Technology Implementation Proposal

Proposal

Goal 

The goal of this proposal is to outline how The Newberry Library's website fails to provide a user-centric experience when conducting research and provide suggestions for new technologies that will improve research outcomes. Through the implementation of the archival management system ExLibris Rosetta and the addition of a federated search function that accesses all of The Newberry's generated digital resources, the Library can better integrate with CARLI, increase the use of assets, and streamline the research process.

Current Technologies

The Newberry's current technology offerings include digitization services, digital publications and social media, remote work and learning resources and more. The website uses a login portal called AEON, which allows users to access many of the online resources through a single landing page.

The Newberry's digital assets are extensive and varied. They include:

CARLI - Or the Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois. This database allows researchers to access materials from different libraries across the state. Currently, a subsection of the Library's digitized holdings are available through this platform.

PRIMO VE - A discovery service that connects many of the Library's physical holdings, like books and periodicals, online journal subscriptions, and any archival materials held in the CARLI system.

Digital Newberry - The landing page for the Library's digital materials. Directs to materials held in the CARLI system and on The Internet Archive.

Research guides, Digital Collections for the Classroom, and Digital Exhibitions - Librarian generated digital resources on a particular topic. Often direct users to other sources and materials held within the Library.

The Problem

Currently, it takes more than seven distinct searches to access everything The Newberry might have on a particular topic. Many of these different sections are difficult to find. Others provide overlapping information. For example, a search in PRIMO VE will produce a list of digitized materials available through the Library that can also be found by searching in Digital Newberry. The Library has an incredible variety of digital assets, but they are inaccessible to new users and seasoned researchers alike. As it stands, The Newberry-produced guide to research recommends using an outside platform called ArchiveGrid to search the Library's holdings. In order to better serve researchers, the Library should reduce the number of discrete searches needed within their website so that users will have higher rates of success and a lower chance of missing out on crucial information.

Proposed Technologies

My proposal to solve The Newberry's problem of scattered resources is twofold.

1. ExLibris Rosetta

2. Federated Search

Benefits

Rosetta is a software created by ExLibris, the same company that hosts The Newberry and CARLI's discovery system PRIMO. It is a large, scalable application that focuses on managing archival materials through their lifecycle. It also claims to have enhanced discoverability mechanics and metadata extraction, which can integrate into the PRIMO system. Within Digital Newberry, Rosetta would replace The Internet Archive, but not CARLI. Resources on The Internet Archive are only searchable through that application. If those resources were migrated to Rosetta, then all of The Newberry's digitized archival materials would be searchable through PRIMO VE. Implementing Rosetta would streamline The Newberry's archival holdings into a single, searchable, cloud-based platform and merge them with many of their other digital assets, like books and journals, as well as improve access between various consortium members.

Federated search would allow users to find all non-archival digital assets through a single search. This search would lead to research guides, Digital Collections for the Classroom, and Digital Exhibitions. As it currently stands, a search has to be performed in each one of these individual locations. Federated search could also include current events and lectures hosted by the Library, as well as links to their own publications.

Together, these two technologies ensure more confident searching for current researchers as well as encourage new users to explore the site. It will be easier for researchers directed from external search engines to find new information on their topic. Also, reducing the number of possible search locations means users can do all of their searching through the AEON system, encouraging researchers to stay within The Newberry Library system. Users will be more likely to utilize the program when it can act as a singular landing page to all of the Library's assets. 

This twofold approach would mean that a researcher would only need to perform a search twice, as opposed to seven or more times, in order to understand the Library's resources on a particular topic. 

Costs

The cost of this project would amount to ExLibris' fees, pending a formal request for pricing, and the cost of labor in design, implementation, and ingest. 

Implementation

1. Meet with IT, management, archives, and other relevant departments to assess needs, generate goals, and define next steps.

