[Web4lib] Re: Google Search Appliance and OPACs

[B.G. Sloan]

  Sebastian's suggestion worked very well for me. I appended the term "worldcat" to my search, and the ONLY record returned was the WorldCat record for the book in question!
   
  Bernie Sloan

Ms Norma Jean Hewlett <hewlett at usfca.edu> wrote:
  Thanks, Sebastian!
I tried your suggestion and searched for
"sun also rises" worldcat

Just as you said, the first three hits are for WorldCat records that 
link to the holdings at my local libraries. 

Also, most of the other hits on the first page were to potentially 
useful sources like Wikipedia, LibraryThing, and the IPL Literary 
Criticism Collection. Much better than a whole screen of bookstore 
item records!

yes, I think you are right--WorldCat needs to put some cool videos on 
YouTube and increase their page rank. Jean

Jean Hewlett
Regional Librarian
North Bay Campus
University of San Francisco

----- Original Message -----
From: Sebastian Hammer 
Date: Tuesday, February 12, 2008 9:57 am
Subject: Re: [Web4lib] Re: Google Search Appliance and OPACs
To: Ms Norma Jean Hewlett 
Cc: Casey Bisson , web4lib at webjunction.org

> Ms Norma Jean Hewlett 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.
> > 
> I wonder if users aren't getting smarter about this... they'll 
> have to, 
> I think... if I search for a movie title, it's kinda random what 
> pops 
> up... but if I search for the title and add, 'imdb' or 'tomatoes', 
> I 
> reliably get the IMDB page or the excellent Rotten Tomatoes review 
> analysis.. similarly, if I do your search for 'Sun Also Rises', 
> and add 
> 'worldcat' to the end, a good-looking page pops up, complete with 
> a 
> suggested list of libraries. Not bad.
> 
> Maybe WorldCat just needs a cooler, more memorable name, and some 
> hot 
> YouTube videos to get it into the public mindspace.
> 
> --Sebastian
> > 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
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> Web4lib mailing list
> >> Web4lib at webjunction.org
> >> http://lists.webjunction.org/web4lib/
> >>
> >> 
> > _______________________________________________
> > Web4lib mailing list
> > Web4lib at webjunction.org
> > http://lists.webjunction.org/web4lib/
> >
> > 
> 
> -- 
> Sebastian Hammer, Index Data
> quinn at indexdata.com www.indexdata.com
> Ph: (603) 209-6853 Fax: (866) 383-4485
> 
> 
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