The OCLC Cooperative Blog

A pleasant surprise: student workers and WorldShare

Thu, 02 May 2013 12:58:53 -0500

Laura C. Slavin, Technical Services Librarian, Lincoln Memorial University's Carnegie-Vincent Library, shared the following story with us about how the ease-of-use of WorldShare Management Services helped provide more options and opportunities for workflow improvements and time savings in her library.

--------

It's not uncommon for us at the Carnegie-Vincent Library to have a large backlog of gift books. Gift books often arrive in large quantities. They are removed from boxes and placed on carts for collection development librarians to assess for the collection. As Technical Services Librarian, those that were accepted for the collection were given to me for copy, complex copy and original cataloging. Then I added holdings and items to complete the physical processing.

In June 2012, the Carnegie-Vincent Library migrated to OCLC WorldShare Management Services (WMS). As a result, I began considering ways to improve workflows and reduce redundancy in technical services processes. Working with WMS cuts down on duplication dramatically since there is no longer a need to transfer WorldCat records to an integrated library system. Also, I observed that copy cataloging was now at a level where many were accepted "as is" - requiring no edits at all.

Because WorldShare makes technical service processes much easier, I decided to work with a graduate assistant on a pilot project to see if student workers could do the majority of the gift book processing. Any books that were not ordered through a fund would fall into this category.

In WMS, this process takes place in the Circulation module. Through the Circulation module, a record is discovered and then, using a simple form, an item is added to the record indicating location, call number and barcode.

The first step in developing the pilot project was to create a model for the plan. The idea was to assign student workers to complete the processing with a graduate assistant supervising. To get the process started, I trained the graduate assistant and assigned her to work on processing until she felt well versed in the workflow. Then, the graduate assistant and I worked together to find student workers who met certain criteria: time available to spend on the project and an eye for detailed, precise work. As the pilot project moved forward, the graduate assistant took on more responsibility, which provided an excellent managerial experience for her and allowed me to perform other duties.

A serious concern for me was the quality of the output. Therefore, I created detailed instructions in writing for the graduate assistant and student workers. During training, it was emphasized that the first step, finding the record, was the most important. The catalog must have the right record with the right book. There are no exceptions. If the record was not complete, lacked a call number, or there were any questions at all about the record, it was set aside for me to check.

The rest of the procedure was straightforward. First, add the item, then write down the barcode number and include it on a slip with the book, and add book information to the Excel label template. When a cart is complete, I do a random quality check of the completed books. Any problems were discussed with the graduate assistant, so that she can incorporate them in ongoing training of the students.

The pilot project was implemented during the 2012 fall semester. Overall, the pilot project proved to be a success with more than 300 items cataloged and available in the system by the end of the semester. We'll probably only do this when the library has a large influx of gift books. But being able to process items through the Circulation module in WMS helps us minimize the backlog that sometimes develops due to a large donation.

Laura C. Slavin,
Technical Services Librarian, Lincoln Memorial University's Carnegie-Vincent Library

Video interview with Shelley Hostetler

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 14:32:07 -0500

Here's a quick interview with Shelley Hostetler, OCLC's new Community Manager for the Developer Network. Shelley explains a bit about her role at OCLC and how to get involved with the Developer Network.

Knowing where the tools are kept

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 13:08:17 -0500

As an editor and proofreader, I get frequent questions about style and punctuation--and an unspoken assumption that I must keep tons of arcane details in my head. If my colleagues only knew how often I reach for the dictionary or the World Almanac or The Chicago Manual of Style to answer many of their questions!

At OCLC, we've tried to put many of the tools most used by member librarians in one place, called the "Librarian's toolbox." This portal page on the OCLC website is one of those "where to find what" pages for a lot of things you and your staff may need to do in your daily work--definitely worth bookmarking! You can also find the link in the top navigation bar of almost any page on the www.oclc.org site:

Here's a partial list of what you can do from the toolbox page:

Log on to variety of OCLC services and related sites
Access and print OCLC forms
Order OCLC services
Link to helpful cataloging tools
Get the latest Dewey Decimal Classification updates
Explore a directory of other OCLC libraries

The Librarian's toolbox is also a great go-to site to learn more about WorldCat. There are tools for using WorldCat more effectively. You can put the WorldCat search box on your website to make it easier for users to find materials they need. And you can watch the work of libraries around the world as they continue to build WorldCat record by record.

We hope the toolbox page is a helpful reference as you connect with OCLC services, staff and other members. It's a good link to hang onto because, as we all know, no one can remember everything!

Brad Gauder
OCLC Editor

A wonderful collaboration

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 11:39:14 -0500

"A wonderful collaboration" sums up how Jackie Dooley, OCLC Research Program Officer, told me she feels about the process and outcomes of a new report, Survey of Special Collections and Archives in the United Kingdom and Ireland, published jointly by OCLC Research and Research Libraries UK (RLUK).

The 259-page report, written by Jackie and a team of RLUK-recruited experts--Rachel Beckett, Alison Cullingford, Katie Sambrook, Chris Sheppard and Sue Worrall--makes a strong case for transforming special collections, including a set of 20 recommendations they believe will help address the key findings. The executive summary and recommendations are published in the main report and as a separate document.

Jackie explained that the project closely parallels an earlier special collections survey she led in 2010. Taking Our Pulse: The OCLC Research Survey of Special Collections and Archives (PDF) gave a similar, evidence-based review of the state of special collections in the U.S. and Canada. The survey instrument used in the new report is based on the one used earlier, with variations to accommodate both terminological differences and issues of particular interest for the UK and Ireland. To accommodate RLUK's desire to compare the state of its members' special collections with those of ARL libraries in the US and Canada, the current report includes a detailed comparison between the two.