2. Finalize budget and basic timetable for implementation.

3. Meet with ExLibris personnel to begin initial set-up.

4. Work with IT to design new federated search function.

5. Staff training on new technology.

6. Assign tasks and create timetables for importing data into ExLibris.

7. Work with IT to design ways to collect usage data.

8. Create brief survey on website for users about their opinions on the new technologies.

Evaluation

1. Meet with IT, management, archives, and other relevant departments after six months to determine how well goals have been met.

2. Analyze usage data compared to before implementation.

3. Assess survey results.

4. Determine, with departmental assistance, if tasks and timetables are appropriate going forward and if any more training is needed.

5. Create plan for reevaluation in another six months, if needed.

Research Summary

The strength of The Newberry Library is demonstrated in the breadth and quantity of its collection. They boast more than 1 million assets within their Digital Collection alone. Not to mention their vast online catalog, research guides, and databases. That said, some of their repositories could be more user-friendly in their design. Though some are easy and accessible, such as their Digital Collections for the Classroom, others are cumbersome and difficult to search and browse. Though The Newberry offers an impressive selection of digital assets, many of which are available to the public, some catalogs and collections struggle with accessibility.

One particular technology The Newberry utilizes is its AEON system. This program allows users to log in to The Newberry to make reservations for the reading rooms, request materials, contact a librarian, and more. The Newberry caters primarily to researchers, whether public or professional, and this is the main system they use to connect. The system has robust functionality and can even act as a landing page for researchers when utilizing the Library's collections. It is a common starting point for those wishing to use the Library's online materials. From AEON, a user can be directed to its Digital Collections or access its plethora of databases.

It is an interesting time to talk about The Newberry Library's technology offerings since they seem to either be going through or have just completed many different upgrades to their databases and catalogs. For example, in 2020, they updated their catalog system from Primo to Primo VE by the ExLibris Group. They are also implementing a new digital collections management system that is still in its beta testing phase. This new system is present in their complete Digital Collections and their Digital Collections for the Classroom, though they seem to be in different stages of implementation. 

Let's start by talking about The Newberry's online catalog. In 2020, The Newberry upgraded from using ExLibris Group's Primo to using Primo VE. According to The Newberry, "Primo VE is a discovery service that makes it easier and more expedient for users to find resources across different formats. It will provide additional functionality, align with current researcher searching behavior, and improve issues related to catalog maintenance." (2020) This upgrade has allowed the Library to include many of its resources in one place. Now a researcher can access both physical collections (like books and archival materials) and their online resources (like article databases and e-books). Additionally, the Library is now connected through the Primo VE system to the other libraries in the Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois (CARLI). When searching, the researcher can look through the offerings of the entire consortium, not just The Newberry. The upgrade also incorporates faceted search, offering a more customizable search experience. However, it is important to note that the researcher cannot search some of the other collection repositories available on the site, like the Modern Manuscripts and Ephemera collection. They are also unable to directly view and interact with the digitized collections of The Newberry. These functions are available, just not through the Primo VE online catalog. 

