Hi,

(I'm relatively new to the library world, so please excuse any ignorance I may display here.)

We have a (poorly constructed) legacy database that holds/connects our myriad of online resources to subjects and specialists.  The webpage front end is our "DBfinder" to assist patrons in identifying where they might find good information on a topic of interest and which subject librarian/specialist would be most likely able to provide further assistance.  It gives us (and subject librarians) the ability to highlight better resources while keeping the interface consistent for all of it (which our LibGuides is not very good at given the wide disparity in subject librarian technical and presentation skills).

We are trying/hoping to design a much better relational database for this that will make the code and logic behind the web application and front-end display much more efficient and organized.  None of us are DBAs, so I am nervous as we delve into designing/building something and identifying/discussing all the many-to-many relationships that our efforts may end up also poorly designed (although it's hard to imagine it would be worse).  Thus I thought it would be worth asking about.

Does anyone here has something similar (a "DBfinder") that is working (well) for them?  Would you be willing to share the relationship diagram/structure of the DB so we can think about what works for someone else (and maybe base ours off of some of it)?

Thanks,
Erich 


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Erich Hammer            Head of Library Systems
[log in to unmask]         University Libraries
518-442-3891              University @ Albany

"Without doubt you are not sane."    -- Tage Danielsson