Taken together, the reports establish a baseline for comparing practices in the US and Canada with those used in the UK and Ireland. This baseline also provides a starting point for later collaboration based on shared strengths.

Jackie shared that these reports are a familiar, personal endeavor--her entire career (30+ years and counting) has been spent working with archives and special collections in research libraries. She notes that OCLC Research and RLUK plan to pursue further collaborations--not only related to special collections, but in other areas of mutual interest.

Brad Gauder
OCLC Editor

OCLC and DOGObooks: another great partnership for libraries

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 17:10:15 -0500

If you work with kids... have kids... or like kids books and haven't heard of DOGObooks, you should check them out. It's the Web's largest site specifically devoted to kids' reading and book reviews by-and-for kids. DOGObooks is part of an online network where kids can engage with digital media and includes news resources for current events, content for use in the classroom and a place for kids to view G to PG-13 movie trailers and rate and review movies. Over 500,000 students and teachers use the site every month.

This is an excellent example of a network built around a segment of Internet users that overlaps with the work libraries do and, by extension, the work of the OCLC cooperative. The site already provides resources that public and school librarians clearly find useful. By partnering with OCLC through its use of the WorldCat Search API, DOGObooks can help take that conversation further, enabling its users to easily connect to libraries near them. It helps get library resources more directly into the workflows of students, teachers and anyone interested in kid lit. Which makes perfect sense for everyone involved.

More and more, we're finding partners like this who want to work with libraries, and are looking for efficient, powerful ways to make that happen. Libraries have a fantastic brand across audiences that publishers, software vendors and audience-specific services want to reach. By aggregating their data in WorldCat, OCLC members provide one important way to make these kinds of partnerships possible.

You can read more about our partnership programs here, and we're always looking for suggestions and ideas about possible new partners.

-- Cindy Cunningham
Director, OCLC Partner Programs

Interview with Patrick Brown, Director of Community at Goodreads

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 17:30:26 -0500

Last month, OCLC announced that it was expanding its strategic partnership with Goodreads in order to help provide greater visibility for libraries, including the ability for libraries to create their own library group pages. After the announcement, I had a chance to chat with Patrick Brown, the Director of Community for Goodreads, to learn a bit more about his role there, the OCLC partnership, and (most important) what he's currently reading.

Andy Havens, OCLC Coop Blog Editor: First of all, thanks for joining us, Patrick, and thanks for all the great work behind the scenes helping to get the new library partnership program going.

Patrick Brown, Director of Community for Goodreads: You're very welcome... on both counts.

Andy: Tell us a bit about your role at Goodreads. What does a "Director of Community" do there.

Patrick: Well, community is very important to any organization that relies on its users for content as well as popularity. It's been nice working with OCLC, as we clearly have that in common. As far as the daily grind, I work with authors, publishers, bookstores and libraries to help people build activities and excitement around books, stores or institutions where reading is important.

Andy: That sounds like a lot of work... and, frankly, a lot of fun, too.

Patrick: Both, yes. I've been in the book business on-and-off for more than a decade, and I'm a huge reader myself, so this is an ideal job in many ways. I get to wear a lot of hats... direct interaction with users and partners, some work with our customer care team, and I get to generate some content for the site through blog posts and tweets. I also get to do some work with data analytics about our statistics, growth, number of reviews, etc.

Andy: I've also noticed that you have a pretty cool Pinterest page going on.

Patrick: Yeah. People like to browse for books using cover art, of course, and Pinterest is a neat way to do a lot of that quickly.

Andy: You've been with Goodreads since early 2010, right?

Patrick: Yes. Before that I worked for a couple independent booksellers... Book Soup in West Hollywood and Vroman's in Pasadena. I worked in the newsstand area at first, selling newspapers, magazines, cigarettes, etc. I moved into the store eventually, became a shift manager, and then a store manager.

Andy: So you're used to working up-close with readers?

Patrick: Yes. Though that was at Book Soup. Vroman's was mostly online. So that's where I got into marketing, social media, e-commerce, blogs, etc. I got to know the online book world, and eventually became a Goodreads member... and then came to work here.

Andy: What about Goodreads made you want to work there?

Patrick: As a member, I found that I really connected with the site's core mission--connecting people to books. Doing that by delivering recommendations, reviews and social connections at an enormous scale really appealed to me. There are things you can do with lots of data and user feedback that just aren't possible elsewhere.

Andy: It is a pretty specific focus.

Patrick: Exactly. And I think that's good. In talking with Goodreads' people here before I came to work here, I found that they were very focused on discovery - helping people find new books. Which is, as anyone who has worked in the book world can tell you, an incredibly satisfying feeling.

Andy: Which brings us to Goodreads and libraries...

Patrick: We've always been partners with libraries. We share some very similar missions. And we've been a tool for libraries for years. Librarians are using it personally, of course. And for research and readers' advisory programs. We've been looking for ways to build on that history and make it more visible and explicit.

Andy: And the OCLC partnership is a step in that direction?

Patrick: Of course. WorldCat provides us with a great way to send people to the library for books they want. It gives us really great coverage... you almost never see a book on Goodreads that can't be found in WorldCat. The service works well with our site and is easy for our members, too, being able to click right through to libraries.

Andy: Plus there's the scale issue you brought up earlier.

Patrick: Yes. WorldCat puts us in touch with many libraries at once. Without a partner like OCLC, there's definitely a scale problem when working with libraries. Plus, it helps in terms of communications. Getting out to visit or even send emails to hundreds or thousands of libraries would be almost impossible for us. Having both library data and attention aggregated through OCLC is a very powerful multiplier for us. As an example, we've seen a huge pick up in the number of votes for the Goodreads Choice Awards this year. Now, the majority of that growth is due to the fact that we now have 13 million members, double the 6.5 million members we had at the end of last year, but we also think that some of that increased traffic was from libraries telling their users about the awards, creating in-library displays of the final round selections--things like that.

