governing board was reconstituted"
http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

 Let’s repackage what we can offer into
“products” that can be more easily accessed and
used by our students and faculty.

E-Learning
Covers a wide set of applications and processes
such as Web based learning, computer based
learning, virtual classrooms, and digital
collaboration.
http://www.cybermediacrations.com/elearning/glossary.htm

“Searching for a permanent, comfortable and
serviceable position that is nimble enough to be
flexible, accessible and continually up to date
with the wider ‘university’ structure”
OCLC Task Force Report on Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning

Seneca College
Mission Statement and Vision
To contribute to Canadian society by being a
transformation leader in providing students
with career-related education and training.
Our vision is to lead:








in Student Success
In Access to Higher Education
In Learning
In Applied Research
In Innovation
In our Commitment to People
In our Commitment to Diversity and Equity in Employment

E-Learning – Goals
Enrich & support pedagogy
Accessibility of learning materials and
support

Support students in life-long learning
Intra and inter school and institutional
sharing of course materials

Contribution to public knowledge

Portal
A Web based tool that provides a
customizable interface to information
aggregated from a variety of sources.
Krisellen Maloney, ASIS Bulletin

Lorcan Dempsey: p-portals and m-portals
The Recombinant Library: Portals and People

The college portal plays an important part in the
students’ academic tasks
 Focus on integrating with the user flow
 Personal Learning Landscape

The Portal: MySeneca Usage
In a 7 day period during the first 2 weeks of
this semester:
16.5 million hits occurred on My.Seneca.
42,158 announcements were viewed through the "My.Seneca Announcements" module.
62,871 student Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
11,511 staff Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
5,213 edits occurred to personalize specific modules.
9,775 changes were made to portal pages contents.
4,803 changes were made to portal layout of modules.

Licensed Digital Databases
ENCompass for
Digital Collections
::Create & manage
digital assets

Linkfinder Plus

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

::Directly access
full-text content
across
various
sources

Link
Resolver

Ask Us
Now

Ask Us Now
::Chat and interact with a
librarian online

Remote
Access

ENCompass for
Resource
Federated
Access
::Find published
articles & digital
objects via one
search

::Access and search for published content in
electronic form

e-Journals

Search
ILS

Library Catalogue
::Look up books, print periodicals, videos, DVDs, CDs

EZProxy
::Access any
restricted
resources
off-campus

Serials
Solutions
::Find an electronic
journal, magazine or
newspaper

Community
System
Learning
System

?

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

The Portal: Structure & Support
Seneca College
IT Council

Information
Technology &
Telecommunications

Portal
Committee

BB Admin
& Support

Office of
Research
& Innovation
Academic
e-Learning
Liaison

Seneca
Libraries

Deans
& Chairs

e-Learning
Centres

Faculty

The Portal: MySeneca History
September 2000:
Launch of BlackBoard
CMS (Version 4)

January 2002:
Launch of My.Seneca

December 2000:

Spring 2003:

First Portal
Committee Meeting

Load issues after
upgrade to BB 6

August 2005:
October
2004:
Launch of
Employee
Portal

Launch of first nonITT Student
Services Tab

Summer 2001:
First draft of
student portal (with
library portal)

October 2000:
First demo of library
material in BB

November 2004:
First discussions
about a library portal

December 2004:
Access to library
module admin

April 2005:
Library development
tab and modules

Why:
“Information literacy should not be
considered a given, even among “net-gen”
students .… Techniques for finding and
assessing relevant information from the
array of resources available … are crucial,
especially in light of the rising trend toward
collaborative work.”
The Horizon Report, 2006 Edition.

Our Goal

The Portal: The Library’s Plan
Determine targeted user group
Develop timelines
Funding/Resource Requirements
Methodology
Training
Marketing

MyLibrary Justification
More services & greater integration
Improved awareness of our resources
Improved access to our resources
Customizability
Greater efficiency
Demand for sound pedagogy
Librarians excel at collaboration
Environmental need to enhance skill sets
Provision of successful lifelong learning skills

Getting College Buy-In
Partnerships/Politics
Agenda
Presentation
Approval process

Library and Collaboration
Technology skills
Access
Impact
“Collaboration is related to innovation. There
would be significant gains in Canada’s
innovation performance if we were to increase
the level of collaboration.”
Conference Board of Canada

Implementing Reconstitution
The Approach
Content and Functionality
Technical Information

Limitations

What is Our Approach, Anyway?
Low-Fi and Iterative
User-centred
Staff-driven
Keeping the “big picture” in mind
No wheel re-invention
Dynamic content wherever possible
(“just text” is boring)
Focus on what we want, then on what
we can / are allowed do

Let’s Plan!
Content Chunking
What is “Chunking”?
= breaking down information into its smallest manageable
components (content unit).
Guidelines





One functionality (service) or content per “chunk”
The service / content has to be able to stand on its own.
Plan for a “chunk” size that is suitable for width and height constraints.
Limit navigation by keeping the “chunk” content within it wherever
possible. Avoid linking to other services / content.

Deliverables
A list of proposed “chunks” with label and the intended audience.

Chunking Example

Review & Select
… We ended up with 46 suggested modules!
Module Prioritization & Layout
• Default vs. Optional
• Left Navigation Links
vs. Modules
• Roles
• Type of Module

We narrowed down the selections to 5 left navigation
links and 26 priority 1 and 2 modules…

Module Candidates
Priority 1: Required Content
Academic Honesty
Virtual Reference (Ask Us Now)
Contact Information
Copyright
Remote Access Instructions
Library Instruction and Course
Support
Citing Sources (MLA, APA)
Article Databases & Express Article
Search
Library Catalogue Search
Subject Guides
Library News
My Library Account

Priority 2: Optional Content
Quick Reference Tools: Dictionaries ,
Encyclopedias, Almanacs /
Factbooks, Maps & Atlases,
Directories
Collection Development
Faculty Manuals
Audio-Visual Services: Videos &
DVDs
AV Services: Electronic Classrooms
AV Services: Equipment
Find a Journal (A-Z Search)
Research by Course
Library Forms
Information for Students
New Books

Priority 3: Want-to-Haves
 Group Study Room Bookings
 My eJournals & eBooks
 My Databases

Module Design & Layout

Very limited design possibilities





Frame
Left Navigation Bar (Links)
2-column versus 1-column
module colours and borders

Re-cyle and Re-use
Existing Modules
• Library/AV Modules
• Seneca Custom
Modules (Weblinks,
Toronto Weather,
Announcements)
• Pre-built RSS feeds
• Online Reference Tools
(search, dictionary,
maps, weather, quotes)
• Time Magazine

Pre-built Content …

Our
demo
version
so far

Technicalities…
Standards: CSS, HTML, Accessibility
Roles
Frame Environment
Modules Type: HTML, Weblinks, RSS
Custom-Programming: BB Building
Blocks – web app package consisting
of JSP and XML files
Portal System = Courseware System
No integration with Content System


Find Books,
Videos & DVDs



<script type="text/javascript">



Internal Constraints
No JSP expertise & IDE; no access to Oracle
No access to “Live” Modules on production
Development server is not synched with
production server
Lack of procedures and policies
Lack of pre-developed customizable modules
(e.g., for RSS)
List of modules cannot be re-organized
No separation of content and formatting
(only one external CSS file)

Community
System
Digital
Collections

Learning
System

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

Alternative Paths:
Persistent Links in Course Content,
Course Pages, Referatory, Course
Integrator, eReserves

If We Did it Again…Lessons Learned
Plan for a departmental/external
programming (funding implications)
Ask more questions
Define / Agree on policies and
procedures
Get involved as soon as possible
Be patient

Still to Do
Show demo tab to Portal Committee
Release new tab to staff and faculty
for feedback and review
Prepare for training, education and
marketing
Work on a new collaborative
agreement with ITT to speed up
development time

Future Goals
Usability testing
Much more personalization: XML
records of ejournals and ebooks, new
books, staff etc. should allow far more
personalization options!
More integration with Courseware and
Content System
Focus on content management

Thank you. Any Questions?
Joy Muller
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x3042

Jane Foo
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x2011
senlibjane (Yahoo), [email protected] (MSN),
313050248 (ICQ)
Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Works Cited
Boss, Richard W. “Library Portals”. Tech Notes. Mar. 2005. American Library Assn. 19 Jan., 2006
.
CARL E-Learning Working Group. “Libraries and E-Learning.” Nov. 2005. Canadian Assn. of Research Libraries.
.

Dempsey, Lorcan. “The Recombinant Library: Portals and People.” Sept. 2003. OCLC.
.
Maloney, Krisellen. “Portals in Libraries: Library Technology and Planning for Change.” Bulletin of the American Society
of Information Science and Technology Oct/Nov 2004. 20 Jan. 2006 Oct-04/maloney.html>.
OCLC E-Learning Task Force. “Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning.” Oct. 2003. OCLC. 20 Jan. 2006
.
New Media Consortium & EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative. “The Horizon Report: 2006 Edition.” 31 Jan., 2006.
New Media Consortium. .
Portal Webliography. Ed. Eric Lease Morgan. 21 Nov. 2001. Infomotions. 20 Jan., 2006
.


Slide 28

Reconstituting Library Services
for E-Learning Portals
Joy Muller, Jane Foo
OLA 2006 Superconference
February 2, 2006

Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Overview
Our Goals
The Portal
The Environment
Politics and Partnerships
Implementation Notes
Demo
Last Words
Comments and Questions

To Reconstitute
To bring a dried or dehydrated product to its original
consistency by adding a liquid
http://www.tyson.com/UserControls/ViewTerms.aspx

Construct or form anew or provide with a new structure;
"The governing board was reconstituted"
http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

 Let’s repackage what we can offer into
“products” that can be more easily accessed and
used by our students and faculty.

E-Learning
Covers a wide set of applications and processes
such as Web based learning, computer based
learning, virtual classrooms, and digital
collaboration.
http://www.cybermediacrations.com/elearning/glossary.htm

“Searching for a permanent, comfortable and
serviceable position that is nimble enough to be
flexible, accessible and continually up to date
with the wider ‘university’ structure”
OCLC Task Force Report on Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning

Seneca College
Mission Statement and Vision
To contribute to Canadian society by being a
transformation leader in providing students
with career-related education and training.
Our vision is to lead:








in Student Success
In Access to Higher Education
In Learning
In Applied Research
In Innovation
In our Commitment to People
In our Commitment to Diversity and Equity in Employment

E-Learning – Goals
Enrich & support pedagogy
Accessibility of learning materials and
support

Support students in life-long learning
Intra and inter school and institutional
sharing of course materials

Contribution to public knowledge

Portal
A Web based tool that provides a
customizable interface to information
aggregated from a variety of sources.
Krisellen Maloney, ASIS Bulletin

Lorcan Dempsey: p-portals and m-portals
The Recombinant Library: Portals and People

The college portal plays an important part in the
students’ academic tasks
 Focus on integrating with the user flow
 Personal Learning Landscape

The Portal: MySeneca Usage
In a 7 day period during the first 2 weeks of
this semester:
16.5 million hits occurred on My.Seneca.
42,158 announcements were viewed through the "My.Seneca Announcements" module.
62,871 student Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
11,511 staff Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
5,213 edits occurred to personalize specific modules.
9,775 changes were made to portal pages contents.
4,803 changes were made to portal layout of modules.

Licensed Digital Databases
ENCompass for
Digital Collections
::Create & manage
digital assets

Linkfinder Plus

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

::Directly access
full-text content
across
various
sources

Link
Resolver

Ask Us
Now

Ask Us Now
::Chat and interact with a
librarian online

Remote
Access

ENCompass for
Resource
Federated
Access
::Find published
articles & digital
objects via one
search

::Access and search for published content in
electronic form

e-Journals

Search
ILS

Library Catalogue
::Look up books, print periodicals, videos, DVDs, CDs

EZProxy
::Access any
restricted
resources
off-campus

Serials
Solutions
::Find an electronic
journal, magazine or
newspaper

Community
System
Learning
System

?

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

The Portal: Structure & Support
Seneca College
IT Council

Information
Technology &
Telecommunications

Portal
Committee

BB Admin
& Support

Office of
Research
& Innovation
Academic
e-Learning
Liaison

Seneca
Libraries

Deans
& Chairs

e-Learning
Centres

Faculty

The Portal: MySeneca History
September 2000:
Launch of BlackBoard
CMS (Version 4)

January 2002:
Launch of My.Seneca

December 2000:

Spring 2003:

First Portal
Committee Meeting

Load issues after
upgrade to BB 6

August 2005:
October
2004:
Launch of
Employee
Portal

Launch of first nonITT Student
Services Tab

Summer 2001:
First draft of
student portal (with
library portal)

October 2000:
First demo of library
material in BB

November 2004:
First discussions
about a library portal

December 2004:
Access to library
module admin

April 2005:
Library development
tab and modules

Why:
“Information literacy should not be
considered a given, even among “net-gen”
students .… Techniques for finding and
assessing relevant information from the
array of resources available … are crucial,
especially in light of the rising trend toward
collaborative work.”
The Horizon Report, 2006 Edition.

Our Goal

The Portal: The Library’s Plan
Determine targeted user group
Develop timelines
Funding/Resource Requirements
Methodology
Training
Marketing

MyLibrary Justification
More services & greater integration
Improved awareness of our resources
Improved access to our resources
Customizability
Greater efficiency
Demand for sound pedagogy
Librarians excel at collaboration
Environmental need to enhance skill sets
Provision of successful lifelong learning skills

Getting College Buy-In
Partnerships/Politics
Agenda
Presentation
Approval process

Library and Collaboration
Technology skills
Access
Impact
“Collaboration is related to innovation. There
would be significant gains in Canada’s
innovation performance if we were to increase
the level of collaboration.”
Conference Board of Canada

Implementing Reconstitution
The Approach
Content and Functionality
Technical Information

Limitations

What is Our Approach, Anyway?
Low-Fi and Iterative
User-centred
Staff-driven
Keeping the “big picture” in mind
No wheel re-invention
Dynamic content wherever possible
(“just text” is boring)
Focus on what we want, then on what
we can / are allowed do

Let’s Plan!
Content Chunking
What is “Chunking”?
= breaking down information into its smallest manageable
components (content unit).
Guidelines





One functionality (service) or content per “chunk”
The service / content has to be able to stand on its own.
Plan for a “chunk” size that is suitable for width and height constraints.
Limit navigation by keeping the “chunk” content within it wherever
possible. Avoid linking to other services / content.

Deliverables
A list of proposed “chunks” with label and the intended audience.

Chunking Example

Review & Select
… We ended up with 46 suggested modules!
Module Prioritization & Layout
• Default vs. Optional
• Left Navigation Links
vs. Modules
• Roles
• Type of Module

We narrowed down the selections to 5 left navigation
links and 26 priority 1 and 2 modules…

Module Candidates
Priority 1: Required Content
Academic Honesty
Virtual Reference (Ask Us Now)
Contact Information
Copyright
Remote Access Instructions
Library Instruction and Course
Support
Citing Sources (MLA, APA)
Article Databases & Express Article
Search
Library Catalogue Search
Subject Guides
Library News
My Library Account

Priority 2: Optional Content
Quick Reference Tools: Dictionaries ,
Encyclopedias, Almanacs /
Factbooks, Maps & Atlases,
Directories
Collection Development
Faculty Manuals
Audio-Visual Services: Videos &
DVDs
AV Services: Electronic Classrooms
AV Services: Equipment
Find a Journal (A-Z Search)
Research by Course
Library Forms
Information for Students
New Books

Priority 3: Want-to-Haves
 Group Study Room Bookings
 My eJournals & eBooks
 My Databases

Module Design & Layout

Very limited design possibilities





Frame
Left Navigation Bar (Links)
2-column versus 1-column
module colours and borders

Re-cyle and Re-use
Existing Modules
• Library/AV Modules
• Seneca Custom
Modules (Weblinks,
Toronto Weather,
Announcements)
• Pre-built RSS feeds
• Online Reference Tools
(search, dictionary,
maps, weather, quotes)
• Time Magazine

Pre-built Content …

Our
demo
version
so far

Technicalities…
Standards: CSS, HTML, Accessibility
Roles
Frame Environment
Modules Type: HTML, Weblinks, RSS
Custom-Programming: BB Building
Blocks – web app package consisting
of JSP and XML files
Portal System = Courseware System
No integration with Content System


Find Books,
Videos & DVDs



<script type="text/javascript">



Internal Constraints
No JSP expertise & IDE; no access to Oracle
No access to “Live” Modules on production
Development server is not synched with
production server
Lack of procedures and policies
Lack of pre-developed customizable modules
(e.g., for RSS)
List of modules cannot be re-organized
No separation of content and formatting
(only one external CSS file)

Community
System
Digital
Collections

Learning
System

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

Alternative Paths:
Persistent Links in Course Content,
Course Pages, Referatory, Course
Integrator, eReserves

If We Did it Again…Lessons Learned
Plan for a departmental/external
programming (funding implications)
Ask more questions
Define / Agree on policies and
procedures
Get involved as soon as possible
Be patient

Still to Do
Show demo tab to Portal Committee
Release new tab to staff and faculty
for feedback and review
Prepare for training, education and
marketing
Work on a new collaborative
agreement with ITT to speed up
development time

Future Goals
Usability testing
Much more personalization: XML
records of ejournals and ebooks, new
books, staff etc. should allow far more
personalization options!
More integration with Courseware and
Content System
Focus on content management

Thank you. Any Questions?
Joy Muller
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x3042

Jane Foo
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x2011
senlibjane (Yahoo), [email protected] (MSN),
313050248 (ICQ)
Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Works Cited
Boss, Richard W. “Library Portals”. Tech Notes. Mar. 2005. American Library Assn. 19 Jan., 2006
.
CARL E-Learning Working Group. “Libraries and E-Learning.” Nov. 2005. Canadian Assn. of Research Libraries.
.

Dempsey, Lorcan. “The Recombinant Library: Portals and People.” Sept. 2003. OCLC.
.
Maloney, Krisellen. “Portals in Libraries: Library Technology and Planning for Change.” Bulletin of the American Society
of Information Science and Technology Oct/Nov 2004. 20 Jan. 2006 Oct-04/maloney.html>.
OCLC E-Learning Task Force. “Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning.” Oct. 2003. OCLC. 20 Jan. 2006
.
New Media Consortium & EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative. “The Horizon Report: 2006 Edition.” 31 Jan., 2006.
New Media Consortium. .
Portal Webliography. Ed. Eric Lease Morgan. 21 Nov. 2001. Infomotions. 20 Jan., 2006
.


Slide 29

Reconstituting Library Services
for E-Learning Portals
Joy Muller, Jane Foo
OLA 2006 Superconference
February 2, 2006

Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Overview
Our Goals
The Portal
The Environment
Politics and Partnerships
Implementation Notes
Demo
Last Words
Comments and Questions

To Reconstitute
To bring a dried or dehydrated product to its original
consistency by adding a liquid
http://www.tyson.com/UserControls/ViewTerms.aspx

Construct or form anew or provide with a new structure;
"The governing board was reconstituted"
http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

 Let’s repackage what we can offer into
“products” that can be more easily accessed and
used by our students and faculty.

