Enhanced Navigation Implementation Group

Presentation at All Staff Meeting

June 26, 2002 

 Current tools for Search(ing), Discovery & Delivery of Information Resources

• Barton OPAC

• VERA

• Native search engines - electronic databases

• Known citation searching in e-journals

  Growing E-resources Collection

• Databases (281) & e-journals (3989) in VERA

• 447 new titles in Vera in the last 6 months!

• 8000+ e-journals in aggregator packages

accessible through BELL

• Several hundred e-books through Barton

• Percentage of collections $$ up from 6% in

FY93 to 24% in FY01

 Users Deliriously Happy?? Maybe not!

Confusion about options:

• Which databases to use?

• How to find full text?

• How many steps needed to find something?

Users Deliriously Happy?? …cont.

“Missing links” – moving between resources now is often cumbersome

• Local set up of links to full text proved inefficient & difficult to maintain

• contacting many separate vendors • discovering new titles added to packages

Perhaps “Enhanced Navigation” tools willhelp us … ?

Barton

Databases

Full text resources

Library services

Web pages

   Membership of Enhanced Navigation Implementation Project Team (ENAV)

 Joan Kolias, Co-chair Marilyn McSweeney, Co-chair

Ellen Duranceau Marlene Manoff Nicole Hennig Beth Siers Carl Jones Howard Silver

  ENAV Project Goals

• Explore how to increase searching options and improved linking to full text

• Learn the potential and staffing requirements of the SFX & MetaLib tools

• Investigate these tools through a controlled pilot limited to two subject areas: biomaterials & contemporary issues

• Report findings to Carol & MacKenzie, 7/02  

   SFX – Linking Power• Seamless linking from citation to:

• full text • other services, if no full text

• SFX buttons appear after we activate databases & e-journals

• Standardized tool to set up links & get updates from publishers/vendors

• Statistical reports about local use

 MetaLib – Search & Discovery

MetaLib – a search interface to help choose databases

1. Finding databases • Categories • “Locate Resource”

2. Searching databases• Simultaneously across multiple databases, or,• Directly link to the native search engine

3. Links utilizing SFX

Full text article

Find citationin database

Finding full text: current environment

Full text article

Find citationin database

Finding full text: current environment

Full text article

Find citationin database

Finding full text: using SFX

SFX

Barton

Databases

Full text resources

Library services

Web pages

Links where you need them

Metadata

Integration

Enhanced Navigation

Classic Search Engine

Find Databases – “Categories” or Search - “Locate Resources”

Select Databases and Search Terms

Search Hit Results Summary

Results List for ProQuest

Full Record for ProQuest

SFX Related Link to Full Text

Full Text Article

MetaLib and the

Database Discovery Tool

Beyond subject headings…

How can we help our users choose appropriate databases from more than 250

possibilities?

Locate ResourcesOut of the box

Database Discovery ToolPrototype

To implement:– Customize some MetaLib screens

– Create new metadata to describe characteristics for the Database Discovery Tool

– Establish metadata standards

– Assign metadata to existing databases

– Incorporate MetaLib into the workflow for new resources

Benefits for our users– Manages a confusing list of resources

– Saves time locating appropriate resources

– Emphasizes important resources

– Enables cross-searching of a focused set of resources

– Provides guidance when staff are not available

SFX & Metalib:Customization for MIT

Before After

standard button

our button

Citation Linker FullText Finder

Integration with our web site Link from:

• home page• Barton• Vera• subject pages• “search our collections”• tutorials

Metalib & SFXintegrate well with our existing site

SFX +Metalib

Utopian search tool

Real world search tool

Metadata

Integration

Enhanced Navigation

 Next Steps – Beyond the Pilot

Content: What resources to activate and what priorities?

•SFX – partially activated, can be implemented in the near future while still adding new resources

•Activate more titles

•Explore adding other services to menu

•METALIB – major decisions about how best to utilize the potential of this tool

•Activate more resources

•Customize interface

 Next Steps – Beyond the Pilot, cont.

User issues• User education

• Usability studies to aid in design and training

Vendor issues• Not all are Z39.50 compatible – can’t cross search everything

• Some publishers have not enabled linking to the article level

 Next Steps – Beyond the Pilot, cont.

ENAV report July 2002

• outline staffing issues

• estimate work to be finished

• recommend roll out time frame

 

Questions ?

ENAV Web Site Coming to Staff Web:

URL: http://macfadden.mit.edu:9500/enav