[Asis-l] NISO Webinar: Discovery and Delivery: Innovations and Challenges

[Cynthia Hodgson]

National Information Standards Organization (NISO) Webinar: Discovery and
Delivery: Innovations and Challenges with Index-Based Discovery Systems

Date: September 26, 2012

Time: 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. (Eastern Time)

Registration and information:
http://www.niso.org/news/events/2012/nisowebinars/discovery_and_delivery/

ABOUT THE WEBINAR

Today’s library discovery services are primarily based upon indexes derived
from journals, e-books and other electronic information of a scholarly
nature. The content comes from a range of information providers and
products-commercial, open access, institutional, etc. By indexing the
content in advance, discovery services have the ability to deliver more
sophisticated services with instant performance, compared to the federated
search techniques used previously. Libraries increasingly rely on
index-based discovery services as their strategic interfaces through which
their patrons gain access to the rapidly growing breadth of information that
may be available to them.

NISO’s September 26 webinar will discuss the challenges of operating a
centralized index-based discovery system. Learn about their strengths, and
their weaknesses, the needs for standards and best practices in this arena,
how libraries and providers can assess the usage, and how libraries can
satisfy audiences with different needs—ranging from undergraduates to
faculty across every discipline.

TOPICS AND SPEAKERS

• NISO Open Discovery Initiative (ODI): Promoting Transparency in Discovery
-- Lucy Harrison, Interim Chief Operating Officer, Florida Virtual Campus

The new generation of library discovery services are a boon to researchers,
but without a set of interoperable standards and best practices it can be
difficult for libraries, information providers, and discovery service
providers to understand and evaluate content and services. We’ll talk about
how the NISO Open Discovery Initiative (ODI)
(http://www.niso.org/workrooms/odi/) aims to create an environment that
broadens stakeholder participation and ensures confidence, so that
Librarians can better evaluate discovery services to address their needs,
Information Providers have the confidence that the discovery service
providers are handling their content in an appropriate manner, and Discovery
Service Providers receive more efficient integration through standardization
and best practices.

• Seeing Discovery Through User Colored Glasses -- Timothy Babbitt, Senior
Vice President, Platform Management, ProQuest

This talk will discuss how the behaviors of various user types are seen in
analytics around discovery and content use. Distilling usage information
from a community of global researchers, we will illustrate what we see as
value provided to users. Having a better understanding of your users and
what they find valuable will help to inform your library content portfolio
investment. 

• Collecting Patron Perspectives on Discovery Tools -- David Bietila, Web
Program Director, University of Chicago Library

Current discovery tools offer a breadth of possibilities in terms of
resource coverage and search options, but it can be a challenge to determine
the optimal setup for your library. David will present a variety of methods
for harnessing patron input to guide a library’s assessment or
implementation of discovery tools. These approaches include defining use
cases, usability testing, monitoring usage statistics, and evaluating the
tool in the context of specific subjects. Collecting user data can guide
configuration choices and lead to more productive communication with
vendors, resulting in improved access to resources for your patrons. 

REGISTRATION

Registration is per site (access for one computer) and closes at 12:00 pm
Eastern on September 26, 2012. Discounts are available for NISO and NASIG
members and students. Can't make it on the webinar date/time? Register now
and gain access to the recorded archive for one year.
Visit the event webpage to register and for more information:
http://www.niso.org/news/events/2012/nisowebinars/discovery_and_delivery/. 



Cynthia Hodgson
Technical Editor / Consultant
National Information Standards Organization
chodgson at niso.org
301-654-2512