E-Learning
Covers a wide set of applications and processes
such as Web based learning, computer based
learning, virtual classrooms, and digital
collaboration.
http://www.cybermediacrations.com/elearning/glossary.htm

“Searching for a permanent, comfortable and
serviceable position that is nimble enough to be
flexible, accessible and continually up to date
with the wider ‘university’ structure”
OCLC Task Force Report on Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning

Seneca College
Mission Statement and Vision
To contribute to Canadian society by being a
transformation leader in providing students
with career-related education and training.
Our vision is to lead:








in Student Success
In Access to Higher Education
In Learning
In Applied Research
In Innovation
In our Commitment to People
In our Commitment to Diversity and Equity in Employment

E-Learning – Goals
Enrich & support pedagogy
Accessibility of learning materials and
support

Support students in life-long learning
Intra and inter school and institutional
sharing of course materials

Contribution to public knowledge

Portal
A Web based tool that provides a
customizable interface to information
aggregated from a variety of sources.
Krisellen Maloney, ASIS Bulletin

Lorcan Dempsey: p-portals and m-portals
The Recombinant Library: Portals and People

The college portal plays an important part in the
students’ academic tasks
 Focus on integrating with the user flow
 Personal Learning Landscape

The Portal: MySeneca Usage
In a 7 day period during the first 2 weeks of
this semester:
16.5 million hits occurred on My.Seneca.
42,158 announcements were viewed through the "My.Seneca Announcements" module.
62,871 student Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
11,511 staff Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
5,213 edits occurred to personalize specific modules.
9,775 changes were made to portal pages contents.
4,803 changes were made to portal layout of modules.

Licensed Digital Databases
ENCompass for
Digital Collections
::Create & manage
digital assets

Linkfinder Plus

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

::Directly access
full-text content
across
various
sources

Link
Resolver

Ask Us
Now

Ask Us Now
::Chat and interact with a
librarian online

Remote
Access

ENCompass for
Resource
Federated
Access
::Find published
articles & digital
objects via one
search

::Access and search for published content in
electronic form

e-Journals

Search
ILS

Library Catalogue
::Look up books, print periodicals, videos, DVDs, CDs

EZProxy
::Access any
restricted
resources
off-campus

Serials
Solutions
::Find an electronic
journal, magazine or
newspaper

Community
System
Learning
System

?

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

The Portal: Structure & Support
Seneca College
IT Council

Information
Technology &
Telecommunications

Portal
Committee

BB Admin
& Support

Office of
Research
& Innovation
Academic
e-Learning
Liaison

Seneca
Libraries

Deans
& Chairs

e-Learning
Centres

Faculty

The Portal: MySeneca History
September 2000:
Launch of BlackBoard
CMS (Version 4)

January 2002:
Launch of My.Seneca

December 2000:

Spring 2003:

First Portal
Committee Meeting

Load issues after
upgrade to BB 6

August 2005:
October
2004:
Launch of
Employee
Portal

Launch of first nonITT Student
Services Tab

Summer 2001:
First draft of
student portal (with
library portal)

October 2000:
First demo of library
material in BB

November 2004:
First discussions
about a library portal

December 2004:
Access to library
module admin

April 2005:
Library development
tab and modules

Why:
“Information literacy should not be
considered a given, even among “net-gen”
students .… Techniques for finding and
assessing relevant information from the
array of resources available … are crucial,
especially in light of the rising trend toward
collaborative work.”
The Horizon Report, 2006 Edition.

Our Goal

The Portal: The Library’s Plan
Determine targeted user group
Develop timelines
Funding/Resource Requirements
Methodology
Training
Marketing

MyLibrary Justification
More services & greater integration
Improved awareness of our resources
Improved access to our resources
Customizability
Greater efficiency
Demand for sound pedagogy
Librarians excel at collaboration
Environmental need to enhance skill sets
Provision of successful lifelong learning skills

Getting College Buy-In
Partnerships/Politics
Agenda
Presentation
Approval process

Library and Collaboration
Technology skills
Access
Impact
“Collaboration is related to innovation. There
would be significant gains in Canada’s
innovation performance if we were to increase
the level of collaboration.”
Conference Board of Canada

Implementing Reconstitution
The Approach
Content and Functionality
Technical Information

Limitations

What is Our Approach, Anyway?
Low-Fi and Iterative
User-centred
Staff-driven
Keeping the “big picture” in mind
No wheel re-invention
Dynamic content wherever possible
(“just text” is boring)
Focus on what we want, then on what
we can / are allowed do

Let’s Plan!
Content Chunking
What is “Chunking”?
= breaking down information into its smallest manageable
components (content unit).
Guidelines





One functionality (service) or content per “chunk”
The service / content has to be able to stand on its own.
Plan for a “chunk” size that is suitable for width and height constraints.
Limit navigation by keeping the “chunk” content within it wherever
possible. Avoid linking to other services / content.

Deliverables
A list of proposed “chunks” with label and the intended audience.

Chunking Example

Review & Select
… We ended up with 46 suggested modules!
Module Prioritization & Layout
• Default vs. Optional
• Left Navigation Links
vs. Modules
• Roles
• Type of Module

We narrowed down the selections to 5 left navigation
links and 26 priority 1 and 2 modules…

Module Candidates
Priority 1: Required Content
Academic Honesty
Virtual Reference (Ask Us Now)
Contact Information
Copyright
Remote Access Instructions
Library Instruction and Course
Support
Citing Sources (MLA, APA)
Article Databases & Express Article
Search
Library Catalogue Search
Subject Guides
Library News
My Library Account

Priority 2: Optional Content
Quick Reference Tools: Dictionaries ,
Encyclopedias, Almanacs /
Factbooks, Maps & Atlases,
Directories
Collection Development
Faculty Manuals
Audio-Visual Services: Videos &
DVDs
AV Services: Electronic Classrooms
AV Services: Equipment
Find a Journal (A-Z Search)
Research by Course
Library Forms
Information for Students
New Books

Priority 3: Want-to-Haves
 Group Study Room Bookings
 My eJournals & eBooks
 My Databases

Module Design & Layout

Very limited design possibilities





Frame
Left Navigation Bar (Links)
2-column versus 1-column
module colours and borders

Re-cyle and Re-use
Existing Modules
• Library/AV Modules
• Seneca Custom
Modules (Weblinks,
Toronto Weather,
Announcements)
• Pre-built RSS feeds
• Online Reference Tools
(search, dictionary,
maps, weather, quotes)
• Time Magazine

Pre-built Content …

Our
demo
version
so far

Technicalities…
Standards: CSS, HTML, Accessibility
Roles
Frame Environment
Modules Type: HTML, Weblinks, RSS
Custom-Programming: BB Building
Blocks – web app package consisting
of JSP and XML files
Portal System = Courseware System
No integration with Content System


Find Books,
Videos & DVDs



<script type="text/javascript">



Internal Constraints
No JSP expertise & IDE; no access to Oracle
No access to “Live” Modules on production
Development server is not synched with
production server
Lack of procedures and policies
Lack of pre-developed customizable modules
(e.g., for RSS)
List of modules cannot be re-organized
No separation of content and formatting
(only one external CSS file)

Community
System
Digital
Collections

Learning
System

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

Alternative Paths:
Persistent Links in Course Content,
Course Pages, Referatory, Course
Integrator, eReserves

If We Did it Again…Lessons Learned
Plan for a departmental/external
programming (funding implications)
Ask more questions
Define / Agree on policies and
procedures
Get involved as soon as possible
Be patient

Still to Do
Show demo tab to Portal Committee
Release new tab to staff and faculty
for feedback and review
Prepare for training, education and
marketing
Work on a new collaborative
agreement with ITT to speed up
development time

Future Goals
Usability testing
Much more personalization: XML
records of ejournals and ebooks, new
books, staff etc. should allow far more
personalization options!
More integration with Courseware and
Content System
Focus on content management

Thank you. Any Questions?
Joy Muller
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x3042

Jane Foo
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x2011
senlibjane (Yahoo), [email protected] (MSN),
313050248 (ICQ)
Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Works Cited
Boss, Richard W. “Library Portals”. Tech Notes. Mar. 2005. American Library Assn. 19 Jan., 2006
.
CARL E-Learning Working Group. “Libraries and E-Learning.” Nov. 2005. Canadian Assn. of Research Libraries.
.

Dempsey, Lorcan. “The Recombinant Library: Portals and People.” Sept. 2003. OCLC.
.
Maloney, Krisellen. “Portals in Libraries: Library Technology and Planning for Change.” Bulletin of the American Society
of Information Science and Technology Oct/Nov 2004. 20 Jan. 2006 Oct-04/maloney.html>.
OCLC E-Learning Task Force. “Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning.” Oct. 2003. OCLC. 20 Jan. 2006
.
New Media Consortium & EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative. “The Horizon Report: 2006 Edition.” 31 Jan., 2006.
New Media Consortium. .
Portal Webliography. Ed. Eric Lease Morgan. 21 Nov. 2001. Infomotions. 20 Jan., 2006
.


Slide 30

Reconstituting Library Services
for E-Learning Portals
Joy Muller, Jane Foo
OLA 2006 Superconference
February 2, 2006

Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Overview
Our Goals
The Portal
The Environment
Politics and Partnerships
Implementation Notes
Demo
Last Words
Comments and Questions

To Reconstitute
To bring a dried or dehydrated product to its original
consistency by adding a liquid
http://www.tyson.com/UserControls/ViewTerms.aspx

Construct or form anew or provide with a new structure;
"The governing board was reconstituted"
http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

 Let’s repackage what we can offer into
“products” that can be more easily accessed and
used by our students and faculty.

E-Learning
Covers a wide set of applications and processes
such as Web based learning, computer based
learning, virtual classrooms, and digital
collaboration.
http://www.cybermediacrations.com/elearning/glossary.htm

“Searching for a permanent, comfortable and
serviceable position that is nimble enough to be
flexible, accessible and continually up to date
with the wider ‘university’ structure”
OCLC Task Force Report on Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning

Seneca College
Mission Statement and Vision
To contribute to Canadian society by being a
transformation leader in providing students
with career-related education and training.
Our vision is to lead:








in Student Success
In Access to Higher Education
In Learning
In Applied Research
In Innovation
In our Commitment to People
In our Commitment to Diversity and Equity in Employment

E-Learning – Goals
Enrich & support pedagogy
Accessibility of learning materials and
support

Support students in life-long learning
Intra and inter school and institutional
sharing of course materials

Contribution to public knowledge

Portal
A Web based tool that provides a
customizable interface to information
aggregated from a variety of sources.
Krisellen Maloney, ASIS Bulletin

Lorcan Dempsey: p-portals and m-portals
The Recombinant Library: Portals and People

The college portal plays an important part in the
students’ academic tasks
 Focus on integrating with the user flow
 Personal Learning Landscape

The Portal: MySeneca Usage
In a 7 day period during the first 2 weeks of
this semester:
16.5 million hits occurred on My.Seneca.
42,158 announcements were viewed through the "My.Seneca Announcements" module.
62,871 student Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
11,511 staff Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
5,213 edits occurred to personalize specific modules.
9,775 changes were made to portal pages contents.
4,803 changes were made to portal layout of modules.

Licensed Digital Databases
ENCompass for
Digital Collections
::Create & manage
digital assets

Linkfinder Plus

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

::Directly access
full-text content
across
various
sources

Link
Resolver

Ask Us
Now

Ask Us Now
::Chat and interact with a
librarian online

Remote
Access

ENCompass for
Resource
Federated
Access
::Find published
articles & digital
objects via one
search

::Access and search for published content in
electronic form

e-Journals

Search
ILS

Library Catalogue
::Look up books, print periodicals, videos, DVDs, CDs

EZProxy
::Access any
restricted
resources
off-campus

Serials
Solutions
::Find an electronic
journal, magazine or
newspaper

Community
System
Learning
System

?

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

The Portal: Structure & Support
Seneca College
IT Council

Information
Technology &
Telecommunications

Portal
Committee

BB Admin
& Support

Office of
Research
& Innovation
Academic
e-Learning
Liaison

Seneca
Libraries

Deans
& Chairs

e-Learning
Centres

Faculty

The Portal: MySeneca History
September 2000:
Launch of BlackBoard
CMS (Version 4)

January 2002:
Launch of My.Seneca

December 2000:

Spring 2003:

First Portal
Committee Meeting

Load issues after
upgrade to BB 6

August 2005:
October
2004:
Launch of
Employee
Portal

Launch of first nonITT Student
Services Tab

Summer 2001:
First draft of
student portal (with
library portal)

October 2000:
First demo of library
material in BB

November 2004:
First discussions
about a library portal

December 2004:
Access to library
module admin

April 2005:
Library development
tab and modules

Why:
“Information literacy should not be
considered a given, even among “net-gen”
students .… Techniques for finding and
assessing relevant information from the
array of resources available … are crucial,
especially in light of the rising trend toward
collaborative work.”
The Horizon Report, 2006 Edition.

Our Goal

The Portal: The Library’s Plan
Determine targeted user group
Develop timelines
Funding/Resource Requirements
Methodology
Training
Marketing

MyLibrary Justification
More services & greater integration
Improved awareness of our resources
Improved access to our resources
Customizability
Greater efficiency
Demand for sound pedagogy
Librarians excel at collaboration
Environmental need to enhance skill sets
Provision of successful lifelong learning skills

Getting College Buy-In
Partnerships/Politics
Agenda
Presentation
Approval process

Library and Collaboration
Technology skills
Access
Impact
“Collaboration is related to innovation. There
would be significant gains in Canada’s
innovation performance if we were to increase
the level of collaboration.”
Conference Board of Canada

Implementing Reconstitution
The Approach
Content and Functionality
Technical Information

Limitations

What is Our Approach, Anyway?
Low-Fi and Iterative
User-centred
Staff-driven
Keeping the “big picture” in mind
No wheel re-invention
Dynamic content wherever possible
(“just text” is boring)
Focus on what we want, then on what
we can / are allowed do

Let’s Plan!
Content Chunking
What is “Chunking”?
= breaking down information into its smallest manageable
components (content unit).
Guidelines





One functionality (service) or content per “chunk”
The service / content has to be able to stand on its own.
Plan for a “chunk” size that is suitable for width and height constraints.
Limit navigation by keeping the “chunk” content within it wherever
possible. Avoid linking to other services / content.

Deliverables
A list of proposed “chunks” with label and the intended audience.

Chunking Example

Review & Select
… We ended up with 46 suggested modules!
Module Prioritization & Layout
• Default vs. Optional
• Left Navigation Links
vs. Modules
• Roles
• Type of Module

We narrowed down the selections to 5 left navigation
links and 26 priority 1 and 2 modules…

Module Candidates
Priority 1: Required Content
Academic Honesty
Virtual Reference (Ask Us Now)
Contact Information
Copyright
Remote Access Instructions
Library Instruction and Course
Support
Citing Sources (MLA, APA)
Article Databases & Express Article
Search
Library Catalogue Search
Subject Guides
Library News
My Library Account

Priority 2: Optional Content
Quick Reference Tools: Dictionaries ,
Encyclopedias, Almanacs /
Factbooks, Maps & Atlases,
Directories
Collection Development
Faculty Manuals
Audio-Visual Services: Videos &
DVDs
AV Services: Electronic Classrooms
AV Services: Equipment
Find a Journal (A-Z Search)
Research by Course
Library Forms
Information for Students
New Books

Priority 3: Want-to-Haves
 Group Study Room Bookings
 My eJournals & eBooks
 My Databases

Module Design & Layout

Very limited design possibilities





Frame
Left Navigation Bar (Links)
2-column versus 1-column
module colours and borders

Re-cyle and Re-use
Existing Modules
• Library/AV Modules
• Seneca Custom
Modules (Weblinks,
Toronto Weather,
Announcements)
• Pre-built RSS feeds
• Online Reference Tools
(search, dictionary,
maps, weather, quotes)
• Time Magazine

Pre-built Content …

Our
demo
version
so far

Technicalities…
Standards: CSS, HTML, Accessibility
Roles
Frame Environment
Modules Type: HTML, Weblinks, RSS
Custom-Programming: BB Building
Blocks – web app package consisting
of JSP and XML files
Portal System = Courseware System
No integration with Content System


Find Books,
Videos & DVDs



<script type="text/javascript">



Internal Constraints
No JSP expertise & IDE; no access to Oracle
No access to “Live” Modules on production
Development server is not synched with
production server
Lack of procedures and policies
Lack of pre-developed customizable modules
(e.g., for RSS)
List of modules cannot be re-organized
No separation of content and formatting
(only one external CSS file)

Community
System
Digital
Collections

Learning
System

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

Alternative Paths:
Persistent Links in Course Content,
Course Pages, Referatory, Course
Integrator, eReserves

If We Did it Again…Lessons Learned
Plan for a departmental/external
programming (funding implications)
Ask more questions
Define / Agree on policies and
procedures
Get involved as soon as possible
Be patient

Still to Do
Show demo tab to Portal Committee
Release new tab to staff and faculty
for feedback and review
Prepare for training, education and
marketing
Work on a new collaborative
agreement with ITT to speed up
development time

Future Goals
Usability testing
Much more personalization: XML
records of ejournals and ebooks, new
books, staff etc. should allow far more
personalization options!
More integration with Courseware and
Content System
Focus on content management

Thank you. Any Questions?
Joy Muller
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x3042

Jane Foo
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x2011
senlibjane (Yahoo), [email protected] (MSN),
313050248 (ICQ)
Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Works Cited
Boss, Richard W. “Library Portals”. Tech Notes. Mar. 2005. American Library Assn. 19 Jan., 2006
.
CARL E-Learning Working Group. “Libraries and E-Learning.” Nov. 2005. Canadian Assn. of Research Libraries.
.

Dempsey, Lorcan. “The Recombinant Library: Portals and People.” Sept. 2003. OCLC.
.
Maloney, Krisellen. “Portals in Libraries: Library Technology and Planning for Change.” Bulletin of the American Society
of Information Science and Technology Oct/Nov 2004. 20 Jan. 2006 Oct-04/maloney.html>.
OCLC E-Learning Task Force. “Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning.” Oct. 2003. OCLC. 20 Jan. 2006
.
New Media Consortium & EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative. “The Horizon Report: 2006 Edition.” 31 Jan., 2006.
New Media Consortium. .
Portal Webliography. Ed. Eric Lease Morgan. 21 Nov. 2001. Infomotions. 20 Jan., 2006
.


Slide 31

Reconstituting Library Services
for E-Learning Portals
Joy Muller, Jane Foo
OLA 2006 Superconference
February 2, 2006

Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Overview
Our Goals
The Portal
The Environment
Politics and Partnerships
Implementation Notes
Demo
Last Words
Comments and Questions

To Reconstitute
To bring a dried or dehydrated product to its original
consistency by adding a liquid
http://www.tyson.com/UserControls/ViewTerms.aspx

Construct or form anew or provide with a new structure;
"The governing board was reconstituted"
http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

 Let’s repackage what we can offer into
“products” that can be more easily accessed and
used by our students and faculty.

