> a decent UI is probably going to be a bigger job
I've always felt that the call number browse was a really useful option, but the most disastrously implemented feature in most ILS catalog interfaces.
I think the problem is that we're focusing on the task -- browsing the shelf -- as opposed to the *goal*, which is, I think, simply to show users books that are related to the one they are looking at.
If you treat it like that (here are books that are related to this book) and dispense with the notion of call numbers and shelves in the interface (even if what you're doing behind the scenes is in fact a call number browse) then I think you can arrive at a much simpler and straight-forward UI for users. I would treat it little different than Amazon's recommendations feature, for example.
--Dave
==================
David Walker
Library Web Services Manager
California State University
http://xerxes.calstate.edu
________________________________________
From: Code for Libraries [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Stephens, Owen [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Wednesday, September 17, 2008 9:17 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] creating call number browse
I'm not sure, but my guess would be that the example you give isn't
really a 'browse index' function, but rather creates a search result set
and presents it in a specific way (i.e. via cover images) sorted by call
number (by the look of it, it has an ID of the bib record as input, and
it displays this book and 10 before it, and 10 after it, in call number
order.
Whether this is how bibliocommons achieves it or not is perhaps besides
the point - this is how I think I would approach it. I'm winging it
here, but if I was doing some quick and very dirty here:
A simple db table with fields:
Database ID (numeric counter auto-increment)
Bib record ID
URIs to book covers (or more likely the relevant information to create
the URIs such as ISBN)
Call number
To start, get a report from your ILS with this info in it, sorted by
Call Number. To populate the table, import your data (sorted in Call
Number order). The Database ID will be created on import, automatically
in call number order (there are other, almost certainly better, ways of
handling this, but this is simple I think)
To create your shelf browse given a Bib ID select that record and get
the database ID. Then requery selecting all records which have database
IDs +-10 of the one you have just retrieved.
Output results in appropriate format (e.g. html) using book cover URIs
to display the images.
Obviously with this approach, you'd need to recreate your data table
regularly to keep it up to date (resetting your Database ID if you
want).
Well - just how I'd do it if I wanted something up and running quickly.
As Andy notes, a decent UI is probably going to be a bigger job ;)
Owen
Owen Stephens
Assistant Director: eStrategy and Information Resources
Central Library
Imperial College London
South Kensington Campus
London
SW7 2AZ
t: +44 (0)20 7594 8829
e: [log in to unmask]
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Code for Libraries [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf
Of
> Emily Lynema
> Sent: 17 September 2008 16:46
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: [CODE4LIB] creating call number browse
>
> Hey all,
>
> I would love to tackle the issue of creating a really cool call number
> browse tool that utilizes book covers, etc. However, I'd like to do
> this
> outside of my ILS/OPAC. What I don't know is whether there are any
> indexing / SQL / query techniques that could be used to browse forward
> and backword in an index like this.
>
> Has anyone else worked on developing a tool like this outside of the
> OPAC? I guess I would be perfectly happy even if it was something I
> could build directly on top of the ILS database and its indexes (we
use
> SirsiDynix Unicorn).
>
> I wanted to throw a feeler out there before trying to dream up some
> wild
> scheme on my own.
>
> -emily
>
> P.S. The version of BiblioCommons released at Oakville Public Library
> has a sweet call number browse function accessible from the full
record
> page. I would love to know know how that was accomplished.
>
> http://opl.bibliocommons.com/item/show/1413841_mars
>
> --
> Emily Lynema
> Systems Librarian for Digital Projects
> Information Technology, NCSU Libraries
> 919-513-8031
> [log in to unmask]
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