kcenter_search

This article will explore the space between Summon's out-of-the-box user interface and full developer API, providing practical advice on tweaking configuration information and catalog exports to take full advantage of Summon's indexing and faceting features. The article then describes the creation of OSUL's home-grown open source availability service which replaced and enhanced the availability information that Summon would normally pull directly from the catalog.

"This paper details a way to extend classic information architecture for web-based applications. The goal is to enhance traditional user experiences, mainly based on navigation or search, to new ones (also relevant for stakeholders' requirements). "

"As part of an effort to improve user interactions with authority data in its online catalog, the UNC Chapel Hill Libraries have developed and implemented a system for providing real-time query suggestions from records found within its catalog. The system takes user input as it is typed to predict likely title, author, or subject matches in a manner functionally similar to the systems found on commercial websites such as google.com or amazon.com. This paper discusses the technologies, decisions and methodologies that went into the implementation of this feature, as well as analysis of its impact on user search behaviors."

"The Wayne State Library System launched its library mapping application in February 2010, designed to help locate materials in the five WSU libraries. The system works within the catalog to show the location of materials, as well as provides a web form for use at the reference desk. Developed using PHP and MySQL, it requires only minimal effort to update using a unique call number overlay mechanism. In addition to mapping shelved materials, the system provides information for any of the over three hundred collections held by the WSU Libraries. Patrons can do more than just locate a book on a shelf: they can learn where to locate reserve items, how to access closed collections, or get driving maps to extension center libraries. The article includes a discussion of the technology reviewed and chosen during development, an overview of the system architecture, and lessons learned during development."

"Le principe de base de Summon est: la recherche doit être simple, l'accès aux résultats aussi. Sauf que ce n'est pas forcément la vision qu'ont les bibliothécaires. Exemple? Summon utilise un créateur de liens qui ne rend qu'une ressource pour un titre donné. Si le titre est paru dans plusieurs références, on n'y a pas accès. Les bibliothécaires préfèrent avoir toutes les références, persuadés qu'ils sont que les « chercheurs » préféreraient aussi. Alors quel intérêt d'avoir un outil de recherches qui ne reprend que les sources que vous avez déjà? Comment vous dire…je ne sais pas. En ce qui concerne les étudiants -du moins les licence- qui ont l'habitude faire la majorité de leurs recherches sur Google, je ne suis pas persuadé de l'intérêt de Summon. Pour les chercheurs, ils ont des habitudes, des sources préférées, et le fait de ne pas afficher -de prime abord- toutes les sources pourrait leur déplaire, ou leur compliquer la tâche. Pour les bibliothécaires, il y aurait des items à modifier, il faudrait indiquer toutes les sources, ce qui contrarie le commercial (!)."

Primal Search uses the power of your thoughts to sift through online content and find what you're looking for. Express your thoughts to Primal Search Go to Primal Search and type in a word or short phrase to get started, such as auto racing. When your search results appear, you'll also see a thought cloud of other ideas related to auto racing. As you click on new thoughts from this cloud, the search results update in real time. Sometimes, a selection might take you in the wrong direction. Simply click the errant thought to de-select it, and your results will update once again.

"This article updates the findings from a study by Hal Kirkwood in 2000 of the organization and content of academic business library Web sites. The authors examined 75 sites, focusing on five general aspects of the sites: organization, terminology, instructional elements, integration of resources across formats, and annotations. Results of the study show that business library Websites have dramatically improved in the 7 years since the original study. "

Project Lefty is a search system that, at a minimum, adds a layer on top of traditional federated search tools that will make the wait for results more worthwhile for researchers. At best, Project Lefty improves search queries and relevance rankings for web-scale discovery tools to make the results themselves more relevant to the researcher's specific query. Project Lefty has three components, each directed at a particular right.

"The software powering Open Library is centered around a flexible templating system that enables anyone to have control over the organization of their information display. It is designed to be simple to use, to encourage participation, yet powerfully modular through the application of macros and principles of networked interface. In this document, we will review existing technologies, explain concepts, present a framework for discussion and outline a plan to meet those goals for a full site launch in October 2009."

Lire: http://ouseful.open.ac.uk/blogarchive/007560.html

tone, Graham (2010) Searching life, the universe and everything? The implementation of Summon at the University of Huddersfield. In: 39th LIBER Annual General Conference, 29 June - 2 July 2010, Aarhus University, Denmark . (Submitted)

"This subgroup is focused on the library user and will recommend ways to make relevant resources more visible and easier to find, particularly within the user's workflow. In developing its recommendations, the subgroup should consider use cases for a range of users, research needs, and resource or collection types. It should take into account not only library-owned collections, but potentially relevant resources from any available source (e.g., electronic books, special collections, grant resources). "

"The following are some of the Discovery Layer Interfaces that have been selected by libraries."

"It is interesting that Summon is built using an open-source product architecture - and ditching the need for a federated search back-end is quite a radical step forward into the cloud. I'm wondering if this is related to their different approach to authentication: both Summon and Metalib seem to be 'authentication agnostic' and could work with a variety of authentication systems: but ExLibris seems to prefer the 'up-front' password challenge as opposed to Serials Solutions who give you it the other way round: metadata first and only authenticate later. Is it harder to integrate authentication, as opposed to searching for content, into an institutional login this way round? I don't yet know as I think it depends what choices we make on identity management. Personally I'm drawn to the 'up-front' approach - even though the simplicity of what Serials Solutions are doing is very attractive, I prefer my password challenges at the beginning - rather than at the end of the process. What about others?"