mylibrary

[Eric Lease Morgan]

Rick Silterra <enrico.silterra at acm.org> wrote:

> Date: Tue, 12 Mar 2002 10:49:52 -0500
> From: Rick Silterra <enrico.silterra at acm.org>
> To: web4lib at webjunction.org
> Subject: myLibrary
> 
> A couple of years ago there was some interest in library web customization for
> individuals based on their
>
> 1) expressed preferences.
> 2) inferred preferences based on behavior.
> 
> How successful have such myLibrary systems been -- how widely are they in use?
> Are any in use in a public library setting?

I am the primary developer of the MyLibrary at NCState software, and I will try
to address your questions.

In many regards, I believe the MyLibrary at NCState software was a qualified
success. It has been adopted by a number of libraries around the world. A
list of these institutions was created by Pat Leamon of the NCSU Libraries.
It includes names such as:

   1. MyLibrary at Auburn http://mylibrary.auburn.edu/ Auburn
   University, Auburn, Alabama
  
   2. MyBCU http://pcbcu432.unil.ch/mylibrary/ Bibliothque
   cantonale et universitaire, University de Lausanne, Lausanne,
   Dorigny, Switzerland (not yet in production)
  
   3. MyLibrary at Curtin http://john.curtin.edu.au/mylibrary/ Curtin
   University of Technology, Perth, Australia
  
   4. MyLibrary at LANL http://lib-www.lanl.gov/lww/mylibweb.htm -
   "The LANL implementation of MyLibrary @ LANL is an object
   oriented redesign of the Mylibrary source code created by Eric
   Lease Morgan of North Carolina State University."
  
   5. MyLibrary at LIUC http://mylibrary.liuc.it/mylibrary/
   Universit Carlo Cattaneo (LIUC), Castellanza, Italy
  
   6. MyLibrary at Lund University http://mylibrary.lub.lu.se Lund
   University, Lund, Sweden
  
   7. MyLibrary at Mason http://mylibrary.gmu.edu George Mason
   University, Virginia, USA
  
   8. MyLibrary at NC State http://my.lib.ncsu.edu North Carolina
   State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
  
   9. MyLibrary at University of Michigan
   http://www.lib.umich.edu/staff/committees/nisc/mylibrary/
  
   10. MyLibrary at Wheaton College
   http://libweb.wheaton.edu/mylibrary Wheaton College, Illinois,
   USA
  
   11. MyQuinney
   http://www.quinneylibrary.usu.edu/lib/myquinney/mylibrary/
   Quinney Natural Resources Research Library, Utah State
   University, Logan, Utah, USA
  
   12. MyLibrary at SUNY http://mylibrary.downstate.edu/mylibrary/
   SUNY Downstate Medical Center, New York, USA (testing mode)

One of the very exciting things about these implementations is the fact that
they asked for very little, if any, technical support.

The MyLibrary at NCState software works. It functions as advertised. It does
not crash, nor does it output bad data. On the other hand, it can be
improved. Some improvements that have come to mind include:

  * the adoption of syndicated news feeds
  * the use of XML to input/output data
  * the ability to create more than one user page
  * create static pages for classes
  * organize materials by format as well as title and subject
  * output search results based on who else has the item on their page
  * better integration with the institution's catalog
  * output to formats usable by other portals

MyLibrary at NCState and other portal applications implementing personalization
and customization represent a way to provide access to library services and
collections that do not represent the lowest common denominator and they
provide the means for acquiring better usage statistics when compared to
traditional log file analysis.

For more information about MyLibrary at NCState see:

  http://hegel.lib.ncsu.edu/development/mylibrary/
  http://www.infomotions.com/musings/sigir-99/

-- 
Eric "Out Of Town 'Til Monday' Morgan
Head, Digital Access and Information Architecture Department
University Libraries of Notre Dame

(574) 631-8604