Andy: I voted. And was pleased to see that one of my choices, Year Zero by Rob Reid, was a finalist. And now for some fun questions. What's the most surprising thing you've found since going to work at Goodreads?

Patrick: Well... coming from the world of indie booksellers, I had an idea of one kind of reader. Someone pretty much like me, who reads literary fiction, some nonfiction, film or art books. At Goodreads what I found out is that the sheer diversity of the "reading community" is astounding. There really is a reader for every book. There were so many book and authors, popular and otherwise, that were just not on my radar. Getting a bird's eye view of the entire market has been really interesting. You hear about the Long Tail of course... but to see that there are huge numbers of people reading really distinct and specific titles each year... That just makes me even more excited about the industry. It fulfills the idea that you can build an audience for any kind of book.

Andy: Any advice for readers out there? Patrick: Well, obviously... Give Goodreads a try. It may feel daunting at first glance... the sheer number of books and users... but if you give it even five minutes, you'll be having fun and finding great new stuff to read. And if that's your thing, Goodreads is for you. For people who describe themselves as "readers," it's nice to have a social site that's explicitly about what interests us. And that makes our users excited and ready to talk. To each other and to us. Which is just awesome.

Andy: OK. Last question... what are you reading right now?

Patrick: Mister Penumbra's 24 hour Bookstore. It's a thriller for people who love to read. And another finalist in the Goodreads Choice awards. And since I worked in a bookstore... picking this one up was a no brainer. Also, I'm going to do be doing a live video chat with the author. So that's another perk of the job.

Andy: Nice. We'll look forward to watching that video, and again... thanks for taking the time to talk to us.

Patrick: No problem. Really enjoyed it.

Guest post: Building Successful "Sister Library" Programs

Tue, 27 Nov 2012 13:59:21 -0500

Having the chance to speak at The Power of Groups session during the ALA conference in Anaheim this summer was an excellent opportunity to spread the word about the Kentucky Sister Library Project beyond the boundaries of our state. If you haven't heard of this relatively new endeavor, the idea is for a better-funded library to partner, or become "sisters," with one that has less funding in order to help it reach its fullest potential.

Since the conference, I've been contacted by a representative from a state library on the East Coast requesting some information about the project. I think the idea is to create an initial test pairing and see what happens. Hopefully we'll see this concept being given a trial run in another state very soon!

I've also been contacted by a large non-profit organization about the possibility of incorporating the concept into a new initiative that they are involved in. We are still in the brainstorming stage, so it's hard to say how things may shape up, but it's very exciting that the sister library project is getting noticed on a larger scale.

Back at the ranch here in Kentucky, we've also seen some more local successes since the ALA conference. Most notably, we've had two additional pairings take place. That gives us a total of four more libraries, which brings the grand total of participating libraries to 23. That's not a bad number considering the project has only been around for two and a half years.

My library's "sister," the Carter County Public Library, visited my branch earlier in October for two days. The goal was to shadow with staff members at our service desks in order to learn best practices and to gain fresh ideas. The travel funds for their visit came from a competitive grant established earlier this year by the Friends of Kentucky Libraries. This group has been the first outside group to lend financial support to the sister library project, so the grant is symbolic as well as practical in terms of what it means to the endeavor.

And last, the Carter County Public Library is applying for one of the most prestigious awards in the library field. When I first had contact with our "sister" library in 2010, the mere thought of applying for such an award would have been unthinkable. The library was new and just trying to stay afloat. The fact that they have accomplished so much in such a short time span bodes well for them and also speaks to the need for the sister library program. I'm so proud to have such a dynamo library as our "sister!"

Nearly every library can benefit from this program. It's easy to replicate, as the groundwork has already been laid. And best of all, it's an inexpensive solution to a number of issues that most libraries face. For a more in-depth look at the project, take a look at my article in the January/February issue of American Libraries. If you would like to learn more about the project, please visit www.kpla.org. If you are interested in taking the next step and starting a partnership, please contact me for ideas and guidance: april.ritchie@kentonlibrary.org

April Ritchie
Adult Services Coordinator
Erlanger Branch of Kenton County Public Library

Community based advocacy: you can do it, too!

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 15:55:38 -0500

Over the last couple of years I have had the privilege of working on the Geek the Library campaign. Maybe you heard that recently the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has extended its support of the program to 1,000 additional libraries through June 2015. That's almost $2 million that's now available to help public libraries plan and implement Geek the Library events and campaigns on their own.

I have worked with public libraries and state libraries across the country to implement these campaigns. During this time, with the help of these libraries and their communities, I've learned a lot about what it takes to do successful community based advocacy for libraries. But do you know what's the most important thing I've learned?

Anyone can do it. You can do it! And now's the time to begin. Here's how...

