Staff training and federated search

May's Resource Discovery Forum gave us the chance to discuss how Library colleagues would be introduced to the new resource discovery layer in advance of its launch. The resource discovery layer is designed to be an intuitive system, but staff still need to feel confident using it from a customer perspective in order to provide appropriate support. RDF members felt that we had gained sufficient experience of the system over the past few months to be able to assist with training colleagues. We thought we could provide informal hands-on sessions with scenarios based on common tasks most likely to be carried out by customers. Hopefully, these sessions will demonstrate the greatly extended functionality of the system compared to our current Star catalogue.

Some of the extended functionality comes from MetaLib, our new federated search system. Before the training discussion, there was time for a brief presentation about MetaLib. We bought the system with the intention of making it available to customers through the new resource discovery layer. We plan to use it to offer our A-Z list of databases through the resource discovery layer, and to offer subject-specific groups of databases to cross search. We think it will provide a quick, easy way for customers to access the Library's bibliographic and other databases, and a neat fit with the resource discovery layer to offer a one-stop shop for locating print and electronic resources.

What should the resource discovery layer be called?

April's Resource Discovery Forum took place on Tuesday 26 April 2011 in the Information Commons. There was a good turnout, despite the session being sandwiched between two extended holiday weekends. With enough of us to form three groups (led by Andy Bussey, Library Systems Manager; Elaine Dean, Head of Service Development; and Rachel Mason, Metadata & eTechnologies Manager), we were keen to discuss the main topic of the session: what should the resource discovery layer be called? Each group reviewed some of the names other institutions have chosen for their Primo installations before coming up with some suggestions for our own. Then we discussed ideas for involving colleagues and customers in the naming process.

Comparing notes of the breakout discussions, it was clear that we agreed on the importance of branding and identity for Library systems and services. Making Library products more easily identifiable for customers was a key concern and the groups agreed that rebranding was important. Primo is the brand name of the product, but some institutions have chosen to use or include it in their own names for their resource discovery layers (such as University of Cape Town's primo.uct and University of Strathclyde's SUPrimo). There was a feeling that Primo was more of a technical term in that it would mean something to Library staff, but not that much to customers. We preferred a more descriptive name that helps customers understand what the resource discovery layer is and what it does. Examples we liked from other institutions included University of Iowa's Smart Search and Yale University's YuFind. We felt this approach was particularly important as a resource discovery layer is and does more than a traditional library catalogue (it searches remote repositories, delivers full text and provides access to a full range of Library services, for example). The group agreed that it would be good to try to reflect some of this in the name.

We also agreed that a good brand name should be memorable and concise. An acronym was a possibility as this could be descriptive, though less likely to be understood immediately by new customers. On the other hand, a strong brand quickly becomes associated with the product in the customer's mind (like our current Star catalogue). It seems there's a grain of truth in the tongue in cheek comment of one RDF member - "avoid anything that's too gimmicky and anything that's not gimmicky enough!" Interesting, informative, memorable AND concise - it's a formidable task.

So, what happens next? The project team and other colleagues will agree a shortlist of suggestions and make this available for wider consultation. This will be ongoing over the next few months and we'll keep you up to date via this blog and the usual channels.

Making the discovery layer available to customers

The March session of the Resource Discovery Forum began with another look at the headline conclusions from February's focus group work. Rachel Mason, Metadata & eTechnologies Manager, summarised the key points, most notably the diverse requirements of our broad catalogue user community and the range of tasks they use the catalogue to carry out. Initial impressions of the look and feel were largely positive, but RDF members particularly noted the need for a strong corporate identity and branding, a clean and simple start page, a prominent search box, clear links to frequently carried out tasks, and consistency (of navigation, terminology, etc.). The Systems team are working on a new test interface, based on these ideas, and Andy Bussey, Library Systems Manager, gave a brief demonstration of it. RDF members have access to the new test interface as well as the 'out of the box' interface, so they can test and compare at their leisure and report back to the project team.

Next, RDF members turned their attention to the main business of the meeting, which was to consider how we should make the resource discovery layer available to customers. Star is available via the Library's web pages as well as via dedicated terminals and kiosks around campus. The new resource discovery layer should present many more possibilities. The search box can be embedded into third party web pages, for example, opening up options to access it from social networking tools and the websites of organisations affiliated with the University of Sheffield. RDF members came up with lots of ideas. We thought about all the places where customers can access University of Sheffield services and facilities, such as the University's portal (MUSE), online collaboration and networking tool (uSpace), virtual learning environment (MOLE), managed desktop service and mobile app (CampusM). The project team took away a long list of possible locations to investigate what is feasible and what might best benefit our customers.