E-Learning
Covers a wide set of applications and processes
such as Web based learning, computer based
learning, virtual classrooms, and digital
collaboration.
http://www.cybermediacrations.com/elearning/glossary.htm

“Searching for a permanent, comfortable and
serviceable position that is nimble enough to be
flexible, accessible and continually up to date
with the wider ‘university’ structure”
OCLC Task Force Report on Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning

Seneca College
Mission Statement and Vision
To contribute to Canadian society by being a
transformation leader in providing students
with career-related education and training.
Our vision is to lead:








in Student Success
In Access to Higher Education
In Learning
In Applied Research
In Innovation
In our Commitment to People
In our Commitment to Diversity and Equity in Employment

E-Learning – Goals
Enrich & support pedagogy
Accessibility of learning materials and
support

Support students in life-long learning
Intra and inter school and institutional
sharing of course materials

Contribution to public knowledge

Portal
A Web based tool that provides a
customizable interface to information
aggregated from a variety of sources.
Krisellen Maloney, ASIS Bulletin

Lorcan Dempsey: p-portals and m-portals
The Recombinant Library: Portals and People

The college portal plays an important part in the
students’ academic tasks
 Focus on integrating with the user flow
 Personal Learning Landscape

The Portal: MySeneca Usage
In a 7 day period during the first 2 weeks of
this semester:
16.5 million hits occurred on My.Seneca.
42,158 announcements were viewed through the "My.Seneca Announcements" module.
62,871 student Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
11,511 staff Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
5,213 edits occurred to personalize specific modules.
9,775 changes were made to portal pages contents.
4,803 changes were made to portal layout of modules.

Licensed Digital Databases
ENCompass for
Digital Collections
::Create & manage
digital assets

Linkfinder Plus

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

::Directly access
full-text content
across
various
sources

Link
Resolver

Ask Us
Now

Ask Us Now
::Chat and interact with a
librarian online

Remote
Access

ENCompass for
Resource
Federated
Access
::Find published
articles & digital
objects via one
search

::Access and search for published content in
electronic form

e-Journals

Search
ILS

Library Catalogue
::Look up books, print periodicals, videos, DVDs, CDs

EZProxy
::Access any
restricted
resources
off-campus

Serials
Solutions
::Find an electronic
journal, magazine or
newspaper

Community
System
Learning
System

?

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

The Portal: Structure & Support
Seneca College
IT Council

Information
Technology &
Telecommunications

Portal
Committee

BB Admin
& Support

Office of
Research
& Innovation
Academic
e-Learning
Liaison

Seneca
Libraries

Deans
& Chairs

e-Learning
Centres

Faculty

The Portal: MySeneca History
September 2000:
Launch of BlackBoard
CMS (Version 4)

January 2002:
Launch of My.Seneca

December 2000:

Spring 2003:

First Portal
Committee Meeting

Load issues after
upgrade to BB 6

August 2005:
October
2004:
Launch of
Employee
Portal

Launch of first nonITT Student
Services Tab

Summer 2001:
First draft of
student portal (with
library portal)

October 2000:
First demo of library
material in BB

November 2004:
First discussions
about a library portal

December 2004:
Access to library
module admin

April 2005:
Library development
tab and modules

Why:
“Information literacy should not be
considered a given, even among “net-gen”
students .… Techniques for finding and
assessing relevant information from the
array of resources available … are crucial,
especially in light of the rising trend toward
collaborative work.”
The Horizon Report, 2006 Edition.

Our Goal

The Portal: The Library’s Plan
Determine targeted user group
Develop timelines
Funding/Resource Requirements
Methodology
Training
Marketing

MyLibrary Justification
More services & greater integration
Improved awareness of our resources
Improved access to our resources
Customizability
Greater efficiency
Demand for sound pedagogy
Librarians excel at collaboration
Environmental need to enhance skill sets
Provision of successful lifelong learning skills

Getting College Buy-In
Partnerships/Politics
Agenda
Presentation
Approval process

Library and Collaboration
Technology skills
Access
Impact
“Collaboration is related to innovation. There
would be significant gains in Canada’s
innovation performance if we were to increase
the level of collaboration.”
Conference Board of Canada

Implementing Reconstitution
The Approach
Content and Functionality
Technical Information

Limitations

What is Our Approach, Anyway?
Low-Fi and Iterative
User-centred
Staff-driven
Keeping the “big picture” in mind
No wheel re-invention
Dynamic content wherever possible
(“just text” is boring)
Focus on what we want, then on what
we can / are allowed do

Let’s Plan!
Content Chunking
What is “Chunking”?
= breaking down information into its smallest manageable
components (content unit).
Guidelines





One functionality (service) or content per “chunk”
The service / content has to be able to stand on its own.
Plan for a “chunk” size that is suitable for width and height constraints.
Limit navigation by keeping the “chunk” content within it wherever
possible. Avoid linking to other services / content.

Deliverables
A list of proposed “chunks” with label and the intended audience.

Chunking Example

Review & Select
… We ended up with 46 suggested modules!
Module Prioritization & Layout
• Default vs. Optional
• Left Navigation Links
vs. Modules
• Roles
• Type of Module

We narrowed down the selections to 5 left navigation
links and 26 priority 1 and 2 modules…

Module Candidates
Priority 1: Required Content
Academic Honesty
Virtual Reference (Ask Us Now)
Contact Information
Copyright
Remote Access Instructions
Library Instruction and Course
Support
Citing Sources (MLA, APA)
Article Databases & Express Article
Search
Library Catalogue Search
Subject Guides
Library News
My Library Account

Priority 2: Optional Content
Quick Reference Tools: Dictionaries ,
Encyclopedias, Almanacs /
Factbooks, Maps & Atlases,
Directories
Collection Development
Faculty Manuals
Audio-Visual Services: Videos &
DVDs
AV Services: Electronic Classrooms
AV Services: Equipment
Find a Journal (A-Z Search)
Research by Course
Library Forms
Information for Students
New Books

Priority 3: Want-to-Haves
 Group Study Room Bookings
 My eJournals & eBooks
 My Databases

Module Design & Layout

Very limited design possibilities





Frame
Left Navigation Bar (Links)
2-column versus 1-column
module colours and borders

Re-cyle and Re-use
Existing Modules
• Library/AV Modules
• Seneca Custom
Modules (Weblinks,
Toronto Weather,
Announcements)
• Pre-built RSS feeds
• Online Reference Tools
(search, dictionary,
maps, weather, quotes)
• Time Magazine

Pre-built Content …

Our
demo
version
so far

Technicalities…
Standards: CSS, HTML, Accessibility
Roles
Frame Environment
Modules Type: HTML, Weblinks, RSS
Custom-Programming: BB Building
Blocks – web app package consisting
of JSP and XML files
Portal System = Courseware System
No integration with Content System


Find Books,
Videos & DVDs



<script type="text/javascript">



Internal Constraints
No JSP expertise & IDE; no access to Oracle
No access to “Live” Modules on production
Development server is not synched with
production server
Lack of procedures and policies
Lack of pre-developed customizable modules
(e.g., for RSS)
List of modules cannot be re-organized
No separation of content and formatting
(only one external CSS file)

Community
System
Digital
Collections

Learning
System

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

Alternative Paths:
Persistent Links in Course Content,
Course Pages, Referatory, Course
Integrator, eReserves

If We Did it Again…Lessons Learned
Plan for a departmental/external
programming (funding implications)
Ask more questions
Define / Agree on policies and
procedures
Get involved as soon as possible
Be patient

Still to Do
Show demo tab to Portal Committee
Release new tab to staff and faculty
for feedback and review
Prepare for training, education and
marketing
Work on a new collaborative
agreement with ITT to speed up
development time

Future Goals
Usability testing
Much more personalization: XML
records of ejournals and ebooks, new
books, staff etc. should allow far more
personalization options!
More integration with Courseware and
Content System
Focus on content management

Thank you. Any Questions?
Joy Muller
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x3042

Jane Foo
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x2011
senlibjane (Yahoo), [email protected] (MSN),
313050248 (ICQ)
Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Works Cited
Boss, Richard W. “Library Portals”. Tech Notes. Mar. 2005. American Library Assn. 19 Jan., 2006
.
CARL E-Learning Working Group. “Libraries and E-Learning.” Nov. 2005. Canadian Assn. of Research Libraries.
.

Dempsey, Lorcan. “The Recombinant Library: Portals and People.” Sept. 2003. OCLC.
.
Maloney, Krisellen. “Portals in Libraries: Library Technology and Planning for Change.” Bulletin of the American Society
of Information Science and Technology Oct/Nov 2004. 20 Jan. 2006 Oct-04/maloney.html>.
OCLC E-Learning Task Force. “Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning.” Oct. 2003. OCLC. 20 Jan. 2006
.
New Media Consortium & EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative. “The Horizon Report: 2006 Edition.” 31 Jan., 2006.
New Media Consortium. .
Portal Webliography. Ed. Eric Lease Morgan. 21 Nov. 2001. Infomotions. 20 Jan., 2006
.


Slide 32

Reconstituting Library Services
for E-Learning Portals
Joy Muller, Jane Foo
OLA 2006 Superconference
February 2, 2006

Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Overview
Our Goals
The Portal
The Environment
Politics and Partnerships
Implementation Notes
Demo
Last Words
Comments and Questions

To Reconstitute
To bring a dried or dehydrated product to its original
consistency by adding a liquid
http://www.tyson.com/UserControls/ViewTerms.aspx

Construct or form anew or provide with a new structure;
"The governing board was reconstituted"
http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

 Let’s repackage what we can offer into
“products” that can be more easily accessed and
used by our students and faculty.

E-Learning
Covers a wide set of applications and processes
such as Web based learning, computer based
learning, virtual classrooms, and digital
collaboration.
http://www.cybermediacrations.com/elearning/glossary.htm

“Searching for a permanent, comfortable and
serviceable position that is nimble enough to be
flexible, accessible and continually up to date
with the wider ‘university’ structure”
OCLC Task Force Report on Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning

Seneca College
Mission Statement and Vision
To contribute to Canadian society by being a
transformation leader in providing students
with career-related education and training.
Our vision is to lead:








in Student Success
In Access to Higher Education
In Learning
In Applied Research
In Innovation
In our Commitment to People
In our Commitment to Diversity and Equity in Employment

E-Learning – Goals
Enrich & support pedagogy
Accessibility of learning materials and
support

Support students in life-long learning
Intra and inter school and institutional
sharing of course materials

Contribution to public knowledge

Portal
A Web based tool that provides a
customizable interface to information
aggregated from a variety of sources.
Krisellen Maloney, ASIS Bulletin

Lorcan Dempsey: p-portals and m-portals
The Recombinant Library: Portals and People

The college portal plays an important part in the
students’ academic tasks
 Focus on integrating with the user flow
 Personal Learning Landscape

The Portal: MySeneca Usage
In a 7 day period during the first 2 weeks of
this semester:
16.5 million hits occurred on My.Seneca.
42,158 announcements were viewed through the "My.Seneca Announcements" module.
62,871 student Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
11,511 staff Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
5,213 edits occurred to personalize specific modules.
9,775 changes were made to portal pages contents.
4,803 changes were made to portal layout of modules.

Licensed Digital Databases
ENCompass for
Digital Collections
::Create & manage
digital assets

Linkfinder Plus

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

::Directly access
full-text content
across
various
sources

Link
Resolver

Ask Us
Now

Ask Us Now
::Chat and interact with a
librarian online

Remote
Access

ENCompass for
Resource
Federated
Access
::Find published
articles & digital
objects via one
search

::Access and search for published content in
electronic form

e-Journals

Search
ILS

Library Catalogue
::Look up books, print periodicals, videos, DVDs, CDs

EZProxy
::Access any
restricted
resources
off-campus

Serials
Solutions
::Find an electronic
journal, magazine or
newspaper

Community
System
Learning
System

?

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

The Portal: Structure & Support
Seneca College
IT Council

Information
Technology &
Telecommunications

Portal
Committee

BB Admin
& Support

Office of
Research
& Innovation
Academic
e-Learning
Liaison

Seneca
Libraries

Deans
& Chairs

e-Learning
Centres

Faculty

The Portal: MySeneca History
September 2000:
Launch of BlackBoard
CMS (Version 4)

January 2002:
Launch of My.Seneca

December 2000:

Spring 2003:

First Portal
Committee Meeting

Load issues after
upgrade to BB 6

August 2005:
October
2004:
Launch of
Employee
Portal

Launch of first nonITT Student
Services Tab

Summer 2001:
First draft of
student portal (with
library portal)

October 2000:
First demo of library
material in BB

November 2004:
First discussions
about a library portal

December 2004:
Access to library
module admin

April 2005:
Library development
tab and modules

Why:
“Information literacy should not be
considered a given, even among “net-gen”
students .… Techniques for finding and
assessing relevant information from the
array of resources available … are crucial,
especially in light of the rising trend toward
collaborative work.”
The Horizon Report, 2006 Edition.

Our Goal

The Portal: The Library’s Plan
Determine targeted user group
Develop timelines
Funding/Resource Requirements
Methodology
Training
Marketing

MyLibrary Justification
More services & greater integration
Improved awareness of our resources
Improved access to our resources
Customizability
Greater efficiency
Demand for sound pedagogy
Librarians excel at collaboration
Environmental need to enhance skill sets
Provision of successful lifelong learning skills

Getting College Buy-In
Partnerships/Politics
Agenda
Presentation
Approval process

Library and Collaboration
Technology skills
Access
Impact
“Collaboration is related to innovation. There
would be significant gains in Canada’s
innovation performance if we were to increase
the level of collaboration.”
Conference Board of Canada

Implementing Reconstitution
The Approach
Content and Functionality
Technical Information

Limitations

What is Our Approach, Anyway?
Low-Fi and Iterative
User-centred
Staff-driven
Keeping the “big picture” in mind
No wheel re-invention
Dynamic content wherever possible
(“just text” is boring)
Focus on what we want, then on what
we can / are allowed do

Let’s Plan!
Content Chunking
What is “Chunking”?
= breaking down information into its smallest manageable
components (content unit).
Guidelines





One functionality (service) or content per “chunk”
The service / content has to be able to stand on its own.
Plan for a “chunk” size that is suitable for width and height constraints.
Limit navigation by keeping the “chunk” content within it wherever
possible. Avoid linking to other services / content.

Deliverables
A list of proposed “chunks” with label and the intended audience.

Chunking Example

Review & Select
… We ended up with 46 suggested modules!
Module Prioritization & Layout
• Default vs. Optional
• Left Navigation Links
vs. Modules
• Roles
• Type of Module

We narrowed down the selections to 5 left navigation
links and 26 priority 1 and 2 modules…

Module Candidates
Priority 1: Required Content
Academic Honesty
Virtual Reference (Ask Us Now)
Contact Information
Copyright
Remote Access Instructions
Library Instruction and Course
Support
Citing Sources (MLA, APA)
Article Databases & Express Article
Search
Library Catalogue Search
Subject Guides
Library News
My Library Account

Priority 2: Optional Content
Quick Reference Tools: Dictionaries ,
Encyclopedias, Almanacs /
Factbooks, Maps & Atlases,
Directories
Collection Development
Faculty Manuals
Audio-Visual Services: Videos &
DVDs
AV Services: Electronic Classrooms
AV Services: Equipment
Find a Journal (A-Z Search)
Research by Course
Library Forms
Information for Students
New Books

Priority 3: Want-to-Haves
 Group Study Room Bookings
 My eJournals & eBooks
 My Databases

Module Design & Layout

Very limited design possibilities





Frame
Left Navigation Bar (Links)
2-column versus 1-column
module colours and borders

Re-cyle and Re-use
Existing Modules
• Library/AV Modules
• Seneca Custom
Modules (Weblinks,
Toronto Weather,
Announcements)
• Pre-built RSS feeds
• Online Reference Tools
(search, dictionary,
maps, weather, quotes)
• Time Magazine

Pre-built Content …

Our
demo
version
so far

Technicalities…
Standards: CSS, HTML, Accessibility
Roles
Frame Environment
Modules Type: HTML, Weblinks, RSS
Custom-Programming: BB Building
Blocks – web app package consisting
of JSP and XML files
Portal System = Courseware System
No integration with Content System


Find Books,
Videos & DVDs



<script type="text/javascript">



Internal Constraints
No JSP expertise & IDE; no access to Oracle
No access to “Live” Modules on production
Development server is not synched with
production server
Lack of procedures and policies
Lack of pre-developed customizable modules
(e.g., for RSS)
List of modules cannot be re-organized
No separation of content and formatting
(only one external CSS file)

Community
System
Digital
Collections

Learning
System

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

Alternative Paths:
Persistent Links in Course Content,
Course Pages, Referatory, Course
Integrator, eReserves

If We Did it Again…Lessons Learned
Plan for a departmental/external
programming (funding implications)
Ask more questions
Define / Agree on policies and
procedures
Get involved as soon as possible
Be patient

Still to Do
Show demo tab to Portal Committee
Release new tab to staff and faculty
for feedback and review
Prepare for training, education and
marketing
Work on a new collaborative
agreement with ITT to speed up
development time

Future Goals
Usability testing
Much more personalization: XML
records of ejournals and ebooks, new
books, staff etc. should allow far more
personalization options!
More integration with Courseware and
Content System
Focus on content management

Thank you. Any Questions?
Joy Muller
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x3042

Jane Foo
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x2011
senlibjane (Yahoo), [email protected] (MSN),
313050248 (ICQ)
Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Works Cited
Boss, Richard W. “Library Portals”. Tech Notes. Mar. 2005. American Library Assn. 19 Jan., 2006
.
CARL E-Learning Working Group. “Libraries and E-Learning.” Nov. 2005. Canadian Assn. of Research Libraries.
.

Dempsey, Lorcan. “The Recombinant Library: Portals and People.” Sept. 2003. OCLC.
.
Maloney, Krisellen. “Portals in Libraries: Library Technology and Planning for Change.” Bulletin of the American Society
of Information Science and Technology Oct/Nov 2004. 20 Jan. 2006 Oct-04/maloney.html>.
OCLC E-Learning Task Force. “Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning.” Oct. 2003. OCLC. 20 Jan. 2006
.
New Media Consortium & EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative. “The Horizon Report: 2006 Edition.” 31 Jan., 2006.
New Media Consortium. .
Portal Webliography. Ed. Eric Lease Morgan. 21 Nov. 2001. Infomotions. 20 Jan., 2006
.


Slide 33

Reconstituting Library Services
for E-Learning Portals
Joy Muller, Jane Foo
OLA 2006 Superconference
February 2, 2006

Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Overview
Our Goals
The Portal
The Environment
Politics and Partnerships
Implementation Notes
Demo
Last Words
Comments and Questions

To Reconstitute
To bring a dried or dehydrated product to its original
consistency by adding a liquid
http://www.tyson.com/UserControls/ViewTerms.aspx

Construct or form anew or provide with a new structure;
"The governing board was reconstituted"
http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

 Let’s repackage what we can offer into
“products” that can be more easily accessed and
used by our students and faculty.