Start with the community. Get your priorities aligned with theirs and make sure you are talking about services that matter to them. In order to talk to the community - you have to BE IN the community. This means getting your message outside the walls of the library and into places where people in your community gather. From sporting events to parades to farmer's markets--take your message on the road.
Use outcome-based information. Tell people why what you're doing is important and how the positive outcomes of what you are doing affect them. If you can tie these outcome-based facts with a patron's personal story even better! The facts will get folks thinking and the emotion of the story will likely cause them to act. Make sure you tell them how to act so they know what to do.
Don't over inform. As librarians, we have a tendency to want to tell people about everything we do. People lose interest after about three things. Pick your most important, impactful and inspiring stories. Tell them with as few words as you can.
Use pictures and graphics wherever possible. You know what they say: "a picture is worth a thousand words." Remember to bring these pictures outside of the library and into the community to reach a wider audience of possible supporters.
Connect, connect, connect. The more you connect with members of the community, the more you influence the community. For every advocate you create, they will likely create 2-3 more advocates from their circle of influence. If you create partnerships with businesses and organizations that you have connected with, then you have created ongoing advocacy opportunities that can be mutually beneficial.
Start Small: if all of this sounds like a lot to take on at once, start small. Start by practicing your elevator speech about the library with close friends and family. Then begin weaving the speech about your library into conversations. Start by wearing a library t-shirt or carrying a library tote bag to the grocery store or local events. I guarantee you will get positive responses and will be well on your way to being your library's biggest advocate.

All of these tips can work for your library, regardless of type or size. Just figure out who your community is and what is important to them and get started. And, if you think Geek the Library is right for your community, get more information at www.get.geekthelibrary.org or send questions to info@get.geekthelibrary.org. What are you waiting for?

Jennifer Pearson
Senior Manager, Advocacy Programs

OCLC Global and Regional Council nominations are open!

Mon, 22 Oct 2012 16:53:32 -0500

This is a big election year for the OCLC cooperative. All three Regional Councils (Asia Pacific; Europe, the Middle East and Africa; and the Americas) are now inviting members to nominate individuals to run for executive committee positions and/or Global Council delegate positions. Self nominations are also welcome, so don't be shy.

We have a total of 24 open positions to fill. This is an exciting opportunity for the next generation of library leaders to step up and guide the future of the cooperative. By becoming a Global Council delegate, you will have the chance to learn about libraries, museums and archives from around the world. You'll also have a role in guiding the direction of the world's largest library cooperative.

You will learn about cultural customs and traditions of various countries, and you will work closely with your fellow member-leaders--with the common purpose of furthering access to the world's information. I know that for me, professionally, working with Global Council and Regional Councils never ceases to be an extremely rewarding and enriching experience.

Delegates to Global Council must be employees or members of the governing boards of OCLC Member institutions; simply follow these links for more details on open positions, terms and submission requirements for each region.

George Needham
OCLC Vice President, Global and Regional Councils

Micro-generations and libraries

Wed, 12 Sep 2012 12:46:12 -0500

The term "generation gap" was popularized in the 60's and generations have been categorized, studied and targeted by marketers ever since. The use of Baby Boomer, Gen-X, Gen-Y is well documented and in common use. Digital Natives is another term has been used to describe characteristics of youth, specifically around how they consume content, manage social lives, and spend their free time. OCLC Research has been studying Digital Natives and related generational cohorts, in particular to learn more about their use of libraries and how they conduct research. See Lynn Connaway's work here, for example.

Recognizing that use of technology varies by generations, I often test my assumptions for new service ideas on my children, ages 9, 16 and 20. I ask them about what is new, what is tired and what they wish existed. Yes, I am a different kind of helicopter parent! After many years of doing this, I have noticed some quite dramatic differences between my children, their friends and their use of technology. In casual work conversation I have started using the term "micro generation" to describe these differences. My colleague in the Innovation Lab, Tip House, suggested I write this as a blog post on these micro-generations.

Micro-generations describes the differences between technology users in roughly four-year bands. Their band tends to be defined by their school mates and when they gain access to technologies. For example, if SMS became accessible and affordable when they were in middle school (11-14 years old), it tends to define their use of that technology for a period well beyond those years. Depending on their adoption rates of technological change, they may be a leader or follower within their band but this is heavily influenced by those in the same school building, not just their grade level. I will not embarrass my children by using their real names for the following examples... and I added a fictitious older cousin to describe my view of micro-generations.

Jessica, a Mobile Immigrant

Born 1986-1990
She didn't get her own phone until at least High School, but her parents have owned a mobile phone as long as she can remember.
She started using a computer just as the web emerged, but she has been quick to adopt mobile access such that mobile access is her primary means of connectivity now.
Jessica still thinks of the phone as a separate, optional device to her laptop and still struggles a bit with device choices.
Jessica has graduated college but cannot find work in her degree area.

Christopher, an SMS Native

Born 1990-1994
He received his first cell phone on a family plan with SMS access in 7th grade.
He fought with his parents over text message limits and laughed at his parent's clumsy use of mobile devices.
He was capable of texting at rates of 10-12,000 messages per month on a 12-key flip phone, with his eyes closed.
Mobile devices are Chris' primary access to entertainment reading but increasingly, he is using them for textbooks.
Chris is still in college and has made a few low-key attempts at starting a business.

Ashley, a Feature Phone Native

Born 1994-1998
Her first phone was a feature phone with QWERTY keyboard and unlimited text messaging.
She fought with parents over "accidental" ringtone downloads and web KB data usage
She texts with friends but prefers to talk in person and she has been pulled toward the less-mobile web by Facebook and StumbleUpon.
Ashley is in high school, accumulating a lengthy resume of college application fodder. She doesn't think the best careers will be at large corporations.

Jacob, a Smart Phone Native

Born 1998-2002
Jacob's first phone is an iPhone hand-me-down from his parents. He doesn't have a wireless contract but is connected solely via home or free WiFi.
Jacob loves Angry Birds and other games on his iPhone and easily installs games on his mom's e-readers while at his sister's school events.
Jacob easily picks up and uses any mobile device without an opinion on Apple-Google-Microsoft. He uses what works and disregards anything that doesn't. If he is prompted to upgrade an OS on a device, he just puts it down and moves to something that works. He rarely uses a computer to access the web for anything.
Jacob is trying to be big-man-on-campus in elementary school and wants to be a professional soccer player.

