Enabling the library
in university systems
Trial and evaluation
in the use of
library services
away from the library
Chris Awre – University of Hull
Ralph Quarles – Indiana University
INDIANA UNIVERSITY
LIBRARIES
Enabling the library
in university systems
Introduction
• How many computers to run a campus?
• How about libraries?
• Why can’t we all get together?
• Two paths to discerning user needs
INDIANA UNIVERSITY
LIBRARIES
Enabling the library
in university systems
CREE : Genesis
• Increasing range of search tools available
• Parallel development of institutional
environments
– Web look and feel, Portal, Virtual Learning
Environment/Course Management System
• How do search tools fit into these environments?
• JISC funding to explore user requirements and
new technologies (JSR 168 and WSRP)
INDIANA UNIVERSITY
LIBRARIES
Enabling the library
in university systems
CREE : Background
• Institutional portal introduced in September 2003
(uPortal)
http://www.hull.ac.uk/esig/portaltour/
• User requirements an integral part of
implementing this - has resulted in up to 15,000
users per week
• Library and library services underrepresented
within the portal and away from home website
INDIANA UNIVERSITY
LIBRARIES
Enabling the library
in university systems
CREE : Goals
• Examine user requirements for using different
types of search tools in different institutional
contexts
• Inform future technical development across
project partners and focus resources
• Test feasibility of using JSR 168 and WSRP
standards for presentation of search tools within
conformant portals
INDIANA UNIVERSITY
LIBRARIES
Enabling the library
in university systems
CREE : Stakeholders
• Project partners
– University of Oxford & Newark and Sherwood College
– Technical partners
• Library staff
– Impacts on future planning of service delivery
• Most importantly - the users!
– Requirements gathered according to role (teaching
staff, undergraduate etc.)
INDIANA UNIVERSITY
LIBRARIES
Enabling the library
in university systems
CREE : Process
• National online survey, Sept-Oct 2004
– Covered current and potential use of search tools in
different contexts
• Focus groups, Nov-Dec 2004
– Collective views and response to survey results
• User testing with demonstrators, Apr-Jul 2005
– Feedback based on practical interaction
• Each fed into the next stage
INDIANA UNIVERSITY
LIBRARIES
Enabling the library
in university systems
CREE : Test & Evaluation
• Survey: Backed accepted search use wisdom
and suggested open-mindedness to the use of
search tools in different contexts
• Focus groups: validated survey results and
allowed search behaviour to be re-assessed
• User testing: very positive response to use of
search tools in different contexts
– Subject resource access within VLE/CMS favoured
• Full results at http://www.hull.ac.uk/esig/cree
INDIANA UNIVERSITY
LIBRARIES
Enabling the library
in university systems
Twin Peaks : Genesis
• Collaborative libraries & campus computing
• Evolution in IU course management systems
• Point of need and opportunity
INDIANA UNIVERSITY
LIBRARIES
Enabling the library
in university systems
Twin Peaks : Background
• Separate database driven library web
46,000 digital collections & 6M item catalogue
http://www.libraries.iub.edu
• Increasingly central campus collaboration and
learning web
http://oncourse.iu.edu , local version of…
http://www.sakaiproject.org
INDIANA UNIVERSITY
LIBRARIES
Enabling the library
in university systems
Twin Peaks : Goals
• To search at the “point of need” within course
management & collaboration system
• Create list of article level persistent links without
“leaving” CMS for vendor site
• Create functional tool in one year or less to allow
demo, feedback, and potential use in early
production version of new CMS
INDIANA UNIVERSITY
LIBRARIES
Enabling the library
in university systems
Twin Peaks : Stakeholders
• On campus & remote users
– Faculty
– Undergraduate & Graduate students
– Informed by LibQUAL+TM 2004 survey
• Service staff
– University IT Services staff
– Library staff
• Sakai project participants & partners
INDIANA UNIVERSITY
LIBRARIES
Enabling the library
in university systems
Twin Peaks : Process
• Rapid prototyping
• Evolutionary formative testing
• Demonstrations to wider Sakai audience
• “Rolling refinement”
INDIANA UNIVERSITY
LIBRARIES
Enabling the library
in university systems
Twin Peaks : Test & Evaluation
• Demo site at http://129.79.35.230:8080/portal
• Incorporation into users’ workflow
• Wide solicitation of informal & formal feedback
• Simultaneous prototyping by others
– Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
– Johns Hopkins University
INDIANA UNIVERSITY
LIBRARIES
Enabling the library
in university systems
Comparison & Outcomes
INDIANA UNIVERSITY
LIBRARIES
Enabling the library
in university systems
Future Plans
• CREE
– Disseminate user requirements to all project partners
and wider community
– Develop contextual library services for delivery at Hull
• Twin Peaks
– Fall 2005 debut in IU production course systems ‘as is’
– Migration to a central resource service in Sakai
– Planned addition to overall Sakai system v2.1
INDIANA UNIVERSITY
LIBRARIES