E-Learning
Covers a wide set of applications and processes
such as Web based learning, computer based
learning, virtual classrooms, and digital
collaboration.
http://www.cybermediacrations.com/elearning/glossary.htm

“Searching for a permanent, comfortable and
serviceable position that is nimble enough to be
flexible, accessible and continually up to date
with the wider ‘university’ structure”
OCLC Task Force Report on Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning

Seneca College
Mission Statement and Vision
To contribute to Canadian society by being a
transformation leader in providing students
with career-related education and training.
Our vision is to lead:








in Student Success
In Access to Higher Education
In Learning
In Applied Research
In Innovation
In our Commitment to People
In our Commitment to Diversity and Equity in Employment

E-Learning – Goals
Enrich & support pedagogy
Accessibility of learning materials and
support

Support students in life-long learning
Intra and inter school and institutional
sharing of course materials

Contribution to public knowledge

Portal
A Web based tool that provides a
customizable interface to information
aggregated from a variety of sources.
Krisellen Maloney, ASIS Bulletin

Lorcan Dempsey: p-portals and m-portals
The Recombinant Library: Portals and People

The college portal plays an important part in the
students’ academic tasks
 Focus on integrating with the user flow
 Personal Learning Landscape

The Portal: MySeneca Usage
In a 7 day period during the first 2 weeks of
this semester:
16.5 million hits occurred on My.Seneca.
42,158 announcements were viewed through the "My.Seneca Announcements" module.
62,871 student Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
11,511 staff Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
5,213 edits occurred to personalize specific modules.
9,775 changes were made to portal pages contents.
4,803 changes were made to portal layout of modules.

Licensed Digital Databases
ENCompass for
Digital Collections
::Create & manage
digital assets

Linkfinder Plus

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

::Directly access
full-text content
across
various
sources

Link
Resolver

Ask Us
Now

Ask Us Now
::Chat and interact with a
librarian online

Remote
Access

ENCompass for
Resource
Federated
Access
::Find published
articles & digital
objects via one
search

::Access and search for published content in
electronic form

e-Journals

Search
ILS

Library Catalogue
::Look up books, print periodicals, videos, DVDs, CDs

EZProxy
::Access any
restricted
resources
off-campus

Serials
Solutions
::Find an electronic
journal, magazine or
newspaper

Community
System
Learning
System

?

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

The Portal: Structure & Support
Seneca College
IT Council

Information
Technology &
Telecommunications

Portal
Committee

BB Admin
& Support

Office of
Research
& Innovation
Academic
e-Learning
Liaison

Seneca
Libraries

Deans
& Chairs

e-Learning
Centres

Faculty

The Portal: MySeneca History
September 2000:
Launch of BlackBoard
CMS (Version 4)

January 2002:
Launch of My.Seneca

December 2000:

Spring 2003:

First Portal
Committee Meeting

Load issues after
upgrade to BB 6

August 2005:
October
2004:
Launch of
Employee
Portal

Launch of first nonITT Student
Services Tab

Summer 2001:
First draft of
student portal (with
library portal)

October 2000:
First demo of library
material in BB

November 2004:
First discussions
about a library portal

December 2004:
Access to library
module admin

April 2005:
Library development
tab and modules

Why:
“Information literacy should not be
considered a given, even among “net-gen”
students .… Techniques for finding and
assessing relevant information from the
array of resources available … are crucial,
especially in light of the rising trend toward
collaborative work.”
The Horizon Report, 2006 Edition.

Our Goal

The Portal: The Library’s Plan
Determine targeted user group
Develop timelines
Funding/Resource Requirements
Methodology
Training
Marketing

MyLibrary Justification
More services & greater integration
Improved awareness of our resources
Improved access to our resources
Customizability
Greater efficiency
Demand for sound pedagogy
Librarians excel at collaboration
Environmental need to enhance skill sets
Provision of successful lifelong learning skills

Getting College Buy-In
Partnerships/Politics
Agenda
Presentation
Approval process

Library and Collaboration
Technology skills
Access
Impact
“Collaboration is related to innovation. There
would be significant gains in Canada’s
innovation performance if we were to increase
the level of collaboration.”
Conference Board of Canada

Implementing Reconstitution
The Approach
Content and Functionality
Technical Information

Limitations

What is Our Approach, Anyway?
Low-Fi and Iterative
User-centred
Staff-driven
Keeping the “big picture” in mind
No wheel re-invention
Dynamic content wherever possible
(“just text” is boring)
Focus on what we want, then on what
we can / are allowed do

Let’s Plan!
Content Chunking
What is “Chunking”?
= breaking down information into its smallest manageable
components (content unit).
Guidelines





One functionality (service) or content per “chunk”
The service / content has to be able to stand on its own.
Plan for a “chunk” size that is suitable for width and height constraints.
Limit navigation by keeping the “chunk” content within it wherever
possible. Avoid linking to other services / content.

Deliverables
A list of proposed “chunks” with label and the intended audience.

Chunking Example

Review & Select
… We ended up with 46 suggested modules!
Module Prioritization & Layout
• Default vs. Optional
• Left Navigation Links
vs. Modules
• Roles
• Type of Module

We narrowed down the selections to 5 left navigation
links and 26 priority 1 and 2 modules…

Module Candidates
Priority 1: Required Content
Academic Honesty
Virtual Reference (Ask Us Now)
Contact Information
Copyright
Remote Access Instructions
Library Instruction and Course
Support
Citing Sources (MLA, APA)
Article Databases & Express Article
Search
Library Catalogue Search
Subject Guides
Library News
My Library Account

Priority 2: Optional Content
Quick Reference Tools: Dictionaries ,
Encyclopedias, Almanacs /
Factbooks, Maps & Atlases,
Directories
Collection Development
Faculty Manuals
Audio-Visual Services: Videos &
DVDs
AV Services: Electronic Classrooms
AV Services: Equipment
Find a Journal (A-Z Search)
Research by Course
Library Forms
Information for Students
New Books

Priority 3: Want-to-Haves
 Group Study Room Bookings
 My eJournals & eBooks
 My Databases

Module Design & Layout

Very limited design possibilities





Frame
Left Navigation Bar (Links)
2-column versus 1-column
module colours and borders

Re-cyle and Re-use
Existing Modules
• Library/AV Modules
• Seneca Custom
Modules (Weblinks,
Toronto Weather,
Announcements)
• Pre-built RSS feeds
• Online Reference Tools
(search, dictionary,
maps, weather, quotes)
• Time Magazine

Pre-built Content …

Our
demo
version
so far

Technicalities…
Standards: CSS, HTML, Accessibility
Roles
Frame Environment
Modules Type: HTML, Weblinks, RSS
Custom-Programming: BB Building
Blocks – web app package consisting
of JSP and XML files
Portal System = Courseware System
No integration with Content System


Find Books,
Videos & DVDs



<script type="text/javascript">



Internal Constraints
No JSP expertise & IDE; no access to Oracle
No access to “Live” Modules on production
Development server is not synched with
production server
Lack of procedures and policies
Lack of pre-developed customizable modules
(e.g., for RSS)
List of modules cannot be re-organized
No separation of content and formatting
(only one external CSS file)

Community
System
Digital
Collections

Learning
System

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

Alternative Paths:
Persistent Links in Course Content,
Course Pages, Referatory, Course
Integrator, eReserves

If We Did it Again…Lessons Learned
Plan for a departmental/external
programming (funding implications)
Ask more questions
Define / Agree on policies and
procedures
Get involved as soon as possible
Be patient

Still to Do
Show demo tab to Portal Committee
Release new tab to staff and faculty
for feedback and review
Prepare for training, education and
marketing
Work on a new collaborative
agreement with ITT to speed up
development time

Future Goals
Usability testing
Much more personalization: XML
records of ejournals and ebooks, new
books, staff etc. should allow far more
personalization options!
More integration with Courseware and
Content System
Focus on content management

Thank you. Any Questions?
Joy Muller
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x3042

Jane Foo
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x2011
senlibjane (Yahoo), [email protected] (MSN),
313050248 (ICQ)
Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Works Cited
Boss, Richard W. “Library Portals”. Tech Notes. Mar. 2005. American Library Assn. 19 Jan., 2006
.
CARL E-Learning Working Group. “Libraries and E-Learning.” Nov. 2005. Canadian Assn. of Research Libraries.
.

Dempsey, Lorcan. “The Recombinant Library: Portals and People.” Sept. 2003. OCLC.
.
Maloney, Krisellen. “Portals in Libraries: Library Technology and Planning for Change.” Bulletin of the American Society
of Information Science and Technology Oct/Nov 2004. 20 Jan. 2006 Oct-04/maloney.html>.
OCLC E-Learning Task Force. “Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning.” Oct. 2003. OCLC. 20 Jan. 2006
.
New Media Consortium & EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative. “The Horizon Report: 2006 Edition.” 31 Jan., 2006.
New Media Consortium. .
Portal Webliography. Ed. Eric Lease Morgan. 21 Nov. 2001. Infomotions. 20 Jan., 2006
.


Slide 34

Reconstituting Library Services
for E-Learning Portals
Joy Muller, Jane Foo
OLA 2006 Superconference
February 2, 2006

Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Overview
Our Goals
The Portal
The Environment
Politics and Partnerships
Implementation Notes
Demo
Last Words
Comments and Questions

To Reconstitute
To bring a dried or dehydrated product to its original
consistency by adding a liquid
http://www.tyson.com/UserControls/ViewTerms.aspx

Construct or form anew or provide with a new structure;
"The governing board was reconstituted"
http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

 Let’s repackage what we can offer into
“products” that can be more easily accessed and
used by our students and faculty.

E-Learning
Covers a wide set of applications and processes
such as Web based learning, computer based
learning, virtual classrooms, and digital
collaboration.
http://www.cybermediacrations.com/elearning/glossary.htm

“Searching for a permanent, comfortable and
serviceable position that is nimble enough to be
flexible, accessible and continually up to date
with the wider ‘university’ structure”
OCLC Task Force Report on Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning

Seneca College
Mission Statement and Vision
To contribute to Canadian society by being a
transformation leader in providing students
with career-related education and training.
Our vision is to lead:








in Student Success
In Access to Higher Education
In Learning
In Applied Research
In Innovation
In our Commitment to People
In our Commitment to Diversity and Equity in Employment

E-Learning – Goals
Enrich & support pedagogy
Accessibility of learning materials and
support

Support students in life-long learning
Intra and inter school and institutional
sharing of course materials

Contribution to public knowledge

Portal
A Web based tool that provides a
customizable interface to information
aggregated from a variety of sources.
Krisellen Maloney, ASIS Bulletin

Lorcan Dempsey: p-portals and m-portals
The Recombinant Library: Portals and People

The college portal plays an important part in the
students’ academic tasks
 Focus on integrating with the user flow
 Personal Learning Landscape

The Portal: MySeneca Usage
In a 7 day period during the first 2 weeks of
this semester:
16.5 million hits occurred on My.Seneca.
42,158 announcements were viewed through the "My.Seneca Announcements" module.
62,871 student Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
11,511 staff Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
5,213 edits occurred to personalize specific modules.
9,775 changes were made to portal pages contents.
4,803 changes were made to portal layout of modules.

Licensed Digital Databases
ENCompass for
Digital Collections
::Create & manage
digital assets

Linkfinder Plus

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

::Directly access
full-text content
across
various
sources

Link
Resolver

Ask Us
Now

Ask Us Now
::Chat and interact with a
librarian online

Remote
Access

ENCompass for
Resource
Federated
Access
::Find published
articles & digital
objects via one
search

::Access and search for published content in
electronic form

e-Journals

Search
ILS

Library Catalogue
::Look up books, print periodicals, videos, DVDs, CDs

EZProxy
::Access any
restricted
resources
off-campus

Serials
Solutions
::Find an electronic
journal, magazine or
newspaper

Community
System
Learning
System

?

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

The Portal: Structure & Support
Seneca College
IT Council

Information
Technology &
Telecommunications

Portal
Committee

BB Admin
& Support

Office of
Research
& Innovation
Academic
e-Learning
Liaison

Seneca
Libraries

Deans
& Chairs

e-Learning
Centres

Faculty

The Portal: MySeneca History
September 2000:
Launch of BlackBoard
CMS (Version 4)

January 2002:
Launch of My.Seneca

December 2000:

Spring 2003:

First Portal
Committee Meeting

Load issues after
upgrade to BB 6

August 2005:
October
2004:
Launch of
Employee
Portal

Launch of first nonITT Student
Services Tab

Summer 2001:
First draft of
student portal (with
library portal)

October 2000:
First demo of library
material in BB

November 2004:
First discussions
about a library portal

December 2004:
Access to library
module admin

April 2005:
Library development
tab and modules

Why:
“Information literacy should not be
considered a given, even among “net-gen”
students .… Techniques for finding and
assessing relevant information from the
array of resources available … are crucial,
especially in light of the rising trend toward
collaborative work.”
The Horizon Report, 2006 Edition.

Our Goal

The Portal: The Library’s Plan
Determine targeted user group
Develop timelines
Funding/Resource Requirements
Methodology
Training
Marketing

MyLibrary Justification
More services & greater integration
Improved awareness of our resources
Improved access to our resources
Customizability
Greater efficiency
Demand for sound pedagogy
Librarians excel at collaboration
Environmental need to enhance skill sets
Provision of successful lifelong learning skills

Getting College Buy-In
Partnerships/Politics
Agenda
Presentation
Approval process

Library and Collaboration
Technology skills
Access
Impact
“Collaboration is related to innovation. There
would be significant gains in Canada’s
innovation performance if we were to increase
the level of collaboration.”
Conference Board of Canada

Implementing Reconstitution
The Approach
Content and Functionality
Technical Information

Limitations

What is Our Approach, Anyway?
Low-Fi and Iterative
User-centred
Staff-driven
Keeping the “big picture” in mind
No wheel re-invention
Dynamic content wherever possible
(“just text” is boring)
Focus on what we want, then on what
we can / are allowed do

Let’s Plan!
Content Chunking
What is “Chunking”?
= breaking down information into its smallest manageable
components (content unit).
Guidelines





One functionality (service) or content per “chunk”
The service / content has to be able to stand on its own.
Plan for a “chunk” size that is suitable for width and height constraints.
Limit navigation by keeping the “chunk” content within it wherever
possible. Avoid linking to other services / content.

Deliverables
A list of proposed “chunks” with label and the intended audience.

Chunking Example

Review & Select
… We ended up with 46 suggested modules!
Module Prioritization & Layout
• Default vs. Optional
• Left Navigation Links
vs. Modules
• Roles
• Type of Module

We narrowed down the selections to 5 left navigation
links and 26 priority 1 and 2 modules…

Module Candidates
Priority 1: Required Content
Academic Honesty
Virtual Reference (Ask Us Now)
Contact Information
Copyright
Remote Access Instructions
Library Instruction and Course
Support
Citing Sources (MLA, APA)
Article Databases & Express Article
Search
Library Catalogue Search
Subject Guides
Library News
My Library Account

Priority 2: Optional Content
Quick Reference Tools: Dictionaries ,
Encyclopedias, Almanacs /
Factbooks, Maps & Atlases,
Directories
Collection Development
Faculty Manuals
Audio-Visual Services: Videos &
DVDs
AV Services: Electronic Classrooms
AV Services: Equipment
Find a Journal (A-Z Search)
Research by Course
Library Forms
Information for Students
New Books

Priority 3: Want-to-Haves
 Group Study Room Bookings
 My eJournals & eBooks
 My Databases

Module Design & Layout

Very limited design possibilities





Frame
Left Navigation Bar (Links)
2-column versus 1-column
module colours and borders

Re-cyle and Re-use
Existing Modules
• Library/AV Modules
• Seneca Custom
Modules (Weblinks,
Toronto Weather,
Announcements)
• Pre-built RSS feeds
• Online Reference Tools
(search, dictionary,
maps, weather, quotes)
• Time Magazine

Pre-built Content …

Our
demo
version
so far

Technicalities…
Standards: CSS, HTML, Accessibility
Roles
Frame Environment
Modules Type: HTML, Weblinks, RSS
Custom-Programming: BB Building
Blocks – web app package consisting
of JSP and XML files
Portal System = Courseware System
No integration with Content System


Find Books,
Videos & DVDs



<script type="text/javascript">



Internal Constraints
No JSP expertise & IDE; no access to Oracle
No access to “Live” Modules on production
Development server is not synched with
production server
Lack of procedures and policies
Lack of pre-developed customizable modules
(e.g., for RSS)
List of modules cannot be re-organized
No separation of content and formatting
(only one external CSS file)

Community
System
Digital
Collections

Learning
System

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

Alternative Paths:
Persistent Links in Course Content,
Course Pages, Referatory, Course
Integrator, eReserves

If We Did it Again…Lessons Learned
Plan for a departmental/external
programming (funding implications)
Ask more questions
Define / Agree on policies and
procedures
Get involved as soon as possible
Be patient

Still to Do
Show demo tab to Portal Committee
Release new tab to staff and faculty
for feedback and review
Prepare for training, education and
marketing
Work on a new collaborative
agreement with ITT to speed up
development time

Future Goals
Usability testing
Much more personalization: XML
records of ejournals and ebooks, new
books, staff etc. should allow far more
personalization options!
More integration with Courseware and
Content System
Focus on content management

Thank you. Any Questions?
Joy Muller
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x3042

Jane Foo
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x2011
senlibjane (Yahoo), [email protected] (MSN),
313050248 (ICQ)
Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Works Cited
Boss, Richard W. “Library Portals”. Tech Notes. Mar. 2005. American Library Assn. 19 Jan., 2006
.
CARL E-Learning Working Group. “Libraries and E-Learning.” Nov. 2005. Canadian Assn. of Research Libraries.
.

Dempsey, Lorcan. “The Recombinant Library: Portals and People.” Sept. 2003. OCLC.
.
Maloney, Krisellen. “Portals in Libraries: Library Technology and Planning for Change.” Bulletin of the American Society
of Information Science and Technology Oct/Nov 2004. 20 Jan. 2006 Oct-04/maloney.html>.
OCLC E-Learning Task Force. “Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning.” Oct. 2003. OCLC. 20 Jan. 2006
.
New Media Consortium & EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative. “The Horizon Report: 2006 Edition.” 31 Jan., 2006.
New Media Consortium. .
Portal Webliography. Ed. Eric Lease Morgan. 21 Nov. 2001. Infomotions. 20 Jan., 2006
.


Slide 35

Reconstituting Library Services
for E-Learning Portals
Joy Muller, Jane Foo
OLA 2006 Superconference
February 2, 2006

Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Overview
Our Goals
The Portal
The Environment
Politics and Partnerships
Implementation Notes
Demo
Last Words
Comments and Questions

To Reconstitute
To bring a dried or dehydrated product to its original
consistency by adding a liquid
http://www.tyson.com/UserControls/ViewTerms.aspx

Construct or form anew or provide with a new structure;
"The governing board was reconstituted"
http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

 Let’s repackage what we can offer into
“products” that can be more easily accessed and
used by our students and faculty.

