Slides from the NASIG Webinar entitled DIY E-Resources Management: Basics of Information Architecture.

1. DIY E-Resources Management
Sarah Hartman-Caverly
Assistant Professor / Reference Librarian, Delaware County Community College
Basics of Information Architecture

2. Agenda
•Why homegrown?
•Database design tools:
•Use case analysis
•Card sorting
•Data analysis
•Tables and relationships
•References and Resources
•Comments and questions from you!

3. Obligatory Disclaimers
I am not a:
Software developer
Information architect
Database engineer
+
+
I am a Librarian

4. Why homegrown?

5. Key Differences
Flat File Databases
•Ex.: Integrated Library System
•All data in one table
•Redundant data storage
•Quality control
•Limited interoperability
Relational Databases
•Ex.: Commercial ERM Systems
•Data stored in categorical tables
•Each datum stored once
•Tables share data
•Increased flexibility in data use

6. NEXT: DATABASE DESIGN TOOLS
Questions or comments?

7. Database Design Tools
Three principles of good system design*:
•Minimize user effort
•Minimize user error
•Maximize user output
*(Recall my disclaimers!)
CC Photo Attribution: cell105 via Flickr

8. Database Design Tools
•Use case analysis
•What do the users need to accomplish with the system?
•Forms in MS Access
•How can I make the system more user-friendly?
•Card sorting
•How do the users expect data to be stored (structured)?
•Tables and relationships
•How will that data be stored (structured)?
•Data analysis
•What data does the system need to store?

9. Use Case Analysis
•Step-by-step narrative describing user interactions with the system
Dennis, A. et al. (2012). System analysis and design.
•From the users’ perspective
•Each use case is based on a user goal
•Event-driven model
•Shows user-triggered events and expected system responses

10. Use Case Analysis
•Provides real use scenarios for system testing
Dennis, A. et al. (2012). System analysis and design.
•Reveals most (if not all) functional requirements
•Helpful in understanding exceptions, special cases, and error handling requirements
•Helpful in prioritizing features and functions for development

11. Use Case Analysis: How to…
Identify use cases
•Ask:
•Identify:
Dennis, A. et al. (2012). System analysis and design.
•Who? (users)
•What? (goal)
•When? (trigger)
•How? (user-system interactions)
•Main user tasks
•Triggers for these tasks

12. Use Case Analysis: How to…
Identify steps within a use case
•Ask:
•Identify:
Dennis, A. et al. (2012). System analysis and design.
•How does the work get done?
•How does the system get the inputs it needs?
•How does the user get the outputs zhe needs?
•Preconditions
•User events
•System responses

13. Use Case Analysis: How to…
Validate the use case
•Ask:
•Techniques:
Dennis, A. et al. (2012). System analysis and design.
•What exceptions or special cases (alternate courses) might come up for this use case?
•Is the user able to meet zher goal?
•Role playing
•Focus groups
•Interviews
•Workshops

14. Use Case Analysis
What are some examples of use cases in
e-resources management?
Renewing a subscription
Reporting/tracking an access problem

15. NEXT: CARD SORTING
Questions or comments?

16. Card Sorting
•User-centered technique for designing information architecture
•Quick, inexpensive, inclusive
•Aids in discovering entities and their attributes
CC Photo Attribution: Rosenfield Media via Flickr.

17. Card Sorting
•Cards representing pieces of information are sorted by users into categories that make sense to them
CC Photo Attribution: Rosenfield Media via Flickr.
•In theory, each card is a potential attribute and each user-created category is a potential entity
•(Can be done online!)

18. Card Sorting: How to…
Prepare a card sort:
1.Select content
2.Select participants
3.Prepare cards (or online sort)
CC Photo Attribution: Rosenfield Media via Flickr.
•Be consistent with the level of granularity
•Document/use case analysis
•May be done individually or in a group
•Who will use your system?
•Label each card; provide brief description if necessary
•30-100 items works well

19. Card Sorting: How to…
Execute a card sort:
1.Randomize cards
2.Introduce activity and provide basic instructions
3.Moderate participants as they perform the sort
•Answer questions but don’t lead participants
4.Record results
CC Photo Attribution: Rosenfield Media via Flickr.

