In the current web environment, with its increasingly rapid rate of change, libraries have found it difficult to keep up with the latest in web technologies that help their users locate and use the information resources that they need. In this first-rate primer on next-generation library catalog interfaces Marshall Breeding provides librarians with the information they need to select and implement such an interface. As Director for Innovative Technologies and Research for the Vanderbilt University Libraries, Breeding is well qualified to expound on this topic.
Next-Gen Library Catalogs is organized into six chapters addressing all aspects of the latest trends in catalog interface development. In the introduction Breeding makes the case for why libraries should consider implementing a new interface, contending that libraries have not kept pace with other web destinations on how they provide access to their collections. He points out that libraries need to provide better access to their suite of electronic resources, but that because of budget restraints, acquiring an entirely new system is often impossible. The next best solution is to purchase an interface that will work not only with the legacy integrated library system, but also with other library databases, such as the digital asset management system (e.g., CONTENTdm).
Breeding provides a thorough introduction to the features available in many of the next-generation interfaces, such as relevancy-ranked search results, faceted navigation, visually-enriched displays (e.g., cover images), search term recommendations, "more like this" recommendations, user-contributed reviews, tag clouds, and more. Profiles of many of the currently available next-generation interfaces are provided, including AquaBrowser, BiblioCommons, Encore, Endeca ProFind, LS2 PAC, Primo, SirsiDynix Enterprise, Summon, VuFind, and WorldCat Local. In subsequent chapters Breeding discusses planning and implementation, provides advice on how to market a new interface, shares tips for best practices, and makes suggestions for assessing the results of a new interface.
Overall, this is an excellent and timely introduction to a topic that is currently of great interest to many librarians. It would be a valuable addition to most working collections, and especially useful for those libraries considering the purchase of a new catalog interface.