RaPIDS: Rapid Prototyping of Intuitive Discovery at Stanford
Enriched Bibliographic Records
SULAIR is interested in offering an “Amazon”-like feel to its
catalog — adding cover images, reviews, tables of contents — in
order to help users better evaluate resources that they have discovered.
Two strategies can be used to enhance bibliographic records. Provide
links between the data and records or embed the data in records. The
linking method lets users view only enhancements they are interested in.
The embedded method enables users to search enhanced content directly
and provides the “raw material” for alternative access techniques
such as associative indexing.
The RaPIDS team has provided a prototype catalog making use of the
linking technique with data provided by Sirsi. The users of Sirsi’s
DataStreamTM gain 24/7 access to author notes and
interviews, tables of contents, book reviews, book cover images, eBooks, first
chapters, and book excerpts, all of which grow in numbers and are updated
continuously. Linked to catalog records, this information automatically streams
directly to users’ desktops, with no other actions required.
A test version of Socrates will be available Fall ’07 for a three
month trial to give users and SUL staff a chance to experience and experiment
with these records.
We welcome any
feedback
you have on this initiative.