20. Card Sorting: How to…
Analyze card sort results:
1.Look for broad trends, and/or
2.Use cluster analysis software
•Online card sort provides this
CC Photo Attribution: Rosenfield Media via Flickr.

21. Card Sorting: How to…
Perform an online card sort:
•Optimal Sort from OptimalWorkshop.com
•Free study for up to 10 participants, 30 cards
•(Can be upgraded)

22. Card Sorting: How to…
Analyze an online card sort:
•Categories x Items report under Results
•Exportable to Excel

23. NEXT: DATA ANALYSIS
Questions or comments?

24. Data Analysis
Entity-Relationship Diagram (ERD)
•Shows types of information in the system and how they are organized and related to each other
•Still from the users’ perspective
Dennis, A. et al. (2012). System analysis and design.

25. Data Analysis
ERD Components:
Dennis, A. et al. (2012). System analysis and design.
•Attributes – information about entities (nouns)
•Relationships – associations between entities (verb)
•Entities – person, place, event, or thing (nouns)

26. Data Analysis
ERD Relationships
•Show high-level business rules or logic
Dennis, A. et al. (2012). System analysis and design.
•Directionality of relationships between information
•Cardinality of relationships between information
•Modality of relationships between information

27. Data Analysis: How to…
Identify entities
Dennis, A. et al. (2012). System analysis and design.
•Document analysis
•Look for key nouns in your existing ERM documentation (spreadsheets, license files, e-mail, etc.)
•Use case analysis
•Identify key nouns in your use cases

28. Data Analysis: How to…
Identify entity attributes
Dennis, A. et al. (2012). System analysis and design.
•More document analysis
•What information about entities do you already maintain?
•What piece of information uniquely identifies each instance of an entity (if any)?
•More use case analysis
•What are the user inputs and system outputs?
•What entities are these inputs and outputs about?

29. Data Analysis: How to…
Identify and model entity relationships
•Ask:
Dennis, A. et al. (2012). System analysis and design.
•How are entities associated with each other (in real life)?
•How many instances of each entity can participate in the relationship (cardinality)?
•Can an instance of either entity in the relationship exist without an instance of the other entity (modality)?
•Which entity acts on the other in the relationship (directionality)?

30. Data Analysis
What are some examples of entities in
e-resources management?
Packages
Platforms
Databases/E-Resources

31. NEXT: TABLES AND RELATIONSHIPS IN DATABASES
Questions or comments?

32. Tables and Relationships
What’s the point?
•Avoid duplicate or redundant data storage
•Store each piece of information once!
•Relationships between tables in [relational] databases allow tables to ‘share’ information they have in common
CC Photo Attribution: PhotoCo. via Flickr

33. Tables and Relationships
•Identifiers become primary keys – a mandatory, unique value for each record (instance) in the table (of an entity)
•Primary keys can also be system-generated
•Entities become tables
•Attributes become fields

34. Tables and Relationships
•Primary keys of parent entities become foreign keys of child entities
•Creates a common field (attribute) between the tables (entities)
•But you only have to store the data once!
•Instantiates the relationship between the tables (entities) in the database

35. Tables and Relationships
What are some examples of entity relationships in e-resources management?
•Which is the parent and which is the child entity?
•What kind of identifier could serve as the primary/foreign key?
Vendor || [1]  Subscription 0 [N]
•Vendor_ID (EIN or system-generated)
Package 0 [1]  E-Resource || [N]
•Package_ID (vendor-specified or system generated)

36. NEXT: FORMS IN MS ACCESS
Questions or comments?
We’re in the homestretch!

37. Forms in MS Access
Display and edit information from multiple tables in a user-friendly way
Before:
After:

38. Forms in MS Access: How to…
Create a Form
•Establish tables, table relationships, and queries first
•Fields available in Form view are determined by tables and their relationships
•Easiest method:
1.Select the Table or Query in the navigation pane
2.Select Form under the Create toolbar ribbon

39. Forms in MS Access: How to…
Create a Form, cont’d.
•Forms are available in a variety of formats and features
•Advice:
1.Create TWO back-up copies of your database
•1 is a true back-up copy
•1 is a ‘sandbox’ for you to play and experiment in
2.Become friends with your IT department!

