Here are some interesting resources to check out regarding "next generation catalogs." Feel free to add any other blog postings, articles, etc. that might be helpful to our discussion at the breakout session!

"Communicat: The Next Generation Catalog That Almost Was…" by Ross Singer (Code4Lib Journal Issue 1, 2007-12-17).

"A "Next generation" library catalog" by Eric Lease Morgan.

"Examples of Possible Next Generation Catalogs" from futurelib wiki.

3 podcasts from The Simmons Graduate School of Library and Information Science on next-gen catalogs.

"LibraryThing and the Library Catalog: Adding Collective Intelligence to the OPAC" by John Wenzler, San Francisco State (A Workshop on Next Generation Libraries,CARL NITIG; September 7, 2007).

"Browsing the New Virtual Bookshelf" A post from The Shifted Librarian blog about the Allen County Public Library (interesting comments as well).

Notes from this Session:

Main points:
1- Engage all users
2- Represent relationships between books: read-alikes, similar authors, "If you like this book, you may like..."
3- Users want open systems, agile design, flexiblity.

Are we approaching this in a too traditional way? We need to change the way we use and add to next-generation catalogs.
What will impact of WorldCat Local be? Some libraries do not choose to put their collections on Worldcat, so their interface may not show the patron that a title is available in their catalog?

A lot of open-source tension still remains. Are we prepared for implementing this?
Is it time to get rid of vendor contracts and switch to end-user agreements?

What do librarians want?
RFID tags to have a local GPS system on it to better locate books.
One title-records (FRBR) for all formats in same area.
Placing copy-specific holds.
Open data from vendors.

What do users want?
Audio preview: the ability to listen to an audiobook clip before deciding to request it.

Find a way to create options for when requested books are delivered (ex.: all at once, one- book-at-a-time, etc.)

Users are becoming more interested in tagging and online libraries. Librarything, can share your book likes and see what other users like.

Do academic students use or even care about having this service? How can it apply to their needs?


What is different about next-generation?
The social aspect, the user interaction, the relationships, the connections between different materials in a catalog.
Traditional cataloging doesn't allow for this.

This service makes reading a more social, integrative activity.

Question: Is this "real" cataloging? If not, does that matter? Will this trend last?

Fish 4 Information- tagging site

We pick the next-generation catalog by what we don't like about our existing catalog.
Unfortunately, the first objects in categories are items, not the interchange and relationships between objects.
For example: The top portion of Amazon's book site (the first page we see) is sales information and book annotation. The open review sections are far down on page in an area that most people don't scroll to. The opportunity for the social interaction aspect, the connections, the relationships, the user-centric portion of the Next-generation cataloging system is hidden.

Next generation catalog examples:
Aquabrowser
Digg.com
FRBR

Shelfari- Catalog books you have read and see what books others have read, reviews, comments, relationships. Similar to Librarything.
However...
Why is there no link to library catalogs? A link to Worldcat to borrow the book from a library instead of, or in addition to, a link to Amazon to buy, buy, buy, should be a real option. As of now, it isn't.

Public libraries have been successful in leveraging circulation data- most popular books, most popular audio, new fiction, etc. Now, we should look towards the ability to link to deep pools of information without using a strict catalog format. Make information access more user-friendly.