Class 5

Uncontrolled Vocabularies

I am referring to the automated indexed features built into some search engines. Controlled vocabularies are carefully applied by indexers using an authority such as a thesaurus. Uncontrolled vocabularies are computer-generated from data within the records. This enables counts of words, numbers, or names. But is also allows garbage results at times.

EbscoHost --> More --> Indexes

Academic Search Complete

Business Source Complete

ProQuest Central --> Topics

OPACs

Online public access catalogs (OPACs) have evolved considerably, but they have a long way to go. Originally then merely represented catalog card layout in an online display. Later they added hyperlinking within the records. These hyperlinks generally perform "back" searches, reexecuting the search on a different element. It seems that users rarely understand this, however.

In-class Exercise: Do some searching in Peak, paying special attention to back linking on authors, series, call numbers, and other elements.

OPAC Vendors

LibDex: The Library Index: http://www.libdex.com/

• Use LibDex to compare and evaluate features of various OPAC interfaces

Libweb: Library Servers via the WWW: http://www.lib-web.org/

• Directs user to library Web sites, and usually to Web OPAC

Notable OPACs

Harvard University's Hollis Catalog: http://hollisweb.harvard.edu/

Melvyl (University of California System) - now using WorldCat: http://melvyl.worldcat.org/

Library of Congress: http://catalog.loc.gov/

Marshall Breeding's History of Library Automation: http://www.librarytechnology.org/automationhistory.pl

Marshall Breeding's Discovery Layer Interfaces (i.e., next-gen catalogs): http://www.librarytechnology.org/discovery.pl?SID=20100203293182373

Explanation of Peak in relation to Prospector.

Next Generation OPACS

Endeca - North Carolina State University

Andrew Pace implemented Endeca's search technology and applied it to the NCSU library catalog. This is the catalog that started it all!

AquaBrowser - University of Chicago - Lens Catalog

Merged TOC data - http://lens.lib.uchicago.edu/?itemid=|library/marc/uc|5774163

Encore - University of Denver - we were a relatively new adopter of Innovative Interfaces's Encore catalog. It is the default search on the library web site under "Books Journals and More". Here is a direct link to the Encore interface: http://lib-lakshmi.cair.du.edu/