E-Learning
Covers a wide set of applications and processes
such as Web based learning, computer based
learning, virtual classrooms, and digital
collaboration.
http://www.cybermediacrations.com/elearning/glossary.htm

“Searching for a permanent, comfortable and
serviceable position that is nimble enough to be
flexible, accessible and continually up to date
with the wider ‘university’ structure”
OCLC Task Force Report on Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning

Seneca College
Mission Statement and Vision
To contribute to Canadian society by being a
transformation leader in providing students
with career-related education and training.
Our vision is to lead:








in Student Success
In Access to Higher Education
In Learning
In Applied Research
In Innovation
In our Commitment to People
In our Commitment to Diversity and Equity in Employment

E-Learning – Goals
Enrich & support pedagogy
Accessibility of learning materials and
support

Support students in life-long learning
Intra and inter school and institutional
sharing of course materials

Contribution to public knowledge

Portal
A Web based tool that provides a
customizable interface to information
aggregated from a variety of sources.
Krisellen Maloney, ASIS Bulletin

Lorcan Dempsey: p-portals and m-portals
The Recombinant Library: Portals and People

The college portal plays an important part in the
students’ academic tasks
 Focus on integrating with the user flow
 Personal Learning Landscape

The Portal: MySeneca Usage
In a 7 day period during the first 2 weeks of
this semester:
16.5 million hits occurred on My.Seneca.
42,158 announcements were viewed through the "My.Seneca Announcements" module.
62,871 student Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
11,511 staff Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
5,213 edits occurred to personalize specific modules.
9,775 changes were made to portal pages contents.
4,803 changes were made to portal layout of modules.

Licensed Digital Databases
ENCompass for
Digital Collections
::Create & manage
digital assets

Linkfinder Plus

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

::Directly access
full-text content
across
various
sources

Link
Resolver

Ask Us
Now

Ask Us Now
::Chat and interact with a
librarian online

Remote
Access

ENCompass for
Resource
Federated
Access
::Find published
articles & digital
objects via one
search

::Access and search for published content in
electronic form

e-Journals

Search
ILS

Library Catalogue
::Look up books, print periodicals, videos, DVDs, CDs

EZProxy
::Access any
restricted
resources
off-campus

Serials
Solutions
::Find an electronic
journal, magazine or
newspaper

Community
System
Learning
System

?

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

The Portal: Structure & Support
Seneca College
IT Council

Information
Technology &
Telecommunications

Portal
Committee

BB Admin
& Support

Office of
Research
& Innovation
Academic
e-Learning
Liaison

Seneca
Libraries

Deans
& Chairs

e-Learning
Centres

Faculty

The Portal: MySeneca History
September 2000:
Launch of BlackBoard
CMS (Version 4)

January 2002:
Launch of My.Seneca

December 2000:

Spring 2003:

First Portal
Committee Meeting

Load issues after
upgrade to BB 6

August 2005:
October
2004:
Launch of
Employee
Portal

Launch of first nonITT Student
Services Tab

Summer 2001:
First draft of
student portal (with
library portal)

October 2000:
First demo of library
material in BB

November 2004:
First discussions
about a library portal

December 2004:
Access to library
module admin

April 2005:
Library development
tab and modules

Why:
“Information literacy should not be
considered a given, even among “net-gen”
students .… Techniques for finding and
assessing relevant information from the
array of resources available … are crucial,
especially in light of the rising trend toward
collaborative work.”
The Horizon Report, 2006 Edition.

Our Goal

The Portal: The Library’s Plan
Determine targeted user group
Develop timelines
Funding/Resource Requirements
Methodology
Training
Marketing

MyLibrary Justification
More services & greater integration
Improved awareness of our resources
Improved access to our resources
Customizability
Greater efficiency
Demand for sound pedagogy
Librarians excel at collaboration
Environmental need to enhance skill sets
Provision of successful lifelong learning skills

Getting College Buy-In
Partnerships/Politics
Agenda
Presentation
Approval process

Library and Collaboration
Technology skills
Access
Impact
“Collaboration is related to innovation. There
would be significant gains in Canada’s
innovation performance if we were to increase
the level of collaboration.”
Conference Board of Canada

Implementing Reconstitution
The Approach
Content and Functionality
Technical Information

Limitations

What is Our Approach, Anyway?
Low-Fi and Iterative
User-centred
Staff-driven
Keeping the “big picture” in mind
No wheel re-invention
Dynamic content wherever possible
(“just text” is boring)
Focus on what we want, then on what
we can / are allowed do

Let’s Plan!
Content Chunking
What is “Chunking”?
= breaking down information into its smallest manageable
components (content unit).
Guidelines





One functionality (service) or content per “chunk”
The service / content has to be able to stand on its own.
Plan for a “chunk” size that is suitable for width and height constraints.
Limit navigation by keeping the “chunk” content within it wherever
possible. Avoid linking to other services / content.

Deliverables
A list of proposed “chunks” with label and the intended audience.

Chunking Example

Review & Select
… We ended up with 46 suggested modules!
Module Prioritization & Layout
• Default vs. Optional
• Left Navigation Links
vs. Modules
• Roles
• Type of Module

We narrowed down the selections to 5 left navigation
links and 26 priority 1 and 2 modules…

Module Candidates
Priority 1: Required Content
Academic Honesty
Virtual Reference (Ask Us Now)
Contact Information
Copyright
Remote Access Instructions
Library Instruction and Course
Support
Citing Sources (MLA, APA)
Article Databases & Express Article
Search
Library Catalogue Search
Subject Guides
Library News
My Library Account

Priority 2: Optional Content
Quick Reference Tools: Dictionaries ,
Encyclopedias, Almanacs /
Factbooks, Maps & Atlases,
Directories
Collection Development
Faculty Manuals
Audio-Visual Services: Videos &
DVDs
AV Services: Electronic Classrooms
AV Services: Equipment
Find a Journal (A-Z Search)
Research by Course
Library Forms
Information for Students
New Books

Priority 3: Want-to-Haves
 Group Study Room Bookings
 My eJournals & eBooks
 My Databases

Module Design & Layout

Very limited design possibilities





Frame
Left Navigation Bar (Links)
2-column versus 1-column
module colours and borders

Re-cyle and Re-use
Existing Modules
• Library/AV Modules
• Seneca Custom
Modules (Weblinks,
Toronto Weather,
Announcements)
• Pre-built RSS feeds
• Online Reference Tools
(search, dictionary,
maps, weather, quotes)
• Time Magazine

Pre-built Content …

Our
demo
version
so far

Technicalities…
Standards: CSS, HTML, Accessibility
Roles
Frame Environment
Modules Type: HTML, Weblinks, RSS
Custom-Programming: BB Building
Blocks – web app package consisting
of JSP and XML files
Portal System = Courseware System
No integration with Content System


Find Books,
Videos & DVDs



<script type="text/javascript">



Internal Constraints
No JSP expertise & IDE; no access to Oracle
No access to “Live” Modules on production
Development server is not synched with
production server
Lack of procedures and policies
Lack of pre-developed customizable modules
(e.g., for RSS)
List of modules cannot be re-organized
No separation of content and formatting
(only one external CSS file)

Community
System
Digital
Collections

Learning
System

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

Alternative Paths:
Persistent Links in Course Content,
Course Pages, Referatory, Course
Integrator, eReserves

If We Did it Again…Lessons Learned
Plan for a departmental/external
programming (funding implications)
Ask more questions
Define / Agree on policies and
procedures
Get involved as soon as possible
Be patient

Still to Do
Show demo tab to Portal Committee
Release new tab to staff and faculty
for feedback and review
Prepare for training, education and
marketing
Work on a new collaborative
agreement with ITT to speed up
development time

Future Goals
Usability testing
Much more personalization: XML
records of ejournals and ebooks, new
books, staff etc. should allow far more
personalization options!
More integration with Courseware and
Content System
Focus on content management

Thank you. Any Questions?
Joy Muller
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x3042

Jane Foo
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x2011
senlibjane (Yahoo), [email protected] (MSN),
313050248 (ICQ)
Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Works Cited
Boss, Richard W. “Library Portals”. Tech Notes. Mar. 2005. American Library Assn. 19 Jan., 2006
.
CARL E-Learning Working Group. “Libraries and E-Learning.” Nov. 2005. Canadian Assn. of Research Libraries.
.

Dempsey, Lorcan. “The Recombinant Library: Portals and People.” Sept. 2003. OCLC.
.
Maloney, Krisellen. “Portals in Libraries: Library Technology and Planning for Change.” Bulletin of the American Society
of Information Science and Technology Oct/Nov 2004. 20 Jan. 2006 Oct-04/maloney.html>.
OCLC E-Learning Task Force. “Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning.” Oct. 2003. OCLC. 20 Jan. 2006
.
New Media Consortium & EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative. “The Horizon Report: 2006 Edition.” 31 Jan., 2006.
New Media Consortium. .
Portal Webliography. Ed. Eric Lease Morgan. 21 Nov. 2001. Infomotions. 20 Jan., 2006
.


Slide 36

Reconstituting Library Services
for E-Learning Portals
Joy Muller, Jane Foo
OLA 2006 Superconference
February 2, 2006

Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Overview
Our Goals
The Portal
The Environment
Politics and Partnerships
Implementation Notes
Demo
Last Words
Comments and Questions

To Reconstitute
To bring a dried or dehydrated product to its original
consistency by adding a liquid
http://www.tyson.com/UserControls/ViewTerms.aspx

Construct or form anew or provide with a new structure;
"The governing board was reconstituted"
http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

 Let’s repackage what we can offer into
“products” that can be more easily accessed and
used by our students and faculty.

E-Learning
Covers a wide set of applications and processes
such as Web based learning, computer based
learning, virtual classrooms, and digital
collaboration.
http://www.cybermediacrations.com/elearning/glossary.htm

“Searching for a permanent, comfortable and
serviceable position that is nimble enough to be
flexible, accessible and continually up to date
with the wider ‘university’ structure”
OCLC Task Force Report on Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning

Seneca College
Mission Statement and Vision
To contribute to Canadian society by being a
transformation leader in providing students
with career-related education and training.
Our vision is to lead:








in Student Success
In Access to Higher Education
In Learning
In Applied Research
In Innovation
In our Commitment to People
In our Commitment to Diversity and Equity in Employment

E-Learning – Goals
Enrich & support pedagogy
Accessibility of learning materials and
support

Support students in life-long learning
Intra and inter school and institutional
sharing of course materials

Contribution to public knowledge

Portal
A Web based tool that provides a
customizable interface to information
aggregated from a variety of sources.
Krisellen Maloney, ASIS Bulletin

Lorcan Dempsey: p-portals and m-portals
The Recombinant Library: Portals and People

The college portal plays an important part in the
students’ academic tasks
 Focus on integrating with the user flow
 Personal Learning Landscape

The Portal: MySeneca Usage
In a 7 day period during the first 2 weeks of
this semester:
16.5 million hits occurred on My.Seneca.
42,158 announcements were viewed through the "My.Seneca Announcements" module.
62,871 student Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
11,511 staff Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
5,213 edits occurred to personalize specific modules.
9,775 changes were made to portal pages contents.
4,803 changes were made to portal layout of modules.

Licensed Digital Databases
ENCompass for
Digital Collections
::Create & manage
digital assets

Linkfinder Plus

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

::Directly access
full-text content
across
various
sources

Link
Resolver

Ask Us
Now

Ask Us Now
::Chat and interact with a
librarian online

Remote
Access

ENCompass for
Resource
Federated
Access
::Find published
articles & digital
objects via one
search

::Access and search for published content in
electronic form

e-Journals

Search
ILS

Library Catalogue
::Look up books, print periodicals, videos, DVDs, CDs

EZProxy
::Access any
restricted
resources
off-campus

Serials
Solutions
::Find an electronic
journal, magazine or
newspaper

Community
System
Learning
System

?

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

The Portal: Structure & Support
Seneca College
IT Council

Information
Technology &
Telecommunications

Portal
Committee

BB Admin
& Support

Office of
Research
& Innovation
Academic
e-Learning
Liaison

Seneca
Libraries

Deans
& Chairs

e-Learning
Centres

Faculty

The Portal: MySeneca History
September 2000:
Launch of BlackBoard
CMS (Version 4)

January 2002:
Launch of My.Seneca

December 2000:

Spring 2003:

First Portal
Committee Meeting

Load issues after
upgrade to BB 6

August 2005:
October
2004:
Launch of
Employee
Portal

Launch of first nonITT Student
Services Tab

Summer 2001:
First draft of
student portal (with
library portal)

October 2000:
First demo of library
material in BB

November 2004:
First discussions
about a library portal

December 2004:
Access to library
module admin

April 2005:
Library development
tab and modules

Why:
“Information literacy should not be
considered a given, even among “net-gen”
students .… Techniques for finding and
assessing relevant information from the
array of resources available … are crucial,
especially in light of the rising trend toward
collaborative work.”
The Horizon Report, 2006 Edition.

Our Goal

The Portal: The Library’s Plan
Determine targeted user group
Develop timelines
Funding/Resource Requirements
Methodology
Training
Marketing

MyLibrary Justification
More services & greater integration
Improved awareness of our resources
Improved access to our resources
Customizability
Greater efficiency
Demand for sound pedagogy
Librarians excel at collaboration
Environmental need to enhance skill sets
Provision of successful lifelong learning skills

Getting College Buy-In
Partnerships/Politics
Agenda
Presentation
Approval process

Library and Collaboration
Technology skills
Access
Impact
“Collaboration is related to innovation. There
would be significant gains in Canada’s
innovation performance if we were to increase
the level of collaboration.”
Conference Board of Canada

Implementing Reconstitution
The Approach
Content and Functionality
Technical Information

Limitations

What is Our Approach, Anyway?
Low-Fi and Iterative
User-centred
Staff-driven
Keeping the “big picture” in mind
No wheel re-invention
Dynamic content wherever possible
(“just text” is boring)
Focus on what we want, then on what
we can / are allowed do

Let’s Plan!
Content Chunking
What is “Chunking”?
= breaking down information into its smallest manageable
components (content unit).
Guidelines





One functionality (service) or content per “chunk”
The service / content has to be able to stand on its own.
Plan for a “chunk” size that is suitable for width and height constraints.
Limit navigation by keeping the “chunk” content within it wherever
possible. Avoid linking to other services / content.

Deliverables
A list of proposed “chunks” with label and the intended audience.

Chunking Example

Review & Select
… We ended up with 46 suggested modules!
Module Prioritization & Layout
• Default vs. Optional
• Left Navigation Links
vs. Modules
• Roles
• Type of Module

We narrowed down the selections to 5 left navigation
links and 26 priority 1 and 2 modules…

Module Candidates
Priority 1: Required Content
Academic Honesty
Virtual Reference (Ask Us Now)
Contact Information
Copyright
Remote Access Instructions
Library Instruction and Course
Support
Citing Sources (MLA, APA)
Article Databases & Express Article
Search
Library Catalogue Search
Subject Guides
Library News
My Library Account

Priority 2: Optional Content
Quick Reference Tools: Dictionaries ,
Encyclopedias, Almanacs /
Factbooks, Maps & Atlases,
Directories
Collection Development
Faculty Manuals
Audio-Visual Services: Videos &
DVDs
AV Services: Electronic Classrooms
AV Services: Equipment
Find a Journal (A-Z Search)
Research by Course
Library Forms
Information for Students
New Books

Priority 3: Want-to-Haves
 Group Study Room Bookings
 My eJournals & eBooks
 My Databases

Module Design & Layout

Very limited design possibilities





Frame
Left Navigation Bar (Links)
2-column versus 1-column
module colours and borders

Re-cyle and Re-use
Existing Modules
• Library/AV Modules
• Seneca Custom
Modules (Weblinks,
Toronto Weather,
Announcements)
• Pre-built RSS feeds
• Online Reference Tools
(search, dictionary,
maps, weather, quotes)
• Time Magazine

Pre-built Content …

Our
demo
version
so far

Technicalities…
Standards: CSS, HTML, Accessibility
Roles
Frame Environment
Modules Type: HTML, Weblinks, RSS
Custom-Programming: BB Building
Blocks – web app package consisting
of JSP and XML files
Portal System = Courseware System
No integration with Content System


Find Books,
Videos & DVDs



<script type="text/javascript">



Internal Constraints
No JSP expertise & IDE; no access to Oracle
No access to “Live” Modules on production
Development server is not synched with
production server
Lack of procedures and policies
Lack of pre-developed customizable modules
(e.g., for RSS)
List of modules cannot be re-organized
No separation of content and formatting
(only one external CSS file)

Community
System
Digital
Collections

Learning
System

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

Alternative Paths:
Persistent Links in Course Content,
Course Pages, Referatory, Course
Integrator, eReserves

If We Did it Again…Lessons Learned
Plan for a departmental/external
programming (funding implications)
Ask more questions
Define / Agree on policies and
procedures
Get involved as soon as possible
Be patient

Still to Do
Show demo tab to Portal Committee
Release new tab to staff and faculty
for feedback and review
Prepare for training, education and
marketing
Work on a new collaborative
agreement with ITT to speed up
development time

Future Goals
Usability testing
Much more personalization: XML
records of ejournals and ebooks, new
books, staff etc. should allow far more
personalization options!
More integration with Courseware and
Content System
Focus on content management

Thank you. Any Questions?
Joy Muller
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x3042

Jane Foo
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x2011
senlibjane (Yahoo), [email protected] (MSN),
313050248 (ICQ)
Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Works Cited
Boss, Richard W. “Library Portals”. Tech Notes. Mar. 2005. American Library Assn. 19 Jan., 2006
.
CARL E-Learning Working Group. “Libraries and E-Learning.” Nov. 2005. Canadian Assn. of Research Libraries.
.

Dempsey, Lorcan. “The Recombinant Library: Portals and People.” Sept. 2003. OCLC.
.
Maloney, Krisellen. “Portals in Libraries: Library Technology and Planning for Change.” Bulletin of the American Society
of Information Science and Technology Oct/Nov 2004. 20 Jan. 2006 Oct-04/maloney.html>.
OCLC E-Learning Task Force. “Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning.” Oct. 2003. OCLC. 20 Jan. 2006
.
New Media Consortium & EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative. “The Horizon Report: 2006 Edition.” 31 Jan., 2006.
New Media Consortium. .
Portal Webliography. Ed. Eric Lease Morgan. 21 Nov. 2001. Infomotions. 20 Jan., 2006
.


Slide 37

Reconstituting Library Services
for E-Learning Portals
Joy Muller, Jane Foo
OLA 2006 Superconference
February 2, 2006

Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Overview
Our Goals
The Portal
The Environment
Politics and Partnerships
Implementation Notes
Demo
Last Words
Comments and Questions

To Reconstitute
To bring a dried or dehydrated product to its original
consistency by adding a liquid
http://www.tyson.com/UserControls/ViewTerms.aspx

Construct or form anew or provide with a new structure;
"The governing board was reconstituted"
http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

 Let’s repackage what we can offer into
“products” that can be more easily accessed and
used by our students and faculty.

