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An open source library system and public library users: Finding and using library collections
Library & Information Science Research 34 (2012) 220–227
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Library & Information Science Research
An open source library system and public library users: Finding and using library collections Hsin-liang Chen ⁎, Barbara Albee School of Library and Information Science Indiana University-Indianapolis, 755 West Michigan Street, UL 3100N, Indianapolis, IN 46202-5195, USA
a r t i c l e
i n f o
Available online 3 May 2012
a b s t r a c t Large scale open-source library automation systems can increase efficiencies in bibliographic production. The implementation of such a system, Evergreen, was examined in order to ascertain whether it facilitated detection and use of library collections in Indiana public libraries. Three hundred forty-nine participants recruited from nine public libraries completed user surveys. Additionally, library server data about interlibrary loan (ILL) statistics were collected from participating libraries on a monthly basis. The self-reported user survey included questions about patron history at local public libraries, use of the previous Online Public Access Catalogs (OPACs), and use of the Evergreen OPAC for finding and accessing multiple library collections since library users could directly request interlibrary loans via the Evergreen OPAC. The findings indicate that the implementation of the Indiana Evergreen system received moderately positive ratings from the participants; the positive evaluation was primarily related to the use of the ILL function. The ILL service satisfied the participants' needs and motivated them to use the Evergreen OPAC. Benefits for Evergreen users were confirmed. © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
1. Introduction Open source is an “approach to the design, development, and distribution of software, offering practical and easy accessibility to the software source code” and making it freely available (AcrossWorld Education, n.d., para. 1). Open source systems have allowed libraries to increase efficiencies in bibliographic production (Clark, 2008). Because of the potential size of the Indiana Evergreen OPAC and its estimated rapid expansion, there is interest in studying its benefits to library users, particularly with respect to access to multi-library collections. In 2008, several Indiana public libraries formed a library consortium with the open- source library-automation system Evergreen, a relatively new library system at the time. According to Evergreen (2009), one of the reasons libraries shift to Evergreen is to provide public library users with effective and equitable library collections via a shared multilibrary integrated library system (ILS). The first Indiana libraries to implement Evergreen went live in February 2008 and the future statewide consortium, “Evergreen Indiana”, was born (Evergreen, 2010). Currently, the Evergreen Indiana consortium is still accepting membership to the consortium. The benefits of large-scale open source catalogs for library users were investigated through examination of the implementation of
⁎ Corresponding author. E-mail address: [email protected] (H. Chen). 0740-8188/$ – see front matter © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.lisr.2011.12.001
Evergreen in nine Indiana public libraries. The impact of the system on library users in terms of finding and accessing library collections in the entire Evergreen Indiana system was also examined. 2. Problem statement Large scale multi-library open-source library-automation systems are emerging in the marketplace. Library and information science researchers and practitioners can benefit from a study of an example of such systems for future implementation, development, and improvement. Currently, systems such as these are implemented at several library consortia made up of public libraries, but no research has looked at public library users' experiences and expectations regarding finding materials in shared catalogs representing multiple library collections. At present, no empirical studies of patron interactions with an opensource OPAC have been conducted. Therefore the focus was on how public library patrons used Evergreen to discover and access collections. The lack of research into the user perspective in this environment is troubling given a growth in the number of libraries migrating to open source systems (Breeding, 2008; Kuali Foundation, 2011). It is important to understand whether and how large scale open-source ILSs enhance library services. The open-source consortium solution for libraries in Indiana has promised to allow sharing of bibliographic records and the potential for library users to discover rare and unique materials; however, current research has not specifically examined the benefits of an open-source project such as Evergreen for library users.
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3. Literature review
3.2. Collaboration and library consortia
Previous studies have focused on open-source library systems and implications for consortia use and the benefits of collaboration to users in accessing library collections. Yang and Hofmann (2010) compared the open-source systems Koha and Evergreen to the commercial system Voyager in order to discover “in terms of services which is more comparable to the next-generation library catalog” (p. 141). They considered features that reflect librarians' vision of the modern OPAC, including included one-stop searching capability (Yang & Hofmann, 2010). The Library of Congress (2008) made several recommendations for libraries regarding the role of library catalogs in the Web era. The first three recommendations focused on cooperation, access to collections, and technology:
Open-source library systems such as Evergreen are becoming viable options for library consortia of all types and sizes (Evergreen, 2009). Georgia, Michigan, and Indiana are among some of the states that currently have consortia library groups using the Evergreen open-source software exclusively for functions such as cataloging and circulation (Evergreen, 2009). Libraries belonging to these consortia aim to reap technical, personnel, and financial benefits for their staff and library users. In 2008, the Library of Congress reported a need for increased cooperation among libraries (Library of Congress, 2008). Large-scale open-source systems and products were designed to facilitate collaboration (Breeding, 2002; Muffatto, 2006). As a result, many libraries joined the open-source movement with the hope of accomplishing more as groups of libraries than as singular organizations. Breeding (2002) noted that the collaborative nature of the open-source approach could bring about improved software products for libraries, since they are built for and by libraries. Muffatto (2006) stated that one of the main benefits of open-source software was the commitment of the community to developing something that is interoperable and respects open standards. “The open source community wants to keep standards public and common” (Muffatto, 2006, p. 136). Collaboration was a key goal for the development of library consortia, as well. According to Cary and Ogburn (2000), the Virtual Library of Virginia (VIVA), an academic library consortium of more than 70 stateassisted and independent colleges and universities in Virginia, was very successful, for a number of reasons. The consortium increased access to its member libraries, and thus to the patrons they served. The VIVA libraries proved that collaboration was highly beneficial, and provided a catalyst for getting records into local OPACs. Virginia libraries saw a “proliferation of access points and levels of access to electronic resources available to users and the role of the OPAC in providing access” (Cary & Ogburn, 2000, p. 46).
1) Increase the efficiency of bibliographic production for all libraries through increased cooperation and increased sharing of bibliographic records, and by maximizing the use of data produced throughout the entire “supply chain” for information resources. 2) Transfer library efforts into higher-value activities. In particular, expand the possibilities for knowledge creation by exposing rare and unique materials held by libraries that are currently hidden from view and, thus, underused. 3) Position our technology for the future by recognizing that the World Wide Web is both our technology platform and the appropriate platform for the delivery of our standards. Recognize that people are not the only users of the data we produce in the name of bibliographic control, but so too are machine applications that interact with those data in a variety of ways (Library of Congress, 2008, p. 5). In a review of this report, Mann (2008a) cautioned that quick information seekers' research needs were very different from those of scholars, and efficient and comprehensive search capacity within multiple environments was important. In addition, Calhoun and Cellentani (2009) reported that end users of online catalogs expected to receive library materials when they found matching records in the catalog. This report also addressed concerns raised by others about the usefulness of modern library OPACs when library users reported that obtaining an item was equally as important as finding the item in the OPAC. Hence the present study looks at both discovery and access using Evergreen Indiana.
