[WEB4LIB] Re: Two steps forward, three steps back

[Bob Duncan]

At 3:17 PM -0800 12/21/04, Ryan Eby wrote:
>If it makes you feel any better, Innovative Millenium OPAC has the
>same issues (at least the version I've used with my library). Keyword
>searches are actually phrase searches, Titles must have the first word
>(Display of Quantitative Information returns nothing while Visual
>Display of Quantitative Information returns the title) among other
>problems. The majority of the students and researchers that I've
>talked to hate the system, specifically for these problems. The others
>I think just presume the item doesn't exist. It's gotten in my way
>enough times that I've been tempted to scrape the system into my own
>database and built an interface for myself.
>
>. . .
>I'm sure there are good WebOPAC's out there, but the version I have to
>use is definitely not one of them.

I'm all for informed criticism of WebOPACs for the betterment of 
humankind, but I'd like to offer a few points of information about 
the Innovative WebOPAC (which our users seem to like, are able to use 
successfully, and which we consider good).  IMO, Ryan's "problems" 
are attributable to local implementation choices and personal 
awareness/expectations and are not due to any inherent flaws in the 
Innovative system itself.

-  III keyword searches are only phrase searches by default if the 
system admin configures them that way.  And if so configured, and the 
search fails as a phrase, the system will drop back to a Boolean AND 
search.  Additionally, a site can configure it to drop back to a 
Boolean OR if the AND search fails.

-  Three varities of keyword searching (each with its own search 
form) are available, including an "Alta Vista style" search which 
walks and talks like a Web search engine;  what each site chooses to 
offer its users is up to the site.  If your user population does 
better with Web-style searching, then make that the default.

-  Title searches in the Innovative WebOPAC behave exactly like left 
anchored exact searches are supposed to behave and are intended for 
finding known titles.  If the exact title is not known, a keyword 
search is a better choice.  The Innovative WebOPAC also has the 
capability of fielded keyword searching;  if a site chooses, it can 
offer an advanced keyword search form with the fields in 
user-friendly drop down menus and/or offer a "keyword in title" 
search form.

Bob Duncan
-- 

Robert E. Duncan
Systems Librarian
Lafayette College Libraries
duncanr at lafayette.edu