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Unbundling the ILS @ NCSU: implementation of an e-commerce search solution

Unbundling the ILS @ NCSU: implementation of an e-commerce search solution. Emily Lynema Andrew K. Pace North Carolina State University Libraries LITA 2006 National Forum. Or better yet…. Endeca: implementing a faceted search solution for the library catalog. Agenda. The Context:

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Unbundling the ILS @ NCSU: implementation of an e-commerce search solution

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  1. Unbundling the ILS @ NCSU: implementation of an e-commerce search solution Emily Lynema Andrew K. Pace North Carolina State University Libraries LITA 2006 National Forum

  2. Or better yet… Endeca: implementing a faceted search solution for the library catalog LITA 2006 National Forum

  3. Agenda • The Context: • Next Gen Search Tools vs. OPAC Problems • Local Implementation • Why, What and How? • Challenges Encountered • Assessment • Usage Statistics • Usability Testing • The Future LITA 2006 National Forum

  4. The Context LITA 2006 National Forum

  5. Online Catalogs "Most integrated library systems, as they are currently configured and used, should be removed from public view." - Roy Tennant, CDL LITA 2006 National Forum

  6. Next gen search tools • Proving that it’s possible to improve the search experience beyond the functionality that traditional OPACs have supported. LITA 2006 National Forum

  7. NextGen Library Search Tools • WorldCat.org (Beta) • RedLightGreen (RLG), subsumed by WorldCat • OCLC Fictionfinder • Vivisimo clustered search (Serials Solutions, Ex Libris) • Aquabrowser visual context • Endeca ProFind • Innovative Interfaces “OPAC Pro” and “Encore” • Ex Libris “Primo” • Polaris, AJAX-Enabled OPAC • SirsiDynix Enterprise Portal System, FAST • Talis, et alWeb Services • EBSCO Research Databases • Georgia PINES, Koha, and the Library 2.0 Bandwagon • And of course the entire commercial web LITA 2006 National Forum

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  14. Existing catalogs are hard to use • Known item searching works pretty well (sometimes), but … • Lots of topical searches and poor subject access • keyword gives too many or too few results – leads to general distrust among users • authority searching is under-utilized and misunderstood • Relevance = system sort order • Impossible to browse the collection • Unforgiving on spelling errors, stemming • Response time doesn’t meet expectations of web-savvy users LITA 2006 National Forum

  15. Valuable metadata is buried • Subject headings are not leveraged in keyword searching • they should be browsed or linked from, not searched • Data from the item record is not leveraged • should be able to easily filter based on user’s changing requirements using item type, location, circulation status, popularity LITA 2006 National Forum

  16. What’s the big picture? • Improve the quality of the library catalog user experience • Exploit our existing authority infrastructure (aka make MARC data work harder) • Build a more flexible catalog tool that can be integrated with discovery tools of the future. LITA 2006 National Forum

  17. What is Endeca? • Software company based in Cambridge, MA • Search and information access technology provider for a number of major e-commerce websites • Developers of the Endeca Information Access Platform LITA 2006 National Forum

  18. Why Endeca? • Customized relevance ranking of results • Better subject access by leveraging available metadata (including item level data!) through facets • Improved response time • Enhanced natural language searching through spell correction, etc. • Browse LITA 2006 National Forum

  19. Local Implementation LITA 2006 National Forum

  20. Demo LITA 2006 National Forum

  21. Relevance ranking Based on locally customizable algorithm: • Most relevant: query as entered • For multi-term searches: phrase match • Field match • title match more relevant than notes match • Other factors: • number of fields matched • weighted frequency (tf/idf) • static ordering (publication date, circulation stats) LITA 2006 National Forum

  22. Faceted browse • Combine search and browse in single interface (Guided Navigation™) • Filter results across multiple facets • Remove facets in any order LITA 2006 National Forum

  23. Availability Author Library Format Language New LC Classification Subject: Topic Subject: Genre Subject: Region Subject: Era Facet refinements LITA 2006 National Forum

  24. True browse • Regain ability to browse catalog without entering any search terms LITA 2006 National Forum

  25. Added search tools • Automatic spell correction • “Did you mean…” suggestions • Automatic stemming LITA 2006 National Forum