3.1. Open-source library-automation systems By definition, open source is an approach to the design, development, and distribution of software that offers practical and easy accessibility to the software source code (Muffatto, 2006). The Kuali OLE (open library environment) project was a good example of this type of pragmatic, straightforward approach (Kuali Foundation, 2011). Another example is the Evergreen system. Weber (2006) found that Evergreen helped lower library expenditures overall, more so than commercial ILS options. Tennant (2007a, 2007b) stated that the advantages to using open-source technology included its flexible nature and the ability to build a complex system at less cost. Clark (2008) also spoke to the advantages of open-source software in terms of cost saving. Besides technical and staffing improvements on the library side, Clark concluded that patron satisfaction with the open source system at his public library was bringing more people into the library: “Patron satisfaction by word of mouth has resulted in a patron increase of 18 percent” (Clark, 2008, p. 213). However, Clark did not provide detail on his data collection methods to support this finding. Breeding (2008) wrote that the open-source trend was strong and open source systems must compete with proprietary library systems in order to survive.
3.3. Access to collections Stumpf (2003) found benefits of collaboration in her study of a consortium of eight public libraries in St. Louis County, Missouri. Although Stumpf was studying centralized processing in a library consortium, her findings showed there were overall benefits to the patrons in terms of availability of library materials. Patrons experienced decreased turnaround times in finding items on the shelf, as more items were made available to the users as a result of the consortium arrangement. In a case study of the Bloomfield Eastern Greene County Public Library in Indiana, Helling (2010, p. 706) stated that “access to collections of larger consortium have greatly expanded the library's capacities without growing the budget,” demonstrating that access to contemporary library consortia could greatly increase individual collections without the traditional costs of purchasing individual items.
3.4. OPACs and library users in the Web platform era Stumpf's (2003) findings concurred with Calhoun and Cellentani's (2009) findings, which reported on user and librarian perspectives regarding the OPAC. Calhoun noted that delivery was equally important, if not more so, than discovery. According to Calhoun's report, the top five essential data elements recommended by library users were the following: a list of libraries that own the item, the ability to see what is immediately available, more item details, links to online content, and full text (Calhoun & Cellentani, 2009). These elements were used to examine whether the Evergreen Indiana OPAC met users' expectations.
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Fig. 1. Evergreen basic search interface.
4. Method This study was conducted in collaboration with the Indiana State Library, which acts as the managing body for Evergreen Indiana. The services provided by the Indiana State Library included purchasing and maintaining the central servers, personnel costs in operating the system, training, software development, data conversion, and other related expenses (Evergreen, 2009). Public libraries in Indiana have the option to join the Evergreen project at any time; 58 public libraries had done so by February 2010. Fig. 1 depicts Evergreen Indiana's basic search interface which allows users to search library collections by “Keyword,” “Title,” “Author,” “Subject,” and “Series” within “All formats,” “Books,” “Video Recordings,” “Music,” and “Electronic Resources.” Fig. 2 depicts Evergreen Indiana's advanced search interface, which provides users with additional functions such as literary form, audience, and language to expand their searches. Fig. 3 is an example of the search results from a keyword search of “Indiana history.” 4.1. Participants The Indiana State Library assisted in recruitment of nine public libraries from the Evergreen Indiana member libraries. The selection of the nine libraries was based on their locations (within a radius of 100
miles from Indianapolis, Fig. 4) and the populations of their serving communities (Table 1). These libraries included: Brazil, Greenwood, Hamilton North, Lebanon, Mooresville, Plainfield Guilford Township, Thorntown, Westfield, and Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Public Libraries. Local librarians assisted in recruiting library users at the nine libraries. Librarians contacted their patrons to ask if they would act as volunteers; other volunteers were solicited at libraries when the survey was administered. The library users were classified into three age groups: 18–24, 25– 59, and 60 or above. The first two age groups were adopted from OCLC's online catalog user report (Calhoun & Cellentani, 2009). The third age group was added as an older adult user group in this project. Paper surveys (Appendix A) were distributed on a quarterly basis at each of the nine libraries from January 2010 to December 2010. Participants were given the option to remain anonymous. The nine libraries were visited every three months to survey library users. The surveys were collected during more than 40 trips to the libraries in the course of a year. There were a total of 349 survey respondents (Table 2). The majority of the participants were in the 25–59 age group, and more than 70% of the participants were female. More than 50% of participants had used the library for more than five years. Additionally, more than 55% of the participants visited the libraries weekly in 2009.
Fig. 2. Evergreen advanced search interface.
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Fig. 3. Example search results for keyword search of “Indiana history”.
Evergreen OPAC provided the library users with a transitional experience from finding information about library collections to getting materials from the library collections. 4.3. Circulation records Library circulation records and library-server transition logs were collected between January 2010 and December 2010 on a month-tomonth basis, with the assistance of the Evergreen Indiana project office. At the end of each month, the data were collected from the Evergreen Indiana server. The purpose was to observe library collection usage and OPAC search activities throughout the calendar year—both on-site and via remote access—at the nine libraries after the implementation of the open-source library system. The OPAC search activities were an important indication of the end-users' use of the library system, both on-site and remotely. 5. Results 5.1. Library circulation data and server transition logs Indiana public libraries have three categories of eligible borrowers of library materials: resident, non-resident, and public library access card (PLAC) holder. In Indiana, a PLAC is a fee-based service offered to nonresidential users that would allow them to obtain borrowing privileges from other public libraries. In general, the monthly circulation records indicated that residential and nonresidential users shared similar borrowing patterns, while the PLAC holders had a flat pattern in the 12-month period. However, the circulation volume of residential users dropped sharply in December (Fig. 5). Both print and nonprint materials had similar monthly circulation patterns, except that print materials had higher monthly circulation
Fig. 4. Locations of the nine participating libraries (• = Indianapolis).
4.2. Survey instrument The 349 participants completed the user surveys at their local libraries between January 2010 and December 2010. The survey questions were based on the key findings from the OCLC report (Calhoun & Cellentani, 2009). Particularly of interest was whether the implementation of the Table 1 Nine participating libraries' background information. Library
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
2000 population Books and bound serials AV materials Serial subscriptions Total circulation Children's materials circulation In-house use of materialsa
8516 25,000 2782 85 69,131 13,989 197
26,849 114,560 19, 234 340 290,557 122,768 34,550
9919 89,800 11,817 139 131,775 39,261 4340
15,924 105,989 18,985 270 485,763 256,568 70,824
17,102 77,226 10,465 216 217,363 62,342 7224
13,491 72,009 6885 162 171,921 60,336 14,940
22,878 121,606 11,667 421 406,210 124,862 NA
4940 37,326 13.294 132 59,188 18,300 15,000
18,358 120,095 22,632 271 465,792 171,238 32,089
a
Not included in total children's materials circulation.
