> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.lorcandempsey.net/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Engaging academic users in a library service
- URL: https://www.lorcandempsey.net/engaging-academic-users-in-a-library-service/
- Published: 2008-03-09T23:51:54.000Z
- Updated: 2020-10-28T09:26:59.000Z
- Author: Lorcan Dempsey
- Tags: Institutions, Research ∕ Learning, Social, Systems, UX

[OCUL](https://www.ocul.on.ca/?ref=lorcandempsey.net) (Ontario Council of University Libraries) has released a nice white paper which discusses issues in providing an end-user access environment for its shared resources, and more interestingly, how that environment engages with the behaviors and expectations of its academic users. 

> This document ([**pdf**](https://infoservices.uwindsor.ca/dist/sp.pdf?ref=lorcandempsey.net)) was created to highlight opportunities and drive discussion for the [OCUL consortium](https://www.ocul.on.ca/?ref=lorcandempsey.net) in both the short term through the launch of a new [Scholars Portal](https://www.scholarsportal.info/?ref=lorcandempsey.net) server in 2008, and in the long term by incorporating more ‘social’ means of sharing and organizing information within OCUL’s Scholars Portal and the larger academic community that it serves. \[[Scholr 2.0](https://www.scholarsportal.info/commentpress/?ref=lorcandempsey.net)\] 

There is a [pdf version](https://infoservices.uwindsor.ca/dist/sp.pdf?ref=lorcandempsey.net) and a [commentpress version](https://www.scholarsportal.info/commentpress/?ref=lorcandempsey.net) with the benefit of reader comments.  
As one might expect from a discussion white paper, there is a focus on questions and potential directions. Recommendations are given in several areas:

> **Enhance and improve the user interface**  
> • Enrich Scholars Portal content by bringing in metadata from sources outside the journal repository  
> • Explore the implementation of controlled vocabulary, thesauri and authority control  
> • Add user tagging functionality 
> 
> \[[Scholr 2.0](https://www.scholarsportal.info/commentpress/?ref=lorcandempsey.net)\] 

> **Connect the citation network to user workflow**  
> • Provide table of contents (TOC) RSS feeds with links that facilitate authentication. If it is possible, allow users to generate their own RSS feeds.  
> • Provide users of scholarly resources with social bookmarking services  
> • Consider services that support the whole of the user’s research process and the development of online space for OCUL research communities.  
> • Seek means for Scholars Portal to be integrated into Learning Management Systems used by OCUL 
> 
> \[[Scholr 2.0](https://www.scholarsportal.info/commentpress/?ref=lorcandempsey.net)\] 

> **Embrace standards and technologies that will allow present and future network discovery systems to make use of what we offer**   
> • Provide both permalinks as well as COinS OpenURLs in the Scholars Portal server and to encourage OCUL libraries to adopt their own versions of LibX or promote other COinS readers  
> • Investigate how to take advantage of the attribute-based information that Shibboleth can provide  
> • Consider what semantic metadata could be provided through Scholars Portal 
> 
> \[[Scholr 2.0](https://www.scholarsportal.info/commentpress/?ref=lorcandempsey.net)\] 

It usefully brings together a range of material. Worth a read.