If you want to see what node.js can do to implement a search mechanism take a look something one of my colleagues developed.  http://vivosearchlight.org

It installs a bookmarklet in your browser (take about 5 seconds) that will initiate a search against a solr index that contains user profile information from several institutions using VIVO (a semantic web application).  From any web page, clicking on the "Vivo Searchlight" button in your browser will initiate a search and find experts with expertise relevant to the content of the page.  Highlight some text on the page and it will re-execute a search with just those words.  



> -----Original Message-----
> From: Code for Libraries [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
> Cary Gordon
> Sent: Monday, October 31, 2011 9:11 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] Examples of visual searching or browsing
> 
> There is an event driven web server called node.js that I think is
> great for building visual systems. I have really only looked at it for
> map generation and management, but I think that it would be well
> suited for building systems to navigate any visual content.
> 
> http://nodejs.org/
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Cary
> 
> On Thu, Oct 27, 2011 at 1:27 PM, Julia Bauder <[log in to unmask]>
> wrote:
> > Dear fans of cool Web-ness,
> >
> > I'm looking for examples of projects that use visual(=largely non-
> text and
> > non-numeric) interfaces to let patrons browse/search collections.
> Things
> > like the GeoSearch on North Carolina Maps[1], or projects that use
> Simile's
> > Timeline or Exhibit widgets[2] to provide access to collections
> (e.g.,
> > what's described here:
> >
> https://letterpress.uchicago.edu/index.php/jdhcs/article/download/59/70
> ), or
> > in-the-wild uses of Recollection[3]. I'm less interested in knowing
> about
> > tools (although I'm never *uninterested* in finding out about cool
> tools)
> > than about production or close-to-production sites that are making
> good use
> > of these or similar tools to provide visual, non-linear access to
> > collections. Who's doing slick stuff in this area that deserves a
> look?
> >
> > Thanks!
> >
> > Julia
> >
> > [1] http://dc.lib.unc.edu/ncmaps/search.php
> > [2] http://www.simile-widgets.org/
> > [3] http://recollection.zepheira.com/
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > *********************************************
> >
> > Julia Bauder
> >
> > Data Services Librarian
> >
> > Interim Director of the Data Analysis and Social Inquiry Lab (DASIL)
> >
> > Grinnell College Libraries
> >
> > 1111 Sixth Ave.
> >
> > Grinnell, IA 50112
> >
> >
> >
> > 641-269-4431
> >
> 
> 
> 
> --
> Cary Gordon
> The Cherry Hill Company
> http://chillco.com