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Table 2 Participants' characteristics (N = 349). Characteristics Age 18–24 25–59 60 + Gender Female Male Local library experience History Less than one year 1–5 years 6–10 years 10 + years Visit frequency in 2009 More than once a week Once a week Once every other week Once a month Less often than once a month
N
%
29 231 89
8.31 66.19 25.50
250 99
71.63 28.37
37 112 52 148
10.60 32.09 14.90 42.41
122 73 58 74 22
34.96 20.92 16.62 21.2 6.30
volumes in summer months, possibly due to summer reading programs, and a sharp drop in December (Fig. 6). The Evergreen Indiana OPAC embeds an interlibrary loan (ILL) function directly within each bibliographic record. A user can click on the ILL function to check out an available item from any library associated with Evergreen Indiana. Initially, the nine libraries lent out more items from their collections in the first three months of the research project, and again in summer months. However, lending activities decreased in the last two months of 2010 (Fig. 7).
Another important observation was the decline in daily use of the OPAC (Fig. 8). The daily OPAC activities were calculated by the total number of consortia-wide searches divided by the total days of each month and the total number of libraries. For example, the total number of search logs was 513,271 at 62 libraries in March. 2010. The average daily use was 267.05 (513,271/31 days/62 libraries). As more libraries joined Evergreen Indiana, the total number of daily OPAC searches decreased. The number of libraries joining the Evergreen Indiana project increased from 58 in February, 2010 to 85 in January, 2011, but daily consortia-wide OPAC activities decreased. It was not possible to separate the nine participant libraries data from the overall consortium data regarding daily search activities, in order to make a more detailed assessment of this decline.
5.2. User surveys 5.2.1. Increase in use Thirty-five percent of participants used their previous local library OPACs frequently, while more than 50% were frequent Evergreen OPAC users. More than one-third of the users (36%) reported they rarely (or very rarely) used the previous OPACs, but only one-quarter of them (24%) rarely or very rarely used the Evergreen Indiana OPAC. Almost three-quarters of the participants (74.5%) reported that they used the Evergreen OPAC occasionally or more often than the previous OPAC (Table 3). Two correlational analyses indicated that the usage of the Evergreen OPAC was related to the participants' history with their local public libraries (Spearman's rho = 0.17, p = 0.002), and their previous OPAC experience (Spearman's rho = 0.62, p b 0.001). Essentially, those who had a longer history of using their
Fig. 5. Monthly circulation total at the nine libraries by user status (Jan–Dec 2010).
Fig. 6. Monthly circulation total at the nine libraries by material types (Jan–Dec 2010).
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Table 3 Participants' OPAC experience (N = 349). Characteristics Pervious OPAC experience Very frequently Frequently Occasionally Rarely Very rarely Evergreen OPAC experience Very frequently Frequently Occasionally Rarely Very rarely
N
%
47 75 100 42 85
13.40 21.49 28.65 12.03 24.36
83 92 85 26 63
23.78 26.36 24.36 7.45 18.05
n
%
238 117 81 130 16
68.2 33.5 23.21 37.25 4.59
170 150 215 200 56 8
48.71 42.98 61.61 57.31 16.05 2.29
39 92 83 78 10
11.18 26.36 23.78 22.35 2.86
Fig. 7. Monthly total ILL patron requests at the nine libraries (Jan–Dec 2010).
local library, and of using the previous OPAC, were more likely to use the Evergreen OPAC.
Table 4 The participants' use of Evergreen OPAC. Use of Evergreen OPAC
5.2.2. Use of functions The participants were asked to list functions they used most often, used least, and would use in the future. The most popular function was basic search, reported by 68.2% of participants. Within basic search, the most common search was by author and then by title (57.31%). Keyword searching was surprisingly low, at only 48.2% (Table 4). The low level of keyword and subject searching compared to author and title searching implies that patrons were using Evergreen primarily to search for holdings of already-known items. Compared to the basic search function, other functions were used less often. In addition, the participants reported low potential use of other functions. This would be an area for future study, especially since Evergreen Indiana is a consortium library catalog providing ILL service. 5.2.3. Changes in user behavior Forty-two percent of participants reported that they changed the way they used library resources and services. According to the results of several correlational analyses, the participants' behavioral changes were related to their history with local libraries (Spearman's rho=0.18, p=0.001), their previous OPAC experience (Spearman's rho=0.37, pb 0.001), and Evergreen experience (Spearman's rho=0.45, p b 0.001). According to the participants, the major changes were that they could check out materials from other libraries and place more holds via the Evergreen OPAC. The top three responses from participants regarding their changes in the use of library resources and services were: 1) borrowing more frequently from other libraries (n = 81, 23.21%); 2) placing more holds (n = 29, 8.31%); and 3) easier to find materials (n = 27,
Use of Evergreen functions Basic search Advanced search Choose a library to search My account Other Use of basic search functions Keyword Subject Author Title Series Other Potential functions to be used Basic search Advanced search Choose a library to search My account Other
7.74%). Therefore, based on these figures, the ILL function in Evergreen was very important. Two-hundred-forty-two participants (69.4%) reported being aware of the ILL function, and 47.9% of them used it (Table 5). Three correlational analyses indicated that the use of the ILL function was related to the participants' histories with local libraries (r = 0.24, p b 0.001), previous OPAC experience (r = 0.32, p b 0.001), and the Evergreen experience (r = 0.36, p b 0.001). However, there was no relation between their PLAC holder experience and the use of the ILL function. PLAC permitted Indiana citizens to use libraries in other service areas (taxation, library governance).
Fig. 8. Total number of daily OPAC searches (Feb 2010–Jan 2011). *The server was down for two days in September. **The server was down for one day in October.
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6.2. Continuing education for Evergreen users
Table 5 Participants' ILL experience (N = 349). ILL experience
n
A public libraries access card (PLAC) holder Yes No Have used PLAC card before Yes No Aware of Evergreen's ILL function Yes No Have used the function Yes No The number of ILL items 1–5 6–10 11–15 15–20 20 +
105 244 94 255 242 107 166 183 119 21 8 4 15
5.2.4. Future use One-hundred-seventy-five participants (55.87%) reported they would use the Evergreen OPAC frequently in the future (Table 6). That was 5% more than reported using it frequently currently (Table 2). The increase indicated that the participants had a positive attitude toward the Evergreen OPAC. According to several correlational analyses, the future use of the Evergreen OPAC was significantly, though weakly, related to the participants' awareness of the ILL function (r = 0.19, p b 0.001), and the use of the ILL function (r = 0.29, p b 0.001).
