Updated+Rationale+Paper

This is the revised version of the Rationale Paper


 * Term Project: Rationale Paper**

[|http://sheldonwilliamscollegiate.rbe.sk.ca/sheldonlibrary/search.htm]

 **Setting and Clientele**

Latimer Road Elementary School is located in the western region of Surrey, B.C. It has a current enrollment of 220 students from Grades 4 to 7. The school's mission is to empower children to reach their personal best by becoming life-long learners. Staff, parents, community members, and students work together to meet school goals of literacy and the integration of technology into the curriculum.


 * Literature Consulted**

The professional and research literature that we reviewed outlines the difficulties that students of all ages face when completing OPAC searches. Harris (2008) states that “OPACs suck” because they do not meet the needs of users. He feels that unless the user is a librarian, MARC records and the standard display of information are irrelevant. Casey (2007) echoes this sentiment with comments from the catalogue user who doesn’t care what goes into creating the perfect OPAC because he has different needs than the librarian does. Everhart and Hatcher (2005) discuss the constraints of subject vocabulary and the mystery of Boolean logic, and suggest that school librarians add more “user-friendly” terms to the subject curriculum field of the MARC record.

Other articles that we read outline the positive features of existing OPACs. Luk (1996) worked with English and Cantonese focus groups to identify the most important and desired components of an online catalogue. Her study concluded that title, author, subject, and summary are the most useful elements in a bibliographic record and that the ISBN is rarely required. In another article, Carlyle and Timmons (2002) discuss an in-depth study of MARC records, concluding that the author, title, publishing information, and subject fields are the ones most commonly used by school-aged OPAC searchers.

In his article, Walter Minkel (2003) celebrates the fact that school library automation systems have changed significantly over the past ten years. He believes that systems which allow for integration and sharing, web and database searches, centralized cataloguing services, and the generation of specialized reports, provide better service to library patrons. Marshall Breeding (2007) and Karen Schneider (2006) indicate that we need to change current library interfaces and OPACs so that they will be able to compete with the Internet for the user's attention. After reviewing these articles and others like them, our group had a platform from which to start our discussion on what makes an ideal bibliographic display.


 * Comments and Reactions to OPACs Observed**

After individually reviewing a variety of OPACs, group members agreed that keeping the OPAC simple and user-friendly enables users to have maximum access to library resources. Created by Follet, Destiny was a favourite reviewed by group members as the search page is clear and concise, leading to a well-organized search results page that includes the call number and a “sneak peak” feature that shows the resource's cover. Spydus Kids by Sanderson also had a simple search page but it was not favored by group members because the images chosen for the nine subject buttons were not appealing and lead to many more unappealing images. For our target audience, the group felt that too many search options could lead to confusion especially if users were distracted by the images that represented them. Endeca is the OPAC used by Phoenix Public Libraries and it offers a variety of unique functions. Searches that are conducted survey the entire website and results contain a variety of formats (i.e. books, music, downloadable materials, movies, government documents, maps, newspapers, magazines, historical images). Other features to highlight include a “sort by options” function, “most borrowed materials” statistics, “award winners” information, “ratings and reviews” link, notes about the resource, and a “more like this” link. Although we found some of these features to be too detailed for the simple searches our Grade 4 – 7 audience would conduct, we did agree that using the “more like this link” under a “Future Explorations” function where students could look beyond the resource being observed, would be beneficial. Another OPAC that we reviewed was called Aquabrowser. This OPAC included a feature not seen in many other OPACs called a tag cloud. This feature uses colours to highlight translations, associations, spelling variations, and a discovery trail. The spelling variation feature was one that we felt would be very important for our target audience because experience tells us that many Grade 4 – 7 students searching an OPAC are often unfamiliar with the words they are using during a simple search. Other OPACs were observed but in general, we referred to Destiny on a regular basis because we all agreed that it was the OPAC that best suited our audience. At the same time, we simplified Destiny's search results page and added and deleted certain information shown on the Full Record display. These differences and similarities will be discussed in the rationale.


 * Web Page 1: Basic Search/Advanced Search Page**

The first page that a user sees when he/she visits the OPAC is designed to launch him/her into the type of search he/she wishes to initiate: basic or advanced. These two types of searches were included because the catalogue will be used by students in grades 4 to 7 who will be developing their capacity to use a more advanced search process and Boolean terminology. This first page was created using a blue and white template, and all subsequent pages match. It was agreed that a dark font on a white background was easy to read. The simple and uncluttered design minimizes distracting features, and allows the user to quickly scan the page and find what he/she is looking for. Symbolic icons were chosen to render the page more visually interesting, but also to assist students who have difficulty reading. There is a “Home" link at the top of the page that takes the searcher back to the library's home page.

