One of the presumed advantages of next-generation library catalogue interfaces is that the user experience is improved-that it is both richer and more intuitive. Often the interfaces come with little or no user-facing documentation or imbedded "help" for patrons based on an assumption of ease of use and familiarity of the experience, having followed best practices in use on the Web. While there has been much gray literature (published on library Web sites, etc.) interrogating these implicit claims and contrasting the new interfaces to traditional Web-based catalogues, this article details a consistent and formal comparison of whether users can actually accomplish common library tasks, unassisted, using these interfaces. The author has undertaken a task-based usability test of vendor-provided next-generation catalogue interfaces and Web-scale discovery tools (Encore Synergy, Summon, WorldCat Local, Primo Central, EBSCO Discovery Service). Testing was done with undergraduates across all academic disciplines. The resulting qualitative data, noting any demonstrated trouble using the software as well as feedback or suggested improvements that the users may have about the software, will assist academic libraries in making or validating purchase and subscription decisions for these interfaces as well as help vendors make data-driven decisions about interface and experience enhancements.
Purpose -This article aims to examine how next-generation library catalogs and discovery platforms have the potential to transform the challenges inherent in finding music materials in library collections. Design/methodology/approach -The article discusses the characteristics of discovery platforms, the challenges of searching for music materials, and how discovery tools help users meet those challenges in new ways. Findings -Discovery tools are particularly well suited to searching for music materials. They empower the user by providing effective tools such as facets and tags to manipulate the large, varied search results users encounter when searching for music materials. Originality/value -The article views the features of discovery tools through the eyes of the end user searching for music materials.
Three universities (Santa Clara University, the University of San Francisco, and Loyola Marymount University) are leveraging patron-initiated borrowing data to inform our collection development. Expanding on a pilot project that began in 2014, we have been looking at five years of recent borrowing data, along with five years of acquisition data and five years of circulation data of local collections, to help us define what a "normal" level of borrowing looks like as well as identify gaps in local collections. We are also using the data to strengthen the meta-collection of our consortium (LINK+) through the intentional and coordinated diversification of approval plan profiles. We will discuss both methodology and findings to date: how this data is being gathered, analyzed, and then used on our campuses to inform collection development decisions.
IT strategic planning for libraries is broken down into eight one-hour steps that can be adapted to meet the planning needs of any size library IT organization, making the process more approachable by reducing the perceived amount of time involved in such a strategic process. Tips for approaching each of the eight steps are also included.
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