Endeca, developments in the OPAC world

Endeca, the Phoenix Public Library’s experience.

The catalog is the most important piece of the ILS for our customers and today, many libraries and agencies are unbundling the OPAC from the ILS. In 2007, Phoenix Public Library implemented the “guided navigation” of Endeca for Libraries, as well as Book Industry Systems Advisory Committee (BISAC) headings for its library OPAC. This program will showcase this innovative system and examine what led to undertaking this action. Speakers: Ross McLachlan, Deputy Director, Technical Services, Phoenix Public Library; Jesse Haro, Web Manager, Phoenix Public Library.

http://endeca.com

The Phoenix Public Library has a rich history of 110 years. 14 branches are soon growing to be 16, serve a metropolitan population of 4.5 million and have an annual circulation of 15 million and 30 million hits on its web site.

In 2002, Phoenix Public Library realized that its ILS wasn’t working for their users. It was not customer driven and faced fierce competition in the retail world. The Phoenix study team, comprised of 30 staff, wanted to add a discovery layer to the OPAC and envisioned a customer driven, fast, easy, intuitive, retail based, and seamless design. On the cheap and customer driven, this was not to be librarians designing for librarians. The team designed a new OPAC, which was recognized by Library Journal in 2004. “A dynamic, database-driven design sets a benchmark for library web sites”

The resulting OPAC, however, had several limitations –
· Underlying functionality limited by ILS
· No patron account integration
· No API (application programming interface) -based access to data
· No ability to influence searching/browsing

Basically Phoenix wanted a better way of connecting its customers on-line without taking years to accomplish. In January 2005, Phoenix’s team began a product evaluation (Endeca, AquaBrowser, TLC/CARL). Endeca met all the established criteria (listed above). So, what is Endeca? Endeca is software, primarily commerce driven (i.e. Home Depot, Barnes & Noble, Wal-Mart). Endeca can harvest data; it is API based. What is API? - Application Programming Interface) Development to the Go-Live-Date took a little over a year. The project scope consisted of

· Integrating Endeca with bibliographic data
· Integrating the Endeca navigation with API
· Adopting BISAC subject headings
· Integrating ILS API

The challenge basically was integrating a commercial application (on a main frame computer) to library and customer data. Data integration was conducted continuously through the development stage using teams of staff librarians. Configuration consisted of refinements, search interfaces and relevancy strategies. Basically it is “how to slice and dice a catalog.” What are the main ways to slice and dice? – obviously there are “way too many choices.”

When you walk into a Barnes & Noble, you know what you want. “That’s what we are going to do with our catalog.” Phoenix wanted format based navigation plus wanted to divide the catalog into content-based categories. Which fields to search – what would the search interface look like? They also wanted to incorporate relevancy. The final interface also integrated other library data with information on library programs (story hour, readers advisory, etc.) plus staff picks, most borrowed titles, and a TomatoMeter (boos and yeas)

Endeca does not come out of the box - It can be self-styled in a “relatively” short time. It is keyword based (as opposed to LC subject headings). Development was further refined to include authority files.

Phoenix was aware that the browsing function was going to be a challenge. Librarians “squawked” about using BISAC subject headings. Then one Phoenix librarian had a revelation. Book Industry Standards and Communications (BISAC) using Endeca for browsing was going to be a challenge. Used BISAC subject headings. “Its not about us, it’s about them” It’s people speak not catalog speak.

Please note that quotation marks are both the blogger's (Doris Madsen, Springfield City Library) and the presenters from Phoenix, AZ.

SCRIBLIO : a Web 2.0 native OPAC

Scriblio is a catalog replacement designed to help libraries create a stronger online presence. Developed by Casey Bisson of Plymouth State University, it was recognized by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation with a prestigious Mellon Award for Technology Collaboration in 2006. It provides keyword searching, faceted searching and browsing, persistent URLs for easy linking, and full integration of website and catalog content. Speaker: Casey Bisson, Information Architect, Plymouth State University.

http://scriblio.net/


Unlike old school photos, the Web is not a passing fad. So much has changed in a couple years – opportunity awaits.

Scriblio is based on WordPress, an open source, discovery based application. The underlying philosophy is to use something that is already out there, free, easy and fun. Half of all bloggers use WordPress.

Libraries break down the world. Using WordPress, Casey talks about facets and metadata being tools common to WordPress and a library catalog. Examining the front page of Plymouth State University, Lamson Library, http://library.plymouth.edu/ Facets are on the left. Content interfaces with Web 2.0 applications – blogs, Flickr, Facebook and other applications (Google, Yahoo) The library can keep statistics for tracking and searching relationships. Each item has a space for comment – comments add content.

Casey demonstrates a search - it misses the complexity that so many customers dislike and avoid. Keyword is combined with faceting. Scriblio is a content management system. Staff librarians can create locally relevant content.

Cook Memorial Library, a small NH rural library http://tamworthlibrary.org/ is the first library to use Scriblio. Library use after Scriblio skyrocketed. Content on the Web adds value and users. Casey demonstrates the website of Brown Manufacturing, late 1800s industrial photos. Scriblio puts a face on the web and cultivates community. Beyond Brown Paper Online Archive http://library.plymouth.edu/read/292 .The real value is in comments. This service has added local value to library and telecommunication services in this community. In addition it has added users in Maine and Quebec, historically linked to this industry. “Community is emerging based on these tools”

How does Scriblio manage comments? Scriblio is based on WordPress and “access to talent doesn’t exist unless you are using software like this” Being a very popular blogging platform, good spam management tools exist. WordPress gives us tools. First comments by an individual have to be approved by an administrator. Further comments go in automatically. This will only work if it is easy for the entire community.

Scriblio does not replace the ILS – no modules for cataloging and acquisitions exist. A customer can place holds depending on the underlying system. Casey is experimenting with a single sign-on. Integrating Scriblio with ILS is open to lots of development. Go with it!

Doris Madsen, Springfield City Library

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