WebOPAC of the Future! (A wish list)

Hi all! I would be interested to hear what other libraries would like to see in the next redesign of the WebOPAC. I'll start with my wish list:

1. A way for the patrons to have control over their service queue
2. Static buttons at the top, or an easier way to navigate. Patrons don't always know how to get back to a previous screen.
3. Easier to find information, like reading history and requests.
4. Faster and more efficient way to request books. The book basket process can be confusing and people don't always know if it has worked.

Thanks!

What you've mentioned is on our list as well. This is a good list.
The Service Queue on OPAC is wanted.
Static Buttons at the top would be easier to use.
A thing I will add for Reading history, is a way to search it by title/db number, a way to pull out your BARD downloads versus what you have gotten from the library. These things are there in the reading history, but there is no current way to look through it other then looking at everything you've ever gotten. This list can be long.
The other part linked to requests, would be the ability to just add items to your Service Queue, in lieu of the book basket, that they will end up on the next order, if possible.

Agreed on all points, with a special emphasis on replacing the book basket process.

With DoD, it would be interesting to try out a "build-an-order" system where patrons can assemble a list of books in a specific sequence and submit that as a full DoD order, skipping the Service Queue entirely. This would be a bit complicated for some patrons, but I think others would appreciate the control. I'm sure there are lots of circumstances that will need to be anticipated, like capping order size at 3.5 GB, but I still think it would be worth exploring.

No matter what, I would like patrons to be able to add books directly to their service queue, ideally with a single click and skipping the entire "book basket" process. Perhaps we could give them the option to "send next" and add to the beginning of the queue, or "add to queue" and add to the end. This would give patrons some control without giving them the ability to go in and manually reorder their service queue.

This likely varies library to library, but we don't use requests / reserves for anything meaningful for our DoD patrons, so I'd just as soon see those concepts completely removed from the WebOPAC.

Finally, I'd love some way to pin a book list to the WebOPAC to make it easily available to patrons. This would be similar to the New and Popular lists, but we could use it for local recordings, bookclub books, etc.

Thank you everyone for your great wishlists, and please continue the discussion!

I do want to weigh in briefly on this request:

Finally, I'd love some way to pin a book list to the WebOPAC to make it easily available to patrons. This would be similar to the New and Popular lists, but we could use it for local recordings, bookclub books, etc.

This feature is currently available using your Browse page! If you'd like to set up a browse for your local recordings, bookclub books, staff picks, or whatever else, we can help you get those set up any time. The easiest way to set these up is to create a local subject that you can add to any titles you want in that particular list, but we can define the list in other ways if needed.

And with that, I'll step back from the table again and let y'all keep the mic, so to speak.

I'll second the idea of control over the Service Queue and ordering items per order. I don't see an issue with patrons even having specific control over reordering items per order in any way they choose. I think ultimately, the goal of having an online catalog and reserving your own books, is to get to self-service. This means "self" service. You do it yourself. Any way YOU choose is how YOU do it. When necessary, staff could intervene, but in a self-service model that's part of the fun.

As for List/requests/reserves, it does depend on your culture. I can't speak for anyone but my own library. We serve somewhere around 11000 patrons, many of which submit their lists to us to enter into KLAS. Also we do 50-50 auto selected books and human selected books. Using service codes that relate to whether you take full automation (Nightly Autoselect), hybrid (Nightly List only) where you pull mainly from a list that you have submitted, but when needed the system steps in and pulls from favorite authors, all the way up to having preferences provided as a guide for a Reader Advisor to choose books for the patron when no list is available. What we call Turnaround or TA service. So culturally we need to understand patron expectation. This is why we're using a Nightly Turnaround Service for a group of patrons who are used to us serving them by Reader Advisor, but using duplication service. So this is another hybrid that has been created culturally. We also have around 40% of our patrons who primarily use the Web OPAC for all of these circumstances. We only see this usage growing going forward, based culturally and generationally.

The WebOPAC can be a driver using the list a patron has and doing their own entry. In a one book/one cartridge model timed released, based on your max cartridge numbers, due to limited supply, makes sense. In a new era, the request list can be a driver for the Service Queue OR it could just morph into being the Service Queue and we no longer worry about entering requests to the request list, but just to the Service Queue. The thought being is that these are picked by the patron or with assistance, and automated selection isn't necessary if the list is deep enough. So what resides on the Service Queue is a good set for creating new orders going forward. A re-imaging of the request list could be to use it like a list for later. Maybe some books you were considering for later, to just fill in orders as you go.

I'll add to what Katy says, about book lists and browses. We actually use the main Web OPAC search page reall estate and put a link below the search box to Newly Added Books and DVDs there. These are based on subject and filtering groups. We could easily add a link for locally recorded titles or anything else we choose using this strategy. We use these on the library's home page. The browse page is nice, you just have to pull people to it so they'll use it. The other thing we did over this "break" has been to add a catalog search box right on the library's home page. I confess, that I use it lots myself to search for items. It makes getting to your online catalog easier.

The other part of our "strategy" should be to not use the acronym, WebOPAC, as much as we do, and get back to calling it the catalog or online catalog. Librarians like abbreviations and word soup. Patrons not so much!

I would like to see improvements to the "select" options. The "Select All" and "Clear All" have no space between them and look like one option. They do not look like options like the button for "Add Selected to Book Basket." Not all patrons are using screen readers. Additionally, the little box beside the number one would check to select the title is not intuitive. The little box could also be a button which would add them to the requests.

Also, since switching to DoD, I would like the availability to someway indicate all titles are available. Currently, KLAS was able to change the wording from "hard copies available" to "downloadable talking book," but this confuses the patrons who were paying attention to old instructions that said "please do not place requests on download only titles." Too nuanced.

Currently, when the link to download an item is clicked, no confirmation message is given, and we've had users click the link multiple times, not realizing that it's already been downloaded to their computer/device. Can a confirmation message be generated when something is downloaded?

Hm... download messaging tends to be handled by the browser, but I'll make our developers aware in case there's something we can do!

Thanks - if it helps, we use Chrome.