Lists, Catalogs and Portals: Models and Tools for E-Resource Access

Karen Calhoun, Associate University Librarian for Technical Services, Cornell University Library LLNE Spring Meeting April 30, 2004

What’s the Problem?

      What does the library “hold”?

Multiple places to look Confusing Poor leverage of investment in aggregations High labor costs Less than optimal service 30 Apr 2004 Calhoun, LLNE 2

What Do Users Want?

•Faculty and students do more

work and study away from campus

•Loyal to the library, but library is

only one element in complex information structure

•Print still important, but almost

half of undergraduates say they rely exclusively or almost exclusively on electronic materials

•Seamless linking from one

information object to another is expected Do you use electronic sources all of the time, most of the time, some of the time, or none of the time?

60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% All of the time/most of the time Some of the time

Responses

None of the time Faculty/Graduate Undergrad 30 Apr 2004 Calhoun, LLNE 3

Toward a New Library Information Space



Objectives

   Unite print, digital and e collections Integrate access to

all

library resources Simplify digital and e resource management (lower costs AND improve service) 

Methods and tools

   Web-accessible lists New role for catalogs Portals   Reference linking (OpenURL) E-resource management systems 30 Apr 2004 Calhoun, LLNE 4

What’s An Aggregation?

    Collection of publications in electronic form Differ in size, content “Vanilla” “Tutti fruitti surprise” 30 Apr 2004 Calhoun, LLNE 5

Types of Aggregators

 Hosting service for publishers  Databases of full text (and citations/abstracts)

Business Source Premier

 Gateways 30 Apr 2004 Calhoun, LLNE 6

Why Are They Here To Stay?

    One selection, one contract, many titles Same scripting and security requirements One interface, many titles Library users WANT THEM 30 Apr 2004 Calhoun, LLNE 7

Levels of Access

    Web-accessible lists    Browsing Searching Both Online catalog Portals Reference linking 30 Apr 2004 Calhoun, LLNE 8

Web-accessible Lists: Homegrown, Serials Solutions+ example

Another Web-accessible list: Database-driven, Serials Solutions+ example 30 Apr 2004 Calhoun, LLNE 10

Another Web-accessible list: Serials Solutions straight up 30 Apr 2004 Calhoun, LLNE 11

Online Catalog Access: Single Record Technique

Online Catalog Access: Separate Record Technique

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What’s a Portal?

 A tool for “organized knowledge discovery”  LCPAIG: http://www.loc.gov/catdir/lcpaig/Portal FunctionalitiesList4PublicComment1st7 22-03.html#portalsfunctionalities 30 Apr 2004 Calhoun, LLNE 14

The Dream: A Unifying System Model

Unified Web Interface (“Google-like”) Authentication layer Portal: an Integrating System Other Libraries Catalogs Local Library Catalog Digital Collections Licensed Databases Many diverse, separate interfaces Other (e.g.,DSpace)

What’s a Portal (Continued)

      Help users easily discover what resources are available Help users discover what resources are most useful for their topics Provide parallel searching of multiple resources at the same time Integrate and manage search results Link search results to full text Authenticate and authorize or block user access 30 Apr 2004 Calhoun, LLNE 16

Cornell’s Portal Implementation: Part Migration, Part New Functionality EXISTING: “FIND DATABASES” & “FIND E JOURNALS”  Search e-Reference metadata  Go to database from search results    Browse by subject Authenticate users for restricted resources Search for e-journal titles PLUS: “FIND ARTICLES”    Search at article level Simultaneous search across multiple databases Reference linking 30 Apr 2004 Calhoun, LLNE 17

Article Level Federated Searching - 1

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Article Level Federated Searching - 2

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Article Level Federated Searching - 3

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Article Level Federated Searching - 4

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Reference Linking

 Major domain for innovation  Users expect fully linked information environment  Partnerships between content providers, database producers, and library system vendors  Catalog represents one element of the interlinked environment 30 Apr 2004 Calhoun, LLNE 22

Reference Linking - 1

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Reference Linking - 2

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Reference Linking - 3

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Reference Linking - 4

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Reference Linking - 5

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OpenURL

< URL >

http://128.84.158.87:8888/lfp/LinkFin derPlus/Display?&aulast=Przyblyski&atitle= Revolution+at+a+Standstill%3A+Photograph y+and+the+Paris+Commune+of+1871&title =Yale+French+Studies&volume=101&issn=0 044-0078&spage=54&date=2001&pages=54 78&stitle=YFS

