I've been waiting for someone to mention Apple - think about the iPod -
folks browse through 100s, even 1000s of songs, they don't search, they
browse. Surely there's a lesson here for us.
Cynthia Williamson
Collection Management Librarian
Mohawk College of Applied Arts and Technology
Hamilton, Ontario
----- Original Message -----
From: Richard Wallis <Richard.Wallis_at_TALIS.COM>
Date: Wednesday, August 1, 2007 1:44 pm
Subject: Re: [NGC4LIB] Google single search box combined with browse
> "If we offer browsing we should try to emulate this sort of thing
> as a
> computer interface. Think of slide shows or rotating menus or dynamic
> interfaces that respond to mouse gestures."
>
> The way the iPhone lets you flick through lists with finger gestures
> [http://www.apple.com/iphone/ads/ad1/] is analogous to the way you
> flickthrough index cards - maybe Apple have the beginnings of an
> answer to
> this problem.
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Next generation catalogs for libraries
> > [mailto:NGC4LIB_at_listserv.nd.edu] On Behalf Of Chris Gray
> > Sent: 01 August 2007 14:45
> > To: NGC4LIB_at_listserv.nd.edu
> > Subject: Re: [NGC4LIB] Google single search box combined with browse
> >
> > I like your description of physical browsing through a card
> > catalog. If we offer browsing we should try to emulate this
> > sort of thing as a computer interface. There are other ways
> > to implement a browse than scrolls and links. Think of slide
> > shows or rotating menus or dynamic interfaces that respond to
> > mouse gestures.
> >
> > Chris Gray
> > Library Systems
> > University of Waterloo
> >
> > Karen Coyle wrote:
> > > Martha,
> > >
> > > I think you have to look at the realities of the different
> > > physicalities of card catalogs (where browsing originated) and the
> > > computer. The card catalog is three-dimensional and doesn't
> > require an "interface."
> > > Basically, humans manipulate it with their hands, using
> > their eyes as
> > > guides. If you want to jump ahead you merely reach forward a few
> > > inches and continue from that point. If you've gone too far you
> can> > very quickly hop backwards some amount. The computer screen is
> > > two-dimensional and has to have an artificial interface
> > mediated with
> > > the keyboard and mouse.
> > >
> > > These are not insignificant differences. I don't know if we did
> any> > studies in the card catalog that would describe a user's
> physical> > behavior, but we know in the computer environment that
> > people 1) often
> > > fail to scroll, since scrolling means taking the mouse and
> > positioning
> > > the cursor in a fairly small area of the screen, then
> > clicking and 2)
> > > rarely view more than two screens before giving up. (Even on
> google,> > apparently.) So browsing in the computer environment will
> > be hindered
> > > by its physicality. When I go into a browse in a large
> > catalog I find
> > > that I may have begun my search many screens from where I
> > would like to be.
> > > That is a deterrent, because I do not want to have to click "next
> > > screen" 20 or more times (and I also have no visual clue or
> > physical
> > > ability that would allow me to jump to a better starting point).
> > >
> > > Our solutions have to be matched to the technology we are
> employing.> > There were solutions that worked well in the card
> catalog that may
> > > appear very different to users when effected through a computer
> > > connection. I personally have not seen a really good
> > implementation of
> > > an alphabetical browse that minimized scrolling and clicking and
> > > maximized the user's navigational ability. We would need to
> develop> > one in order to make your idea here feasible.
> > >
> > > kc
> > >
> > > Martha Yee wrote:
> > >> I have always thought users of libraries were pretty smart, smart
> > >> enough to be able to tell us whether they were doing a
> > search for a
> > >> known work or a search for works on a particular subject, thus
> > >> enabling us to provide them with more precise searching.
> > However, if
> > >> most of you violently disagree (especially those of you
> > who are fans
> > >> of Google's single search box), perhaps a compromise could
> > be reached
> > >> by reviving what used to be called the "dictionary
> > catalog," that is
> > >> an A to Z listing of all headings (authors, works and
> > subjects). In
> > >> other words, if we could combine all browse (i.e.,
> > >> headings) indexes into one (and include TITLES AND WORK HEADINGS,
> > >> which have been left out in most systems), we could offer
> > a keyword
> > >> in heading search of that dictionary browse file in a
> > single search
> > >> box as the default beginning search (with a keyword in
> > record search
> > >> with faceted browse a la Endeca offered as a back-up if the user
> > >> indicates dissatisfaction with the results of the initial
> > search).
> > >> The results of the dictionary browse would be a list of
> > headings and
> > >> see references labelled as to type, e.g.:
> > >>
> > >> (personal creator) [used for 100 (bib.), 700 (bib.), 400 (auth.)]
> > >> (corporate/institutional creator) [used for 110 (bib.),
> > 710 (bib.),
> > >> 410 (auth.)] (conference proceedings) [used for 111 (bib.), 711
> > >> (bib.), 411 (auth.)] (person as topic) [used for 600]
> > >> (corporation/institution as topic) [used for 610] (conference or
> > >> event as topic) [used for 611]
> > >> (work) [used for 1XX/245 (bib.), 1XX/240 (bib.), 130 (bib. and
> > >> authority), 730 02 (bib.), 430 (auth.), 4xx/$t subfield (auth.)]
> > >> (title) [used for 24X (bib.), 740 (bib.)] (series title) [used
> for> >> 440 (bib.), 830 (bib.), 130 series authority records]
> > >> (topic) [used for 650/651 (bib.), 150/151 (auth.), 450/451
> (auth.)]> >> (genre/form) [used for 655 (bib.), 155 (auth.), 455
> (auth.)]> >>
> > >> These labels could begin the process of educating users about our
> > >> categories, so that they could conceivably use them in
> > more complex
> > >> boolean searching. The results screen should also offer a
> > prominent
> > >> hot link to be used "if these results are not yet
> satisfactory" or
> > >> some such language (which, as stated above, would re-do
> > the search as
> > >> a keyword in record search with facetted browsing display a la
> > >> Endeca).
> > >>
> > >> When any given heading is chosen from the dictionary
> > browse, the user
> > >> should be offered hot links to:
> > >>
> > >> (under personal creators), other bibliographic identities (under
> > >> corporate/institutional creators), earlier and later names (under
> > >> works), related works (730 _0, 7XX 1_/$t subfield) (under
> topics),> >> broader, narrower and related terms (under
> genre/form), broader,
> > >> narrower and related genre/forms
> > >>
> > >> What do you think?
> > >>
> > >> Martha
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
> > >> Martha M. Yee
> > >> Cataloging Supervisor
> > >> UCLA Film & Television Archive
> > >> 1015 N. Cahuenga Blvd.
> > >> Los Angeles, CA 90038-2616
> > >> 323-462-4921 x27
> > >> 323-469-9055 (fax)
> > >> myee_at_ucla.edu (Email)
> > >> %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
> > >>
> > >> "The good ended happily and the bad ended unhappily. That is what
> > >> fiction means"--Miss Prism in The importance of being Earnest by
> > >> Oscar Wilde.
> > >>
> > >>
> > >
> > > --
> > > -----------------------------------
> > > Karen Coyle / Digital Library Consultant kcoyle_at_kcoyle.net
> > > http://www.kcoyle.net
> > > ph.: 510-540-7596 skype: kcoylenet
> > > fx.: 510-848-3913
> > > mo.: 510-435-8234
> > > ------------------------------------
> >
>
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Received on Wed Aug 01 2007 - 12:47:33 EDT