AFAQ (Anticipated Frequently Asked Questions) about the Discovery Strategic Planning Group

Some questions we think you'll be asking about this recently announced Collections project
 (You can add your own questions using the comments function, and we'll do our best to answer. )
 
 What is DSPG going to do?

The purpose of the group is to develop a plan that LCR can use in making decisions about discovery systems and features.

The plan should articulate a clear direction in key areas

• what do users need and expect from the discovery environment
• what are the purposes of unified discovery tools,i.e., Summon
• what is the role of specialized systems in discovery, i.e., Shared Shelf, ContentDM
• how our collections are made discoverable by external systems
• what collections are currently "left out" of discovery, what is the priority for addressing these gaps?
• how do we assess the success our discovery systems; what should our ongoing processes be for evaluation and revision

What isn't DSPG going to do?

We aren't a design committee, our goal isn't to develop a particular look or feel for discovery tools.  Design is ongoing work that will be guided by the strategic plan developed by the DSPG.

How was DSPG membership chosen?

Membership was approved by the Vice Provost and the AVP's.  As well branch heads were consulted.

Membership is designed to bring together people with direct responsibility for design and implementation, people who have a demonstrated interest in usability and user needs, and people who can represent different types of collections.  We also needed to keep the group to a workable size.

 

Will DSPG consult with people in LCR or on campus?

Absolutely.  One of our subgroups is specifically tasked with communication and will be developing a range of options to encourage everyone's input .  As well, we will identify specific areas of LCR where we need to meet to ask about specific collections and types of users.

As a first step in enhancing communication I'm reinstating an old blog I used to run on collection development.  This blog will now host information on collection deve

Will DSPG make sudden changes to systems or processes?

No. DSPG is to articulate a strategic direction.  Implementation of specific changes will require coordination and consultation.

What is the scope of Discovery the DSPG will address?

Discovery is a holistic issue, covering all types of physical and digital collections.  The group will need to address physical collections held by LCR, digital collections held by or subscribed to by LCR, as well as investigate the issue of external collections that are discoverable but not under the control of LCR.

What is DSPG's timeline?

We hope to produce a final report in the Fall 2011.

Will DSPG recommend keeping or eliminating specific systems?


No. The group will provide a strategic direction and articulate outcomes that may lead to questions about specific systems, but individual product assessment is not on our agenda. 

Is DSPG looking at electronic resources for potential cancellation?

No.  This process has nothing to do with electronic content such as indexes, aggregators, or journal packages. 

What do you mean by Discovery?

In this context Discovery means the systems and processes people use to

• find materials (e.g., books, journals, archives, images) 
• assess items before retrieval
• understand how to retrieve items of interest
• refind items at a later date

A related question people often ask concerns the definition of metadata.  Metadata is the information recorded about an item.  Often this information is crucial to discovery.  Catalogue records, fonds descriptions, HDL barcodes, all of these are examples of metadata.