Why am I naming these generations in terms of mobile?

I believe we are at the precipice of the next revolution in technology. I don't see the current iterations of apps and web services leading to a revolution... but rather negatively creating an environment with a void to be filled. The business and software architects of the services we use today are likely building on a foundation of knowledge that is pre-mobile. In the best case, they are pasting mobile access onto sites which were born on the web. More likely, they are building mobile access to businesses that pre-date the web.

Consider modern information technology revolutions and their widespread adoption: Email, Internet, Web, and Social. The triggering events are spaced out about every 4-7 years. Could it be that the driver for each of these changes was the incoming micro-generation being unhappy with the tools of their predecessor? What micro-generation is joining the workforce today? The Christophers are about to enter the workforce as the first micro-generation of mobile natives! They have been using mobile devices for almost 20 years. Let's face it; the job market is not exactly kind to graduates today. I can imagine they have some really good ideas, and they aren't going to wait around for permission to operate in existing environments.

The next revolution is coming. It is not search, social, and e-content clumsily forced through a mobile pipe. It will not have its foundation in the web. It is not Google, Amazon, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram and certainly not an ad-supported app glued inside those environments. It will be something that the mobile natives will invent to solve what they see as a big problem. Let's make sure we pay attention to them.

If you are under 25, no pressure... oh never mind, they are not reading blogs!

Mike Teets
OCLC VP of Innovation

PS: Some further reading from Forbes: "Why Google and Facebook might completely disappear in the next 5 years," and "Wait... did this 15-year-old from Maryland just change cancer treatment?"

Interview with Richard Wallis - Part 1: Linked Data

Tue, 07 Aug 2012 11:20:28 -0500

This last Spring, Richard Wallis joined OCLC--you can read the news release with all the details. His new job title is "Technology Evangelist" which, he tells me, means that he's supposed to talk as often as possible, in as many venues as possible, about emerging technology that's relevant to OCLC members and the library environment at large.

With that in mind, an interview seemed like a good idea to us both. I got a chance to sit down and chat with Richard when he was here in our Dublin, Ohio office. Part one of our interview is below, and we'll be adding the second part within the next week.

----------------------------------

Andy Havens: First off... Welcome to OCLC! I've been reading your stuff for years and listening to your Library 2.0 Gang podcasts and other presentations. So it's great to have you onboard.

Richard Wallis: Thanks, Andy. It's great to be here. Everybody's been very friendly and welcoming and I'm having a lot of fun so far.

Andy: Glad to hear it. Today, if it's OK, I'd like to talk about two things. First, why and how you joined OCLC. Then I'd like you to explain linked data to me in a way that makes sense for a "non-technology-evangelist."

Richard: [laughing] Sure, sure. But is it OK if I start with linked data? I think explaining that will then lead pretty naturally into my recent move to OCLC.

Andy: Sounds great.

Richard: OK. So... how much do you know about linked data?

Andy: Let's pretend I know nothing.

Richard. Fair enough. Well you know something about how the Web works, yes?

Andy: Sure. At least the basics; HTML, links, URLs. That kind of stuff.

Richard: Well then, you know almost everything you need to know about linked data.

Andy: ???

Richard: Seriously. When Sir Tim Berners-Lee created the Web, the idea was to make it as simple as possible to connect documents, which are usually Web pages. To do that you need three things: a unique identifier for each document or Web page (a URL or URI); a common language for marking up and displaying documents (HTML); and a protocol to transmit the contents (HTTP).

Andy: I'm with you so far. So the Web is kind of a "linked documents" environment?

Richard: Yes. Now, the thing about linking documents is that a link only "knows" two things: the page it's on, and the page it's linking to. The ease of that relationship is part of what helped the Web grow so quickly. You don't have to register a Web page or an image or a file in some giant, unified index of Web resources. You just put it out there and let people link to it.

Andy: I get that. But documents aren't data. They're data, well... in context.

Richard: That's right. And linked data on the Web takes linking one step further by providing that context. When you link two documents, you're missing a key piece of information: why?

Andy: What do you mean? If I create a link, I know why I'm doing it.

Richard: You do, but without analyzing the text around it, a user doesn't. And a machine might make a good guess - that's a lot of what search engines do; provide guesses of good Web pages based on what we link to - but it can't know exactly why you did it.

Andy: Can you give me an example?

Richard: Sure. The classic example is one of disambiguation. You link the word "Columbus" to a Web page about Christopher Columbus. Someone else links it to a map of Columbus, Ohio. The search engine, and some users, will have to guess about the meaning. Also, as you said, a page has a lot more context.

Andy: So in linked data a link is a link with context? Richard: Right. In linked data terminology, we call that a "triple," because the format for the data in RDF -that's Resource Description Framework, a linked data syntax standard--requires three parts. Just like a simple sentence, a triple involves a subject, predicate and object. Let me draw you a picture, it might help...

Andy: So in the example you gave...

Richard: You'd say "Columbus," (subject) "is the last name of" (predicate) "the 15th century explorer" (object). That way, in this case, we'd know you're not talking about the city.

Andy: Got it. But in your picture, the object can be either some data or another URI?

Richard: That's right... and that's what makes linked data so powerful. It's not just linking any two pieces of data - our concept of Columbus can not only be linked to a name but also to another concept with say a place of birth relationship. So to update our diagram ....

Andy: So if someone else provided a really good description of Columbus, my triple could point to that, rather than me making up my own definition.

Richard: That's right. And that's where OCLC comes in, and why I'm glad to be in this place, at this time.

Andy: That was a clever link itself... and I think we'll follow up from there when we continue the interview later.

Richard: Works for me.

Andy: Thanks. Anything else to add before we close?