40. NEXT: REFERENCES AND RESOURCES
Questions or comments?

41. References and Resources
•Use Case Analysis
Dennis, A., Wixom, B. H., & Roth, R. M. "Use case analysis." System Analysis and Design. 5th ed. John Wiley & Sons, 2012. Safari Books Online. ProQuest. Web. 4 Mar. 2013.
Shacklette, J. M. (n.d.) Use case analysis: purpose and implementation. Web. 20 Mar. 2013. http://people.cs.uchicago.edu/~mark/51023/Ucstyleg.html

42. References and Resources
•Data Analysis (ERD)
Dennis, A., Wixom, B. H., & Roth, R. M. “Data modeling." System Analysis and Design. 5th ed. John Wiley & Sons, 2012. Safari Books Online. ProQuest. Web. 4 Mar. 2013.
Jewell, T. D., Anderson, I., Chandler, A., Farb, S. E., Parker, K., Riggio, A. & Robertson, N. D. M. (2004.) Electronic Resource Management: Report of the DLF ERM Initiative. In Digital Library Federation. Retrieved from http://old.diglib.org/pubs/dlf102/
Sauter, V. (2000.) Entity-relationship diagrams (ERD). Web. 20 Mar. 2013. http://www.umsl.edu/~sauterv/analysis/er/er_intro.html

43. References and Resources
•Tables and Relationships in Databases
Dennis, A., Wixom, B. H., & Roth, R. M. “Data storage design." System Analysis and Design. 5th ed. John Wiley & Sons, 2012. Safari Books Online. ProQuest. Web. 4 Mar. 2013.

44. References and Resources
•Card Sorting
Spencer, D. & Warfel, T. “Card sorting: A definitive guide.” Boxes and Arrows. 2013. Web. 5 Mar. 2013. http://boxesandarrows.com/card-sorting-a-definitive-guide/

45. References and Resources
•Forms in MS Access
Browne, A. (n.d.) Allen Browne’s Database and Training. Web. 20 Mar. 2013. http://allenbrowne.com/tips.html
Cawley, C. (2011). “Access tips & tricks.” Bright hub. Web. 20 Mar. 2013. http://www.brighthub.com/computing/windows- platform/articles/77473.aspx?cid=parsely_rec

46. References and Resources
•Forms in MS Access, cont’d.
Goodwill Community Foundation. (2013). “Access 2010: Creating forms.” GCFLeanFree.org. Web. 20 Mar. 2013. http://www.gcflearnfree.org/access2010/13.1
McDonough, M. (2011). “Advanced Microsoft Access tips.” Bright hub. Web. 20 Mar. 2013. http://www.brighthub.com/computing/windows- platform/articles/26937.aspx

47. References and Resources
•Forms in MS Access, cont’d.
Microsoft. (2013). “Basic tasks for an Access 2013 desktop database.” Office support. Web. 20 Mar. 2013. http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/access-help/basic-tasks-for- an-access-2013-desktop-database-HA102809525.aspx
--. (2013). “Access 2010: Database tasks.” Office support. Web. 20 Mar. 2013. http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/access- help/access-2010-database-tasks-HA101829991.aspx
--. (2013). “Get to know Access 2007.” Office support. Web. 20 Mar. 2013. http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/access-help/get- to-know-access-2007-RZ010274013.aspx

48. References and Resources
•Forms in MS Access, cont’d.
Richter, L. (2011). “A catalog of tips for MS Access.” Bright hub. Web. 20 Mar. 2013. http://www.brighthub.com/computing/windows- platform/articles/125344.aspx
Shaffer, A. (2012). “Access level I tutorials.” New perspectives on Microsoft Office 2007: First course. Boston: Cengage Learning.

49. Thank you for your attention!
Sarah Hartman-Caverly
Assistant Professor / Reference Librarian
Delaware County Community College
shartmancaverly@dccc.edu
610-359-5218
CC Photo Attribution: samdecle via Flickr