Access and Discovery Projects
Projects on this page represent a selection of the work of multiple departments.
FAQ Cleanup and Maintenance
We took a closer look at our frequently asked questions (FAQ) content on the Libraries' website. We set guidelines and reviewed each FAQ, resulting in the removal of over 200 of them, which created a better experience for users trying to find quick answers to their most asked questions.
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Contributing departments: Access Services, User ExperienceResource Discovery Basics + Tiny Café
We conducted a short usability study that focused on how users locate resources, given a title or topic. We asked participants to find a textbook, video game, article, and database.
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Contributing departments: User Experience, Acquisitions & Discovery, William Rand Kenan, Jr. Library of Veterinary Medicine, Collections & Research EngagementTripsaver Interlibrary Loan Rebranding: Survey and Interviews
We needed a new name for our interlibrary loan service, Tripsaver, that would be more intuitive for a new generation of users. We surveyed and interviewed them to determine its new name: Interlibrary Services. Participants told us the new name is clear, direct, and professional.
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Contributing departments: Access Services, User Experience
The Pop-Up Library: A Curated Collection for Events
The pop-up library is a way for us to bring our collections to patrons by curating a small collection of books and other materials related to an event theme. Attendees of the event can check out the books on the spot to continue learning about the topic after the program.
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Contributing departments: Access Services, Open Knowledge Center
Explore Our Devices: User Interface
Our technology lending program is one of the Libraries' most-used services. Users can check out cameras, laptops, projectors, and even model skeletons. We created an interactive, attractive interface so users can find and browse the 200+ devices in our collection.
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Contributing departments: User Experience, Access Services, Libraries Communications
Technology Lending Survey
The NC State University Libraries runs an extensive technology lending service that allows users to check out devices such as laptops and tablets. To improve this service, we employed a survey to gain a deeper understanding of our users’ expectations and find out what other devices they may want or need to borrow, with particular focus on users of the Hunt Library.
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Contributing departments: Access Services, User ExperienceControlled Digital Lending Application: Diary Study
Students gave us feedback about a new textbook scanning service in this diary study. We also asked about their reading habits and scheduling preferences.
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Contributing departments: Access Services, Digital Library Initiatives (DLI), User ExperienceEbooks + Tiny Café
We conducted a usability test to observe how users locate ebooks in the Libraries. We found that most users could successfully find an ebook through QuickSearch and the Catalog. We also found that users did not expect chapter-level metadata or download options to be available in the Catalog.
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Contributing departments: User Experience, Acquisitions & DiscoveryOrganization Name Linked Data
Organization Name Linked Data is a published dataset that represents names for journal and e-resource publishers, providers, and vendors managed by NCSU Libraries as linked data.
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Contributing departments: Acquisitions & DiscoveryCitation Builder
A web-based tool designed to quickly and easily generate citations for sources consulted during the research process.
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Contributing departments: User Experience, Digital Library Initiatives (DLI)Mobile Scavenger Hunt
A mobile, game-based way to introduce students to the library.
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Contributing departments: User ExperienceVirtual Shelf Index
The Virtual Shelf Index is a web service that returns sets of titles held by the library in shelf order.
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Contributing departments: Digital Library Initiatives (DLI), Information TechnologyLibrary Widget System
Infrastructure for assembling and serving dynamic and reusable bits of library content.
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Contributing departments: Digital Library Initiatives (DLI)Library Article Linker
Tool for creating stable links to articles that work on and off campus.
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Contributing departments: Digital Library Initiatives (DLI), User ExperienceTextbook Program
The information on this page is no longer being updated and may be out of date. The NC State University Libraries Textbook program is designed to reduce the burden of rising textbook costs on our student population, by purchasing and placing on reserve at least one copy of every required textbook at NC State. NC State students, faculty, and staff may search for Textbooks on reserve. The program complements our other textbook efforts, such as the Alt-Textbook Project.
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Contributing departments: Collections & Research Engagement, Access Services, Acquisitions & DiscoveryCirca
An open-source, browser-based application for managing special collections requests.
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Contributing departments: Digital Library Initiatives (DLI), Special Collections Research CenterE-Matrix at the NC State University Libraries
E-Matrix is the locally developed serial and electronic resource management system in use at the NC State University Libraries. This tool acknowledges that the issues associated with electronic resources mirror those that face our serial collection as a whole, regardless of format. E-Matrix therefore supports the effective management of the Libraries' serial collection by managing print and electronic journals and databases.
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Contributing departments: Acquisitions & Discovery, Digital Library Initiatives (DLI)Reserves Direct
An open source, integrated reserves management system that provides faculty, students, and staff with tools to manage and access physical and electronic course reserves.
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Contributing departments: Access Services, Digital Library Initiatives (DLI)My Account
My Account is a one-stop location for library users to see their checkouts, requests, course reserves, and upcoming room reservations.
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Contributing departments: Access Services, Digital Library Initiatives (DLI)EZAdmin
An open source, web-based application that allows staff to easily manage EZProxy resource configuration files without requiring direct access to the EZProxy server.
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Contributing departments: Digital Library Initiatives (DLI)CORAL
CORAL is an open source, electronic resources management system consisting of interoperable modules designed to facilitate the workflows associated with electronic resources.
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Contributing departments: Acquisitions & Discovery, Digital Library Initiatives (DLI)Endeca at the NCSU Libraries
An online catalog interface that leveraged advanced search and the Guided NavigationⓇ capabilities of the Endeca ProFind™ platform to provide a fast and flexible search interface to catalog records.
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Contributing departments: Information TechnologyTextbook Search
A web-based application for discovering textbooks available at the library.
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Contributing departments: Digital Library Initiatives (DLI)CatalogWS Applications
Applications using the CatalogWS API.
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Contributing departments: Digital Library Initiatives (DLI)CatalogWS
A Web API to the North Carolina State University Libraries catalog.
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Contributing departments: Information Technology, Digital Library Initiatives (DLI)Catalog Research Testbed
A hosted environment for conducting user research on faceted catalog interfaces.
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Contributing departments: Digital Library Initiatives (DLI)Library Course Tools
Dynamically generated course-centric views of library resources and services.
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Contributing departments: Access Services, Development, Digital Library Initiatives (DLI)Smart Subjects
The Smart Subjects project aims to increase the discovery and use of library resources through the sensible deployment of lightweight resource recommendation services.
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Contributing departments: Digital Library Initiatives (DLI)
QuickSearch
QuickSearch is a customized federated search tool with a bento-box results interface designed to connect users to a variety of library resources, services and tools.
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Contributing departments: Access Services, Digital Library Initiatives (DLI)
Stratified Typeahead
Stratified Typeahead combines the instant feedback of typeahead searching and the grouped (or stratified) results of the bento box search interface.
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Contributing departments: Digital Library Initiatives (DLI)