Web portals as tools to support information management in higher education institutions: A systematic literature review

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a case study of what is involved in implementing the VuFind discovery tool.Design/methodology/approach – The paper documents Western Michigan University's experience with VuFind thus far, in several stages: planning; pre‐alpha testing; alpha testing; and beta testing.Findings – The implementation process took longer than the authors originally expected. Users' input was not consistent and demanded software customization. WMU began with a relatively loose project management approach, but later reinforced the project with a specific scope statement and prioritized items within the scope to arrive at a beta‐testable version of VuFind.Practical implications – The benefits of using open source software include low barrier and cost to entry, highly customizable code, and unlimited instances (libraries may run as many copies of as many components as needed, on as many pieces of hardware as they have, for as many purposes as they wish). One significant cost is in ...

Implementing VuFind as an alternative to Voyager's WebVoyage interface: One library's experience

– The paper aims to present an outline how libraries are harnessing browser extensions to provide an easy and convenient access to library resources and services. Investigating the features, purposes of use and types of browser extensions prevalent among libraries in different regions, the paper seeks to measure the degree of implementation of browser extensions. , – Stratified sampling method was followed to select academic libraries, and convenient sampling method was applied to select public libraries from four continents – Asia, Oceania, Europe and North America. Two-step web content analysis was applied to gather data along the select dimensions. , – The study contributes to the recent advances in application of browser extension with numerous examples focussing on the relevance of different approaches adopted by the libraries. Providing a framework of proportionate implementation along checkpoints, the study also highlights degree of acceptance of browser extension among libraries in different regions. , – The investigation was restricted to libraries having English websites and confined to four continents only. This study aims at improving understanding among the librarians about the intended use and application of browser extension and helping them benchmark their effort in support of education, research and training. The current investigation expands the scope of future research on remaining regions and website whose contents are in non-English language to attain a broader perspective of its implementation. , – The article may guide library professionals to use, develop and promote the implementation of browser extension in libraries. The checkpoints used here may serve as bedrock for framing questionnaire and interview schedule for conducting future research examining users’ perception of browser extension in the context of library resources and usage pattern, to fully comprehend its practicability and usefulness.

The prevalence of web browser extensions use in library services: an exploratory study

This case study reviews the responsive Web design project undertaken by the Library, Institute of Technology Tallaght, with Granite Digital, including the preparatory literature review, the design process, task allocation, and the technologies leveraged to deliver the final design. The library is a small academic library with limited resources, and the project took place during a particularly challenging period in Ireland. The different types of testing the site underwent before launch are discussed, including testing of the design itself across browsers, accessibility testing using free online resources, testing the responsive design using free online resources, and physical device testing. The article outlines how feedback was gathered and addressed, and discusses plans for future upkeep and development. Finally, the article concludes that it is possible for a small academic library to successfully deliver a high quality library Web site using responsive design.

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Responsive Web Site Development at the Library, Institute of Technology Tallaght: A Case Study

Going Mobile: How I Made My Own Site Responsive

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a case study of the selection process used to select the ReSearcher Suite, and its implementation including an outline of why and how the suite was implemented at the Library in the Institute of Technology in Tallaght.Design/methodology/approach – Case study – single site.Findings – The Simon Frasier University (SFU) hosted ReSearcher Suite (with support) provides an open source solution for open URL linking integrated with inter‐library loan submission, federated searching, knowledge base, coverage data, and A‐Z listings for journals and databases. While it does not have the full integration with the library management system that a vendor supplied product would, the functionality is strong enough on the user end to offer a viable alternative.Practical implications – Provides a start point for similar projects.Originality/value – The site studied is an international customer for SFU, while the suite is still in beta. The option to have open source softwar...

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Niamh Walker-Headon

Papers

ReSearcher Suite: selection and implementation – the hosted option

Responsive Web Site Development at the Library, Institute of Technology Tallaght: A Case Study