Archive for the ‘Endeca’ Category

Improving the Catalogue Interface Using Endeca

Thursday, October 12th, 2006

Tito Sierra (NCSU)

Why do it?

  • Improve end user interface & “quality of user experience”
  • ‘Make their MARC data work harder’

Endeca is used by:

Why Endeca?

  • Relevance ranking of results
  • Performance & speed
  • True browse through LC classification
  • Spell correction, “Did you mean…?”, Stemming (nouns)
  • Sort options
  • Enhanced browsing - search & browse in same interface
  • Layered narrowing of search
  • Improved Subject access (visible on search results page - don’t need to go to a record to view these)
  • Narrow results by: Author; Topic, Genre, Region, Era facets

Does not support:

  • Work level aggregations / roll-up = one record for multiple copies
  • Folksonomies / user contributed content

Does not currently support:

  • (Erratta) “NCSU’s implementation of the Endeca platform does not currently support work level aggregation. The software itself supports this very well with a feature called “record roll-up,” which the NCSU Endeca product team is currently working on. The software works great. Choosing a key on which to roll up the records and working out the display issues–that’s a little trickier.”

Techy:

  • Endeca co-exists w/ SirsiDynix - doesn’t replace the ILS

Posted in Endeca, ILS, OPAC | 2 Comments »

Improving the Catalogue Interface Using Endeca

Thursday, October 12th, 2006

Tito Sierra

Endeca is not a replacement fo the ILS, but meant to improve the end user experience. It allows for relevancy ranking and enhances browsing. Features that can be implemented include spell correction, stemming (with nouns), and the “Did you mean?” feature. Speed and performance are exceptional and the presentation interface can be locally managed which allows for immediate usability changes.

 Additional features that have not yet been implemented at NCSU include work level aggregations, customization, and folksonomies. Challenges include deciding which navigation refinements to make, changes to interface, and optimization of relevancy ranking.  In analysis of the usage stats, “subject topic” was the highest navigation facet, although it was also most prominently displayed. Keyword search was the most popular, but it is also the default search. In usability testing, 10 students were tested. From the tasks given, 9/10 times the tasks were easier to complete in the new catalogue.

Reflections: Choose the right tool for the right job. Put together a small team.  The project & deveopment are an iterative process. Realize that the catalogue interface is only one small part of the problem.

See http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/endeca

Posted in Endeca, Uncategorized | No Comments »