Richard: Two quick things. First, I will be hosting the Linked Data Roundtable at IFLA in Helsinki. I'd encourage anyone who's going to be at IFLA and who is interested in linked data to register and attend. Also, I believe you've just posted a short YouTube video that explains the basics of linked data and how it's important for libraries. I thought a quick pointer to that might be in order.

Andy: Both good links to include in the interview. Thanks again, Richard, for your time... and we'll see you soon for part two. Stay tuned for part two of our interview, where Richard shares why he joined OCLC and what linked data had to do with that decision.

The Power of Groups: a session at ALA Anaheim

Mon, 30 Jul 2012 09:38:11 -0500

At ALA in Anaheim this past June, the OCLC Partner Program brought together speakers from three groups and consortia to showcase recent, big collaborative efforts. These organizations leveraged their shared missions to form something tangible for their members and the communities they serve. After hearing from our three speakers, attendees were able to talk with them one-on-one about how their projects could translate to other groups throughout the country.

OCLC's President and CEO, Jay Jordan, frequently quotes the African proverb - "If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together." Nothing exemplifies this better than the power of groups, where like-minded people join together to do something BIG.

April Ritchie, Adult Services Coordinator from the Kenton County Public Library in Kentucky worked with her leadership and other Kentucky public libraries to come up with the "Kentucky Sister Libraries Project" where better funded, larger public libraries paired up with smaller public libraries. Creating a forum for sharing information, best practices and staff workflows gave everyone new perspectives and continues to be mutually beneficial for the libraries involved. You can learn more about her program by watching her presentation at the ALA event.

Triangle Research Libraries Network's Project Librarian, Joyce Chapman joined us to share information on their large-scale digitization project focused around the Civil Rights movement in North Carolina. Member libraries throughout the group have worked to share their materials in a way that is easily accessible to the entire Triangle area community. View her presentation here.

Representing the Orbis-Cascade Alliance, Erica Findley, Digital Resources/Metadata Librarian at Pacific University shared how their Collaborative Technical Services program worked together over several years to identify projects spanning the various university libraries serving the West Coast community. Watch Erica's presentation to learn more about how technical services can work on a group level.

Overall, the lessons from these three experienced groups remind us that it's important to focus on both planning and adaptability. Having a shared mindset is important. But clearly defining the project's audience and focus -- and building in the fact that priorities will shift -- helps keep everyone on the same page. Yearly reviews to reevaluate the program and make changes help serve competing needs that arise throughout the process.

Over the past year, the OCLC Partner Program has been reaching out to these vital organizations to better connect the work we all do for our shared membership. The Partner Program will continue to showcase projects like these. If your group is interested in starting a similar project to any of these mentioned, or would like to be highlighted at an upcoming event, please contact us at partnerships@oclc.org.

Irene Hoffman,
Executive Director, OCLC Partner Programs

Dewey Linked Data: An interview with Michael Panzer

Wed, 18 Jul 2012 09:45:06 -0500

Recently, Michael Panzer announced, via 025.431: The Dewey Blog, that a new set of linked data had been added to dewey.info for all assignable classes from DDC 23. This means that linked data elements are now available for all 38,000 Dewey classes. I had a chance to sit down with Michael and discuss this exciting project and get his thoughts about how linked data and Dewey make a great match.

Andy Havens, Coop Blog Editor: Michael... thanks for taking the time to talk to us about Dewey linked data. That's some cool stuff you're doing there.

Michael Panzer, Assistant Editor DDC: Yes, yes it is! We've been excited for awhile now about getting the full Dewey out as linked data.

Andy: The original experimental project started... what... about two-and-a-half years ago?

Michael: Closer to three years, but yes. We originally had linked data in the dewey.info experiment for around 1,100 DDC Summaries and after a year or so added 4,500 more classes per language by releasing the Abridged Edition in three languages.

Andy: And now there's linked data for all the DDC 23 classes.

Michael: Exactly.

Andy: Why the gap in time between the original experiment and the full implementation?

Michael: Well, first of all we were working to actually get DDC 23 out the door, so that had to take precedence. But also, linked data is a relatively new field. We had some ideas going into the project, but really wanted to work with the community to figure out what would be the most useful, stable and helpful way to represent Dewey information in a linked data model.

Andy: So the plan had always been to do the whole thing?

Michael: Yes, very much so. Even at the start, we wanted to eventually provide URIs for every Dewey class. But there were lots of questions to be answered and we needed to get some experience for ourselves, of course. Between the initial phase and today, we were able to clean things up quite a lot and make some changes based on excellent feedback from librarians and linked data experts.

Andy: Without getting too technical, can you tell us a bit about the linked data model you used?

Michael: We built our model based on SKOS (Simple Knowledge Organization System). SKOS is used as a Semantic Web data model for knowledge organization systems like thesauri. It's a good match with Dewey, even if it has some shortcomings accommodating a large universal classification system like the DDC. But SKOS is emerging as the smallest common denominator for knowledge organization systems on the web.

Andy: So that's the linked data vocabulary that you're matching up to Dewey. Is that similar in some ways to the addition of Schema.org linked data to WorldCat.org that was announced last month?

Michael: Yes, exactly. In order to make our data more useful to more developers outside the library world, it's helpful to use a linked data vocabulary that can help match our information up with what others are doing. This is also the reason why we didn't want to extend SKOS it too much in order to make it easy for people not familiar with Dewey to consume DDC linked data.

Andy: Can you give me an example of how someone might mash-up Dewey linked data with other data sets?

