Primo Partnership and Implementation At Vanderbilt University Marshall

Primo Partnership and Implementation At Vanderbilt University Marshall Breeding Director for Innovative Technology and Research Vanderbilt University Libraries 4 Sept 2007 IGel. U Brno, Czech Republic

VU Libraries Strategic Direction • Recently conducted a strategic planning process • Serving Library patrons of utmost importance • Some reorganization of committee structure and decision making process

Lib. Qual+ • Participation in Lib. Qual+ indicated the library’s service quality to be excellent in most areas • Some indicators and many comments that our online catalog and Web site needed improvement

Problems with the Status Quo • A look and feel that may not meet the expectations of • • the current generation of Web-savvy users. Our current environment requires users to interact with many different interfaces, and search many different resources. Overly complex for some users Not always intuitive Users have to go to different places to find different kinds of information on a given topic: Acorn for books, “Articles and Databases” page for articles.

Library Trends • Primo is consistent with the trend among libraries to • • • break out of the current mold of library catalogs and offer new interfaces better suited to the expectations of library users. Decoupling of the front-end interface from the back-end library automation system. Widespread dissatisfaction with most of the current OPACs. Many efforts toward next-generation catalogs and interfaces. Movement toward a single point of entry for library collections and services

Dissatisfaction with Meta. Search offerings • Can’t a metasearch product solve the same • • problem? Too slow, Complex Presentation and ranking based on shallow result sets Fundamental flaw in “distributed query” federated search Trend toward OAI-style harvesting to build centralized indexes

What does Primo offer Vanderbilt? • Not just a replacement for the OPAC. A research environment with • • a broader scope, more current search-and-retrieval technologies, with an interface more in step with other Web destinations. Incorporates “Web 2. 0” concepts. A new information discovery and delivery tool created by Ex Libris. An environment for the discovery of information resources provided by the library. Provides a mechanism for the delivery of materials and services for different types of collections including electronic, digital, and print materials. Works toward an environment that gives equal footing to print and digital resources

Primo consistent with VU Vision • The vision of Primo addressed many of the • concerns that we had with our current environment and with the inherent problems in the current product offerings Break down the silos between – Print and Digital – Local and Remote • Consolidated search and information delivery • environment More like the interfaces library users see everywhere else on the Web.

Primo Content • Direct harvesting and indexing of different information resources – Initially the bibliographic and authority data of Unicorn and TV News abstracts – Other content sources added over time • Subscription based content brought in through integrated • metasearch capabilities. Acorn and TV News are but the first steps toward developing an environment that provides fast access to multiple, diverse content sources.

Primo isn’t a Dumbing down of the Catalog • Most Acorn searches are currently keyword • Primo offers a more sophisticated and effective keyword search engine. – Relevancy ranking. • Faceted browsing provides a mechanism for users to • • navigate through and narrow search results. Faceted browsing has proven itself as a preferred approach for Web-based information resources. “Did you mean? ” – beyond simple spell check: library specific approach for providing search alternatives. [example] Makes use of Authority data Incorporates FRBR

Relationship to Acorn our Unicorn ILS • The native version of Unicorn i. Link (Web. Cat) will • • continue to be available. Data from Unicorn is replicated in Primo and kept up-todate. All data retained and maintained in Unicorn infrastructure continues to be the mechanism for presenting library services related to the physical collection: holds, renewals, annex requests, faculty book delivery. An additional item display in Unicorn/i. Link (Web. Cat) will be created specifically for Primo that is more consistent with the look and feel of Primo. Acorn is but one content component of Primo.

Similar efforts • North Carolina State University – Using Endeca Guided Search with Unicorn • Aqua. Browser Library – Used by hundreds of Public Libraries • Encore by Innovative Interfaces • World. Cat Local – University of Washington, University of • • California, etc State Library of Tasmania – alternate interface to statewide catalog based on Verity Search Engine Villanove University – Open Source interface based on Apache Solr

Primo: Behind the Scenes

Primo Architecture Science. Direct JSTOR SFX Pro. Quest Primo Publishing Platform SFX Knowledge Base Subscription Content Meta. Lib Primo Interface Layer Search Engine Primo Normalized XML (PNX) Primo Indexes Content Harvesting Harvested Content Unicorn Bib Records Unicorn Auth Records Record Enrichment Many others … TV News Abstracts Other Local Content Cover art TOC, Abstracts, etc Other Content Enrichment Other OAI Content

PNX records • Primo Normalized XML • The native record structure of Primo. • Information from other resources is harvested, enriched, and converted to this specification

Primo Publishing Platform • Primo Publishing Platform (PPP), a component of Primo, handles the harvesting, normalization, and enrichment of data

Why Ex Libris? • A library automation company with a history of developing significant technologies for academic libraries – SFX • Vanderbilt was a beta test site for SFX, even though we • • ended up not purchasing it until later. A company that tends to develop its own technologies rather than license them from others. A stable and growing company. (15 percent growth per year) Recent acquisition by Francisco Partners can be seen as an affirmation of their viability.

Why Primo, Why Now? • • An opportunity to advance more rapidly into the next generation of library interfaces Consistent with the direction of the library’s strategic plan User expectations changing rapidly; need to be proactive in meeting those expectations. …

Primo Development Partners • University Library Center of North-Rhine Westphalia (Hochschulbibliothekszentrum Nordrhein-Westfalen or HBZ) – Focus on the Primo Publishing Platform • University of Minnesota – focus on usability • Vanderbilt University – Test and Review of User Interface – Development of Pipes for harvest and ingest of external data • Unicorn Bib/Authority + Dublin Core (TV News) – Review of FRBR implementation (how similar records are grouped)

Milestones • • • Feb 2006 -- Initial conversations with Oren Mar 2006 – First on-site demo of Primo at VU Apr 2006 – Decision to partner with Ex Libris for Primo May 15 2006 – Kick-off meeting w/ Ex Libris Oct 31 2006 – Project plan complete Dec 2006 – Hardware delivered and installed Jan 1007 – Full data extracts Feb 2007 – Version 1. 0 of software installed Jun 2007 – Primo available to all VU staff for review and testing Aug 2007 – Primo available for the general public

VU – Ex Libris partnership • Multiple visits to VU by Ex Libris Staff • Weekly conference calls • Detailed Project plan • Ongoing dialog – give and take

Primo Partnership and Implementation Resources • Significant involvement by 40+ library staff • Multiple committees and workgroups – – – – Digital Library Steering Committee Unicorn MARCXML Pipe Dublin Core / TVNEWS Pipe Normalization Team Get. It team Authentication Meta. Lib 2 Testing Teams • Multiple on-site visits by Ex Libris staff • Weekly calls to Israel

Current status • Version 1. 0 software installed + all current patch • • • clusters and hot fixes Staging server / Production Server Unicorn and TV News pipes built and run regularly All show-stopper issues resolved Preview mode for general access Production: soft deployment in Fall 2007

Initial impressions • Continues to show great promise • Positive reaction to seeing VU’s own data in • Primo Able to see implications of the work and decisions made throughout the process – – – Results display Record presentation De-duping / FRBR • Project continues to be on track • Results commensurate with the investment

Future Expectations for Primo at VU • Incorporate additional local content – TV News is just the first digital collection that could benefit from greater exposure – Subscription content. Get beyond the limitations of the current metasearch model. • Integration of Primo with Blackboard courseware system

Primo Demonstration

Primo – POC

Primo – Dev Serv

Primo – search

Primo – Details

Primo – Show Location

Primo – Search Suggestions