A Comparative Evaluation of Linked Data Discovery in the Share-VDE 2.0 Catalog

Share-VDE (SVDE) is a library-driven initiative which brings together the bibliographic catalogs and authority files of a community of libraries in an innovative discovery environment based on linked data. The beta release of the SVDE 2.0 (https://www.svde.org) catalog was collaboratively shaped among multiple perspectives and stakeholder groups. A team at the University of Pennsylvania Libraries gathered feedback from library catalogers working in linked data, university faculty, and new undergraduate students in order to understand how linked data supports user tasks promulgated in the IFLA Library Reference Model (IFLA-LRM). Specific user tasks evaluated include ascertaining how library catalogers make use of advanced search functionality provided in the linked data interface. Context finding tasks included evaluating how Penn catalogers might find a linked data search useful for providing context to their searching or for helping to understand a research area. Specific LRM mapping focused on the LRM Identify user task; particularly disambiguation of similar name results. For comparative results similar questions are posed to students and faculty. Several targeted questions of faculty included understanding the relationships in linked data that are useful for future research planning using linked data search. In compiling results of the study we will describe the linked data functionality and scenarios which the Share-VDE 2.0 discovery system addresses. This session will be particularly useful for those who are looking to understand how new and in-demand systems like linked data discovery support improved user experience outcomes as users navigate and explore collections.