WorldCat Local the original discovery tool - Lawrence Technological University

WorldCat Local
 the original discovery tool

Lawrence Technological University
   Gary Cocozzoli and Gretchen Weiner

WorldCat Local contains…
• Resources at your library, nearby libraries, world-
  wide libraries, with holdings and availability
  • Journal holdings (print and electronic)
  • eBooks (subscription, purchased, PDA)
  • Open source books and journal articles
  • Videos and AV and other non-print materials
  • Periodical article citations
      • Centrally indexed, general and specific
      • Remotely indexed, based on your offerings

How does it work?
• Interacts with your ILS for real-time OPAC
  holdings and availability
• Uses the OCLC Knowledge Base
                             to build holdings
  • Electronic serial titles and databases
  • eBook titles
  • Tools to update the KB automatically
• Can manage MARC records in your ILS
  • (add/remove) based on KB choices [new!]

LTU and WorldCat
• Used WorldCat since 1977
• Tried WorldCat Local “Quick-Start”, (it’s free!)
  used with Sirsi Symphony ILS in real-time
   • Noticed we found things not in our Sirsi OPAC
   • MARC records were automatically updated in WCL
• Moved to WorldCat Local (full) early 2012 (Sirsi)
   • Began adding Knowledge Base holdings
   • Had our serial LHRs updated and we also edited them
• Moved to WCL with WorldShare in Fall 2012
• WorldCat Local now our only OPAC

“TechCat” became “TechCat+”
• TechCat had our books, ebooks, journal titles
  and holdings, DVDs
• TechCat+ has all of that, plus articles from a
  variety of sources, books/journals from other
  libraries, links for interlibrary loan, cover art

Articles in WorldCat Local
• Citations from Article First, ERIC, Medline,
  JSTOR, Elsevier, British Serials, CrossREF,
  Emerald, Sage, etc., for everyone to see
• Gale, Proquest will be centrally indexed for
  customers by summer 2013
• Selected EBSCO databases are centrally
  indexed (Bus Source, some Wilson)
• Many other databases are remotely indexed
  which is slightly slower to return results

Built-in
• Create lists function, save/share
• RefWorks, EndNote, EasyBib etc. output
• Permanent URL greatly simplifies sharing
  • much easier for off-campus users
  • EZProxy built-in to citations
• Save searches
• Email items or lists
• Tagging (optional) and other Web 2.0 features

So What Can You Search in WCL?
• Set the main search to query the databases
  you want everybody to search

• Choose “Libraries and Relevance” to always
  show your library first, then other libraries
   • shows your articles too, not just books/media
   • user can change sort method

• Users can add in the other specialty databases
  • Can create “subject groups” of databases

Settings
•   Logo, colors, buttons
•   Search boxes…customize text and functions
•   Proxy routines for off-campus access
•   Authentication not required, but it helps
•   A-to-Z Linking (your own, or OCLC’s linker)
•   We created an “in-WorldCat” MelCat button
•   Add Interlibrary Loan button, decide on terms
•   Decide when buttons show or don’t show
•   Decide on Search Scope

We don’t own this

But we do own this one

Strange Bedfellows
• OCLC is out of the database business
  • Divested itself of almost every database
  • Several sent on to Ebsco
• Still…tensions among providers
  • Provided metadata is sometimes incomplete
  • Central indexing is the goal, but some won’t share
• Some things don’t lend themselves to
  Discovery Services
  • Abstracts only: why give it away free?
  • Some vendors unsure of concept

Buying into the "New"
•   Opportunity - Instruction
•   To re-engage users
•   Change approach: Discovery interface
•   Promote as “overview” concept
•   Results include BOTH books & articles
•   Facets to distinguish
     • most freshmen "get this"
     • it is the rest of us...

Google-ized
• Familiar concept - “most” patrons relate
• Emphasize differences and compare quality
   • Subscribed content – authoritative
• Relative ease of filtering
   • Importance and usefulness of facets
• Example “peer-reviewed” journal
  • (often a selling point)

Like Google, but is that good?
• Every search is a keyword search
• Can get too many hits
• Helps to use tricks -
• “bound phrases” in quotes
   • au: ti: su: pb: (etc.) tags, and can use in
     combo
   • Advanced search screen has field searching
      • similar to current FirstSearch searching

Example – Results List
FACETS - promote understanding of “limits”

Opportunity
• Reevaluate, rejuvenate Reference
• subtle incorporation in tools such as
     • LibGuides, tutorials
     • Classroom instruction
     • Face to Face / Point of Need instruction
Emphasize
         Purpose of the research
         Type of resource
         Terminology

More Opportunity
• Users
  • Save lists & searches
  • RefWorks (etc.)
  • Tagging
• Librarians
  • Opens up acquisitions
  • Integrated results
     • Reference efficiency

Reference Interview
• Has not gone away - relevant but reinvented
• One size still does not fit all
• Challenge to analyze patron needs "on the fly“
  • student, class - ug, gr, faculty, device, etc.
• Easy to overwhelm; judge receptiveness
• If successful they will come back for next step
• Know YOUR products & how they interact
  • example - Avery Index to Architecture

Going Beyond the Discovery Interface

• Situations & needs vary
• Discovery does not fully replace need to
  search in native platform
  • Advanced users and graduate students
  • Specialty assignments
• Indexing is usually deeper in native interfaces
   • depends on the provider's metadata

Bottom Line: it does work!
• Usually find something useful
• Integrated Results are wonderful
• Eliminate "no results syndrome" of
   • no books on the topic, or
   • being in the wrong database
• Item record “More like this” subject headings
• No longer:        5 minute intro to 3 different
  interfaces

Instruction Made Easier?
•   Base starting point for everyone
•   Possibilities for taking it to the next level…
•   Appeal of “one stop” shopping
•   Results include - context of location/access
    • immediate access at LTU, vs MeL, vs ILL
          •   Variety
          •   Can narrow immediately to "e"items if desired
          •   Books on the shelf or electronic
          •   Articles - peer-reviewed, print or electronic

Opportunity - Tools
Introduce or reinforce tools:
• Cite - cut & paste citation
• RefWorks - direct export of citation
• Permalink - for later access

                                   Cool!

Tools – the Possibilities!

User Reaction?
• Most users are impressed
  • Features streamline the research process
     • Permanent URLs, RefWorks links, lists
     • Print and electronic holdings all in one place
• Emphasize it as a starting point
• New interface due late in 2013...
  • Exciting improvements
  • goal is to make all WorldCat searching the same
  • will add MARC record view

What We'd Like to See
• Authority searching or its equivalent
• Better implementation of RDA
         confuses even library directors
•   Improved integration of Knowledge Base links
         some false hits do happen

•   Expanded central indexing of LTU's databases
         many available databases are not of interest

•   More libraries updating holdings in WorldCat
         it is self-centered to not take more care

•   Better de-duping of citations

Making the Familiar Strange & the
        Strange Familiar

All that being said...
•   SOME frustrations
    •   This is not familiar…
•   NO regrets
    o   Change propels you forward!

QUESTIONS
       about WorldCat Local?
Gretchen Weiner
  • gweiner@ltu.edu
Gary Cocozzoli
  • gcocozzol@ltu.edu
248-204-3000