CORC interface designed for experienced catalogers as well as other users

As we move into a world of increasingly complex computer-supported work, there is a need for user interfaces that bridge the gap between applications and the ability of people to effectively use those applications. This field has come to be referred to as intelligent user interfaces, a focus area in the Office of Research. To design user interactions that both support users’ tasks and enable users to achieve new goals is difficult and challenging. It is a process that demands a clear vision of the system’s users and of the functions those users wish to perform.

In designing the CORC user interface, we faced a number of issues. While many systems allow the cataloging of online resources, they do so within the framework of pre-existing catalog support systems, and they support the work of people whose job it is to catalog. In designing the interface to CORC, we needed to take a step back, to try to make a system useful to people who fit the traditional mold but also accessible to people who might not be experienced library catalogers.

To make a system that meets the needs of catalogers, we wanted to ensure consistency with existing standards and to include important reference data. The standards most important for the library cataloger in the United States are MARC and AACR2, LCSH and DDC/LCC. CORC had to support the creation of catalog records in MARC format, consistent with that of OCLC WorldCat. Adequate catalog records have to be validated against a recognized source of reliable entries. To adequately support the creation of authoritative MARC records, links into the Name and Subject Authority Files are required.

The needs of other CORC users are quite different. They need an easy way to input new records, and support for functions related to access to electronic resources. Because these individuals are not experienced users of cataloging systems, the input system had to be usable without a lengthy training period, and without special input conventions and complexly coded field indicators. To describe content, we chose the Dublin Core, a data representation format that is widely known in the electronic resource community, and one that is straightforward enough to be used by individuals without extensive training.

CORC needs to support both sets of users. We want both to be able to work within a common framework because libraries ultimately must provide access to traditional and electronic resources. Both groups benefit from functions that enhance productivity. To make a cataloging support system efficient, we are leveraging existing resources using sophisticated computer algorithms. The Kilroy data harvester extracts data from Web pages and so cuts down on the effort required to create useful records.

In addition, we wanted to support functions not essential to catalog creation but of importance to online resource providers. The benefits of a shared catalog of electronic resources, selected and described by reliable data providers for increasing the usefulness of searching for Web resources, is widely recognized. Our informal observations of library Web sites as well as data collected in a study of reference users (OCLC Newsletter, 1999, Jan./Feb., p. 24–28) showed the existence of many library pathfinder pages, developed and maintained independently. The integration between harvesting, searching and the creation of pathfinder content enables the effective use of cooperative record creation efforts among participant libraries. Supporting the creation and maintenance of Web pages alone would provide a valuable service to member libraries.

By employing a clear and simple system design, powerful data generation subsystems, the ability to switch between data views, and easy navigation among system functions, we are designing a supportive and enabling architecture for describing and using electronic resources. --Lorraine Normore is senior research scientist, OCLC Office of Research.