Grace Wiersma wrote:
> The catalog was opened to remote users with the first generation of Web
> OPACS. Aren't the same assumptions still applicable?
I see a significant difference between a user going to a library catalog
and doing a search, and having the results from a library catalog
intermingled with open web searches. I'm not against the latter, but I
worry that as the search results become more heterogeneous, especially
in terms of accessibility, that users will be more confused. Because of
this, I think that returning searches in "folders" that separate actual
content from metadata-only results could be a useful service. I also
think that if we are adding library results then we need a way to
localize the search results -- here are the results from libraries near
you. It's the difference between cyberspace and meat space, and they
require different actions on the part of the searchers.
kc
--
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Karen Coyle / Digital Library Consultant
kcoyle@kcoyle.net http://www.kcoyle.net
ph.: 510-540-7596
fx.: 510-848-3913
mo.: 510-435-8234
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Received on Fri Jun 30 2006 - 12:58:03 EDT