E-Learning
Covers a wide set of applications and processes
such as Web based learning, computer based
learning, virtual classrooms, and digital
collaboration.
http://www.cybermediacrations.com/elearning/glossary.htm

“Searching for a permanent, comfortable and
serviceable position that is nimble enough to be
flexible, accessible and continually up to date
with the wider ‘university’ structure”
OCLC Task Force Report on Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning

Seneca College
Mission Statement and Vision
To contribute to Canadian society by being a
transformation leader in providing students
with career-related education and training.
Our vision is to lead:








in Student Success
In Access to Higher Education
In Learning
In Applied Research
In Innovation
In our Commitment to People
In our Commitment to Diversity and Equity in Employment

E-Learning – Goals
Enrich & support pedagogy
Accessibility of learning materials and
support

Support students in life-long learning
Intra and inter school and institutional
sharing of course materials

Contribution to public knowledge

Portal
A Web based tool that provides a
customizable interface to information
aggregated from a variety of sources.
Krisellen Maloney, ASIS Bulletin

Lorcan Dempsey: p-portals and m-portals
The Recombinant Library: Portals and People

The college portal plays an important part in the
students’ academic tasks
 Focus on integrating with the user flow
 Personal Learning Landscape

The Portal: MySeneca Usage
In a 7 day period during the first 2 weeks of
this semester:
16.5 million hits occurred on My.Seneca.
42,158 announcements were viewed through the "My.Seneca Announcements" module.
62,871 student Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
11,511 staff Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
5,213 edits occurred to personalize specific modules.
9,775 changes were made to portal pages contents.
4,803 changes were made to portal layout of modules.

Licensed Digital Databases
ENCompass for
Digital Collections
::Create & manage
digital assets

Linkfinder Plus

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

::Directly access
full-text content
across
various
sources

Link
Resolver

Ask Us
Now

Ask Us Now
::Chat and interact with a
librarian online

Remote
Access

ENCompass for
Resource
Federated
Access
::Find published
articles & digital
objects via one
search

::Access and search for published content in
electronic form

e-Journals

Search
ILS

Library Catalogue
::Look up books, print periodicals, videos, DVDs, CDs

EZProxy
::Access any
restricted
resources
off-campus

Serials
Solutions
::Find an electronic
journal, magazine or
newspaper

Community
System
Learning
System

?

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

The Portal: Structure & Support
Seneca College
IT Council

Information
Technology &
Telecommunications

Portal
Committee

BB Admin
& Support

Office of
Research
& Innovation
Academic
e-Learning
Liaison

Seneca
Libraries

Deans
& Chairs

e-Learning
Centres

Faculty

The Portal: MySeneca History
September 2000:
Launch of BlackBoard
CMS (Version 4)

January 2002:
Launch of My.Seneca

December 2000:

Spring 2003:

First Portal
Committee Meeting

Load issues after
upgrade to BB 6

August 2005:
October
2004:
Launch of
Employee
Portal

Launch of first nonITT Student
Services Tab

Summer 2001:
First draft of
student portal (with
library portal)

October 2000:
First demo of library
material in BB

November 2004:
First discussions
about a library portal

December 2004:
Access to library
module admin

April 2005:
Library development
tab and modules

Why:
“Information literacy should not be
considered a given, even among “net-gen”
students .… Techniques for finding and
assessing relevant information from the
array of resources available … are crucial,
especially in light of the rising trend toward
collaborative work.”
The Horizon Report, 2006 Edition.

Our Goal

The Portal: The Library’s Plan
Determine targeted user group
Develop timelines
Funding/Resource Requirements
Methodology
Training
Marketing

MyLibrary Justification
More services & greater integration
Improved awareness of our resources
Improved access to our resources
Customizability
Greater efficiency
Demand for sound pedagogy
Librarians excel at collaboration
Environmental need to enhance skill sets
Provision of successful lifelong learning skills

Getting College Buy-In
Partnerships/Politics
Agenda
Presentation
Approval process

Library and Collaboration
Technology skills
Access
Impact
“Collaboration is related to innovation. There
would be significant gains in Canada’s
innovation performance if we were to increase
the level of collaboration.”
Conference Board of Canada

Implementing Reconstitution
The Approach
Content and Functionality
Technical Information

Limitations

What is Our Approach, Anyway?
Low-Fi and Iterative
User-centred
Staff-driven
Keeping the “big picture” in mind
No wheel re-invention
Dynamic content wherever possible
(“just text” is boring)
Focus on what we want, then on what
we can / are allowed do

Let’s Plan!
Content Chunking
What is “Chunking”?
= breaking down information into its smallest manageable
components (content unit).
Guidelines





One functionality (service) or content per “chunk”
The service / content has to be able to stand on its own.
Plan for a “chunk” size that is suitable for width and height constraints.
Limit navigation by keeping the “chunk” content within it wherever
possible. Avoid linking to other services / content.

Deliverables
A list of proposed “chunks” with label and the intended audience.

Chunking Example

Review & Select
… We ended up with 46 suggested modules!
Module Prioritization & Layout
• Default vs. Optional
• Left Navigation Links
vs. Modules
• Roles
• Type of Module

We narrowed down the selections to 5 left navigation
links and 26 priority 1 and 2 modules…

Module Candidates
Priority 1: Required Content
Academic Honesty
Virtual Reference (Ask Us Now)
Contact Information
Copyright
Remote Access Instructions
Library Instruction and Course
Support
Citing Sources (MLA, APA)
Article Databases & Express Article
Search
Library Catalogue Search
Subject Guides
Library News
My Library Account

Priority 2: Optional Content
Quick Reference Tools: Dictionaries ,
Encyclopedias, Almanacs /
Factbooks, Maps & Atlases,
Directories
Collection Development
Faculty Manuals
Audio-Visual Services: Videos &
DVDs
AV Services: Electronic Classrooms
AV Services: Equipment
Find a Journal (A-Z Search)
Research by Course
Library Forms
Information for Students
New Books

Priority 3: Want-to-Haves
 Group Study Room Bookings
 My eJournals & eBooks
 My Databases

Module Design & Layout

Very limited design possibilities





Frame
Left Navigation Bar (Links)
2-column versus 1-column
module colours and borders

Re-cyle and Re-use
Existing Modules
• Library/AV Modules
• Seneca Custom
Modules (Weblinks,
Toronto Weather,
Announcements)
• Pre-built RSS feeds
• Online Reference Tools
(search, dictionary,
maps, weather, quotes)
• Time Magazine

Pre-built Content …

Our
demo
version
so far

Technicalities…
Standards: CSS, HTML, Accessibility
Roles
Frame Environment
Modules Type: HTML, Weblinks, RSS
Custom-Programming: BB Building
Blocks – web app package consisting
of JSP and XML files
Portal System = Courseware System
No integration with Content System


Find Books,
Videos & DVDs



<script type="text/javascript">



Internal Constraints
No JSP expertise & IDE; no access to Oracle
No access to “Live” Modules on production
Development server is not synched with
production server
Lack of procedures and policies
Lack of pre-developed customizable modules
(e.g., for RSS)
List of modules cannot be re-organized
No separation of content and formatting
(only one external CSS file)

Community
System
Digital
Collections

Learning
System

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

Alternative Paths:
Persistent Links in Course Content,
Course Pages, Referatory, Course
Integrator, eReserves

If We Did it Again…Lessons Learned
Plan for a departmental/external
programming (funding implications)
Ask more questions
Define / Agree on policies and
procedures
Get involved as soon as possible
Be patient

Still to Do
Show demo tab to Portal Committee
Release new tab to staff and faculty
for feedback and review
Prepare for training, education and
marketing
Work on a new collaborative
agreement with ITT to speed up
development time

Future Goals
Usability testing
Much more personalization: XML
records of ejournals and ebooks, new
books, staff etc. should allow far more
personalization options!
More integration with Courseware and
Content System
Focus on content management

Thank you. Any Questions?
Joy Muller
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x3042

Jane Foo
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x2011
senlibjane (Yahoo), [email protected] (MSN),
313050248 (ICQ)
Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Works Cited
Boss, Richard W. “Library Portals”. Tech Notes. Mar. 2005. American Library Assn. 19 Jan., 2006
.
CARL E-Learning Working Group. “Libraries and E-Learning.” Nov. 2005. Canadian Assn. of Research Libraries.
.

Dempsey, Lorcan. “The Recombinant Library: Portals and People.” Sept. 2003. OCLC.
.
Maloney, Krisellen. “Portals in Libraries: Library Technology and Planning for Change.” Bulletin of the American Society
of Information Science and Technology Oct/Nov 2004. 20 Jan. 2006 Oct-04/maloney.html>.
OCLC E-Learning Task Force. “Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning.” Oct. 2003. OCLC. 20 Jan. 2006
.
New Media Consortium & EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative. “The Horizon Report: 2006 Edition.” 31 Jan., 2006.
New Media Consortium. .
Portal Webliography. Ed. Eric Lease Morgan. 21 Nov. 2001. Infomotions. 20 Jan., 2006
.


Slide 38

Reconstituting Library Services
for E-Learning Portals
Joy Muller, Jane Foo
OLA 2006 Superconference
February 2, 2006

Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Overview
Our Goals
The Portal
The Environment
Politics and Partnerships
Implementation Notes
Demo
Last Words
Comments and Questions

To Reconstitute
To bring a dried or dehydrated product to its original
consistency by adding a liquid
http://www.tyson.com/UserControls/ViewTerms.aspx

Construct or form anew or provide with a new structure;
"The governing board was reconstituted"
http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

 Let’s repackage what we can offer into
“products” that can be more easily accessed and
used by our students and faculty.

E-Learning
Covers a wide set of applications and processes
such as Web based learning, computer based
learning, virtual classrooms, and digital
collaboration.
http://www.cybermediacrations.com/elearning/glossary.htm

“Searching for a permanent, comfortable and
serviceable position that is nimble enough to be
flexible, accessible and continually up to date
with the wider ‘university’ structure”
OCLC Task Force Report on Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning

Seneca College
Mission Statement and Vision
To contribute to Canadian society by being a
transformation leader in providing students
with career-related education and training.
Our vision is to lead:








in Student Success
In Access to Higher Education
In Learning
In Applied Research
In Innovation
In our Commitment to People
In our Commitment to Diversity and Equity in Employment

E-Learning – Goals
Enrich & support pedagogy
Accessibility of learning materials and
support

Support students in life-long learning
Intra and inter school and institutional
sharing of course materials

Contribution to public knowledge

Portal
A Web based tool that provides a
customizable interface to information
aggregated from a variety of sources.
Krisellen Maloney, ASIS Bulletin

Lorcan Dempsey: p-portals and m-portals
The Recombinant Library: Portals and People

The college portal plays an important part in the
students’ academic tasks
 Focus on integrating with the user flow
 Personal Learning Landscape

The Portal: MySeneca Usage
In a 7 day period during the first 2 weeks of
this semester:
16.5 million hits occurred on My.Seneca.
42,158 announcements were viewed through the "My.Seneca Announcements" module.
62,871 student Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
11,511 staff Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
5,213 edits occurred to personalize specific modules.
9,775 changes were made to portal pages contents.
4,803 changes were made to portal layout of modules.

Licensed Digital Databases
ENCompass for
Digital Collections
::Create & manage
digital assets

Linkfinder Plus

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

::Directly access
full-text content
across
various
sources

Link
Resolver

Ask Us
Now

Ask Us Now
::Chat and interact with a
librarian online

Remote
Access

ENCompass for
Resource
Federated
Access
::Find published
articles & digital
objects via one
search

::Access and search for published content in
electronic form

e-Journals

Search
ILS

Library Catalogue
::Look up books, print periodicals, videos, DVDs, CDs

EZProxy
::Access any
restricted
resources
off-campus

Serials
Solutions
::Find an electronic
journal, magazine or
newspaper

Community
System
Learning
System

?

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

The Portal: Structure & Support
Seneca College
IT Council

Information
Technology &
Telecommunications

Portal
Committee

BB Admin
& Support

Office of
Research
& Innovation
Academic
e-Learning
Liaison

Seneca
Libraries

Deans
& Chairs

e-Learning
Centres

Faculty

The Portal: MySeneca History
September 2000:
Launch of BlackBoard
CMS (Version 4)

January 2002:
Launch of My.Seneca

December 2000:

Spring 2003:

First Portal
Committee Meeting

Load issues after
upgrade to BB 6

August 2005:
October
2004:
Launch of
Employee
Portal

Launch of first nonITT Student
Services Tab

Summer 2001:
First draft of
student portal (with
library portal)

October 2000:
First demo of library
material in BB

November 2004:
First discussions
about a library portal

December 2004:
Access to library
module admin

April 2005:
Library development
tab and modules

Why:
“Information literacy should not be
considered a given, even among “net-gen”
students .… Techniques for finding and
assessing relevant information from the
array of resources available … are crucial,
especially in light of the rising trend toward
collaborative work.”
The Horizon Report, 2006 Edition.

Our Goal

The Portal: The Library’s Plan
Determine targeted user group
Develop timelines
Funding/Resource Requirements
Methodology
Training
Marketing

MyLibrary Justification
More services & greater integration
Improved awareness of our resources
Improved access to our resources
Customizability
Greater efficiency
Demand for sound pedagogy
Librarians excel at collaboration
Environmental need to enhance skill sets
Provision of successful lifelong learning skills

Getting College Buy-In
Partnerships/Politics
Agenda
Presentation
Approval process

Library and Collaboration
Technology skills
Access
Impact
“Collaboration is related to innovation. There
would be significant gains in Canada’s
innovation performance if we were to increase
the level of collaboration.”
Conference Board of Canada

Implementing Reconstitution
The Approach
Content and Functionality
Technical Information

Limitations

What is Our Approach, Anyway?
Low-Fi and Iterative
User-centred
Staff-driven
Keeping the “big picture” in mind
No wheel re-invention
Dynamic content wherever possible
(“just text” is boring)
Focus on what we want, then on what
we can / are allowed do

Let’s Plan!
Content Chunking
What is “Chunking”?
= breaking down information into its smallest manageable
components (content unit).
Guidelines





One functionality (service) or content per “chunk”
The service / content has to be able to stand on its own.
Plan for a “chunk” size that is suitable for width and height constraints.
Limit navigation by keeping the “chunk” content within it wherever
possible. Avoid linking to other services / content.

Deliverables
A list of proposed “chunks” with label and the intended audience.

Chunking Example

Review & Select
… We ended up with 46 suggested modules!
Module Prioritization & Layout
• Default vs. Optional
• Left Navigation Links
vs. Modules
• Roles
• Type of Module

We narrowed down the selections to 5 left navigation
links and 26 priority 1 and 2 modules…

Module Candidates
Priority 1: Required Content
Academic Honesty
Virtual Reference (Ask Us Now)
Contact Information
Copyright
Remote Access Instructions
Library Instruction and Course
Support
Citing Sources (MLA, APA)
Article Databases & Express Article
Search
Library Catalogue Search
Subject Guides
Library News
My Library Account

Priority 2: Optional Content
Quick Reference Tools: Dictionaries ,
Encyclopedias, Almanacs /
Factbooks, Maps & Atlases,
Directories
Collection Development
Faculty Manuals
Audio-Visual Services: Videos &
DVDs
AV Services: Electronic Classrooms
AV Services: Equipment
Find a Journal (A-Z Search)
Research by Course
Library Forms
Information for Students
New Books

Priority 3: Want-to-Haves
 Group Study Room Bookings
 My eJournals & eBooks
 My Databases

Module Design & Layout

Very limited design possibilities





Frame
Left Navigation Bar (Links)
2-column versus 1-column
module colours and borders

Re-cyle and Re-use
Existing Modules
• Library/AV Modules
• Seneca Custom
Modules (Weblinks,
Toronto Weather,
Announcements)
• Pre-built RSS feeds
• Online Reference Tools
(search, dictionary,
maps, weather, quotes)
• Time Magazine

Pre-built Content …

Our
demo
version
so far

Technicalities…
Standards: CSS, HTML, Accessibility
Roles
Frame Environment
Modules Type: HTML, Weblinks, RSS
Custom-Programming: BB Building
Blocks – web app package consisting
of JSP and XML files
Portal System = Courseware System
No integration with Content System


Find Books,
Videos & DVDs



<script type="text/javascript">



Internal Constraints
No JSP expertise & IDE; no access to Oracle
No access to “Live” Modules on production
Development server is not synched with
production server
Lack of procedures and policies
Lack of pre-developed customizable modules
(e.g., for RSS)
List of modules cannot be re-organized
No separation of content and formatting
(only one external CSS file)

Community
System
Digital
Collections

Learning
System

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

Alternative Paths:
Persistent Links in Course Content,
Course Pages, Referatory, Course
Integrator, eReserves

If We Did it Again…Lessons Learned
Plan for a departmental/external
programming (funding implications)
Ask more questions
Define / Agree on policies and
procedures
Get involved as soon as possible
Be patient

Still to Do
Show demo tab to Portal Committee
Release new tab to staff and faculty
for feedback and review
Prepare for training, education and
marketing
Work on a new collaborative
agreement with ITT to speed up
development time

Future Goals
Usability testing
Much more personalization: XML
records of ejournals and ebooks, new
books, staff etc. should allow far more
personalization options!
More integration with Courseware and
Content System
Focus on content management

Thank you. Any Questions?
Joy Muller
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x3042

Jane Foo
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x2011
senlibjane (Yahoo), [email protected] (MSN),
313050248 (ICQ)
Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Works Cited
Boss, Richard W. “Library Portals”. Tech Notes. Mar. 2005. American Library Assn. 19 Jan., 2006
.
CARL E-Learning Working Group. “Libraries and E-Learning.” Nov. 2005. Canadian Assn. of Research Libraries.
.

Dempsey, Lorcan. “The Recombinant Library: Portals and People.” Sept. 2003. OCLC.
.
Maloney, Krisellen. “Portals in Libraries: Library Technology and Planning for Change.” Bulletin of the American Society
of Information Science and Technology Oct/Nov 2004. 20 Jan. 2006 Oct-04/maloney.html>.
OCLC E-Learning Task Force. “Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning.” Oct. 2003. OCLC. 20 Jan. 2006
.
New Media Consortium & EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative. “The Horizon Report: 2006 Edition.” 31 Jan., 2006.
New Media Consortium. .
Portal Webliography. Ed. Eric Lease Morgan. 21 Nov. 2001. Infomotions. 20 Jan., 2006
.


Slide 39

Reconstituting Library Services
for E-Learning Portals
Joy Muller, Jane Foo
OLA 2006 Superconference
February 2, 2006

Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Overview
Our Goals
The Portal
The Environment
Politics and Partnerships
Implementation Notes
Demo
Last Words
Comments and Questions

To Reconstitute
To bring a dried or dehydrated product to its original
consistency by adding a liquid
http://www.tyson.com/UserControls/ViewTerms.aspx

Construct or form anew or provide with a new structure;
"The governing board was reconstituted"
http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

 Let’s repackage what we can offer into
“products” that can be more easily accessed and
used by our students and faculty.