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Open Linking & Link Resolvers

   A link resolver accepts metadata (an OpenURL) from a source and presents links based on logic and business rules administered locally It knows what the user has access to Relies on “knowledge base” 30 Apr 2004 Calhoun, LLNE 29

Open Linking & Link Resolvers

Open linking introduces a “resolver” into the linking process Metadata Source

Link Resolver

Full Text OPAC

OpenURL

standardizes this part of the communication ILL

Federated search: what’s missing

      Response time comparatively slow Practical limits to number of databases that can be:  Configured for searching  Searched at once Incomplete search results (also due to practical limits) Lack of control over what is returned in search result sets Order of search results displays not as useful as they should be Other limitations on what can (or can’t) be displayed 30 Apr 2004 Calhoun, LLNE 31

Limitations of Reference Linking

         No link resolver and library doesn’t have access to full text of journal Have link resolver, but knowledge base is incorrect or out of date Inconsistent metadata within a database and across databases Bad metadata Varied application of citation standards; non-use of citation standards Library has full text for journal but not the volume/issue the user wants Full text availability lags behind citation availability No alternative to “get full text” presented And on and on 30 Apr 2004 Calhoun, LLNE 32

Summary: Pros and Cons of 4 Levels of Access

Method/Tool

Web-accessible lists

Pros

 Many ways to produce one  Amenable to in-house solutions  Can use services like SerialsSolutions, Tdnet  Users like them, some say users prefer them

Cons

 Often incomplete  Have to look in multiple places for holdings info  Can require dual maintenance  Static lists can be hard to maintain  Access to journal only (not direct to articles) Catalog access (via single or separate record technique) Portal Reference linking   One place to look (provided all are cataloged) Many ways to find (title, keyword, subject)  Unified access to many discrete resources via one interface  Federated search saves time  Good for discovery  Access at article level  Can link search results to full text  This is how users want to work  Can be incomplete (if not all cataloged)  Can be expensive and slow  Access to journals only (not direct to articles)  Some users find catalog searching/records complex  Response time comparatively slow  Limits on number of databases that can be searched at once  Limits of number of hits returned (searches not comprehensive)  Same searches return different results from different databases  Order of search results displays not as useful as they should be  This is how users want to work, with fully interlinked info environment  Saves staff and user time  Easy and convenient  Can provide other services as well as full text linking  Can make print collection more visible  To maximize usefulness, need link resolver and knowledge base  OpenURLs don’t always work (see list in presentation)

What Do We Need to Do?

    Figure it out together: collaborate with selectors, acquisitions staff, reference staff, information technology staff Share the work with other libraries and other organizations Seek creative solutions; be nimble Libraries and librarians cannot win if they do not play 30 Apr 2004 Calhoun, LLNE 34

Riding the Strawberry Roan

He says this here's one pony that's never been rode, And the man that gets on him is bound to get throwed.

I got all het up and I asked what he'd pay To ride this old nag for a couple of days.

Well, he offered me ten, and I says, "I'm your man, For the bronc isn't living that I couldn't fan." He says, "Get your saddle, I'll give you the chance." So we hopped in his buckboard and rode to his ranch.

30 Apr 2004 Calhoun, LLNE 35

Bibliography

    Blake, Miriam and Frances Knudson. 2002. Metadata and reference linking. LCATS 26 (3): 219-230.

Breeding, Marshall. 2004. The many facets of managing electronic resources. Computers in libraries 24 (1): 25 Calhoun, Karen and Bill Kara. 2000. Aggregation or aggravation? Optimizing access to full text journals. ALCTS Newsletter Online 11 (1). Calhoun, Karen. 2004. E-journal access using the catalog, federated search, and reference linking systems. Background paper for CONSER Summit. http://www.loc.gov/acq/conser/catalo g-fedsearch-openURL.html

    Coombs, Karen A. 2004. Reaching the CROSSROADS of two lists for periodical holdings. Computers in libraries 24 (1): 14 Degon, John and Liz Maisey. 2003. Linking to full text: using Serials Solutions. Conference presentation. http://www.nelinet.net/edserv/conf/c ataloging/serials/assumpt.ppt

Friedlander, Amy. 2002. Dimensions and use of the scholarly information environment: introduction to a data set assembled by the Digital Library Federation and Outsell Inc. http://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/pub 110/contents.html

Meagher, Elizabeth S. and Christopher Brown. 2004. Gold Rush: integrated access to aggregated journal text through the OPAC. LRTS 48 (1): 69 76.