[Web4lib] Re: Google Search Appliance and OPACs

[B.G. Sloan]

  Casey Bisson is correct that direct links to OPAC records from Google are infrequent. I did a search on a relatively new book published late last summer: Scott Weidensaul's "Of a Feather: a brief history of American birding." This is the sort of book that may libraries would have purchased 
   
  I read through each screen of results until I got to the following message at the 19th screen:
   
  "In order to show you the most relevant results, we have omitted some entries very similar to the 188 already displayed. If you like, you can repeat the search with the omitted results included."
   
  While links to library web sites started showing up on the sixth screen, these links could pretty much all basically be characterized as "new book lists". Some had links to the catalog record, some didn't.
   
  The first direct link to an OPAC record was on screen 13, a record from the Grace A. Dow Memorial Library in Midland, MI. The only other direct link to an OPAC record was on the very next screen...Loudon County Library in Virginia. Interestingly, they both have the same system: Dynix's Horizon Information Portal, and the records look almost identical.
   
  I believe Jean Hewlett is correct about the past though. I think it was more common to find links to OPAC records a number of years ago.
   
  Bernie Sloan
  

Ms Norma Jean Hewlett <hewlett at usfca.edu> wrote:
  Casey Bisson wrote:
> Can you offer an example search where Google returns a screen full 
> of results from libraries? I feel lucky if I see even one result 
from 
> a library in the top 10. 

Casey, you are right! I stand corrected.

The situation I described was common a few years ago, but doesn't seem 
to apply at all now. I ran a Google basic search for Sun Also Rises. 
In 20 screens, I found only 1 link to a library bib record--that was 
to the WorldCat record, and it was on screen #19.

Most of the results were either individual title records from 
bookstores or blog posts about the movie.
Jean

Jean Hewlett
Regional Librarian, Univ. of San Francisco

All opinions are my own, and do not represent my employers.

----- Original Message -----
From: Casey Bisson 
Date: Monday, February 11, 2008 9:00 am
Subject: Re: [Web4lib] Re: Google Search Appliance and OPACs
To: web4lib at webjunction.org

> 
> Norma Jean:
> 
> Can you offer an example search where Google returns a screen full 
> of 
> results from libraries? I feel lucky if I see even one result from 
> a 
> library in the top 10. The above sounds more argumentative than I 
> mean, but I really am looking for examples, as they'd offer 
> something 
> to learn from.
> 
> The bigger shame is that we keep looking to centralized solutions 
> when 
> Google and the rest of the web keep telling us they want 
> distributed 
> solutions. Isn't it a shame that we've not yet opened our catalogs 
> to 
> the kind of remixing that will consistently deliver next 
> generation 
> innovations, including finding library results that are relevant 
> to 
> your current location in your search engine of choice?
> 
> --Casey
> 
> 
> On Feb 9, 2008, at 3:15 PM, Ms Norma Jean Hewlett wrote:
> 
> > [...]
> > I absolutely hate searching Google and getting a whole screen 
> full of
> > links to book records from other libraries, none of which are 
> close to
> > my home or of any use to me.
> > [...]
> 
> 
> > [...]
> > isn't it a shame that there is no central
> > database we could all place our holdings into? Isn't it a shame 
that
> > there is no way a patron can easily use this central database to 
> find> out whether their local library has this book?
> > [...]
> 
> 
> Casey Bisson
> __________________________________________
> 
> Information Architect
> Plymouth State University
> Plymouth, New Hampshire
> http://MaisonBisson.com/
> ph: 603-535-2256
> 
> _______________________________________________
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> 
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