E-Learning
Covers a wide set of applications and processes
such as Web based learning, computer based
learning, virtual classrooms, and digital
collaboration.
http://www.cybermediacrations.com/elearning/glossary.htm

“Searching for a permanent, comfortable and
serviceable position that is nimble enough to be
flexible, accessible and continually up to date
with the wider ‘university’ structure”
OCLC Task Force Report on Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning

Seneca College
Mission Statement and Vision
To contribute to Canadian society by being a
transformation leader in providing students
with career-related education and training.
Our vision is to lead:








in Student Success
In Access to Higher Education
In Learning
In Applied Research
In Innovation
In our Commitment to People
In our Commitment to Diversity and Equity in Employment

E-Learning – Goals
Enrich & support pedagogy
Accessibility of learning materials and
support

Support students in life-long learning
Intra and inter school and institutional
sharing of course materials

Contribution to public knowledge

Portal
A Web based tool that provides a
customizable interface to information
aggregated from a variety of sources.
Krisellen Maloney, ASIS Bulletin

Lorcan Dempsey: p-portals and m-portals
The Recombinant Library: Portals and People

The college portal plays an important part in the
students’ academic tasks
 Focus on integrating with the user flow
 Personal Learning Landscape

The Portal: MySeneca Usage
In a 7 day period during the first 2 weeks of
this semester:
16.5 million hits occurred on My.Seneca.
42,158 announcements were viewed through the "My.Seneca Announcements" module.
62,871 student Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
11,511 staff Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
5,213 edits occurred to personalize specific modules.
9,775 changes were made to portal pages contents.
4,803 changes were made to portal layout of modules.

Licensed Digital Databases
ENCompass for
Digital Collections
::Create & manage
digital assets

Linkfinder Plus

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

::Directly access
full-text content
across
various
sources

Link
Resolver

Ask Us
Now

Ask Us Now
::Chat and interact with a
librarian online

Remote
Access

ENCompass for
Resource
Federated
Access
::Find published
articles & digital
objects via one
search

::Access and search for published content in
electronic form

e-Journals

Search
ILS

Library Catalogue
::Look up books, print periodicals, videos, DVDs, CDs

EZProxy
::Access any
restricted
resources
off-campus

Serials
Solutions
::Find an electronic
journal, magazine or
newspaper

Community
System
Learning
System

?

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

The Portal: Structure & Support
Seneca College
IT Council

Information
Technology &
Telecommunications

Portal
Committee

BB Admin
& Support

Office of
Research
& Innovation
Academic
e-Learning
Liaison

Seneca
Libraries

Deans
& Chairs

e-Learning
Centres

Faculty

The Portal: MySeneca History
September 2000:
Launch of BlackBoard
CMS (Version 4)

January 2002:
Launch of My.Seneca

December 2000:

Spring 2003:

First Portal
Committee Meeting

Load issues after
upgrade to BB 6

August 2005:
October
2004:
Launch of
Employee
Portal

Launch of first nonITT Student
Services Tab

Summer 2001:
First draft of
student portal (with
library portal)

October 2000:
First demo of library
material in BB

November 2004:
First discussions
about a library portal

December 2004:
Access to library
module admin

April 2005:
Library development
tab and modules

Why:
“Information literacy should not be
considered a given, even among “net-gen”
students .… Techniques for finding and
assessing relevant information from the
array of resources available … are crucial,
especially in light of the rising trend toward
collaborative work.”
The Horizon Report, 2006 Edition.

Our Goal

The Portal: The Library’s Plan
Determine targeted user group
Develop timelines
Funding/Resource Requirements
Methodology
Training
Marketing

MyLibrary Justification
More services & greater integration
Improved awareness of our resources
Improved access to our resources
Customizability
Greater efficiency
Demand for sound pedagogy
Librarians excel at collaboration
Environmental need to enhance skill sets
Provision of successful lifelong learning skills

Getting College Buy-In
Partnerships/Politics
Agenda
Presentation
Approval process

Library and Collaboration
Technology skills
Access
Impact
“Collaboration is related to innovation. There
would be significant gains in Canada’s
innovation performance if we were to increase
the level of collaboration.”
Conference Board of Canada

Implementing Reconstitution
The Approach
Content and Functionality
Technical Information

Limitations

What is Our Approach, Anyway?
Low-Fi and Iterative
User-centred
Staff-driven
Keeping the “big picture” in mind
No wheel re-invention
Dynamic content wherever possible
(“just text” is boring)
Focus on what we want, then on what
we can / are allowed do

Let’s Plan!
Content Chunking
What is “Chunking”?
= breaking down information into its smallest manageable
components (content unit).
Guidelines





One functionality (service) or content per “chunk”
The service / content has to be able to stand on its own.
Plan for a “chunk” size that is suitable for width and height constraints.
Limit navigation by keeping the “chunk” content within it wherever
possible. Avoid linking to other services / content.

Deliverables
A list of proposed “chunks” with label and the intended audience.

Chunking Example

Review & Select
… We ended up with 46 suggested modules!
Module Prioritization & Layout
• Default vs. Optional
• Left Navigation Links
vs. Modules
• Roles
• Type of Module

We narrowed down the selections to 5 left navigation
links and 26 priority 1 and 2 modules…

Module Candidates
Priority 1: Required Content
Academic Honesty
Virtual Reference (Ask Us Now)
Contact Information
Copyright
Remote Access Instructions
Library Instruction and Course
Support
Citing Sources (MLA, APA)
Article Databases & Express Article
Search
Library Catalogue Search
Subject Guides
Library News
My Library Account

Priority 2: Optional Content
Quick Reference Tools: Dictionaries ,
Encyclopedias, Almanacs /
Factbooks, Maps & Atlases,
Directories
Collection Development
Faculty Manuals
Audio-Visual Services: Videos &
DVDs
AV Services: Electronic Classrooms
AV Services: Equipment
Find a Journal (A-Z Search)
Research by Course
Library Forms
Information for Students
New Books

Priority 3: Want-to-Haves
 Group Study Room Bookings
 My eJournals & eBooks
 My Databases

Module Design & Layout

Very limited design possibilities





Frame
Left Navigation Bar (Links)
2-column versus 1-column
module colours and borders

Re-cyle and Re-use
Existing Modules
• Library/AV Modules
• Seneca Custom
Modules (Weblinks,
Toronto Weather,
Announcements)
• Pre-built RSS feeds
• Online Reference Tools
(search, dictionary,
maps, weather, quotes)
• Time Magazine

Pre-built Content …

Our
demo
version
so far

Technicalities…
Standards: CSS, HTML, Accessibility
Roles
Frame Environment
Modules Type: HTML, Weblinks, RSS
Custom-Programming: BB Building
Blocks – web app package consisting
of JSP and XML files
Portal System = Courseware System
No integration with Content System


Find Books,
Videos & DVDs



<script type="text/javascript">



Internal Constraints
No JSP expertise & IDE; no access to Oracle
No access to “Live” Modules on production
Development server is not synched with
production server
Lack of procedures and policies
Lack of pre-developed customizable modules
(e.g., for RSS)
List of modules cannot be re-organized
No separation of content and formatting
(only one external CSS file)

Community
System
Digital
Collections

Learning
System

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

Alternative Paths:
Persistent Links in Course Content,
Course Pages, Referatory, Course
Integrator, eReserves

If We Did it Again…Lessons Learned
Plan for a departmental/external
programming (funding implications)
Ask more questions
Define / Agree on policies and
procedures
Get involved as soon as possible
Be patient

Still to Do
Show demo tab to Portal Committee
Release new tab to staff and faculty
for feedback and review
Prepare for training, education and
marketing
Work on a new collaborative
agreement with ITT to speed up
development time

Future Goals
Usability testing
Much more personalization: XML
records of ejournals and ebooks, new
books, staff etc. should allow far more
personalization options!
More integration with Courseware and
Content System
Focus on content management

Thank you. Any Questions?
Joy Muller
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x3042

Jane Foo
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x2011
senlibjane (Yahoo), [email protected] (MSN),
313050248 (ICQ)
Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Works Cited
Boss, Richard W. “Library Portals”. Tech Notes. Mar. 2005. American Library Assn. 19 Jan., 2006
.
CARL E-Learning Working Group. “Libraries and E-Learning.” Nov. 2005. Canadian Assn. of Research Libraries.
.

Dempsey, Lorcan. “The Recombinant Library: Portals and People.” Sept. 2003. OCLC.
.
Maloney, Krisellen. “Portals in Libraries: Library Technology and Planning for Change.” Bulletin of the American Society
of Information Science and Technology Oct/Nov 2004. 20 Jan. 2006 Oct-04/maloney.html>.
OCLC E-Learning Task Force. “Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning.” Oct. 2003. OCLC. 20 Jan. 2006
.
New Media Consortium & EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative. “The Horizon Report: 2006 Edition.” 31 Jan., 2006.
New Media Consortium. .
Portal Webliography. Ed. Eric Lease Morgan. 21 Nov. 2001. Infomotions. 20 Jan., 2006
.


Slide 40

Reconstituting Library Services
for E-Learning Portals
Joy Muller, Jane Foo
OLA 2006 Superconference
February 2, 2006

Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Overview
Our Goals
The Portal
The Environment
Politics and Partnerships
Implementation Notes
Demo
Last Words
Comments and Questions

To Reconstitute
To bring a dried or dehydrated product to its original
consistency by adding a liquid
http://www.tyson.com/UserControls/ViewTerms.aspx

Construct or form anew or provide with a new structure;
"The governing board was reconstituted"
http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

 Let’s repackage what we can offer into
“products” that can be more easily accessed and
used by our students and faculty.

E-Learning
Covers a wide set of applications and processes
such as Web based learning, computer based
learning, virtual classrooms, and digital
collaboration.
http://www.cybermediacrations.com/elearning/glossary.htm

“Searching for a permanent, comfortable and
serviceable position that is nimble enough to be
flexible, accessible and continually up to date
with the wider ‘university’ structure”
OCLC Task Force Report on Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning

Seneca College
Mission Statement and Vision
To contribute to Canadian society by being a
transformation leader in providing students
with career-related education and training.
Our vision is to lead:








in Student Success
In Access to Higher Education
In Learning
In Applied Research
In Innovation
In our Commitment to People
In our Commitment to Diversity and Equity in Employment

E-Learning – Goals
Enrich & support pedagogy
Accessibility of learning materials and
support

Support students in life-long learning
Intra and inter school and institutional
sharing of course materials

Contribution to public knowledge

Portal
A Web based tool that provides a
customizable interface to information
aggregated from a variety of sources.
Krisellen Maloney, ASIS Bulletin

Lorcan Dempsey: p-portals and m-portals
The Recombinant Library: Portals and People

The college portal plays an important part in the
students’ academic tasks
 Focus on integrating with the user flow
 Personal Learning Landscape

The Portal: MySeneca Usage
In a 7 day period during the first 2 weeks of
this semester:
16.5 million hits occurred on My.Seneca.
42,158 announcements were viewed through the "My.Seneca Announcements" module.
62,871 student Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
11,511 staff Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
5,213 edits occurred to personalize specific modules.
9,775 changes were made to portal pages contents.
4,803 changes were made to portal layout of modules.

Licensed Digital Databases
ENCompass for
Digital Collections
::Create & manage
digital assets

Linkfinder Plus

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

::Directly access
full-text content
across
various
sources

Link
Resolver

Ask Us
Now

Ask Us Now
::Chat and interact with a
librarian online

Remote
Access

ENCompass for
Resource
Federated
Access
::Find published
articles & digital
objects via one
search

::Access and search for published content in
electronic form

e-Journals

Search
ILS

Library Catalogue
::Look up books, print periodicals, videos, DVDs, CDs

EZProxy
::Access any
restricted
resources
off-campus

Serials
Solutions
::Find an electronic
journal, magazine or
newspaper

Community
System
Learning
System

?

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

The Portal: Structure & Support
Seneca College
IT Council

Information
Technology &
Telecommunications

Portal
Committee

BB Admin
& Support

Office of
Research
& Innovation
Academic
e-Learning
Liaison

Seneca
Libraries

Deans
& Chairs

e-Learning
Centres

Faculty

The Portal: MySeneca History
September 2000:
Launch of BlackBoard
CMS (Version 4)

January 2002:
Launch of My.Seneca

December 2000:

Spring 2003:

First Portal
Committee Meeting

Load issues after
upgrade to BB 6

August 2005:
October
2004:
Launch of
Employee
Portal

Launch of first nonITT Student
Services Tab

Summer 2001:
First draft of
student portal (with
library portal)

October 2000:
First demo of library
material in BB

November 2004:
First discussions
about a library portal

December 2004:
Access to library
module admin

April 2005:
Library development
tab and modules

Why:
“Information literacy should not be
considered a given, even among “net-gen”
students .… Techniques for finding and
assessing relevant information from the
array of resources available … are crucial,
especially in light of the rising trend toward
collaborative work.”
The Horizon Report, 2006 Edition.

Our Goal

The Portal: The Library’s Plan
Determine targeted user group
Develop timelines
Funding/Resource Requirements
Methodology
Training
Marketing

MyLibrary Justification
More services & greater integration
Improved awareness of our resources
Improved access to our resources
Customizability
Greater efficiency
Demand for sound pedagogy
Librarians excel at collaboration
Environmental need to enhance skill sets
Provision of successful lifelong learning skills

Getting College Buy-In
Partnerships/Politics
Agenda
Presentation
Approval process

Library and Collaboration
Technology skills
Access
Impact
“Collaboration is related to innovation. There
would be significant gains in Canada’s
innovation performance if we were to increase
the level of collaboration.”
Conference Board of Canada

Implementing Reconstitution
The Approach
Content and Functionality
Technical Information

Limitations

What is Our Approach, Anyway?
Low-Fi and Iterative
User-centred
Staff-driven
Keeping the “big picture” in mind
No wheel re-invention
Dynamic content wherever possible
(“just text” is boring)
Focus on what we want, then on what
we can / are allowed do

Let’s Plan!
Content Chunking
What is “Chunking”?
= breaking down information into its smallest manageable
components (content unit).
Guidelines





One functionality (service) or content per “chunk”
The service / content has to be able to stand on its own.
Plan for a “chunk” size that is suitable for width and height constraints.
Limit navigation by keeping the “chunk” content within it wherever
possible. Avoid linking to other services / content.

Deliverables
A list of proposed “chunks” with label and the intended audience.

Chunking Example

Review & Select
… We ended up with 46 suggested modules!
Module Prioritization & Layout
• Default vs. Optional
• Left Navigation Links
vs. Modules
• Roles
• Type of Module

We narrowed down the selections to 5 left navigation
links and 26 priority 1 and 2 modules…

Module Candidates
Priority 1: Required Content
Academic Honesty
Virtual Reference (Ask Us Now)
Contact Information
Copyright
Remote Access Instructions
Library Instruction and Course
Support
Citing Sources (MLA, APA)
Article Databases & Express Article
Search
Library Catalogue Search
Subject Guides
Library News
My Library Account

Priority 2: Optional Content
Quick Reference Tools: Dictionaries ,
Encyclopedias, Almanacs /
Factbooks, Maps & Atlases,
Directories
Collection Development
Faculty Manuals
Audio-Visual Services: Videos &
DVDs
AV Services: Electronic Classrooms
AV Services: Equipment
Find a Journal (A-Z Search)
Research by Course
Library Forms
Information for Students
New Books

Priority 3: Want-to-Haves
 Group Study Room Bookings
 My eJournals & eBooks
 My Databases

Module Design & Layout

Very limited design possibilities





Frame
Left Navigation Bar (Links)
2-column versus 1-column
module colours and borders

Re-cyle and Re-use
Existing Modules
• Library/AV Modules
• Seneca Custom
Modules (Weblinks,
Toronto Weather,
Announcements)
• Pre-built RSS feeds
• Online Reference Tools
(search, dictionary,
maps, weather, quotes)
• Time Magazine

Pre-built Content …

Our
demo
version
so far

Technicalities…
Standards: CSS, HTML, Accessibility
Roles
Frame Environment
Modules Type: HTML, Weblinks, RSS
Custom-Programming: BB Building
Blocks – web app package consisting
of JSP and XML files
Portal System = Courseware System
No integration with Content System


Find Books,
Videos & DVDs



<script type="text/javascript">



Internal Constraints
No JSP expertise & IDE; no access to Oracle
No access to “Live” Modules on production
Development server is not synched with
production server
Lack of procedures and policies
Lack of pre-developed customizable modules
(e.g., for RSS)
List of modules cannot be re-organized
No separation of content and formatting
(only one external CSS file)

Community
System
Digital
Collections

Learning
System

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

Alternative Paths:
Persistent Links in Course Content,
Course Pages, Referatory, Course
Integrator, eReserves

If We Did it Again…Lessons Learned
Plan for a departmental/external
programming (funding implications)
Ask more questions
Define / Agree on policies and
procedures
Get involved as soon as possible
Be patient

Still to Do
Show demo tab to Portal Committee
Release new tab to staff and faculty
for feedback and review
Prepare for training, education and
marketing
Work on a new collaborative
agreement with ITT to speed up
development time

Future Goals
Usability testing
Much more personalization: XML
records of ejournals and ebooks, new
books, staff etc. should allow far more
personalization options!
More integration with Courseware and
Content System
Focus on content management

Thank you. Any Questions?
Joy Muller
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x3042

Jane Foo
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x2011
senlibjane (Yahoo), [email protected] (MSN),
313050248 (ICQ)
Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Works Cited
Boss, Richard W. “Library Portals”. Tech Notes. Mar. 2005. American Library Assn. 19 Jan., 2006
.
CARL E-Learning Working Group. “Libraries and E-Learning.” Nov. 2005. Canadian Assn. of Research Libraries.
.

Dempsey, Lorcan. “The Recombinant Library: Portals and People.” Sept. 2003. OCLC.
.
Maloney, Krisellen. “Portals in Libraries: Library Technology and Planning for Change.” Bulletin of the American Society
of Information Science and Technology Oct/Nov 2004. 20 Jan. 2006 Oct-04/maloney.html>.
OCLC E-Learning Task Force. “Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning.” Oct. 2003. OCLC. 20 Jan. 2006
.
New Media Consortium & EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative. “The Horizon Report: 2006 Edition.” 31 Jan., 2006.
New Media Consortium. .
Portal Webliography. Ed. Eric Lease Morgan. 21 Nov. 2001. Infomotions. 20 Jan., 2006
.


Slide 41

Reconstituting Library Services
for E-Learning Portals
Joy Muller, Jane Foo
OLA 2006 Superconference
February 2, 2006

Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Overview
Our Goals
The Portal
The Environment
Politics and Partnerships
Implementation Notes
Demo
Last Words
Comments and Questions

To Reconstitute
To bring a dried or dehydrated product to its original
consistency by adding a liquid
http://www.tyson.com/UserControls/ViewTerms.aspx

Construct or form anew or provide with a new structure;
"The governing board was reconstituted"
http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

 Let’s repackage what we can offer into
“products” that can be more easily accessed and
used by our students and faculty.