6. Discussion 6.1. Users' motivation and availability of library collections Based on the usage of the Evergreen OPAC reported by the participants, the implementation of the system received a moderately positive response, which was related to the use of the ILL function. This finding echoed one of the key conclusions from OCLC's 2009 report: availability was as important as discovery to library users (Calhoun & Cellentani, 2009). This was also shown in the prevalence of author/title searches (checking for availability) compared to keyword/subject searches (information seeking/discovery). The ILL service satisfied the participants' needs; in the meantime, the service also motivated them to use the Evergreen OPAC. The participants were able to expand their activities from their local libraries to Evergreen Indiana, which grew from a handful of libraries in 2008 to 85 libraries by January 2011. Collection development and circulation policies and privileges also affected patron use. Current Evergreen Indiana policies stated that only physical library collections were available for ILL at most libraries and did not include newly purchased physical library collections. The latter were only available to local library users for what was called a local-privilege period, ranging from three months to several months. There were no policies for exchanging electronic materials via ILL at this point.
Table 6 Participants' future use of Evergreen OPAC. Future use of Evergreen OPAC
n
%
Very frequently Frequently Occasionally Rarely Very rarely
84 111 87 17 50
24.07 31.8 24.93 4.87 14.33
Over 50% of participants reported they would frequently use the Evergreen OPAC in the future; however, the current use of Evergreen OPAC was related to experiences with local libraries and the previous OPAC. Participants also reported using few of the advanced functions. In order to facilitate library users' full use of other Evergreen functions, local libraries could consider providing users with instructions or guidance to promote awareness of more advanced functions (e.g., advanced search, my library account). The number of searches decreased as additional libraries joined Evergreen Indiana, according to monthly server transaction logs. Some possible explanations for the decline were, first, the increasing number of libraries meant more traffic, which delayed search activities. When library users experienced delayed OPAC activities, they stopped using the Evergreen OPAC. Second, library users at the newly joined libraries changed their behaviors in using the Evergreen OPAC; and third, possible server errors occurred when migrating user data from newly joined libraries. This decline in use was a troubling and unexpected finding and needs to be investigated at some future time. 6.3. Limitations and challenges Six participants for each age group, three female and three male, were to be recruited at the nine libraries every three months. In an attempt to reach this goal, recruitment took place at various library programs. However, the majority of the participants who agreed to take the survey were female between the ages of 25–59. Another challenge was gaining access to the server logs. Because of the technical and staffing limitations associated with transitioning to a new OPAC system, both at the participating libraries sites and at the central Evergreen Indiana project office, there were insufficient personnel to generate search-log data detail for search functions, queries, library locations, etc. A final challenge was a lack of a comparison between preEvergreen OPAC statistics and the Evergreen OPAC statistics as a useful benchmark. The nine libraries' previous OPACs varied, however, and libraries did not archive historical data for further data analysis. 7. Conclusions After their libraries' implementation of the Evergreen Indiana OPAC, library patrons were able to discover and use more library collections from the entire consortium. Half of the public libraries in the state of Indiana were expected to join the consortium in 2011. All of these potential cost-saving factors could allow open-source libraries to put more time and money into cataloging more of their special collections as well as creating training materials for library staff and patrons. Libraries should expect to benefit from future developments because of the ongoing cooperative nature of open source systems. The development and expansion of the consortium mean more effort is needed in the areas of library system technologies, infrastructure, shared catalog record cleanup, library reporting functions, training for library staff and users, and budgeting. In addition, the growing size of the consortium also means potential buying power for library collections. Of concomitant importance to Evergreen Indiana is the establishment of consortium-wide ILL agreements to streamline borrowing privileges and reduce waiting time for library users. The study showed increasing interest by survey participants in the use of the Evergreen OPAC to discover and access library collections in this expanding library consortium. Initial benefits for Evergreen Indiana users were confirmed. Continuing studies of Evergreen and other largescale open source library systems should continue to center on the user experience in order to improve the quality of that experience, as well as to help users make the most of advanced services and growing collections.
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Supplementary data related to this article can be found online at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.lisr.2011.12.001.
Acknowledgments This project was supported by the OCLC/ALISE LIS Research Grant and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) under the LSTA Grant Program through the Indiana State Library. The research team also thanks the Indiana Evergreen Consortium and the nine public libraries for their support.
References AcrossWorld Education (n.d.). FAQs. What is open source? Retrieved April 24, 2012 from http://www.acrossworld.com/openedmore.html Breeding, M. (2002). The open source ILS: Still only a distant possibility. Information Technology and Libraries, 21(1), 16–18. Breeding, M. (2008). Making a case for open source ILS. Computers in Libraries, 28(3), 36. Calhoun, K., & Cellentani, D. (2009). Online catalogers: What users and librarians want. OCLC report. Dublin, OH: OCLC. Cary, K., & Ogburn, J. L. (2000). Developing a consortial approach to cataloging and intellectual access. Library Collections, Acquisitions, and Technical Services, 24, 45–51. Clark, J. R. (2008). The Internet connection: Open source library software-ready for prime time? Behavioral & Social Sciences Librarian, 27(3/4), 211–213. Evergreen (2009). ISL: Evergreen Indiana. Retrieved October 15, 2009, from http:// www.in.gov/library/evergreen.htm Evergreen (2010). Evergreen Indiana: Resource & sharing cooperative of Evergreen libraries. Retrieved July 21, 2010, from http://rscel.evergreen-ils.org/node/1457 Helling, J. (2010). A case study of one library's decision to migrate to an open source ILS. Library Review, 59(9), 707-707. Kuali Foundation (2011). Kuali OLE: Open library environment (OLE)—An extensible service-driven library management system. Retrieved February 1, 2011, from http://kuali.org/OLE
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Library of Congress (2008). On the record: Report of the Library of Congress Working Group on the Future of Bibliographic Control. Retrieved from from http://www.loc. gov/bibliographic-future/news/lcwg-ontherecord-jan08-final.pdf Mann, T. (2008a). On the record” but off the track: A review of the report of the Library of Congress Working Group on Bibliographic Control, with a further examination of Library of Congress cataloging tendencies. Retrieved from from http://www. guild2910.org/WorkingGrpResponse2008.pdf Muffatto, M. (2006). Open source, a multidisciplinary approach. London, England: Imperial College Press. Stumpf, F. F. (2003). Centralized cataloging and processing for public library consortia. The Bottom Library, 16(3), 93–100. Tennant, R. (2007a). The year of the open. Library Journal, 132(15), 24. Tennant, R. (2007b). Dawn of a new era. Library Journal, 132(3), 27. Weber, J. (2006). Evergreen: Your homegrown ILS: An in-house team successfully competes with commercial vendors in the library automation sphere. Library Journal, 131(20), 38–41. Yang, S. Q., & Hofmann, M. (2010). The next-generation library catalog: A comparative study of the OPACs of Koha, Evergreen, and Voyager. Information Technology and Libraries, 29(3), 143–151.
