Book Cover Image Program

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Book Cover Image Program
Li Yiu On (yoli_at_hkbu.edu.hk) Senior Assistant
Librarian (Systems) Hong Kong Baptist University
Library
13 Feb., 2009 JULAC Libraries Forum University of
Hong Kong
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Outline

• Background
• Disadvantages of a Single Vendor Model
• Architecture of New Book Cover Image Program
• Merits of the New Book Cover Image Program
• Conclusion
• 6. Suggestion for Collaboration

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1. Background

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1.1. Importance of Book Cover Images on WebPAC

• One picture equals to a thousand words
• Even if I do not show you the searching term, you
  still know what I am looking for in the following
  two slides, right?!

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http//hkbulib.hkbu.edu.hk/search/X?SEARCHobamaS
ORTDXlmpbDaDbsearchscope11
http//www.hkbu.edu.hk/lib
February 2009
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1.2a. Survey of Book Cover Image in JULAC WebPAC
(Sept 2008)

• All 8 JULAC libraries provide book cover images
  in their WebPAC
• They use three groups of book cover image vendors
  / suppliers

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1.2b. Book Cover Image Vendors / Suppliers

• Syndetic Solutions http//www.bowker.com/index.php
  /component/content/article/2/46
• BU, CUHK (Encore), CityU, HKIEd, PolyU
• WorldCat http//www.worldcat.org/
• HKU, HKUST
• Amazon http//www.amazon.com/
• Lingnan

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1.2c. Single Vendor Model

• All the book cover images are provided by a
  single supplier / vendor.

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Disadvantages of a Single Vendor Model

2.
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2.1. Total Hit Rate is Pretty Low

• Before we started to work on a new Book Cover
  Image Program, we had done a feasibility study in
  HKBU Library by designing a new log program to
  keep track of the images provided by Syndetic
  Solutions from May to Aug 2008.
• The total hit rate of Syndetic Solutions is far
  from satisfactory.
• Syndetic Solutions can only provide book cover
  images for 30.2 of the titles.

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Statistics of Book Cover Images Provided by
Syndetic Solutions from May to Aug 2008
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2.2. Book Images are Limited to English Books Only

• Hit rate for English books is 50.1 while for
  Chinese books is 0.2.
• Syndetic Solutions mainly provides services to
  U.S. and Europe libraries.
• Book cover images provided are mainly for western
  (English) publications.
• It is believed that hit rates for Amazon, and
  WorldCat are similar.

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2.3. Limited Information Provided by Syndetic
Solutions

• Syndetic Solutions can only provide book cover
  images, table of content (TOC) and summary
  (mainly English books).
• Comparing with Google Book, and Amazon, it is
  rather weak in providing other book-related
  information such as authors biographies, book
  review, etc.

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2.3a. Comparison of Book-Related Information for
English Book
Title Portraits of American continental
philosophers http//hkbulib.hkbu.edu.hk2082/recor
db1574754
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2.3b. Syndetic Solutions does not Provide
Book-related Information for Chinese Books

• We can find very good book information on some
  Chinese online bookshop web sites, e.g. Findbook
• Title ????? ???????? http//hkbulib.hkbu.edu.hk
  2082/recordb2159589
• FindBook can provide the following information
  http//findbook.tw/book/9789866873690/basic
• book summary, author biography, and books on
  similar topics

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2.4. Retrieval of Book Cover Image is
Comparatively Slow

• Syndetic Solutions retrieval speed is acceptable
  if a book cover is displayed for a single record.
• Systems will slow down if 50 book cover images
  are required to be displayed simultaneously on a
  search result list in WebPAC.

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2.5. Cannot Display In-house Scanned Images in
WebPAC

• Syndetic Solutions cannot retrieve in-house
  scanned images of unpublished materials, e.g.
  paintings, manuscripts, and display them on
  search result list or bib records in WebPAC,
• http//hkbulib.hkbu.edu.hk/search/?searchtypeXse
  archargportraitofchinesewritersearchscope11
  SORTDXextended0searchlimitssearchorigargXpo
  rtraitsofchinesewriter26SORT3DDX
• http//hkbulib.hkbu.edu.hk/recordb2090043

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Architecture of New Book Cover Image Program

3.
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3.1. Project Goal

• The Book Cover Image Program is developed by the
  Systems Section, HKBU Library, and was
  implemented in Nov 2008.
• Goal
• Stop using the single book cover vendor approach
• Use an intelligent computer program to retrieve
  and display free book cover images from various
  web sites available on WWW.

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3.2. Hardware and Software Requirement

• Systems requirement is minimal, and no special
  high end programming language is required
• Hardware
• Windows server.
• Software
• Microsoft Active Server Pages 3.0 (ASP).

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3.3. Main Characteristics

• A. Adopt a Multi Vendor Model.
• B. Seamless access to WebBridge.
• C. Revamp of Monthly New Book List.

