McDreamy OPAC:

Creating a Vision for Next Generation Search Tools

Is McDreamy

the missing link?

YES!

TechTechnology Implementation

More choices than ever

• Enriched Data Options

• Non-ILS dependent platforms

• Content Management / Open Source

• Customization

• In a dream world, standards adoption

What does this mean?

Search is no longer entirely dependent on

the core ILS architecture.

Making YOUR VISION very important!

I wish our OPAC were

more like_______, because

_________________.

“… more like Amazon because browsing is personalized.” Jessi Crim-Weithman, Associate Director of Support Services. Westerville Public Library.

westervillelibrary.org

“… more like iTunes for merchandising and content downloading.Jessi Crim-Weithman, Associate Director of Support Services. Westerville Public Library.

westervillelibrary.org

… and iTunes results are visual.

Jessi Crim-Weithman, Associate Director of Support Services. Westerville Public Library.

westervillelibrary.org

Jessi Crim-Weithman, Associate Director of Support Services. Westerville Public Library.

westervillelibrary.org

“…more like Nordstrom because it’s fun.”

Jessi Crim-Weithman, Associate Director of Support Services. Westerville Public Library.

westervillelibrary.org

“…more like Ann Taylor Loft because it is practical.”

Jessi Crim-Weithman, Associate Director of Support Services. Westerville Public Library.

westervillelibrary.org

“…more like Good Reads, Library Thing, Amazon, and iTunes because they build community based on reading!”

Library Searching History

Jessi Crim-Weithman, Associate Director of Support Services. Westerville Public Library.

westervillelibrary.org

Dewey Decimal System

Web OPAC

Dial-up Access

The Card Catalog

Reader’s Guide

Text-Based OPACMARC

LC Subject Headings

Federated Search

Have we come far enough?

Jessi Crim-Weithman, Associate Director of Support Services. Westerville Public Library.

westervillelibrary.org

“The price-to-computing-power ratio has changed so dramatically since the 1970s, when the technology in today’s 8GB iPod would have cost $100 million, that new classes of database are possible now that were inconceivable then.”

Endeca’s White Paper on Information Access Platformendeca.com/resources/pdf/Endeca_IAP_white_paper.pdf

Defining the

Search Discovery Platforms• Relevance and Boosting• Tag Clouds or Associations• Facets• Refinement vs. Discovery• Content Harvesting• Indexing of purchased content• Social Networking: Customer Tagging /

Reviews based on own users or a larger community

• Data server

The Marketplace

Search Discovery Platforms• Endeca, ProFind

• North Carolina State U, www.lib.ncsu.edu/catalog

• Aquabrowser, MediaLab Solutions/TLC (2004)• Queen’s Public, www.queenslibrary.org• Columbus Metropolitan, catalog.columbuslibrary.org

• Encore, III (2006)• Westerville Public, www.westervillelibrary.org

• World Cat Local, OCLC (2006)• Washington State U, www.lib.washington.edu

• Primo, Ex Libris (2007)• Vanderbilt U, discoverlibrary.vanderbilt.edu/

The Marketplace

Wide Spread Adoption

nearly 2000

100 plus

Marketplace Explosion

2008

The Marketplace

2008 Big Changes• Encore releases 2.0

• Westerville Public, westervillelibrary.org/encore• University of Nebraska-Lincon, iris.unl.edu/

• TLC ends relationship with Aquabrowser• Aquabrowser partners with Library Thing on

My Discoveries• Muncie Public, www.munpl.org/• Croyden College, intranet.croydon.ac.uk/~vrcentre/index.htm

• Serials Solutions picks up Aquabrowser academic sales

The Marketplace

2008 Introductions• VTLS announces Visualizer, January 2008

• National Library of Ireland, coming soon.

• Follett releases Destiny Quest, June 2008• Creekview High School, GA

http://mediacenter.cherokee.k12.ga.us/

• TLC announces Indigo• SirsiDynix announces Enterprise

• San Diego Public Library, coming soon.

The Marketplace

Quasi-Discovery Platforms• Open source: Koha, LibLime

• Athens Co Public, search.athenscounty.lib.oh.us

• Enhanced Traditional OPACs• Polaris PowerPac, catalog.knox.net

• Content Management Powered• Ann Arbor District Library, www.aadl.org/catalog

• Homegrown solutions• Miami U’s Solrpac, beta.lib.muohio.edu• Villanova U’s VUFind, library.villanova.edu/Find

Considerations

Search Discovery Platforms• Data servers vs. real-time

• Account integration

• Customization options

• Cost

• Enriched content

Trends to Watch• Chat integration

• Topeka and Shawnee County Public, catalog.tscpl.org

• Enhanced data: Syndetics ICE, LTFL, Video Detective, Brodart’s Web Links, Flickr APIs…

• Widgets• FRBR

• Amazon gets it!• Salt Lake County Public, www.slco.lib.ut.us• Carroll County Public, aqua.carr.org

• Mobile device support• Library Thing, www.librarything.com/mobile-tester

• Deliverable content• NetFlix• The iPod/iTouch/iPhone, the Kindle, what’s next?

It’s time to starting

Jessi Crim-Weithman, Associate Director of Support Services. Westerville Public Library.

westervillelibrary.org

McDREAMING

Ingredients to Cooking up a Vision• Know the user

• Understand search/library history

• Understand current state

• Trend watch and play, play, play!

Art of InnovationTom Kelley

The Deep Dive Nightline, ABC News, July 13, 1999

“The best way to get a good idea is to get a lot of ideas."

-Linus Pauling

Who are your users?

Creating Personas

• Data Mining

• Surveying users

• Watching users

• Interview front-line staff

Who are your users?

Stuart, the Student

Biology Undergraduate, 2nd year

Not used the library on his own for finding information (Mom was big help in HS)

Avid ScienceFiction Reader

Tends to buy, not borrow (loves Amazon, loathes the college book store)

Jane, Housewife/Consultant

Three kids: 8, 5, 3Visit library weekly for storytimes and homework help

Started using library with kids

Power computer user: blogs on family and photography

Consults in the design industry

Kent, Retired Dentist

Life-long library user (fondly remembers the card catalog)

Wants to start a small retirement business venture

Hobbies include boating and fishing

Uses computer for emailing grandkids (Oh, and the library online catalog)

Need more help?

Possible Vendors

• Design/Discovery Firms

• Usability Firms

• Contract/RFP Experts

• Development/Coders

• ILS

Need more help?

Library Vendor Relationship • Before you sign

• Development partner

• Beta tester

Describe your McDreamy OPAC,

in a single word… (Okay, let’s go with 3 words!)

FINDABILITY, FUN,

DELIVERY

Oh, and please, please,

please…

Thank you!

Jessi Crim-Weithman

Associate Director of Support Services

Westerville Public Library

126 S. State St., Westerville, OH 43081

Email: Jessi at westervillelibrary.org

Blog: www.mommylibrarian.com