Hsin-liang Chen is an associate professor at the School of Library and Information Science, Indiana University-Indianapolis. He holds a doctorate in library and information science from the University of Pittsburgh. His research interests center on the application of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to assist users in accessing and using information in different environments. His publications include the monograph Scenarios and Information Design (Chandos, 2006), several book chapters, and articles in such journals as Canadian Journal of Information and Library Science, Electronic Library, Journal of Academic Librarianship, and Library Quarterly.
Barbara Albee is a lecturer at the School of Library and Information Science, Indiana University-Indianapolis. She holds an MLS from the University of Pittsburgh and is pursuing a doctorate at Purdue University. She has published in American Libraries and Advances in Collection Development and Resource Management, and has given many conference presentations. Her current work and research involve online and distance education, the organization of information, technology in education, and open source initiatives.
Contents lists available at SciVerse ScienceDirect
Library & Information Science Research
An open source library system and public library users: Finding and using library collections Hsin-liang Chen ⁎, Barbara Albee School of Library and Information Science Indiana University-Indianapolis, 755 West Michigan Street, UL 3100N, Indianapolis, IN 46202-5195, USA
a r t i c l e
i n f o
Available online 3 May 2012
a b s t r a c t Large scale open-source library automation systems can increase efficiencies in bibliographic production. The implementation of such a system, Evergreen, was examined in order to ascertain whether it facilitated detection and use of library collections in Indiana public libraries. Three hundred forty-nine participants recruited from nine public libraries completed user surveys. Additionally, library server data about interlibrary loan (ILL) statistics were collected from participating libraries on a monthly basis. The self-reported user survey included questions about patron history at local public libraries, use of the previous Online Public Access Catalogs (OPACs), and use of the Evergreen OPAC for finding and accessing multiple library collections since library users could directly request interlibrary loans via the Evergreen OPAC. The findings indicate that the implementation of the Indiana Evergreen system received moderately positive ratings from the participants; the positive evaluation was primarily related to the use of the ILL function. The ILL service satisfied the participants' needs and motivated them to use the Evergreen OPAC. Benefits for Evergreen users were confirmed. © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
1. Introduction Open source is an “approach to the design, development, and distribution of software, offering practical and easy accessibility to the software source code” and making it freely available (AcrossWorld Education, n.d., para. 1). Open source systems have allowed libraries to increase efficiencies in bibliographic production (Clark, 2008). Because of the potential size of the Indiana Evergreen OPAC and its estimated rapid expansion, there is interest in studying its benefits to library users, particularly with respect to access to multi-library collections. In 2008, several Indiana public libraries formed a library consortium with the open- source library-automation system Evergreen, a relatively new library system at the time. According to Evergreen (2009), one of the reasons libraries shift to Evergreen is to provide public library users with effective and equitable library collections via a shared multilibrary integrated library system (ILS). The first Indiana libraries to implement Evergreen went live in February 2008 and the future statewide consortium, “Evergreen Indiana”, was born (Evergreen, 2010). Currently, the Evergreen Indiana consortium is still accepting membership to the consortium. The benefits of large-scale open source catalogs for library users were investigated through examination of the implementation of
⁎ Corresponding author. E-mail address: [email protected] (H. Chen). 0740-8188/$ – see front matter © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.lisr.2011.12.001
Evergreen in nine Indiana public libraries. The impact of the system on library users in terms of finding and accessing library collections in the entire Evergreen Indiana system was also examined. 2. Problem statement Large scale multi-library open-source library-automation systems are emerging in the marketplace. Library and information science researchers and practitioners can benefit from a study of an example of such systems for future implementation, development, and improvement. Currently, systems such as these are implemented at several library consortia made up of public libraries, but no research has looked at public library users' experiences and expectations regarding finding materials in shared catalogs representing multiple library collections. At present, no empirical studies of patron interactions with an opensource OPAC have been conducted. Therefore the focus was on how public library patrons used Evergreen to discover and access collections. The lack of research into the user perspective in this environment is troubling given a growth in the number of libraries migrating to open source systems (Breeding, 2008; Kuali Foundation, 2011). It is important to understand whether and how large scale open-source ILSs enhance library services. The open-source consortium solution for libraries in Indiana has promised to allow sharing of bibliographic records and the potential for library users to discover rare and unique materials; however, current research has not specifically examined the benefits of an open-source project such as Evergreen for library users.
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3. Literature review
3.2. Collaboration and library consortia
Previous studies have focused on open-source library systems and implications for consortia use and the benefits of collaboration to users in accessing library collections. Yang and Hofmann (2010) compared the open-source systems Koha and Evergreen to the commercial system Voyager in order to discover “in terms of services which is more comparable to the next-generation library catalog” (p. 141). They considered features that reflect librarians' vision of the modern OPAC, including included one-stop searching capability (Yang & Hofmann, 2010). The Library of Congress (2008) made several recommendations for libraries regarding the role of library catalogs in the Web era. The first three recommendations focused on cooperation, access to collections, and technology:
Open-source library systems such as Evergreen are becoming viable options for library consortia of all types and sizes (Evergreen, 2009). Georgia, Michigan, and Indiana are among some of the states that currently have consortia library groups using the Evergreen open-source software exclusively for functions such as cataloging and circulation (Evergreen, 2009). Libraries belonging to these consortia aim to reap technical, personnel, and financial benefits for their staff and library users. In 2008, the Library of Congress reported a need for increased cooperation among libraries (Library of Congress, 2008). Large-scale open-source systems and products were designed to facilitate collaboration (Breeding, 2002; Muffatto, 2006). As a result, many libraries joined the open-source movement with the hope of accomplishing more as groups of libraries than as singular organizations. Breeding (2002) noted that the collaborative nature of the open-source approach could bring about improved software products for libraries, since they are built for and by libraries. Muffatto (2006) stated that one of the main benefits of open-source software was the commitment of the community to developing something that is interoperable and respects open standards. “The open source community wants to keep standards public and common” (Muffatto, 2006, p. 136). Collaboration was a key goal for the development of library consortia, as well. According to Cary and Ogburn (2000), the Virtual Library of Virginia (VIVA), an academic library consortium of more than 70 stateassisted and independent colleges and universities in Virginia, was very successful, for a number of reasons. The consortium increased access to its member libraries, and thus to the patrons they served. The VIVA libraries proved that collaboration was highly beneficial, and provided a catalyst for getting records into local OPACs. Virginia libraries saw a “proliferation of access points and levels of access to electronic resources available to users and the role of the OPAC in providing access” (Cary & Ogburn, 2000, p. 46).