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3.3.A. Multi Vendor Model (1)

• Instead of using a single book image cover
  supplier, the new program works as a dedicated
  search engine which can cross search book cover
  images from
• Different online web sites, and also
• Library in-house scanned images

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3.3.A. Multi Vendor Model (2)

• 2. English books book cover images come from
• Amazon http//www.amazon.com/
• Google Book http//books.google.com/
• WorldCat http//www.worldcat.org/
• Syndetic Solutions http//www.bowker.com/syndetics
  /options/cover_images.htm

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3.3.A. Multi Vendor Model (3)

• 3. Chinese books book cover images from
• DangDang (???) http//www.dangdang.com/
• Joint Publishing (????) http//www.jointpublishing
  .com/
• HK Book City (????) http//www.hkbookcity.com/
• FindBook http//findbook.tw/

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3.3.A. Multi Vendor Model (4)

• 4. Display Library in-house scanned images in
  WebPAC, examples are
• Portrait gallery of Chinese writers
• HKBU Dissertations Title Pages
• HKTV Program dump screens (over 10,000 records)
• Dummy Cover for Proquest Dissertations and Theses
  (over 21,000 records)

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3.3.B. Seamless Access to WebBridge

• Patrons can now access WebBridge easily and
  directly by clicking on the book cover images
  displayed in
• Search result list and bib record in WebPAC,
• Monthly New Book List.

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3.3.C. Revamp of Monthly New Book List

• Book cover images are displayed in Monthly New
  Book List
• English book http//www.hkbu.edu.hk/lib/new/0901/d
  dc100.html
• Chinese book http//www.hkbu.edu.hk/lib/new/0901/c
  hi100.html
• Patrons can also access WebBridge easily and
  directly by clicking on the book cover images
  displayed on the List.

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Merits of the New Book Cover Image Program

4.
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4.1 More Book Cover Images Are Found (1)

• Our Book Cover Image Program was implemented on
  17 Nov 2008, and up to 31 Jan 2009, the total hit
  rate is 72.6 (the hit rate for Syndetic
  Solutions is 30.2)
• Comparing with Syndetic Solutions, the total hit
  rate of our new Book Cover Image Program is
  dramatically increased by 238.

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4.1 More Book Cover Images Are Found (2)

• Book Cover Image Program Hit Rate (17 Nov 08 31
  Jan 09)

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4.1 More Book Cover Images Are Found (3)

• 3. The huge increase in hit rate mainly comes
  from the Chinese books
• 0.2 (Syndetic Solutions) vs 57.7 (Book Cover
  Image Program)
• 4. There is also a significant increase for
  English books
• 50.1 (Syndetic Solutions) vs 81.7 (Book Cover
  Image Program)

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4.1 More Book Cover Images Are Found (4)

• 5. In terms of hit rate by vendors, Amazon
  provides the largest number of images (22.39),
  while Syndetic Solutions has the lowest hit rate
  (0.37)

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4.1 More Book Cover Images Are Found (5)
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4.2 WebPAC As a Show Case of Library Special
Collections

• With the implementation of this new computer
  program, Library in-house scanned images can be
  displayed in WebPAC.
• We can now use WebPAC to show case our Library
  special collections display of an visual image
  in bib record.

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4.3 Fast Image Display

• New cross searching and caching algorithms are
  designed to improve the book cover image
  retrieval and display speed.

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4.4 More Book Information is Provided

• Patrons can now access WebBridge easily by simply
  clicking on the book cover images.
• Via WebBridge, they can retrieve more book
  information provided by other sources such as
  Google Book Search, WorldCat, and Amazon, etc.

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4.5 Usage Statistics

• The Program will generate usage statistics
  automatically by logging the access date, time,
  IP, and sources of book cover images that are
  retrieved.

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4.6 Program Application in Different Areas (1)

• The new Book Cover Image Program has a generic
  and open structure, it may be used in different
  program environment, including
• WebPAC search result list and bib record
• WebBridge page
• Monthly New Book List

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4.6 Program Application in Different Areas (2)

• 2. Indeed, some JULAC libraries have expressed
  their interests to implement this program in
  their WebPAC, and also asked if it is feasible to
  use this Program in HKALL.
• 3. My answer YES, no problem.

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5. Conclusion

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5. Conclusion

• The provision of these book cover images by the
  new Book Cover Image Program not only makes the
  WebPAC and Monthly New Book List more attractive
  and colorful, but also enables library patrons to
  find more information.
• This is our first step to enrich and enhance our
  WebPAC.

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Suggestion for Collaboration
6.
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6. Suggestion for Collaboration (1)

• Based on our statistics, it is found that the
  book cover image hit rate for the books published
  in Hong Kong is quite low.
• JULAC libraries may consider a new collaboration
  project of creating an archival book cover
  database for all the books published in Hong
  Kong.

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6. Suggestion for Collaboration (2)

• The proposed HK book cover archival database may
• Enrich our WebPAC
• Be a special effort to promote HK publishing
  industry.

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Book Cover Image Program Development Team

• Li, Yiu On, Senior Assistant Librarian (Systems)
• Yip, Wing Chung, Library System Officer I
• Leung, Roger, Information Technology Officer

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• Q A
• Thank You