Most students will use the 'basic' search therefore it appears first on the page. Graphics appeal to both younger and older students so the icons appear first. Graphics also appeal to visual learners and those who struggle with language. The 'title' and 'author' search features are common starting points for students; therefore, they were included first. The “subject” search appears third, as it is the next mostly commonly used search. In our experience, “keyword” and “series” searches are not as common so we included them at the end of the “basic” search options.

The advanced search utilizes the author, title, and subject search capabilities linked by Boolean terminology. This is a simpler form of the advanced searches than other OPACs use. Our advanced search is simplified in order to teach necessary skills and make it less confusing for kids.

When initiating a basic search, the user will type the words into the basic search bar. The user will then select the appropriate type of search icon to click on in order to continue his/her search. In the basic search, the title will link to a list of titles matching the search terms. The author will link to a list of resources whose authors match the search. The subject will link to a list of resources matching the subject search. The keyword will link to a list of resources which contain the keyword in their bibliographic records. The series will link to a list of resources from the identified search.

When initiating an advanced search, the user will type specific words into the advanced search bars depending on which features he/she wishes to employ. The user can also select combinations of the Boolean terms. Once terms are entered, the searcher must click the magnifying glass to initiate the search.


 * Web Page 2: “Title” Search Results List**

Once a user has selected a “title” search (in this case, “reptiles and amphibians”) from the catalogue’s main page, he or she will be linked to an alphabetical results list of titles which match the terms used. At the end of each title listed, there is a small graphic added (Book, DVD, Audio Book and Web Link) as a quick form of identification. The graphics guide is provided at the bottom of the screen so that searchers know what each icon means.This will become second-nature to students as they use the OPAC more frequently, but for beginners, this design feature is critical. The number in rounded parentheses after the author’s name identifies the number of copies available. This number is in blue font so that it stands out. For the purpose of this assignment, the title Reptiles and Amphibians is bold, blue, and underlined because this is what the searcher would see when moving his/her cursor over the titles. All titles would be hotlinked to their Full Record. Clicking on "Catalogue" or "Library search" takes the searcher back to the catalogue’s main page so he/she can change or refine the search as needed.


 * Web Page 3: Full Record Display for Reptiles and Amphibians**

With Grade 4 - 7 students in mind, we decided to keep the full record page simple yet rich in needed information. In the top banner, we included navigational features (Library Search, Search Results, reptiles and amphibians) which trace the user’s search path and records the pages he/she has viewed to get to the current page. Each step in the path is hotlinked to allow users to go back to the pages they saw previously. If a student views the reptiles and amphibians record and it does not look like the resource he/she is looking for, he/she can click on the "Search Results" words and be taken back to explore other resources that appeared in that title search. “Catalogue” takes the user to the catalogue’s main page, and “Results” takes the user to the title results page (another path tracker).

The title, author, and illustrator are in the first section of our Full Record. We chose to accompany the title with a picture of the book's cover. This provides a visual reference point for the resource as and it appeals to visual learners. Under the book cover, we included the call number in a bold blue box to draw attention to it. We put it directly under the picture as we felt the picture would most likely be one of the first things the user would look at. Centered at the top of the Full Record display is the title, author, and illustrator information. This is bold and easy to read so that it stands out, but not so large that it takes away from the graphics on either side of it. On the right side of the title, author, and illustrator information, is a combination of graphics and text that identifies the type of resource (Children’s Book). We chose to add this because it differentiates between a teacher's resource and a children's book for our two user groups. We chose not to put the reading level or interest level there so as not to deter student readers from exploring that resource because it is "too young" or "too easy" for them.

The availability of the resource is located next in its own space so as to allow users to quickly identify its availability before spending time locating it in the library. Below this is a brief summary of the book’s content. The summary is given high priority on the page because in many cases, it will help determine whether the student/teacher continues to look at the rest of the record. It tells them if this resource will meet their needs or appeal to their interests. The reading level of this summary was written for a Grade 4-7 audience so that students who are looking for very specific information can read this summary to determine if it is suitable before locating it on the shelf.

The next section, titled "Further Exploration," was chosen instead of subject headings because it sounds more interesting and intriguing. The visual images are definitely more appealing to younger students than simply listing the possible subject searches in text only. It provides further insight and information for students and does so in an appealing way. It is placed centrally so students do not have to scroll down to access it. All five “Further Exploration" graphics are hotlinked to provide teachers and students with links to related information by author(s), illustrator(s), subject(s) and series (Our World). Grade 4-7 students would use these links when looking for information related to a resource they have found for recreational reading as well as for projects, assignments, or other school-related tasks. For the purpose of this assignment, only Peter Wright is linked so the instructor can see how an author search would work.