1) Increase the efficiency of bibliographic production for all libraries through increased cooperation and increased sharing of bibliographic records, and by maximizing the use of data produced throughout the entire “supply chain” for information resources. 2) Transfer library efforts into higher-value activities. In particular, expand the possibilities for knowledge creation by exposing rare and unique materials held by libraries that are currently hidden from view and, thus, underused. 3) Position our technology for the future by recognizing that the World Wide Web is both our technology platform and the appropriate platform for the delivery of our standards. Recognize that people are not the only users of the data we produce in the name of bibliographic control, but so too are machine applications that interact with those data in a variety of ways (Library of Congress, 2008, p. 5). In a review of this report, Mann (2008a) cautioned that quick information seekers' research needs were very different from those of scholars, and efficient and comprehensive search capacity within multiple environments was important. In addition, Calhoun and Cellentani (2009) reported that end users of online catalogs expected to receive library materials when they found matching records in the catalog. This report also addressed concerns raised by others about the usefulness of modern library OPACs when library users reported that obtaining an item was equally as important as finding the item in the OPAC. Hence the present study looks at both discovery and access using Evergreen Indiana.
3.1. Open-source library-automation systems By definition, open source is an approach to the design, development, and distribution of software that offers practical and easy accessibility to the software source code (Muffatto, 2006). The Kuali OLE (open library environment) project was a good example of this type of pragmatic, straightforward approach (Kuali Foundation, 2011). Another example is the Evergreen system. Weber (2006) found that Evergreen helped lower library expenditures overall, more so than commercial ILS options. Tennant (2007a, 2007b) stated that the advantages to using open-source technology included its flexible nature and the ability to build a complex system at less cost. Clark (2008) also spoke to the advantages of open-source software in terms of cost saving. Besides technical and staffing improvements on the library side, Clark concluded that patron satisfaction with the open source system at his public library was bringing more people into the library: “Patron satisfaction by word of mouth has resulted in a patron increase of 18 percent” (Clark, 2008, p. 213). However, Clark did not provide detail on his data collection methods to support this finding. Breeding (2008) wrote that the open-source trend was strong and open source systems must compete with proprietary library systems in order to survive.
3.3. Access to collections Stumpf (2003) found benefits of collaboration in her study of a consortium of eight public libraries in St. Louis County, Missouri. Although Stumpf was studying centralized processing in a library consortium, her findings showed there were overall benefits to the patrons in terms of availability of library materials. Patrons experienced decreased turnaround times in finding items on the shelf, as more items were made available to the users as a result of the consortium arrangement. In a case study of the Bloomfield Eastern Greene County Public Library in Indiana, Helling (2010, p. 706) stated that “access to collections of larger consortium have greatly expanded the library's capacities without growing the budget,” demonstrating that access to contemporary library consortia could greatly increase individual collections without the traditional costs of purchasing individual items.
3.4. OPACs and library users in the Web platform era Stumpf's (2003) findings concurred with Calhoun and Cellentani's (2009) findings, which reported on user and librarian perspectives regarding the OPAC. Calhoun noted that delivery was equally important, if not more so, than discovery. According to Calhoun's report, the top five essential data elements recommended by library users were the following: a list of libraries that own the item, the ability to see what is immediately available, more item details, links to online content, and full text (Calhoun & Cellentani, 2009). These elements were used to examine whether the Evergreen Indiana OPAC met users' expectations.
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Fig. 1. Evergreen basic search interface.
4. Method This study was conducted in collaboration with the Indiana State Library, which acts as the managing body for Evergreen Indiana. The services provided by the Indiana State Library included purchasing and maintaining the central servers, personnel costs in operating the system, training, software development, data conversion, and other related expenses (Evergreen, 2009). Public libraries in Indiana have the option to join the Evergreen project at any time; 58 public libraries had done so by February 2010. Fig. 1 depicts Evergreen Indiana's basic search interface which allows users to search library collections by “Keyword,” “Title,” “Author,” “Subject,” and “Series” within “All formats,” “Books,” “Video Recordings,” “Music,” and “Electronic Resources.” Fig. 2 depicts Evergreen Indiana's advanced search interface, which provides users with additional functions such as literary form, audience, and language to expand their searches. Fig. 3 is an example of the search results from a keyword search of “Indiana history.” 4.1. Participants The Indiana State Library assisted in recruitment of nine public libraries from the Evergreen Indiana member libraries. The selection of the nine libraries was based on their locations (within a radius of 100
miles from Indianapolis, Fig. 4) and the populations of their serving communities (Table 1). These libraries included: Brazil, Greenwood, Hamilton North, Lebanon, Mooresville, Plainfield Guilford Township, Thorntown, Westfield, and Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Public Libraries. Local librarians assisted in recruiting library users at the nine libraries. Librarians contacted their patrons to ask if they would act as volunteers; other volunteers were solicited at libraries when the survey was administered. The library users were classified into three age groups: 18–24, 25– 59, and 60 or above. The first two age groups were adopted from OCLC's online catalog user report (Calhoun & Cellentani, 2009). The third age group was added as an older adult user group in this project. Paper surveys (Appendix A) were distributed on a quarterly basis at each of the nine libraries from January 2010 to December 2010. Participants were given the option to remain anonymous. The nine libraries were visited every three months to survey library users. The surveys were collected during more than 40 trips to the libraries in the course of a year. There were a total of 349 survey respondents (Table 2). The majority of the participants were in the 25–59 age group, and more than 70% of the participants were female. More than 50% of participants had used the library for more than five years. Additionally, more than 55% of the participants visited the libraries weekly in 2009.
Fig. 2. Evergreen advanced search interface.
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Fig. 3. Example search results for keyword search of “Indiana history”.
