Transcript The Changing Nature of the Catalogue and Its Integration with Other Discovery Tools Karen Calhoun OLA Super Conference, Session 403 February 1, 2007

The Changing Nature of the
Catalogue and Its Integration with
Other Discovery Tools
Karen Calhoun
OLA Super Conference, Session 403
February 1, 2007
The Catalogue= The First SelfService Information Tool
The Way We Worked
Books
Journals
Newspapers
Gov docs
Maps
Scores
AV
Dissertations
Library catalogs
Special
collections
Manuscripts
Papers
Univ records
Archives
Journal
articles
Conference
proceedings
Etc.
Abstracting &
Indexing services
Libraries Today
 Starting points:
Technology-driven research, teaching and
learning
User self-sufficiency (decrease in guided
access to content)
Global “infosphere”
Accelerating shift in information seekers’
preferences for Web-based information and
multimedia formats
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A New Kind of Information Seeker
 Even more self-sufficient
 “Most respondents indicated they have not sought help (64
percent) when using library resources”—OCLC report on
perceptions of libraries, 2005
 On Web
 Popular search engine traffic in November 2005: 5.15 BILLION
searches (& Google out front)
 Expect seamless linking & instant gratification
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Loans (All Types) – University of Toronto
Central Libraries
Down
30%
since
1995/96
2.6
million
2004/05
Source: http://main.library.utoronto.ca/annualreport/2005/
table1b-collection-use-library-system.pdf
A New Kind of Library
 Build a vision of a new
kind of library
 Examine assumptions
 Be more involved with
research and learning
materials and systems
 Move to next generation
systems and services
 Make library collections
and librarians more
visible
An online social network
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LC Action Item 6.4: “Support research and
development on the changing nature of the
catalog to include consideration of a
framework for its integration with other
discovery tools.”
Calhoun, Karen. The Changing Nature of the Catalog and Its Integration
with Other Discovery Tools. Washington, DC: Library of Congress, 17
March 2006. http://www.loc.gov/catdir/calhoun-report-final.pdf
Objectives
 Examine the issues broadly (in major research
libraries)
 Describe current situation
 Assess obstacles and feasibility
 Create a vision and (actionable) blueprint for
change
 Produce a report to elicit dialogue, collaboration,
and movement
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Methodology
Interdisciplinary literature review
Structured interviews
23 noted library and information science
professionals
A business perspective
Product life cycle
Competitive strategy
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Public Choice
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Some “vigorous” comments
“Fasten your seatbelts,
it’s going to be a
bumpy ride”—All
About Eve
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The Decline of the Catalog
 Users taking the bypass
 89% of college students say they begin with search engines vs
2% with library Web pages
 One piece of a fragmented library information
landscape (and hard to use!)
 Principle of Least Effort
 Metasearch in trouble
 Cataloging tradition unsustainable
 “Just how much do we need to continue to spend on carefully
constructed catalogs?”—Deanna Marcum, LC Associate
Librarian
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The Catalog in Context, 1
Online catalogs
represent one
node in the
scholar’s
information
universe
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The Catalog in Context, 2
As information systems, catalogs
are hard to use
How OPACs Suck, Part 3:
The Big Picture
Posted on 05/20/2006
at 10:57:26 AM
by Karen G. Schneider
http://www.techsource.ala.org/blog/2006/05/
how-opacs-suck-part-3-the-big-picture.html
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The Catalog in Context, 3
New initiatives vie
for resources
(both human and
financial) devoted
to producing
catalogs
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From Dempsey, Lorcan et al. 2005. “Metadata switch.” In E-Scholarship: A LITA
Guide (Chicago: LITA).
Challenges Facing Cataloging
Affordability and
Scalability
Expense of cataloging
Rapid growth of Web resources and
digital assets
Need more than descriptive metadata
Interoperability issues
Competition for
Resources to Develop
New Library Services
Shrinking tech services departments
Streamlining tech services workflows
Increasing use of external sources of
data; automated cataloging methods
Changes in InformationSeeking Behavior
Preference for online information
Reliance on simple keyword search
Decline of subject searching
Expectation of seamless linking
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Challenges Facing Cataloging, Continued
Availability of Catalog
Librarians
LIS grads not choosing cataloging
Graying of the library profession
(demographics)
Significance of the
Catalog
Catalog is one part of a much larger
infosphere
Many new types of scholarly
information objects not covered by
catalog
Future of Individual
Library Catalogs
Less emphasis on one catalog per
library
Shift toward multiple catalogs
appearing as one catalog; shared
catalogs; catalogs interwoven into the
Web (Open WorldCat, worldcat.org,
former RedLightGreen)
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But … Don’t Cry for Me Argentina!
The Continuing Importance of the Catalog
 Books and serials
are not dead, and
they are not yet
digital
 ARL libraries spent
the lion’s share of
US$665 million on
books and serials
in 2004
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The legacy of the world’s
library collections is tied
to the future of catalogs
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What To Do About It
Revitalize:
1. Develop new uses for catalog data
2. Find new users for the existing product
3. Find new uses and new users
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New
New users,
Existing uses
Examples:
-Programs for freshmen
-“Push” to course
Web pages
New users,
New uses
Examples:
-Mass digitization
-Large scale integration with
other systems
-Universal access
USERS
Existing users,
Existing uses
Examples:
-Minor enhancement to
existing catalogs
Existing users,
New uses
Examples:
-E-journal discovery
-Subject pathfinders
-Export to bibliographic
management software
Existing
New
USES
Innovations and Cost Reductions
 Much better linkages: ingest, convert, extract,
transfer
 Interoperate
 Simplify & exploit all sources of catalog data
 Eliminate custom practices
 Automate and streamline workflows
 Explore automatic classification, subject analysis;
reengineer and automate LCSH practice
 Mine catalog data for new uses; experiment with
FRBR (Functional Requirements for Bibliographic
Records)
LEAD
EXPAND
EXTEND
Mass
collections
& catalogs
Digitize
Open access
Participate in the
substitute industry
“Thirty-two Options &
Three Strategies”—
A Radical Abridgement
Invest in shared catalogs
Link pools of scholarly data
Seek partners
Improve the user’s experience
Greatly enhance delivery (fast!)
Standards development/compliance
Recycle and reuse catalog data
Innovate and reduce costs
Improving the User’s Experience:
Cover Art, TOC, Reviews
NC State University’s Endeca-Powered Catalog
Expand - CalCat
Social Tagging
Stones (Boulders) In the Road
 Many are not ready for change of the magnitude
required
 Progress toward interoperability is slow
 Copyright law has not caught up with the digital
world
 Precedents for large-scale collaboration are few
 There may not be enough money
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Vision for Change
 Integrating catalogs
with other discovery
tools will boost
scholarly productivity
to new levels
 Cataloging practice
will be sustainable
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Thank You!
Karen Calhoun, Cornell University
Library
[email protected]
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