Emerging Technologies Group (ETG)
10.17.2006
attendees:
Mark Phillips
Beth Thomsett-Scott
Shaun Siebel
Pam Johnston
Starr Hoffman (as guest)
agenda:
discussion of MyAccount Page thingy
Federated Search Discussion
New Business
- presence on my.unt.edu portal
- what we can do on that portal is limited (primarily to a text box with links)
- Beth/Will are in regular email communication with the MyUNT people
- it will be a small amount of space (need to maximize the linkage)
- possible features:
- library hours (current)
- link to library services ("my account")
- maybe a search box (currently up in the air)
- started with Beth's interest in a "my library" system
- that has been translated into this static page with direct links to services (quicker than the usual navigation)
- took idea from UT's My Account
- Mark provided a mock-up for UNT
- open to different title?
- yes, but should be short & memorable
- the renew books page is also linked as "my account"
- was a concern about the similarity, but will likely not be a problem
- where do we go from here?
- Beth shows the mock-up to reference
- gives them a week to comment
- I show it to GovDocs
- Shaun shows to RP
- Beth will put it in the forum/public service/Friday Frags
- will email link for comments to thread
Federated Search
(not faceted search)
federated search examples
- Oregon State
- search box on library homepage
- at right column, lists # of hits per datastore
- open source; designed in-house
- limit by material; options for sorting
- "find in a library" = link resolver
- "books & more" = catalog
- recommends databases based on the search
- Texas Heritage Online
- keystone system (also open source)
- same approach as WebFeat:
- first results retrieved as the first results displayed
- "channeled" search
- results from different datastores never mix
- Others
- University of Rochester = Endeavor product
- Kansas = Endeavor product
- BYU = WebFeat
- usually have to authenticate when you use federated search
steps to make decision
- decide if we want to...
- be innovative and try something different
- just have something that works (ultimately, this is the administration's call)
- decide: open source vs. buy a product
- decide: customize product or not
- make recommendation for people on the task
some thoughts
- WebFeat
- can only change the header
- a few CSS options
- can't really affect layout
- MetaLib
- includes SFX link resolver
- able to change the layout
- compartmentalized whole-library system
- makes it difficult to problem-solve on a grand scale
- Ref. Dept. is concerned about graduates and upperclassmen stuck in lower-level databases
- need to point out the other options: databases, class/subject guides, catalog
- need to find out if federated search will be used
- needs to be a tool that the Ref. Dept. will buy into, use, and teach to students
- needs real estate on the website
New Business
- Shaun asked about possibilites for photo storage
- they're taking a lot of photos at RP
- 15 CDs of photos and around 1GB on drive
- will eventually slow the drive
- want storage space with access for everyone (not just RP)
- shared directory is a possibility:
- space for dept. projects (different depts. working together)
- LAN can make a space on the H:\ and decide reading/writing rights on a per-user basis
- need to develop policies for images
- how long to keep them
- what size
- what format
- currently most as jpg (which is fine)
- could weed them (this is currently an RP project for G:\)
- need a place to put photos for Friday Frags
- Rare Books receptions
- internal events (parties)
- don't need all to be public
- would be great to tag for easy finding
- Gallery might be a good application to use
- the photos won't be used if people have to browse the entire drive
- if photos are to be saved, they need to have metadata
- doesn't need to be in the DLS
- Mark will look into it