The section titled “Curriculum-Related Information” was selected primarily because it is useful to teachers as well as the parents of students who have access from home computers and are using this OPAC. In other OPACs, this section is called “Other Information” or “Additional Information,” but we felt it needed a more specific heading that would appeal to teachers and parents. Its placement on the Full Record display was given more priority than the remaining elements of the ISBD. Although students will not likely look beyond the "Further Exploration" section, teachers will find this information useful in determining whether or not the resource meets the needs of their curriculum. Curriculum links are hotlinked directly to the BC Ministry of Education curriculum documents so a teacher can see exactly how the resource fits into the curriculum they are teaching. Grade 4-7 students may not use this feature unless they are taught how to.

The final section titled “Additional Information” was chosen to encompass the remaining elements of the ISBD in the Full Record. Some OPACs call this “Publication Information.” Although it is placed last on the Full Record, it is still an important and necessary section. This information is not widely used by students in this age group. In this section, we used only one of the publishing locations because the catalogue is designed for Grades 4-7 students so it needs to be as simple as possible. If the catalogue was designed for university students or public libraries, it would be appropriate to add all three of the locations listed.


 * Web Page 4: Peter Wright's Page**

This page provides an alphabetical title results list when an author search is performed. Because this is not a fully working catalogue, the author search has been hotlinked from the Full Record. Upon accessing this page, the user will see a list of the selected author’s materials. Included in each listing are the title, author, and illustrator (if applicable). There is also a picture of the book’s cover and the call number which provides a physical address for the resource. The publication date is included to inform students and teachers of how current the resources are (which may impact selection). At this point in the search, other publishing information is irrelevant to most users. The graphic underneath the title and author indicates what type of resource it is, which is important to library patrons because they will know what to expect when they click on the “Details” link. If they don't want a DVD, they won't click on that resource. The “Details” link takes the searcher to the Full Record where they can find out more about the resource. For the purpose of this assignment, only the “Reptiles and amphibians” title works. Finally, the availability of the resource is indicated on the right side of the listing so the searcher knows whether to continue looking for a specific item listed. The information we’ve selected to be included on this page is intended to provide a brief glance of what the Full Record will include.

The navigational features in the blue banner serve the same purpose as they do on the previous pages; they record the path the searcher has taken and allow him/her to access different stages of the search.


 * Web Page 5: Subjects Closest to "reptiles and amphibians"**

This page provides an alphabetical list of the subject headings closest to “reptiles and amphibians” when the “Subject” feature is selected from the Basic Search on the catalogue’s main page. A subject search creates a list of terms that are closest to the subject search entered by the searcher. The square brackets at the end of each subject heading indicate how many items are available for each subject result.

By listing the closest terms, searchers can choose the one that is most applicable to what they are looking for. It may provide them with options they hadn't even thought of. We included this because if we had done the results page with just titles, searchers wouldn't have had the opportunity to see these broader subject categories and it might take longer for them to find exactly what they are looking for. The list of subject terms mimics searches done in many databases which list the closest terms and allow the user to make an educated choice. For the purpose of this assignment, one link has been highlighted and underlined in blue and it links to a more detailed list of 16 resources that fit under this subject heading. In an actual working catalogue, the searcher would be able to scroll over each subject result and it would highlight/underline in blue, as well as link to a more detailed list of the resources in that category.

The navigational features in the blue banner serve the same purpose as they do on the previous pages; they record the path the searcher has taken and allow him/her to access different stages of the search.


 * Web Page 6: Titles with Subject "Reptiles - - Amphibians - - Non-Fiction"**

This page was designed to mimic the display seen on the author search results page. Our objective was to maintain the organization of the page and its features for consistency purposes.

The navigational features in the blue banner serve the same purpose as they do on the previous pages; they record the path the searcher has taken and allow him/her to access different stages of the search.

Additionally, the “Next Page” feature which can be found on the right hand side of this page, would also be linked to the second page of results in a real catalogue.


 * Searcher’s Route/Path**

The route/path/series of steps the searcher would take to get to each display has been described in the explanation of each Web page. However, in the context of a Basic Search, the searcher would use the following steps:

(a) A search using an author's name - type in the name of the author and then click on the “author” icon - a new page with all of the resources linked to the specified author would appear in a list

(b) A search using a title - type in the title and click on the “title” icon - a new page with all of the resources containing the specified title would appear in a list - select the desired resource - the Full Record which contains the call number, availability, a summary, links to the author(s), series, curriculum links, related books, and publishing information would appear

(c) A search using a subject heading - type in the subject and click on the “subject” icon - a new page with all of the resources linked to this subject would appear in a list - select the desired subject heading - a list of the titles with the desired subject heading would appear - select the desired resource - the Full Record which contains the call number, availability, a summary, links to the author(s), series, curriculum links, related books, and publishing information would appear


 * Wiki Link**

http://idealbibdisplay.wikispaces.com/