Michael: Well, geographic data comes to mind first. It might be very interesting to create a service that took Dewey classes and geographic information - which is already available as linked data - and put them together to do something like searching for resources about a subject based on where it was published or where the author was born, etc. Really, any time when you'd like to "overlap" information from different disciplines to see the intersection, linked data is going to be very useful. Over time, we expect to see lots of interesting apps and mash-ups of Dewey data that make it easier for librarians and end users to examine resources in new, interesting and, I think, fun ways. Just think about the potential for knowledge discovery if we could create a robust way for a user to scope a topical search to geographic area and time period!

Andy: That sounds really interesting. It's like being able to define entirely new facets for searches.

Michael: Exactly. And we hope that people will see Dewey as a great way to help people browse and locate materials by topic. Also, since Dewey numbers are concept-based, but not language specific, it will be much easier to build multi-lingual or language-agnostic apps. At the moment, the new DDC linked data is only in English - partly because DDC 23 is still relatively new - but adding more languages will be relatively easy and won't change the URIs currently in place.

Andy: I'm looking forward to seeing those results. So... what's next for Dewey linked data?

Michael: Well, we'll be adding the geographic Table 2 data, which would make it even easier to match up with GeoNames data. We're also looking to expose the Dewey data as links to FAST, which would allow for a kind of real-time crosswalk between Dewey and LCSH (Library of Congress Subject Headings).

Andy: That's one of the strengths of linked data, yes? Being able to help match concepts and terms from different services or ontologies?

Michael: Yes. With VIAF being an excellent example of that.

Andy: Anything else you'd like to add before we wrap up?

Michael: Two quick things. In terms of licensing, all this linked data are reusable under the same terms as before(Creative Commons BY-NC-ND) and the license is carried in each record. Also, dewey.info is now fully integrated in our standard workflow for the Dewey ecosystem. So any updates to the DDC will be reflected in the linked data.

Andy: Good to know. Thanks for taking the time to talk with us today.

Michael: Don't mention it.

Behind the Research: Interview with Jean Godby, OCLC Senior Research Scientist

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 13:24:11 -0500

Andy Havens, OCLC Coop Blog Editor. While thousands of people in the library community are familiar with the work OCLC Research does, in many cases they will only encounter OCLC's research scientists as names on reports or papers, or possibly as speakers at various events. We wanted to take the opportunity to get to know a little bit more about the researchers themselves--what motivated them to get into the profession, what drives their curiosity, what inspires them.

In the first of what (we hope) will be a series of "Behind the Research" interviews, we spoke to Jean Godby, Ph.D., Senior Research Scientist. If you're wondering about the connection between Noam Chomsky and library metadata, now's your chance to find out.

Thanks for taking the time to talk with me today, Jean.

Jean Godby: Glad to.

Andy: This is the first one of these we've done. So I'm not 100% sure what we'll end up talking about. But my goal is to get some background on what brought you to OCLC, got you interested in the research you're doing and motivates you going forward. Why don't we start with where you went to school.

Jean: OK. I got my M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Linguistics from Ohio State University and a B.A. in German Literature from the University of Delaware.

Andy: And how did that lead to a career in library research?

Jean: Well, when I was in school we weren't too far removed from Noam Chomsky's original work on linguistics. He's still, obviously, very influential. But the way in which computers could be used to study language was still relatively new, and I found it fascinating.

Andy: In what way?

Jean: We think of language, generally, as very fluid and complex. Which it is, of course. But Chomsky wondered if computer analysis of text could also provide clues to help us understand the basic structures of language. He invented a hierarchy of grammar that is still taught; one that is much more amenable to computer analysis than the traditional, grade school method of diagramming sentences that most of us were taught.

Andy: Can you give me a brief, layman's idea of the difference?

Jean: Sure. We're taught to pull apart sentences into chunks based on the parts of speech; subject, object, prepositional phrases, etc. The problem is that this requires an intimate knowledge of grammar, rules, exceptions, usage and context. That's harder to model using computers, and isn't as helpful for understanding key, universal properties of language.

Andy: Like studying geography as opposed to physics, maybe? Examples instead of rules?

Jean: Something like that. Whereas Chomsky's hierarchical approach to studying language lets you break it down in a much more binary fashion, which is something that can then be parsed by computer programs. Would an example help?

Andy: Couldn't hurt...

Jean: Let's take the sentence, "My brother ran up a bill." Traditionally, we'd break that down into a subject ("my brother"), a verb ("ran"), a preposition ("up") and a predicate object ("a bill"). Chomsky, on the other hand, would break that into pairs, and then further into pairs, like so:

Andy: And that's helpful because...

Jean: Being able to break down language in this way means that we can study it in binary, logical ways. Which means we can use computer analysis to determine the meaning of text, rather than relying solely on human interpretation. It also helps us understand the difference between why the sentence, "My brother ran up a bill" can be reworded as, "my brother ran a bill up," but the sentence, "My brother ran up a hill" can't be rephrased as, "My brother ran a hill up."

Andy: Interesting. And that obviously has applications for library science.

Jean: Of course. Text that is "machine processable," as we say, can provide us with easier and, in some cases, very different and very useful metadata.

Andy: And what is that used for?

Jean: Well, for one thing, providing a way to map metadata from one system to another. To create a kind of "Rosetta Stone" for metadata. Or, more accurately, many Rosetta Stones.

Andy: That sounds incredibly useful.

Jean: It is. In many cases, libraries have to deal with metadata standards--or a lack of standards--that arise from the data creation activities of non-libraries. If we can come up with translation analysis and software, it means we don't have to support as many standards directly. We can wait until useful standards emerge from the environment and then use them in our work, regardless of how they came about and how appropriate, initially, they are to our systems.

Andy: Can you give us an example of work you've done in this area at OCLC?