Evergreen OPAC provided the library users with a transitional experience from finding information about library collections to getting materials from the library collections. 4.3. Circulation records Library circulation records and library-server transition logs were collected between January 2010 and December 2010 on a month-tomonth basis, with the assistance of the Evergreen Indiana project office. At the end of each month, the data were collected from the Evergreen Indiana server. The purpose was to observe library collection usage and OPAC search activities throughout the calendar year—both on-site and via remote access—at the nine libraries after the implementation of the open-source library system. The OPAC search activities were an important indication of the end-users' use of the library system, both on-site and remotely. 5. Results 5.1. Library circulation data and server transition logs Indiana public libraries have three categories of eligible borrowers of library materials: resident, non-resident, and public library access card (PLAC) holder. In Indiana, a PLAC is a fee-based service offered to nonresidential users that would allow them to obtain borrowing privileges from other public libraries. In general, the monthly circulation records indicated that residential and nonresidential users shared similar borrowing patterns, while the PLAC holders had a flat pattern in the 12-month period. However, the circulation volume of residential users dropped sharply in December (Fig. 5). Both print and nonprint materials had similar monthly circulation patterns, except that print materials had higher monthly circulation
Fig. 4. Locations of the nine participating libraries (• = Indianapolis).
4.2. Survey instrument The 349 participants completed the user surveys at their local libraries between January 2010 and December 2010. The survey questions were based on the key findings from the OCLC report (Calhoun & Cellentani, 2009). Particularly of interest was whether the implementation of the Table 1 Nine participating libraries' background information. Library
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
2000 population Books and bound serials AV materials Serial subscriptions Total circulation Children's materials circulation In-house use of materialsa
8516 25,000 2782 85 69,131 13,989 197
26,849 114,560 19, 234 340 290,557 122,768 34,550
9919 89,800 11,817 139 131,775 39,261 4340
15,924 105,989 18,985 270 485,763 256,568 70,824
17,102 77,226 10,465 216 217,363 62,342 7224
13,491 72,009 6885 162 171,921 60,336 14,940
22,878 121,606 11,667 421 406,210 124,862 NA
4940 37,326 13.294 132 59,188 18,300 15,000
18,358 120,095 22,632 271 465,792 171,238 32,089
a
Not included in total children's materials circulation.
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Table 2 Participants' characteristics (N = 349). Characteristics Age 18–24 25–59 60 + Gender Female Male Local library experience History Less than one year 1–5 years 6–10 years 10 + years Visit frequency in 2009 More than once a week Once a week Once every other week Once a month Less often than once a month
N
%
29 231 89
8.31 66.19 25.50
250 99
71.63 28.37
37 112 52 148
10.60 32.09 14.90 42.41
122 73 58 74 22
34.96 20.92 16.62 21.2 6.30
volumes in summer months, possibly due to summer reading programs, and a sharp drop in December (Fig. 6). The Evergreen Indiana OPAC embeds an interlibrary loan (ILL) function directly within each bibliographic record. A user can click on the ILL function to check out an available item from any library associated with Evergreen Indiana. Initially, the nine libraries lent out more items from their collections in the first three months of the research project, and again in summer months. However, lending activities decreased in the last two months of 2010 (Fig. 7).
Another important observation was the decline in daily use of the OPAC (Fig. 8). The daily OPAC activities were calculated by the total number of consortia-wide searches divided by the total days of each month and the total number of libraries. For example, the total number of search logs was 513,271 at 62 libraries in March. 2010. The average daily use was 267.05 (513,271/31 days/62 libraries). As more libraries joined Evergreen Indiana, the total number of daily OPAC searches decreased. The number of libraries joining the Evergreen Indiana project increased from 58 in February, 2010 to 85 in January, 2011, but daily consortia-wide OPAC activities decreased. It was not possible to separate the nine participant libraries data from the overall consortium data regarding daily search activities, in order to make a more detailed assessment of this decline.
5.2. User surveys 5.2.1. Increase in use Thirty-five percent of participants used their previous local library OPACs frequently, while more than 50% were frequent Evergreen OPAC users. More than one-third of the users (36%) reported they rarely (or very rarely) used the previous OPACs, but only one-quarter of them (24%) rarely or very rarely used the Evergreen Indiana OPAC. Almost three-quarters of the participants (74.5%) reported that they used the Evergreen OPAC occasionally or more often than the previous OPAC (Table 3). Two correlational analyses indicated that the usage of the Evergreen OPAC was related to the participants' history with their local public libraries (Spearman's rho = 0.17, p = 0.002), and their previous OPAC experience (Spearman's rho = 0.62, p b 0.001). Essentially, those who had a longer history of using their
Fig. 5. Monthly circulation total at the nine libraries by user status (Jan–Dec 2010).
Fig. 6. Monthly circulation total at the nine libraries by material types (Jan–Dec 2010).
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Table 3 Participants' OPAC experience (N = 349). Characteristics Pervious OPAC experience Very frequently Frequently Occasionally Rarely Very rarely Evergreen OPAC experience Very frequently Frequently Occasionally Rarely Very rarely
N
%
47 75 100 42 85
13.40 21.49 28.65 12.03 24.36
83 92 85 26 63
23.78 26.36 24.36 7.45 18.05
n
%
238 117 81 130 16
68.2 33.5 23.21 37.25 4.59
170 150 215 200 56 8
48.71 42.98 61.61 57.31 16.05 2.29
39 92 83 78 10
11.18 26.36 23.78 22.35 2.86
Fig. 7. Monthly total ILL patron requests at the nine libraries (Jan–Dec 2010).
local library, and of using the previous OPAC, were more likely to use the Evergreen OPAC.
Table 4 The participants' use of Evergreen OPAC. Use of Evergreen OPAC
5.2.2. Use of functions The participants were asked to list functions they used most often, used least, and would use in the future. The most popular function was basic search, reported by 68.2% of participants. Within basic search, the most common search was by author and then by title (57.31%). Keyword searching was surprisingly low, at only 48.2% (Table 4). The low level of keyword and subject searching compared to author and title searching implies that patrons were using Evergreen primarily to search for holdings of already-known items. Compared to the basic search function, other functions were used less often. In addition, the participants reported low potential use of other functions. This would be an area for future study, especially since Evergreen Indiana is a consortium library catalog providing ILL service. 5.2.3. Changes in user behavior Forty-two percent of participants reported that they changed the way they used library resources and services. According to the results of several correlational analyses, the participants' behavioral changes were related to their history with local libraries (Spearman's rho=0.18, p=0.001), their previous OPAC experience (Spearman's rho=0.37, pb 0.001), and Evergreen experience (Spearman's rho=0.45, p b 0.001). According to the participants, the major changes were that they could check out materials from other libraries and place more holds via the Evergreen OPAC. The top three responses from participants regarding their changes in the use of library resources and services were: 1) borrowing more frequently from other libraries (n = 81, 23.21%); 2) placing more holds (n = 29, 8.31%); and 3) easier to find materials (n = 27,
Use of Evergreen functions Basic search Advanced search Choose a library to search My account Other Use of basic search functions Keyword Subject Author Title Series Other Potential functions to be used Basic search Advanced search Choose a library to search My account Other
7.74%). Therefore, based on these figures, the ILL function in Evergreen was very important. Two-hundred-forty-two participants (69.4%) reported being aware of the ILL function, and 47.9% of them used it (Table 5). Three correlational analyses indicated that the use of the ILL function was related to the participants' histories with local libraries (r = 0.24, p b 0.001), previous OPAC experience (r = 0.32, p b 0.001), and the Evergreen experience (r = 0.36, p b 0.001). However, there was no relation between their PLAC holder experience and the use of the ILL function. PLAC permitted Indiana citizens to use libraries in other service areas (taxation, library governance).