The Newberry's digital collections are also undergoing some changes. They are in the process of designing what seems to be a proprietary system using the React Javascript library. It is hosted at CARLI Digital Collections and the Internet Archive (https://digcoll.newberry.org/#/about). Their digital collections feature more than 1 million digitized images ranging from manuscripts and books to maps, artworks, and other rare or unique materials. The works represented within the repository are just a fraction of what The Newberry contains and they are still in the process of digitizing their vast collections. Despite its great wealth of information, the digital collection can be quite clunky to use in its current state. That said, it is also currently in beta testing, and the site even asks users to provide feedback on their experience. Currently, however, it can be difficult to navigate. The landing page centers on a large search box that does not contain faceted or advanced searching options. Before you hit 'search,' you must choose whether you want the search to be performed in CARLI or the Internet Archive. There is no clear information on the landing page what the difference between these two is or where the researcher will likely get better results. Below the search bar, the researcher has the option to browse all or to search by collection. The 'Browse All' section is not particularly useful, especially considering the collection boasts more than 1 million items. Within 'Browse All,' the user has the option to narrow by section. Some of these might be quite helpful to researchers, like "German-American Birth and Baptismal Certificates, 1700-1900," while others provide little meaningful search faceting, like the section titled "Books." Aside from 'Browse All,' the researcher can also 'Search by Collection.' Here, the Library's holdings are divided into particular collections of materials, like the "French Pamphlets Collection." In general, this seems to be a much simpler way to browse the collections. The main downside is that it does not seem to represent the entirety of the digital collection. Not every material available in "Browse All" is also held in 'Search by Collection.' This is a problematic distinction, as it may lead some researchers to miss out on items they otherwise could have used. Generating collections for all 1 million objects would be a time-consuming task, indeed. However, if nothing else, there should be a catch-all collection at the bottom so that users are less likely to miss information simply because they did not know it existed. Once you click on a collection, the user experience improves. "French Pamphlets Collection" redirects the user to The Internet Archive, where it is easy to sort and search materials by title, media type, date, subjects, creator, and even popularity. Overall, it is clear that The Newberry has a great variety of offerings in many subjects. They are also currently thinking about how best to share their collections with researchers and the public. Their efforts are considerable and commendable, but it is difficult for the average person to navigate as the digital collection stands. 

The Newberry has another, more specific digital collection called Digital Collections for the Classroom. Like the primary digital collections, this section is also being changed and updated. It is currently in beta testing and is asking for feedback from the public. Compared to the digital collections, this seems to be much further along in its design implementation phase. The site is clear and easy to use. The collections are sorted both by date and by subject. When you decide on a particular section, like "Chicago and the Great Migration, 1915-1950," you are directed to a page containing a significant amount of research on the topic as well as direct access to the digitized copies of primary sources that are available at The Newberry. The pages even contain discussion questions and links to further readings. The Digital Collections for the Classroom are an excellent, well-designed resource for both teachers and students. Similar to this, The Newberry also offers Digital Exhibitions. They are similar to the Digital Collections for the Classroom. They collect a series of primary source documents from The Newberry and organize them so that they tell a story or educate about a particular idea or time in history. However, the Digital Exhibitions more closely resemble a gallery exhibition and are designed for an older audience. They do not contain references, citations, or discussion questions. 

Without specific research goals, The Newberry Library can feel inaccessible. When visiting without an appointment, you are permitted to see little more than their current exhibition and their bookstore. These are great offerings, but it does not quite represent what The Newberry has to offer. To physically engage with their collections, a researcher must make an appointment to use a reading room. These appointments are free and open to the public, but they take a few days to a week to set up. Once there, you are provided with all of the tools and materials you could need. Also, while in a reading room, you can access the databases The Newberry subscribes to. They subscribe to many of the large research databases, like EBSCO and Worldcat, as well as subject-specific databases like the Database of American Indian Newspapers. The vast majority of their digital collections are also available without licensing or permission fees. They strive to make the materials they have as useful to researchers as possible. They even offer reproduction services of their collections, including photocopies and even TIFF files of rare or detailed materials like maps. Despite how impenetrable it may seem from the outside, it is clear that The Newberry takes great pride in bringing as many of its archival holdings to both the public and the researcher alike.

The Newberry Library has an impressive collection of materials ranging from access to digital databases to thousand-year-old maps that it strives to make available to users. One way they do this is through extensive digitization work, culminating in a digital collection of over 1 million items. Despite the breadth of its collection, in some regards, The Newberry struggles with making its assets accessible. Though their online catalog and Digital Collections for the Classroom shine, their Digital Collections repository could use some modifications, including improving the search functions and clarifying what collections items belong in. They could also benefit from a more comprehensive search function that can span the breadth of all of their collections, databases, and catalogs, allowing the researcher to begin their searching in a single place. That said, it is clear that The Newberry is working diligently to provide the best digital experience possible to its users.