Jean: Sure. Name extraction is an excellent example. It's not always easy to automatically recognize and extract useful names of people, places, groups, organizations, etc. from text. When we can do that, analytically, though, we can provide a whole new set of tools for discovery. Our work on names and authority files here at OCLC has led, among other things, to WorldCat Identities, which provides a way to search for works by and about named entities.

Andy: I love WorldCat Identities. I call it "Six Degrees of Francis Bacon."

Jean: Nice. Also, this work is useful for more routine aspects of cataloging and discovery, such as FRBR and GLIMMR. Determining what an "item" or "title" actually is.

Andy: And this all tracks back to Chomsky?

Jean: Yes. Though that might be a little bold on our part. I like to think that we start with the same questions he did. What concepts do our systems rely on? How can we model them in ways that allow for better communication between them? How do we start with complex, analytical models but then deliver a coherent view that's useful to our communities of users?

Andy: Grammar, linguistics, computer programming and library science all in one. Very interesting stuff. Before we go, let me ask you... on a more personal note, what have you been reading recently?

Jean: Well, I just finished "The Big Short," by Michael Lewis.

Andy: He wrote, "Moneyball," too, right?

Jean: Yes. Both very interesting. But "The Big Short" is one of the scariest things I've read in a long time.

Andy: Anything else?

Jean: Well, I've finally gotten around to reading "The Grapes of Wrath," which, I'm ashamed to admit, I hadn't ever read before. I've also always been a fan of Appalachian Fiction, as I grew up in that part of the country.

Andy: Thanks, Jean. And thanks for taking the time with us to talk about how linguistics and programming fits into your areas of research.

Jean: Glad to oblige.

DDC Editor-in-Chief Joan Mitchell on the new Abridged 15

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 15:05:54 -0500

Just about a year ago, we sat down for a chat with Joan Mitchell, Editor-in-Chief of the Dewey Decimal Classification, about the release of the 23rd edition of the DDC. Since the new Abridged Edition 15 came out last month, we thought it was a good time to learn more from Joan about the difference between the unabridged and abridged versions of Dewey. You can order a print copy of Abridged 15 online through the OCLC Online Service Center or request a free trial of WebDewey here.

* * * * *

Andy Havens, OCLC Coop Blog Editor: What are the main differences between the unabridged, 23rd print edition of the DDC, and Abridged Edition 15?

Joan Mitchell: Abridged Edition 15 is a logical abridgment of DDC 23. It features the same content and structural changes as found in DDC 23 within the context of the abridged notational framework. The abridgment is based on the current DDC 23 data file as of January 2012--in that sense, some Abridged Edition 15 classes are slightly more up-to-date than corresponding classes in the print version of DDC 23. For example, the geographic area represented by T2--629 is listed as the new country of "South Sudan" in Abridged Edition 15; in the print version of DDC 23, it is listed as "Southern states of Sudan" (of course, the updated version of the DDC 23 data file in WebDewey also has the new caption).

Andy: Is there anything special about this edition in particular?

Joan: Andy, I'm so glad that you asked that question, because we used a new process to produce Abridged Edition 15. We began with the current classes in Abridged Edition 14, amended to reflect changes in DDC 23, as the starting point for the Abridged Edition 15 notational framework. We then expanded the notational framework in a few areas identified as useful in an abridged context. Once we had the notational framework for Abridged Edition 15 in place, we derived the content of Abridged Edition 15 from the underlying DDC 23 database applying a set of algorithms with minimal intellectual intervention. The end result is an abridged edition that has a much clearer relationship between its content and that of its full edition counterpart. We also expanded the Manual and Relative Index in Abridged Edition 15--the latter is thirty pages longer than the one found in the print version of Abridged Edition 14.

Andy: Is the abridged edition updated as often or more often than the unabridged?

Joan: It has been our practice to publish a new print abridged edition the year following the publication of a new print full edition. In a sense, the abridged edition is always updated at the same time as the full edition since it is a logical abridgment of the latter. However, some updates may not be visible in the abridged edition. For example, we recently added "Including copernicium" (for the recently discovered element of the same name) to 546.66 Group 12 in DDC 23--since 546 Inorganic chemistry is not further subdivided in Abridged Edition 15, that update didn't appear explicitly in Abridged Edition 15, but is there implicitly.

Andy: How many libraries use the abridged vs. the unabridged?

Joan: We don't have reliable statistics on the split between usage of the full and abridged editions. We know that the total number of print copies of Abridged Edition 14 sold nearly matched the number of print sets of DDC 22 sold; however, the web version of Abridged Edition 14 had less than 10% of the number of subscribers to the web version of DDC 22. On the other hand, Abridged Edition 14 was translated into one more language than DDC 22.

Andy: Which version makes the most sense for which libraries?

Joan: It really depends on the size of collection you are trying to organize. The abridged edition is best for general collections of 20,000 titles or fewer. Sometimes, libraries use the abridged edition as a companion for a specialized collection organized by the full edition. For example, religious libraries often purchase a copy of the abridged edition with the soon-to-be-published 200 Religion Class, an updated extract from DDC 23 that is intended to be used by libraries with in-depth religious collections and small general collections.

Andy: Any plans for the future of Dewey you'd like to let us in on?

Joan: We're working on two exciting innovations for WebDewey right now. The first is directly related to Abridged Edition 15. We are working on an "abridged edition view" within WebDewey that will support assignment of numbers from Abridged Edition 15 and serve as a migration path for current Abridged WebDewey subscribers. We are also working on a number building / user contribution module in WebDewey that will offer automated assistance for number building and also provide a path for user contribution of synthesized numbers and suggested index terms to the worldwide Dewey community. Stay tuned for more news on both developments over the next few months!

Andy: Thanks, Joan. We appreciate you taking the time to fill us in on the details of the new abridged edition.

Joan: Glad to do so.