Chapter 3. The Reader Faced with a Digital Library: the Experience of the
3.3. How are services used?
The Reader Faced with a Digital Library 39 3.2.3.3. Researching data from dynamic websites
Searching sites such as PubMed or ISI web of knowledge relies on linking tools developed by Qwam System which enable the user to carry out the search directly on the website without having to worry about different programming languages used on different sites. Integrating a new source therefore requires the development of a new linking tool. Sciencedirect, Embase and many other suppliers of electronic journals are therefore being analyzed and a possible integration of these sources is planned for 2005.
3.2.3.4. Integration processes in the multimedia library and source control
The back office is not entirely managed by source control. The orders of copies of articles as well as the order history are based on a program called Ex-Libris that was written by Cadic. This program is also used to feed data into the databases of the multimedia library (catalog and collection of photos). A linking tool between these two programs provides the user with a complete service that can be accessed via one single interface, which remains a rather simple application.
After taking a look at technical aspects we will now see if this tool responds to the needs of the researchers at the Pasteur Institute.
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at the same time by using a universal interface. Have those scientists who did not use traditional research tools in the past been converted and are now relying on Biolib for their research? It is still a bit early to make a final statement on this question. However, the number of Biolib users is greater than the number of people who received training at the multimedia library.
Furthermore, those who are trained in the use of research tools can still directly access servers that are located elsewhere. Using Biolib as a gateway also enables them to obtain details from primary sources since the monobase search engine allows for a very refined search. Is it possible to establish whether experienced users are convinced by the simplified applications of Biolib? When looking at the statistics based on the information accessed on the Qwerty Content Server it is hard to establish whether a search has been carried out by experts or fairly inexperienced users. However, when looking at the user profiles we can establish that a large number of experienced users at least tried Biolib out of pure curiosity. Some of those users have their own profile and are therefore regular users. However, it remains impossible to push this analysis any further.
3.3.1.2. Users like a simplified search and a high number of hits!
The fact that the search entries of Biolib users resemble those of traditional Internet users is not surprising. The general search entry consists of one, or a maximum of two terms with one space between them. The use of nouns is frequent and search entries are mainly written in English even though the database is available both in English and in French.
Traditionally, search entries are rather vague at the beginning and are refined when searching for a second time if the number of hits is too high. When using Biolib, Ovide or other sites such as ISI web of knowledge or Scirus, the way search entries are expressed remains the same. A large number of hits does not put off the general user. However, users normally do not like finding the same hit twice in the list of results, even if it stems from a different source. They therefore often ask for a tool that splits up the different strands of information in order to avoid this problem.
3.3.1.3. Communication increases the use of the portal!
Biolib was based on the idea that the user does not need any training to carry out research. A bilingual online help desk was quickly installed. However, the use of Biolib is increasing after each presentation organized by the multimedia library. It does not matter how intuitive the tool itself is; the more communication that takes place, the more this tool will be used.
The Reader Faced with a Digital Library 41 3.3.2. Some statistics
The usage of Biolib increased slowly as it took some time to install all of the programs. The first versions of Biolib were prototypes, their services were incomplete and the multimedia library therefore did not want to advertise them. In 2003 the first version of Biolib was officially inaugurated and a campaign was launched to win over disappointed users.
After an improved version had been launched online the number of users has increased tenfold over the past six months. Amongst the regular users were some who received training by one of the library’s staff members. However, an increasing number of researchers are working in areas that have not yet been targeted by the advertising campaign. The fact that they are also using the system is probably due to word of mouth.
3.3.2.1. Who uses the portal?
Around 70% of all research units or laboratories have used Biolib at least once.
Less than 20% have never used it and 25% are regular users. However, Biolib is only used by half the researchers that this service is aimed at, since it is always the same people using the service.
3.3.2.2. Most frequently used services
A multisource search is the most frequently used application, probably because it saves the researcher’s profile. All sources that could possibly be of interest to the user are saved in his/her profile.
A multifield search of a monobase comes next, but is used much less than a multisource search, as it is used for ordering documents. Other regular users rely on Biolib after searching PubMed or ISI web of knowledge and being unable to download the full text from these websites. Biolib is therefore not used for research but to find references which are then automatically transferred to the monobase’s order form.
Before June 2004, ordering documents was subject to a bibliographic search that needed to be carried out beforehand. This is now no longer the case and a strong increase in the use of Biolib can be observed since an order form which does not require this first bibliographic search was made available online. It would be very useful to analyze statistics in order to determine to what extent some users rely on Biolib’s ordering service without ever carrying out any multisource or monobase searches.
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The number of profiles is impressive, but it would be useful to establish how many of those profiles are actually used on a regular basis. From the very beginning a large number of registered profiles of researchers that never actually use the system could be observed. These profiles were created by users who were experimenting and exploring the system. It is still too early to judge how large this group of profiles is and what might become of it.
3.3.2.3. The most frequently used sources
Databases that are part of the multimedia library as well as PubMed are frequently used. Structured information is therefore the most frequently used source.
Amongst the websites used, a collection of the latest publications in electronic journals are the most consulted. Internal web pages are the least consulted. This phenomenon was, however, anticipated during Biolib’s development process.
Even if it is still too early to scientifically analyze the usage of Biolib, it is still important to underline that Biolib disposes of very efficient statistical tools. These were conceived to enable the multimedia library to adapt sources and services to the needs of users. All data traffic and transactions that are carried out on the portal are stored in a database.