Why not just build a decent cover flow UI over the existing call number
browse in the catalog with Javascript?  Just grab the cover images and
display them using something like http://www.deensoft.com/lab/protoflow/
That way you could recreate the  'browsing' experience, not have to have
the user learn a new tool and not have to worry about how you're going
to implement browsing the call numbers (similar to what the Oakville
Public Library is doing on that page).  

In the past I put together a quick demo of this (not for call numbers,
just for regular search listings) in an evening:
http://lib-bling.com/unr/unrdemo/unrcoverflowdemo.htm 

That's a very rough demo but implementing something similar using
default call number browse in the catalog would probably be not much
more difficult and would provide roughly the experience it seems you're
looking for without having to worry about overly complex solutions.

--Will

Will Kurt
Applications Development Librarian
University of Nevada, Reno
Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center
phone: 775 682-5679
email: [log in to unmask] 




-----Original Message-----
From: Code for Libraries [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
Emily Lynema
Sent: Wednesday, September 17, 2008 8:46 AM
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]