At 09:48 AM 2/17/2009, Sharon wrote:
>And a failed
>search does usually offer an index of what *is* there, but once again
>the user is required to type the title or author (last name comma
>space first name, please!) exactly as it is entered in the catalog or
>else the near-matches will not make any sense.
So which ILS doesn't have keyword search capability? Name names
instead of tarring everything with the same brush.
Left-anchored strings are essential for efficient searching and, for
those who know what they are doing, cannot be beat by any kind of
keyword searching BUT there are a number of keyword options (like
keyword in specific fields) that can be equally wonderful for other
purposes. And the OPAC can be customized so that a different search
is more prominent. Maybe the keyword search exists but is hidden -
that can be changed.
The whole "did you mean" thing can be equally annoying to those of us
who DO know what we mean and do not wish to slog through irrelevant
"hits" (i.e., misses). It can be incredibly useful but needs to be
implemented with some forethought - like having a minimum threshold
before it kicks in, or ensuring that it does not monopolize screen
space. BTW, recently Google has been substituting terms that are
"nearly" the same even when that search term is put in quotes. Very bad.....
Mike
www.crj-online.org
www.jazzdiscography.com
Received on Tue Feb 17 2009 - 10:08:58 EST