Fig. 8. Total number of daily OPAC searches (Feb 2010–Jan 2011). *The server was down for two days in September. **The server was down for one day in October.
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6.2. Continuing education for Evergreen users
Table 5 Participants' ILL experience (N = 349). ILL experience
n
A public libraries access card (PLAC) holder Yes No Have used PLAC card before Yes No Aware of Evergreen's ILL function Yes No Have used the function Yes No The number of ILL items 1–5 6–10 11–15 15–20 20 +
105 244 94 255 242 107 166 183 119 21 8 4 15
5.2.4. Future use One-hundred-seventy-five participants (55.87%) reported they would use the Evergreen OPAC frequently in the future (Table 6). That was 5% more than reported using it frequently currently (Table 2). The increase indicated that the participants had a positive attitude toward the Evergreen OPAC. According to several correlational analyses, the future use of the Evergreen OPAC was significantly, though weakly, related to the participants' awareness of the ILL function (r = 0.19, p b 0.001), and the use of the ILL function (r = 0.29, p b 0.001).
6. Discussion 6.1. Users' motivation and availability of library collections Based on the usage of the Evergreen OPAC reported by the participants, the implementation of the system received a moderately positive response, which was related to the use of the ILL function. This finding echoed one of the key conclusions from OCLC's 2009 report: availability was as important as discovery to library users (Calhoun & Cellentani, 2009). This was also shown in the prevalence of author/title searches (checking for availability) compared to keyword/subject searches (information seeking/discovery). The ILL service satisfied the participants' needs; in the meantime, the service also motivated them to use the Evergreen OPAC. The participants were able to expand their activities from their local libraries to Evergreen Indiana, which grew from a handful of libraries in 2008 to 85 libraries by January 2011. Collection development and circulation policies and privileges also affected patron use. Current Evergreen Indiana policies stated that only physical library collections were available for ILL at most libraries and did not include newly purchased physical library collections. The latter were only available to local library users for what was called a local-privilege period, ranging from three months to several months. There were no policies for exchanging electronic materials via ILL at this point.
Table 6 Participants' future use of Evergreen OPAC. Future use of Evergreen OPAC
n
%
Very frequently Frequently Occasionally Rarely Very rarely
84 111 87 17 50
24.07 31.8 24.93 4.87 14.33
Over 50% of participants reported they would frequently use the Evergreen OPAC in the future; however, the current use of Evergreen OPAC was related to experiences with local libraries and the previous OPAC. Participants also reported using few of the advanced functions. In order to facilitate library users' full use of other Evergreen functions, local libraries could consider providing users with instructions or guidance to promote awareness of more advanced functions (e.g., advanced search, my library account). The number of searches decreased as additional libraries joined Evergreen Indiana, according to monthly server transaction logs. Some possible explanations for the decline were, first, the increasing number of libraries meant more traffic, which delayed search activities. When library users experienced delayed OPAC activities, they stopped using the Evergreen OPAC. Second, library users at the newly joined libraries changed their behaviors in using the Evergreen OPAC; and third, possible server errors occurred when migrating user data from newly joined libraries. This decline in use was a troubling and unexpected finding and needs to be investigated at some future time. 6.3. Limitations and challenges Six participants for each age group, three female and three male, were to be recruited at the nine libraries every three months. In an attempt to reach this goal, recruitment took place at various library programs. However, the majority of the participants who agreed to take the survey were female between the ages of 25–59. Another challenge was gaining access to the server logs. Because of the technical and staffing limitations associated with transitioning to a new OPAC system, both at the participating libraries sites and at the central Evergreen Indiana project office, there were insufficient personnel to generate search-log data detail for search functions, queries, library locations, etc. A final challenge was a lack of a comparison between preEvergreen OPAC statistics and the Evergreen OPAC statistics as a useful benchmark. The nine libraries' previous OPACs varied, however, and libraries did not archive historical data for further data analysis. 7. Conclusions After their libraries' implementation of the Evergreen Indiana OPAC, library patrons were able to discover and use more library collections from the entire consortium. Half of the public libraries in the state of Indiana were expected to join the consortium in 2011. All of these potential cost-saving factors could allow open-source libraries to put more time and money into cataloging more of their special collections as well as creating training materials for library staff and patrons. Libraries should expect to benefit from future developments because of the ongoing cooperative nature of open source systems. The development and expansion of the consortium mean more effort is needed in the areas of library system technologies, infrastructure, shared catalog record cleanup, library reporting functions, training for library staff and users, and budgeting. In addition, the growing size of the consortium also means potential buying power for library collections. Of concomitant importance to Evergreen Indiana is the establishment of consortium-wide ILL agreements to streamline borrowing privileges and reduce waiting time for library users. The study showed increasing interest by survey participants in the use of the Evergreen OPAC to discover and access library collections in this expanding library consortium. Initial benefits for Evergreen Indiana users were confirmed. Continuing studies of Evergreen and other largescale open source library systems should continue to center on the user experience in order to improve the quality of that experience, as well as to help users make the most of advanced services and growing collections.
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Supplementary data related to this article can be found online at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.lisr.2011.12.001.
Acknowledgments This project was supported by the OCLC/ALISE LIS Research Grant and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) under the LSTA Grant Program through the Indiana State Library. The research team also thanks the Indiana Evergreen Consortium and the nine public libraries for their support.
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Hsin-liang Chen is an associate professor at the School of Library and Information Science, Indiana University-Indianapolis. He holds a doctorate in library and information science from the University of Pittsburgh. His research interests center on the application of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to assist users in accessing and using information in different environments. His publications include the monograph Scenarios and Information Design (Chandos, 2006), several book chapters, and articles in such journals as Canadian Journal of Information and Library Science, Electronic Library, Journal of Academic Librarianship, and Library Quarterly.
Barbara Albee is a lecturer at the School of Library and Information Science, Indiana University-Indianapolis. She holds an MLS from the University of Pittsburgh and is pursuing a doctorate at Purdue University. She has published in American Libraries and Advances in Collection Development and Resource Management, and has given many conference presentations. Her current work and research involve online and distance education, the organization of information, technology in education, and open source initiatives.