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Library Gateway Focus Groups Report
January 1999
Prepared by Karen Calhoun and Zsuzsa Koltay
Assisted by Diane Cellentani of Marketing Backup
Research supported by a 1998 CUL Internal Grant
Table 1. Summary of Web sites of the 9 largest U.S. ARLs and 3 peer libraries
Part AUniversity of Michigan
Summary of Web
Main page divided into four sections: About Library (list of libraries, hours, staff, whatís new); Digital Resources (library catalog and some indexes; networked resources; e-journal and newspaper lists; UM Medsearch, e-reference shelf, more); Programs and Services (e.g., circulation, reserve, forms); Ask! (ability to send e-mail to library).
Remarks
Catalog and e-resources can be searched separately or together. Telnet catalog access is NOTIS (no hot links), but Web interface to catalog has hot links to e-resources; Under "Networked Resources" link from main page, e-resources may be selected from lists, searched or browsed by broad subject category via the "digital registry," a collection of UM sites and resources registered by selectors and cataloged. The digital registry is an SGML database searchable via Open Text software. Basic information for metadata is supplied by the registrant and enhanced by original catalogers. It does not appear to include e-journals, which are linked under "E-Journals and Newspapers" from main page. Can view alpha list or list by subject category. All e-journals appear to be cataloged.
User Study?
No information available
University of Pennsylvania
http://www.library.upenn.edu/ - a must see!
Summary of Web
Main page divided into 12 buttons: About Library (collections & services, instruction, staff, etc.); Pennís 15 Libraries; Friends; Whatís New; the Online Catalog (Web catalog is default, but telnet available); Other Catalogs; Databases (alpha list of about 200 databases; provides information about interface or CD); E-Journals (alpha lists by title and by subject; about 1,100 titles) and E-News; Reference Shelf (sources like Books in Print); Selected Web Sites (subject guides to e-resources, very nice) and Search Tools (access to search engines like Alta Vista); and SCETI (an e-text and image center). Along bottom of screen, direct access to hours, help, forms, comments, etc.
Remarks
E-resources can be searched via catalog (i.e., catalog is common entryway). Web catalog has hot links to e-resources; all or most appear to be cataloged. E-resources are listed separately, in many different ways, but lists are not searchable. A couple dozen databases are available through the OVID Java search interface.
User Study?
No information available
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
http://gateway.library.uiuc.edu
Summary of Web
Main page divided into left and right frames; left frame includes Find library materials, Search for articles, Use reference materials and full text, Learn about libraries/services, Explore digital projects, Hot news, Old Web site, New Resources, Search Web site. Right frame provides same functions plus general information, tutorials, explanatory text about transition to new system.
Remarks
Changed to new system August 1997; still in transition. Telnet catalog is in production; Web catalog is experimental. Selected e-resources appear to be cataloged (some v. briefly), many not. No hot links to any from catalog. Links to e-resources via lists (by title, subject, vendor, full text only). Linked e-journal lists available by title and subject. "Search Web site" function, although confusing, seems to allow search by e-title. Have Ovid interface to some databases, e.g., Books in Print. Site features access to document delivery service.
User Study?
No information available
Summary of Web
Main page is divided into 8 links: The Libraries (10 of them); General Information; Services; Publications; New Services and Databases; Online Information Access (the catalog, lists of e-resources by name and by subject; the ability to search the library Web site); Help; and Exhibitions and Projects. At the bottom of the page there are direct links for searching the catalog, searching DCIS (Dartmouthís information system, a co-venture of the computing center and the library), searching the library Web, and "Ask a librarian."
The catalog integrates print and e-resources. E-titles are hot linked from the catalog. The user can generate a list of e-journals (1582 of them) by a catalog search, but the list is messy (no apparent order). The user can also search for e-versions of particular journals. E-resources appear to be cataloged, although some e-journal records are brief and merely point to an aggregator (e.g., ProQuest). There is a useful set of pages called "About E-Journals." In addition to access to individual e-resources via the catalog, there are lists of e-resources by name and subject category. Searching the entire library Web site is confusing, but the interface should be familiar to students; itís Infoseek.
User Study?
No information available
http://www.brown.edu/Facilities/University_Library/
Summary of Web
Main page divided into 5 links: General Information; E-Resources (includes a new Proxy Server for access outside Brownís network); Online Request Forms; Beyond Brown (consortia files, etc.); Publications Exhibits and Digital Projects. Buttons at bottom of page allow direct access to Web and telnet versions of the catalog, hours, Search Library Web, campus map, etc.
Remarks
On E-Resources page, there is a drop down list that links to items on home page without going back. Catalog includes some hot links to e-resources; many e-resources are not cataloged. There are alpha and subject lists of e-journals (about 200) and databases (separate category for full text databasesóthey have EBSCOHost and Lexis Nexis). In addition, there is a "Virtual Reference Collection," access to Internet search engines, the principal directories of e-journals (e.g., the ARL one), and the Scout Toolkit.
User Study?
Study of Brown site conducted, but no separate study of library Web site.
Summary of Web
Main page is full; "spotlight" category appears at top; left side bar list includes links to About, News, Collections, Gifts, Staff, Hours, etc., Services, individual UT library sites. Right side of page includes links to Catalogs, Collections and E-Resources, Imaged Collections, and Beyond UT Library. Access to both Web and telnet versions of catalog.
The catalog and lists of e-resources are not well integrated. There are hot links from the catalog to some e-resources, but many do not appear to be cataloged. Access to individual e-titles is through lists; there are alpha and subject lists of indexes, abstracts and full-text; lists of e-books; lists of e-journals by name, by subject, by collection (e.g., Academic IDEAL, Springer). The e-journal list is searchable. Of particular interest is a page providing access to preprints and e-prints of scholarly research online.
User Study?
Regular monitoring of usage stats and IPs but no formal user study.
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rev. 1/27/99 peo