  26. The nitty gritty • Endeca co-exists with SirsiDynix Unicorn ILS and Web2 online catalog • Endeca handles keyword search • Web2 handles authority search and detail page display • Endeca indexes MARC records exported nightly from Unicorn • Endeca = discovery portion of the ILS LITA 2006 National Forum

  27. Technical overview Information Access Platform NCSU exports and reformats Data Foundry MDEX Engine Parse text files Raw MARC data Indices Flat text files HTTP HTTP NCSU Web Application LITA 2006 National Forum

  28. Technical overview Offline - Nightly NCSU exports and reformats Data Foundry MDEX Engine Parse text files Raw MARC data Indices Flat text files HTTP HTTP NCSU Web Application LITA 2006 National Forum

  29. Technical overview Always Online NCSU exports and reformats Data Foundry MDEX Engine Parse text files Raw MARC data Indices Flat text files HTTP HTTP NCSU Web Application LITA 2006 National Forum

  30. Implementation team • Seven member team • 5 IT/DLI staff, 1 cataloging librarian, 1 reference librarian • As a team: functional requirements, metadata, interface issues (total of 40-60 hours) • Java-trained IT librarian (~40 hrs/wk for 14 weeks) • IT project manager: (~10 hours/wk for 20 weeks) • Timeline • License / negotiation: Spring 2005 • Software acquisition: Summer 2005 • Implementation: Aug 2005 to Jan 2006 LITA 2006 National Forum

  31. Local decision points Identifying appropriate facets LITA 2006 National Forum

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  33. Local decision points • Identifying appropriate facets • Designing the user interface LITA 2006 National Forum

  34. 1. Availability 2. Library of Congress Classification • Subject: Topic • Subject: Genre • Format • Library • Subject: Region • Subject: Era • Language • Author LITA 2006 National Forum

  35. Local decision points • Identifying appropriate facets • Designing the user interface • Integrating authority searching and Endeca keyword searching LITA 2006 National Forum

  36. Pre-Endeca Catalog Search • 6 search tabs • 14 radio buttons • 1-4 drop down boxes • Title begins with search default LITA 2006 National Forum

  37. Post-Endeca catalog search • 3 search tabs • No radio buttons • 2 search boxes • Keyword search default Endeca keyword Web2 authority LITA 2006 National Forum

  38. Local decision points • Identifying appropriate facets • Designing the user interface • Integrating authority searching and Endeca keyword searching • Creating the relevance ranking algorithm for each field index LITA 2006 National Forum

  39. Special challenges encountered • ILS data with MARC-8 encoding => Text data with UTF-8 encoding • Data consistency between ILS and Endeca catalog indexes (updates!) • Data issues revealed by exposing metadata (ex: subject headings) in facets LITA 2006 National Forum

  40. Assessment LITA 2006 National Forum

  41. Usage statistics LITA 2006 National Forum

  42. Usage statistics LITA 2006 National Forum

  43. Usage statistics LITA 2006 National Forum

  44. Usage statistics LITA 2006 National Forum

  45. Usability testing • 10 undergraduate students • 5 with new Endeca-based interface • 5 with old catalog interface • Identical searching tasks • Data collected • Task difficulty/failure • Task duration LITA 2006 National Forum

  46. Usability testing LITA 2006 National Forum

  47. Usability testing LITA 2006 National Forum

  48. Usability testing • For students, relevance ranking is key. • March 2006: ~13% continue to page 2 • Faceted browsing is intuitive, even for students who don’t use it. • Beware of library jargon • “keyword anywhere”, “keyword in subject” • User behavior is influenced by previous experience. LITA 2006 National Forum

  49. Relevance • Are search results in Endeca more likely to be relevant to a user’s query than search results in old OPAC? • 100 topical user searches from 1 month in Fall 2005 • How many of top 5 results relevant? • 40% relevant in Web2 OPAC; 31 no hits • 68% relevant in Endeca catalog; 12 no hits LITA 2006 National Forum

  50. The Future LITA 2006 National Forum

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