[Web4lib] Getting catalog software vendors to make more useable software choices

[Karen Coyle]

When the U of Calif was doing its RFP for a vendor system we looked at 
the RFPs that some other large libraries (including LC) had done. These 
documents were 50-100 pages in length and went into incredible detail 
about the workings of the modules for acquisitions, serials check-in, 
etc. They said shockingly little about the requirements for the user 
interface. When I talked to the vendors, they confirmed that libraries 
buy integrated library systems based on the library management 
functions, not the user interface. It is the library administration that 
buys the ILS, and their priority is running the library, not providing 
user service. In fact, this isn't unreasonable -- the library has to 
function well in toto so that there is something that you can provide 
user service to. But this means that the user interface gets short 
shrift in the purchasing decision, and therefore there is no incentive 
for vendors to spend their time and money improving that part of their 
system.

It is for this reason that I feel that we should separate library 
management and user interface functions of our catalogs -- let the ILS 
integrate library management, and have the user interface be a 
collective effort by some smart, user-friendly, open source folks. All 
we would need from the ILS vendors is a decent API into the database 
(well, and good database design, but I'm assuming here that the problem 
is the public view, not the backend database). Note that in today's 
environment there is no reason why the user interface has to be run off 
the exact same database as the management systems -- it is possible to 
keep them in sync in other ways.

As I've said before, it is time to dis-integrate the ILS, for the sake 
of our users.

kc

Jenne Heise wrote:

> For years, my library has been struggling with some basic usability 
> flaws in our online catalog interface for the web, things that can't 
> apparently be done with the software as it stands and are apparently 
> low priority for the vendor.
>
> What are librarians doing to pressure catalog softwarevendors to 
> address usability issues?
>
> Are there any libraries/library systems that have used authority 
> control to provide suggestions of alternative terms for searching? Are 
> there ways to make the 'more like this' feature in catalogs work well? 
> What works? What doesn't work?
>
> -- Jenne Heise
> _______________________________________________
> Web4lib mailing list
> Web4lib at webjunction.org
> http://lists.webjunction.org/web4lib/
>
>

-- 
-----------------------------------
Karen Coyle / Digital Library Consultant
kcoyle at kcoyle.net http://www.kcoyle.net
ph.: 510-540-7596
fx.: 510-848-3913
mo.: 510-435-8234
------------------------------------