E-Learning
Covers a wide set of applications and processes
such as Web based learning, computer based
learning, virtual classrooms, and digital
collaboration.
http://www.cybermediacrations.com/elearning/glossary.htm

“Searching for a permanent, comfortable and
serviceable position that is nimble enough to be
flexible, accessible and continually up to date
with the wider ‘university’ structure”
OCLC Task Force Report on Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning

Seneca College
Mission Statement and Vision
To contribute to Canadian society by being a
transformation leader in providing students
with career-related education and training.
Our vision is to lead:








in Student Success
In Access to Higher Education
In Learning
In Applied Research
In Innovation
In our Commitment to People
In our Commitment to Diversity and Equity in Employment

E-Learning – Goals
Enrich & support pedagogy
Accessibility of learning materials and
support

Support students in life-long learning
Intra and inter school and institutional
sharing of course materials

Contribution to public knowledge

Portal
A Web based tool that provides a
customizable interface to information
aggregated from a variety of sources.
Krisellen Maloney, ASIS Bulletin

Lorcan Dempsey: p-portals and m-portals
The Recombinant Library: Portals and People

The college portal plays an important part in the
students’ academic tasks
 Focus on integrating with the user flow
 Personal Learning Landscape

The Portal: MySeneca Usage
In a 7 day period during the first 2 weeks of
this semester:
16.5 million hits occurred on My.Seneca.
42,158 announcements were viewed through the "My.Seneca Announcements" module.
62,871 student Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
11,511 staff Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
5,213 edits occurred to personalize specific modules.
9,775 changes were made to portal pages contents.
4,803 changes were made to portal layout of modules.

Licensed Digital Databases
ENCompass for
Digital Collections
::Create & manage
digital assets

Linkfinder Plus

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

::Directly access
full-text content
across
various
sources

Link
Resolver

Ask Us
Now

Ask Us Now
::Chat and interact with a
librarian online

Remote
Access

ENCompass for
Resource
Federated
Access
::Find published
articles & digital
objects via one
search

::Access and search for published content in
electronic form

e-Journals

Search
ILS

Library Catalogue
::Look up books, print periodicals, videos, DVDs, CDs

EZProxy
::Access any
restricted
resources
off-campus

Serials
Solutions
::Find an electronic
journal, magazine or
newspaper

Community
System
Learning
System

?

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

The Portal: Structure & Support
Seneca College
IT Council

Information
Technology &
Telecommunications

Portal
Committee

BB Admin
& Support

Office of
Research
& Innovation
Academic
e-Learning
Liaison

Seneca
Libraries

Deans
& Chairs

e-Learning
Centres

Faculty

The Portal: MySeneca History
September 2000:
Launch of BlackBoard
CMS (Version 4)

January 2002:
Launch of My.Seneca

December 2000:

Spring 2003:

First Portal
Committee Meeting

Load issues after
upgrade to BB 6

August 2005:
October
2004:
Launch of
Employee
Portal

Launch of first nonITT Student
Services Tab

Summer 2001:
First draft of
student portal (with
library portal)

October 2000:
First demo of library
material in BB

November 2004:
First discussions
about a library portal

December 2004:
Access to library
module admin

April 2005:
Library development
tab and modules

Why:
“Information literacy should not be
considered a given, even among “net-gen”
students .… Techniques for finding and
assessing relevant information from the
array of resources available … are crucial,
especially in light of the rising trend toward
collaborative work.”
The Horizon Report, 2006 Edition.

Our Goal

The Portal: The Library’s Plan
Determine targeted user group
Develop timelines
Funding/Resource Requirements
Methodology
Training
Marketing

MyLibrary Justification
More services & greater integration
Improved awareness of our resources
Improved access to our resources
Customizability
Greater efficiency
Demand for sound pedagogy
Librarians excel at collaboration
Environmental need to enhance skill sets
Provision of successful lifelong learning skills

Getting College Buy-In
Partnerships/Politics
Agenda
Presentation
Approval process

Library and Collaboration
Technology skills
Access
Impact
“Collaboration is related to innovation. There
would be significant gains in Canada’s
innovation performance if we were to increase
the level of collaboration.”
Conference Board of Canada

Implementing Reconstitution
The Approach
Content and Functionality
Technical Information

Limitations

What is Our Approach, Anyway?
Low-Fi and Iterative
User-centred
Staff-driven
Keeping the “big picture” in mind
No wheel re-invention
Dynamic content wherever possible
(“just text” is boring)
Focus on what we want, then on what
we can / are allowed do

Let’s Plan!
Content Chunking
What is “Chunking”?
= breaking down information into its smallest manageable
components (content unit).
Guidelines





One functionality (service) or content per “chunk”
The service / content has to be able to stand on its own.
Plan for a “chunk” size that is suitable for width and height constraints.
Limit navigation by keeping the “chunk” content within it wherever
possible. Avoid linking to other services / content.

Deliverables
A list of proposed “chunks” with label and the intended audience.

Chunking Example

Review & Select
… We ended up with 46 suggested modules!
Module Prioritization & Layout
• Default vs. Optional
• Left Navigation Links
vs. Modules
• Roles
• Type of Module

We narrowed down the selections to 5 left navigation
links and 26 priority 1 and 2 modules…

Module Candidates
Priority 1: Required Content
Academic Honesty
Virtual Reference (Ask Us Now)
Contact Information
Copyright
Remote Access Instructions
Library Instruction and Course
Support
Citing Sources (MLA, APA)
Article Databases & Express Article
Search
Library Catalogue Search
Subject Guides
Library News
My Library Account

Priority 2: Optional Content
Quick Reference Tools: Dictionaries ,
Encyclopedias, Almanacs /
Factbooks, Maps & Atlases,
Directories
Collection Development
Faculty Manuals
Audio-Visual Services: Videos &
DVDs
AV Services: Electronic Classrooms
AV Services: Equipment
Find a Journal (A-Z Search)
Research by Course
Library Forms
Information for Students
New Books

Priority 3: Want-to-Haves
 Group Study Room Bookings
 My eJournals & eBooks
 My Databases

Module Design & Layout

Very limited design possibilities





Frame
Left Navigation Bar (Links)
2-column versus 1-column
module colours and borders

Re-cyle and Re-use
Existing Modules
• Library/AV Modules
• Seneca Custom
Modules (Weblinks,
Toronto Weather,
Announcements)
• Pre-built RSS feeds
• Online Reference Tools
(search, dictionary,
maps, weather, quotes)
• Time Magazine

Pre-built Content …

Our
demo
version
so far

Technicalities…
Standards: CSS, HTML, Accessibility
Roles
Frame Environment
Modules Type: HTML, Weblinks, RSS
Custom-Programming: BB Building
Blocks – web app package consisting
of JSP and XML files
Portal System = Courseware System
No integration with Content System


Find Books,
Videos & DVDs



<script type="text/javascript">



Internal Constraints
No JSP expertise & IDE; no access to Oracle
No access to “Live” Modules on production
Development server is not synched with
production server
Lack of procedures and policies
Lack of pre-developed customizable modules
(e.g., for RSS)
List of modules cannot be re-organized
No separation of content and formatting
(only one external CSS file)

Community
System
Digital
Collections

Learning
System

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

Alternative Paths:
Persistent Links in Course Content,
Course Pages, Referatory, Course
Integrator, eReserves

If We Did it Again…Lessons Learned
Plan for a departmental/external
programming (funding implications)
Ask more questions
Define / Agree on policies and
procedures
Get involved as soon as possible
Be patient

Still to Do
Show demo tab to Portal Committee
Release new tab to staff and faculty
for feedback and review
Prepare for training, education and
marketing
Work on a new collaborative
agreement with ITT to speed up
development time

Future Goals
Usability testing
Much more personalization: XML
records of ejournals and ebooks, new
books, staff etc. should allow far more
personalization options!
More integration with Courseware and
Content System
Focus on content management

Thank you. Any Questions?
Joy Muller
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x3042

Jane Foo
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x2011
senlibjane (Yahoo), [email protected] (MSN),
313050248 (ICQ)
Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Works Cited
Boss, Richard W. “Library Portals”. Tech Notes. Mar. 2005. American Library Assn. 19 Jan., 2006
.
CARL E-Learning Working Group. “Libraries and E-Learning.” Nov. 2005. Canadian Assn. of Research Libraries.
.

Dempsey, Lorcan. “The Recombinant Library: Portals and People.” Sept. 2003. OCLC.
.
Maloney, Krisellen. “Portals in Libraries: Library Technology and Planning for Change.” Bulletin of the American Society
of Information Science and Technology Oct/Nov 2004. 20 Jan. 2006 Oct-04/maloney.html>.
OCLC E-Learning Task Force. “Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning.” Oct. 2003. OCLC. 20 Jan. 2006
.
New Media Consortium & EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative. “The Horizon Report: 2006 Edition.” 31 Jan., 2006.
New Media Consortium. .
Portal Webliography. Ed. Eric Lease Morgan. 21 Nov. 2001. Infomotions. 20 Jan., 2006
.


Slide 42

Reconstituting Library Services
for E-Learning Portals
Joy Muller, Jane Foo
OLA 2006 Superconference
February 2, 2006

Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Overview
Our Goals
The Portal
The Environment
Politics and Partnerships
Implementation Notes
Demo
Last Words
Comments and Questions

To Reconstitute
To bring a dried or dehydrated product to its original
consistency by adding a liquid
http://www.tyson.com/UserControls/ViewTerms.aspx

Construct or form anew or provide with a new structure;
"The governing board was reconstituted"
http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

 Let’s repackage what we can offer into
“products” that can be more easily accessed and
used by our students and faculty.

E-Learning
Covers a wide set of applications and processes
such as Web based learning, computer based
learning, virtual classrooms, and digital
collaboration.
http://www.cybermediacrations.com/elearning/glossary.htm

“Searching for a permanent, comfortable and
serviceable position that is nimble enough to be
flexible, accessible and continually up to date
with the wider ‘university’ structure”
OCLC Task Force Report on Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning

Seneca College
Mission Statement and Vision
To contribute to Canadian society by being a
transformation leader in providing students
with career-related education and training.
Our vision is to lead:








in Student Success
In Access to Higher Education
In Learning
In Applied Research
In Innovation
In our Commitment to People
In our Commitment to Diversity and Equity in Employment

E-Learning – Goals
Enrich & support pedagogy
Accessibility of learning materials and
support

Support students in life-long learning
Intra and inter school and institutional
sharing of course materials

Contribution to public knowledge

Portal
A Web based tool that provides a
customizable interface to information
aggregated from a variety of sources.
Krisellen Maloney, ASIS Bulletin

Lorcan Dempsey: p-portals and m-portals
The Recombinant Library: Portals and People

The college portal plays an important part in the
students’ academic tasks
 Focus on integrating with the user flow
 Personal Learning Landscape

The Portal: MySeneca Usage
In a 7 day period during the first 2 weeks of
this semester:
16.5 million hits occurred on My.Seneca.
42,158 announcements were viewed through the "My.Seneca Announcements" module.
62,871 student Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
11,511 staff Webmail accesses occurred through the
"My.Seneca - Webmail" module.
5,213 edits occurred to personalize specific modules.
9,775 changes were made to portal pages contents.
4,803 changes were made to portal layout of modules.

Licensed Digital Databases
ENCompass for
Digital Collections
::Create & manage
digital assets

Linkfinder Plus

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

::Directly access
full-text content
across
various
sources

Link
Resolver

Ask Us
Now

Ask Us Now
::Chat and interact with a
librarian online

Remote
Access

ENCompass for
Resource
Federated
Access
::Find published
articles & digital
objects via one
search

::Access and search for published content in
electronic form

e-Journals

Search
ILS

Library Catalogue
::Look up books, print periodicals, videos, DVDs, CDs

EZProxy
::Access any
restricted
resources
off-campus

Serials
Solutions
::Find an electronic
journal, magazine or
newspaper

Community
System
Learning
System

?

Digital
Collections

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

The Portal: Structure & Support
Seneca College
IT Council

Information
Technology &
Telecommunications

Portal
Committee

BB Admin
& Support

Office of
Research
& Innovation
Academic
e-Learning
Liaison

Seneca
Libraries

Deans
& Chairs

e-Learning
Centres

Faculty

The Portal: MySeneca History
September 2000:
Launch of BlackBoard
CMS (Version 4)

January 2002:
Launch of My.Seneca

December 2000:

Spring 2003:

First Portal
Committee Meeting

Load issues after
upgrade to BB 6

August 2005:
October
2004:
Launch of
Employee
Portal

Launch of first nonITT Student
Services Tab

Summer 2001:
First draft of
student portal (with
library portal)

October 2000:
First demo of library
material in BB

November 2004:
First discussions
about a library portal

December 2004:
Access to library
module admin

April 2005:
Library development
tab and modules

Why:
“Information literacy should not be
considered a given, even among “net-gen”
students .… Techniques for finding and
assessing relevant information from the
array of resources available … are crucial,
especially in light of the rising trend toward
collaborative work.”
The Horizon Report, 2006 Edition.

Our Goal

The Portal: The Library’s Plan
Determine targeted user group
Develop timelines
Funding/Resource Requirements
Methodology
Training
Marketing

MyLibrary Justification
More services & greater integration
Improved awareness of our resources
Improved access to our resources
Customizability
Greater efficiency
Demand for sound pedagogy
Librarians excel at collaboration
Environmental need to enhance skill sets
Provision of successful lifelong learning skills

Getting College Buy-In
Partnerships/Politics
Agenda
Presentation
Approval process

Library and Collaboration
Technology skills
Access
Impact
“Collaboration is related to innovation. There
would be significant gains in Canada’s
innovation performance if we were to increase
the level of collaboration.”
Conference Board of Canada

Implementing Reconstitution
The Approach
Content and Functionality
Technical Information

Limitations

What is Our Approach, Anyway?
Low-Fi and Iterative
User-centred
Staff-driven
Keeping the “big picture” in mind
No wheel re-invention
Dynamic content wherever possible
(“just text” is boring)
Focus on what we want, then on what
we can / are allowed do

Let’s Plan!
Content Chunking
What is “Chunking”?
= breaking down information into its smallest manageable
components (content unit).
Guidelines





One functionality (service) or content per “chunk”
The service / content has to be able to stand on its own.
Plan for a “chunk” size that is suitable for width and height constraints.
Limit navigation by keeping the “chunk” content within it wherever
possible. Avoid linking to other services / content.

Deliverables
A list of proposed “chunks” with label and the intended audience.

Chunking Example

Review & Select
… We ended up with 46 suggested modules!
Module Prioritization & Layout
• Default vs. Optional
• Left Navigation Links
vs. Modules
• Roles
• Type of Module

We narrowed down the selections to 5 left navigation
links and 26 priority 1 and 2 modules…

Module Candidates
Priority 1: Required Content
Academic Honesty
Virtual Reference (Ask Us Now)
Contact Information
Copyright
Remote Access Instructions
Library Instruction and Course
Support
Citing Sources (MLA, APA)
Article Databases & Express Article
Search
Library Catalogue Search
Subject Guides
Library News
My Library Account

Priority 2: Optional Content
Quick Reference Tools: Dictionaries ,
Encyclopedias, Almanacs /
Factbooks, Maps & Atlases,
Directories
Collection Development
Faculty Manuals
Audio-Visual Services: Videos &
DVDs
AV Services: Electronic Classrooms
AV Services: Equipment
Find a Journal (A-Z Search)
Research by Course
Library Forms
Information for Students
New Books

Priority 3: Want-to-Haves
 Group Study Room Bookings
 My eJournals & eBooks
 My Databases

Module Design & Layout

Very limited design possibilities





Frame
Left Navigation Bar (Links)
2-column versus 1-column
module colours and borders

Re-cyle and Re-use
Existing Modules
• Library/AV Modules
• Seneca Custom
Modules (Weblinks,
Toronto Weather,
Announcements)
• Pre-built RSS feeds
• Online Reference Tools
(search, dictionary,
maps, weather, quotes)
• Time Magazine

Pre-built Content …

Our
demo
version
so far

Technicalities…
Standards: CSS, HTML, Accessibility
Roles
Frame Environment
Modules Type: HTML, Weblinks, RSS
Custom-Programming: BB Building
Blocks – web app package consisting
of JSP and XML files
Portal System = Courseware System
No integration with Content System


Find Books,
Videos & DVDs



<script type="text/javascript">



Internal Constraints
No JSP expertise & IDE; no access to Oracle
No access to “Live” Modules on production
Development server is not synched with
production server
Lack of procedures and policies
Lack of pre-developed customizable modules
(e.g., for RSS)
List of modules cannot be re-organized
No separation of content and formatting
(only one external CSS file)

Community
System
Digital
Collections

Learning
System

Licensed
Digital
Databases

Link
Resolver

Remote
Access

Federated
Search

Content
System

Ask Us
Now

e-Journals

ILS

Alternative Paths:
Persistent Links in Course Content,
Course Pages, Referatory, Course
Integrator, eReserves

If We Did it Again…Lessons Learned
Plan for a departmental/external
programming (funding implications)
Ask more questions
Define / Agree on policies and
procedures
Get involved as soon as possible
Be patient

Still to Do
Show demo tab to Portal Committee
Release new tab to staff and faculty
for feedback and review
Prepare for training, education and
marketing
Work on a new collaborative
agreement with ITT to speed up
development time

Future Goals
Usability testing
Much more personalization: XML
records of ejournals and ebooks, new
books, staff etc. should allow far more
personalization options!
More integration with Courseware and
Content System
Focus on content management

Thank you. Any Questions?
Joy Muller
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x3042

Jane Foo
[email protected]
416-491-5050 x2011
senlibjane (Yahoo), [email protected] (MSN),
313050248 (ICQ)
Presentation available at:
http://people.senecac.on.ca/jane.foo/Presentations/OLA2006_portals.pps

Works Cited
Boss, Richard W. “Library Portals”. Tech Notes. Mar. 2005. American Library Assn. 19 Jan., 2006
.
CARL E-Learning Working Group. “Libraries and E-Learning.” Nov. 2005. Canadian Assn. of Research Libraries.
.

Dempsey, Lorcan. “The Recombinant Library: Portals and People.” Sept. 2003. OCLC.
.
Maloney, Krisellen. “Portals in Libraries: Library Technology and Planning for Change.” Bulletin of the American Society
of Information Science and Technology Oct/Nov 2004. 20 Jan. 2006 Oct-04/maloney.html>.
OCLC E-Learning Task Force. “Libraries and the Enhancement of E-Learning.” Oct. 2003. OCLC. 20 Jan. 2006
.
New Media Consortium & EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative. “The Horizon Report: 2006 Edition.” 31 Jan., 2006.
New Media Consortium. .
Portal Webliography. Ed. Eric Lease Morgan. 21 Nov. 2001. Infomotions. 20 Jan., 2006
.


Find Books,
Videos & DVDs