Enhancing User Interactions in Digital Libraries

Implementing Faceted Search User Interface

A digital library can be underpinned by a search platform such as Apache Solr, which facilitates faceted search services. In my previous posts, I have described the development of a Solr-based search engine infrastructure, involving metadata and rich binary documents indexing of multi-sourced data, viz., the CERN Library book data, content from a digital repository (Fedora). The search engine only provides underpinning services. It does not provide a user interface.

This post outlines the work involved in prototyping a digital library user interface - UX2 Library. It describes the UX design, development made with respect to an associated open source technology. We have recently tested the prototype with a group of users from the University of Edinburgh and published the results: summary and report. In my next post, I shall propose an agile technique based on 'user stories', to address the usability issues arising from this user study.

For a general introduction to both faceted search and Apache Solr, see "Developing Faceted Search Using Apache Solr, Part 1".

Tech Note: Developing Faceted Search Using Apache Solr, Part 1

Searching and sifting through large amount of information is a challenging task and a norm confronting web users today. There is a need for resource discovery services capable of dealing with large search resultsets effectively. Previous research indicates a tendency for users to prefer interfaces that incorporate some form of categorisation and grouping of results. These types of UIs tend to enhance the efficiency of information seeking and provide greater user satisfaction. This post describes the development of faceted search, a resource discovery approach based on a type of category system which has become prevalent in digital libraries. A remit of the UX2.0 project involves enhancing an existing digital library featuring faceted search through user-centred design (UCD). We are also evaluating AquaBrowser a leading library product facilitating faceted search.

This post relates to my recent work on two systems. It describes the development and setting up of a faceted search infrastructure - Apache Solr for Blacklight, a Ruby-on-Rails and open source resource discovery UI. To provide concentration user experience, the infrastructure provides data aggregated from multiple and heterogeneous sources.

Part 1 of this account (this post) describes the general setup of Solr for multi-sourced data and the experience of importing the CERN book dataset, using the Data Import Hanlder (DIH) of Solr. UX2 is incorporating the book data in combinant with digital library objects, for low-fi content-rich UI prototypes testing.

A forthcoming post (Part 2) describes programmatic development of Solr, to enable indexing of Dublin Core metadata and binary documents in multiple formats (PDF, PowerPoints etc) held in an existing Fedora Commons digital repository.

Tech Note: Integrating Twitter Services into a Social Networking Platform, Part 2

This post provides a technical account of integrating Twitter services into a social networking platform. The implementation dovetails with a goal of the UX2.0 project, to explore social networking for digital library. Dealing with OAuth authentication is a prerequisite of any implementation involving Twitter services. The requirement not only underpins identity services (federated sign on), it is also mandatory for consuming the API methods of the social network. Part 1 of this post addresses this prerequisite and provides an account of how Twitter federated sign on can be developed. This post describes the development of tog - an existing open source social networking platform which we are experimenting with. The development involves an underpinning 'shared object' framework and a use scenario of diffusing messages to Twitter.

Tech Note: Integrating Twitter Services into a Social Networking Platform, Part 1

Everything is becoming user-centric these days. Signing on, the usual prerequisite to access additional features of a website is not as prescriptive as it used to be. Sites are now less disposed to demand user registration prior to signing on - a typical usability barrier. Instead, users can opt to log in by designating an existing identity provided by another site. Getting rid of the potentially disruptive registration process makes sense and in tune with creating flowing user experience. For example, users are more likely to comment on blog posts if their actions (and thoughts!) are not punctuated with lengthy form filling and authentication processes. Indeed, better 'flow' is a key goal in many emerging interaction design patterns, e.g. 'stay on the page'.

Federated identity represents the cutting edge of this user-centric trend which also coincides with Web 2.0 in many ways. First, digital content and services from heterogeneous and autonomous websites are increasingly intertwined and federated, in what could be described as diffusion user experience. Second, the plethora of APIs made available by services or sites such as Google, Yahoo!, Twitter and Facebook have really fostered the developments of federated use scenarios in which user identities and data are becoming interoperable.

The following provides a technical account of integrating Twitter sign on into a social networking platform, as a prerequisite for the UX2.0 project work in developing Twitter services for digital library use scenarios.