Developing a Thematic Developing a Thematic LibraryLibrary

Integrating Drupal, Integrating Drupal, Google and the ILSGoogle and the ILS

Ildegardo Jesus ElizondoAlejandro GarzaOctober 14, 2008

RoadmapRoadmap

What triggered this thematic library?What triggered this thematic library? Development processDevelopment process Technology involved in the projectTechnology involved in the project What is expected of the thematic library?What is expected of the thematic library?

What triggered this thematic What triggered this thematic library?library?

OPAC

Internet

Digital Library

??Journal??

Encyclopedia?

E-book??

Dead endsDead ends Unhelpful “No results found” screensUnhelpful “No results found” screens

Metasearch problemsMetasearch problems Lack of recall, slow executionLack of recall, slow execution

Search is not “Googleized”Search is not “Googleized” Expect simpler interfaceExpect simpler interface Do quick search variationsDo quick search variations

Development processDevelopment process

Mock ups and prototypesMock ups and prototypes

Questionnaires to facultyQuestionnaires to faculty

Usability testsUsability tests

Wanted feature listWanted feature list

Faceted searchFaceted search Which fields become facets?Which fields become facets?

User ratings/reviewsUser ratings/reviews Lists of favoritesLists of favorites Tables of contentsTables of contents Integration with MillenniumIntegration with Millennium

Using HILCCUsing HILCC

Developed at Columbia University.Developed at Columbia University.

Groups Library of Congress classification Groups Library of Congress classification numbers into a hierarchical vocabularynumbers into a hierarchical vocabulary similar to Conspectus groupings, opensimilar to Conspectus groupings, open

Drupal custom moduleDrupal custom module Automatic item categorizaztion upon harvestingAutomatic item categorizaztion upon harvesting

A

What it looks likeWhat it looks likehttp://biblioteca.mty.itesm.mx/pasteur/

MultilingualMultilingual Catalog Catalog

searchsearch Subject Subject

browsebrowse MetasearchMetasearch Popular Popular

items (most items (most viewed viewed recently)recently)

News / BlogNews / Blog

FacetsFacets HILCCHILCC

Tables of contentsTables of contents

StemmingStemming work = working, work = working,

worksworks Ecommerce = Ecommerce =

e-commerce, e-commerce, e commercee commerce

Results from Results from subscription subscription databases and databases and select sitesselect sites

Item RecordItem Record• RealtimeRealtime

statusstatus

• Similar itemsSimilar items

• DetailsDetails

Technology involved in the projectTechnology involved in the project

DrupalDrupal Extensible open source CMS.Extensible open source CMS.

Apache Solr searchApache Solr search Integrates with Drupal, fast Integrates with Drupal, fast

faceted search.faceted search.

Google Custom Search Google Custom Search EngineEngine Powers our federated searchPowers our federated search

Library Server

MillenniumILS

Google

Drupal

Apache MySQL

PHPSolr

Item records

Patron records

Current item status

WebOpac

Index

Custom Search Engine

A

ArchitectureArchitecture

Library ServerMillennium

ILSGoogle

Drupal•Biblio records•Subscription database records•Tags•Users•Search

ApacheMySQL

PHPSolr

Item records

Patron records

Current item status

WebOpacIndex

Custom Search Engine

Authentication

Item status

EZ-Proxy

Bookimages

Subscription Databases

Page Harvest

Secure Access

MARC harvest

A

Why DrupalWhy Drupal At the time of project planning, the library already At the time of project planning, the library already

had some experience with Drupal.had some experience with Drupal.

Drupal:Drupal: Is extensible—hundreds of modules.Is extensible—hundreds of modules. Had solid performance.Had solid performance. Is supported by the community (IRC, online docs, forums) Is supported by the community (IRC, online docs, forums)

and commercially (books, paid services)and commercially (books, paid services) Is used in libraries.Is used in libraries. Free and OpenFree and Open

A

Libraries using DrupalLibraries using Drupal

At least 33 university and public librariesAt least 33 university and public libraries 5 using Drupal to replace or intergrate with OPAC5 using Drupal to replace or intergrate with OPAC

Slideshow of Drupal libraries:Slideshow of Drupal libraries: http://groups.drupal.org/node/13724

Drupal Library GroupsDrupal Library Groups http://drupalib.interoperating.info/ http://groups.drupal.org/librarieshttp://groups.drupal.org/libraries

A

Why Apache Solr?Why Apache Solr?

Dedicated search softwareDedicated search software Competes/replaces commercial solutionsCompetes/replaces commercial solutions Open SourceOpen Source Features:Features:

Faceted search, synonyms, stemming, spellcheckFaceted search, synonyms, stemming, spellcheck ““More like this” and spellcheckingMore like this” and spellchecking Powerful item ranking optionsPowerful item ranking options ReplicationReplication Free and OpenFree and Open

A

Why Google?Why Google?

Some subscription databases already indexed by Some subscription databases already indexed by Google.Google.

Google Custom Search Engine allows building a Google Custom Search Engine allows building a search for only desired domains/URLs.search for only desired domains/URLs.

Plus:Plus: Users are used to Google’s interfacesUsers are used to Google’s interfaces Google search technology and brandingGoogle search technology and branding Google Co-op toolsGoogle Co-op tools FreeFree

What is expected of the thematic What is expected of the thematic library?library?

Better Better relationships with relationships with students and students and facultyfaculty

Drag new users to Drag new users to the library from the library from Google searchesGoogle searches

Users will more Users will more easily find what easily find what they wantthey want

Other featuresOther features

Google Books Google Books preview.preview.

Include Google Include Google results alongside results alongside library.library.

RSS feeds.RSS feeds. Magazine A-Z Magazine A-Z

listings, by subject listings, by subject (HILCC)(HILCC)

Results so farResults so far Traffic from search enginesTraffic from search engines

In August, 94% of total traffic was from search engines and from cities In August, 94% of total traffic was from search engines and from cities other than Monterrey (91%). other than Monterrey (91%).

Average visit times and pages viewed from users in Monterrey are Average visit times and pages viewed from users in Monterrey are much higher (3:37 and 4.66 pages/visit) versus the average (1:06 and much higher (3:37 and 4.66 pages/visit) versus the average (1:06 and 1.94 pages/visit). 1.94 pages/visit).

Item records in google.com.mx are high for some items, which appear Item records in google.com.mx are high for some items, which appear in second or third places—ranking above bookstore results. in second or third places—ranking above bookstore results.

At least one academic department is closely following our At least one academic department is closely following our implementation.implementation.