Cambridge University Library
New interfaces
The future of the OPAC
at Cambridge
Ed Chamberlain – Systems Librarian, University Library
Cambridge University Library
Overview
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Problems with current OPAC
We are not alone – how others feel
Wither the OPAC ?
New data standards
Resource discovery platforms
Cambridge University Library
Background
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Systems Librarian at the UL for the past 9 months…
Worked on the Newton ‘facelift’
Very frustrated by the lack of options for customisation
Limited in how we could meet people’s expectations for
a new OPAC
• Became aware of issues beyond the interface…
Cambridge University Library
Cambridge University Library
Cambridge University Library
Newton / Webvoyage
• No new LMS migration for sometime
• Nothing on market to justify pain of migration
• Out of all of the Voyager components, the OPAC
is the one showing its age the most
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Problems with the current OPAC
1) Architecture
• Several separate databases comprising Voyager
• Greater administrative overhead for ESS staff
• Cause problems with any future systems migration
• Universal Catalogue is ineffective at integrating the
separate record sets and providing consistently accurate
results
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Problems with the current OPAC
2) Interface quality
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Does not meet modern web standards
Lack of customisation options
Outdated conceptions about search workflows
Unable to easily share records and data with other
systems (Marc + Z39.50, no XML)
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Problems with the current OPAC
3) Digital material
• Libraries are now providing non-bibliographic resources
alongside traditional material:
– ejournals
– ebooks
– Reference and a&i databases
– DSpace holdings
• Metadata held and accessed in separate ‘silo’s’
Cambridge University Library
We are not alone – how others feel
Voyager users
• Other Voyager users report similar issues with their
OPAC’s
• Expecting a new OPAC two years ago…
• Delayed by the Ex-Libris / Endeavor merger
• Due as part of Voyager 7
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Voyager 7 update
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New version of Webvoyage as part of Voyager 7
Unlikely to be anything radically different
Hope for better quality interface
Problems with multiple databases, duplicate
records and record quality will still be present …
Cambridge University Library
We are not alone – how others feel
Other system users
• Of 66 survey respondents:
– 51 respondents do not love their OPACs, some
expressing frustration or even outright hostility
– Four respondents do love their OPACs
– Six are neutral
- XC Survey Report, University of Rochester, July 2007
http://www.extensiblecatalog.info/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/XC%20survey%20report.pdf
Cambridge University Library
We are not alone – how others feel
Other system users
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The top issues expressed in these complaints were…
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Difficulty of customization (42 instances)
Inadequacy of search functions (31 instances)
Opacity of results and lack of grouping or faceting (27 instances)
Limitations of the user interface (16 instances)
Lack of Web 2.0 functionality (9 instances)
Backend problems (8 instances)
Lack of integration with databases or other systems (8 instances)
- XC Survey Report, University of Rochester, July 2007
http://www.extensiblecatalog.info/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/XC%20survey%20report.pdf
Cambridge University Library
Wither the OPAC ?
• OPACS have fallen ‘behind the times’
• Less relevant alongside e-resource platforms
• Highly structured – 2-3 levels of screens to get
to results
• Users expect search results within one click
• Expect spellchecking, error messages, better
help
Cambridge University Library
New data container standards
• MARC is old (40+ years)
• Inefficient and unfriendly means to store data
• Rest of the world uses XML – (MARC-XML,
MODS)
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New data content standards
• Resource Description and Access (RDA)
• Functional requirements for bibliographic
records (FRBR)
• Semantic web technologies – (RDF)
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Resource Discovery Platforms
• Growth of Resource Discovery Platforms
• Separate platform for metadata
• De-couple front end from the backend
management system
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Resource Discovery Platforms
• Single point of search for a library
• Encompass and amalgamate data from:
– Multiple LMS catalogues (Voyager)
– ERM interfaces and knowledge bases (SFX,
Metasearch)
– Local repositories (Dspace)
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Resource discovery platforms
Interface
• The ‘Google generation’ expects keyword
searching
• Keyword based searching using traditionally
created records – argued that this gives a ‘best
of both worlds’ fit
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Products on the market
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Primo by Ex Libris
Prism 3 from Talis
Encore from III
Aquabrowser from Vubis (formerly GEAC)
Endeca information platform
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Problems
• Potentially difficult to argue a funding case for,
should this functionality not be part of an LMS
anyway ?
• Data problems still remain – and would hamper
any migration to a new LMS itself, let alone a
new interface
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Data problems
• Only solves the multiple database problem for
the users
• New interfaces exposes old problems with data
• Presentation of bib records alongside data from
A&I databases – risk of ‘swamping results’
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What next ?
For us…
• Continue to support and develop Newton where
feasible
• Track and investigate all options for a
replacement interface encompassing all library
materials in Cambridge
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What next ?
For you…
• Think about our consortia model
• Data over container - i.e. AACR2 over MARC
• How it would sit alongside non-MARC data
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Thank you
• Ed Chamberlain - emc59@cam.ac.uk