David,
Have you actually done this? I don't know Voyager's details, but I had a
heck of a time trying to combine headings in Ex Libris' Aleph both for
display and for indexing. That was a few years ago and I don't remember
what the issues were, but the proof is in the pudding. For example, in
the original MELVYL we had a way of using a hex 00 character to separate
subfields for indexing, but I don't know if other systems do that. That
means that
California -- Health
sorts before
California Academy of Sciences
Needless to say, it doesn't work like this in Aleph. Or it didn't on the
version I was working on.
kc
Stockton, David wrote:
> Voyager (LC's system) could support a combined index browse with
> relatively simple modifications.
>
> 1. Create browse indexes for the various un-controlled headings-type
> fields (245, 246, 740, etc.)
>
> 2. Allow the combination of these with the existing browse indexes for
> controlled headings.
>
> 3. Normalize both controlled and uncontrolled browse indexes using the
> subfield indicator codes as part of the character string. This will sort
> subdivisions in the way they're meant to be read rather than strictly
> alphanumerically. For example, for subjects, this will display the
> undivided subject first followed by form subdivisions, then topical
> subdivisions, then chronological subdivisions, and finally geographical
> subdivisions.
>
> 4. Offer this browse as an alternative to a keyword search. Very little
> captioning and training are needed; users can see at a glance what's
> going on and make it work for themselves.
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------
> David Stockton
> Technical Services Librarian
> Philip Weltner Library
> Oglethorpe University
> 4484 Peachtree Road
> Atlanta, GA 30319
> (404) 364-8502
>
> www.oglethorpe.edu
> Make a life. Make a living. Make a difference.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Next generation catalogs for libraries
> [mailto:NGC4LIB_at_listserv.nd.edu] On Behalf Of Martha Yee
> Sent: Thursday, August 02, 2007 10:40 AM
> To: NGC4LIB_at_listserv.nd.edu
> Subject: [NGC4LIB] FW: [NGC4LIB] Google single search box combined with
> browse
>
> Unfortunately, LC's basic search forces the user to choose a type of
> search
> first before the search is done. What I was trying to suggest was that
> if
> you let the user type a search into the search box and produced a list
> of
> all headings (of all types) that match, you could save the user from
> having
> to guess up front, for example, which index to choose for Rocky
> Mountains or
> Bugs Bunny.
>
> Martha
> myee_at_ucla.edu
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Next generation catalogs for libraries
> [mailto:NGC4LIB_at_listserv.nd.edu]On Behalf Of Bernhard Eversberg
> Sent: Thursday, August 02, 2007 5:34 AM
> To: NGC4LIB_at_listserv.nd.edu
> Subject: Re: [NGC4LIB] Google single search box combined with browse
>
>
> In principle, LC's http://catalog.loc.gov "Basic Search"
> does already integrate dictionary browsing in subjects, names, series
> titles and call numbers. It is just a bit clunky and clumsy so there's
> ample room for improvement - Any reasons why it shouldn't be done and
> couldn't be made more appealing as well as faster?
>
> B.Eversberg
>
>
--
-----------------------------------
Karen Coyle / Digital Library Consultant
kcoyle@kcoyle.net http://www.kcoyle.net
ph.: 510-540-7596 skype: kcoylenet
fx.: 510-848-3913
mo.: 510-435-8234
------------------------------------
Received on Thu Aug 02 2007 - 18:58:45 EDT