Central Catalog Encore Launch

OhioLINK will be launching the Encore interface for the Central Catalog in late December. Encore allows OhioLINK to provide several improvements to Central’s user interface, offering more options to patrons using the Central Catalog.

At this time the UA Libraries will continue to direct OhioLINK pass through searches from our library catalog to the original Central Catalog interface (Classic Central Catalog). However, I’ve updated our staging catalog (http://library.uakron.edu:2082/) to pass though searches to OhioLINK Encore.  This will allow you to see how it works (or works differently).

Josh will create a button to click on to Search OhioLINK Encore, but for now just click on the Search Encore for this title link.

In case you missed it, below is the 11/28/2018 announcement sent to the ohiolink, ics, diad, lead, pcirc, and er resources mailing lists.

Please let me know if you have any questions or if you are not subscribed to the general OhioLINK mailing and would like to be.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You’ve been hearing about it from months, and at last, it’s almost here. Beginning December 19th  you’ll have access to Encore, a second, more modern search interface option for searching our Central Catalog.

We thought it might be helpful to present you with a brief FAQ and opportunity to increase familiarity with Encore ahead of its availability. You will continue to see reminders about Encore in the OhioLINK Weekly Update, and additional emails will go out as we get closer to December 19th.

 So, without further introduction, here’s what to know about Encore:

When will Encore be available for searching the Central Catalog?

Wednesday, December 19th

Is there a preview of Encore live now?

Yes. There is a “preview” of Encore live at https://catalog.ohiolink.edu. Though we        are referring to this site as a preview, patrons can use this site to request items          via Encore now, and Encore will continue to use this URL after the official live              date. 

Is there more information about Encore’s features available?

Yes. From earlier this year, there is a recorded webinar on Ostaff: https://www.ohiolink.edu/content/encore_preview_webinars 

The webinar includes more information on Encore’s features. 

What exactly will happen when Encore is live? 

On December 19th, the biggest change that you will notice is that the link to the Central Catalog on the OhioLINK homepage (https://www.ohiolink.edu) will be updated to link to the Encore version of the Central Catalog. That said, you can still access the Classic Catalog interface you currently use by clicking on the Classic Catalog link in Encore.

 Note that at any time after the launch, your library may decide to point the pass-through search from your local catalog to the Encore version of the Central Catalog, but this decision will remain a local one, based on what works best for your patrons.  

After Encore becomes available, will the older version of the Central Catalog still be available as well?

 YES. Encore is an alternative—not a replacement.  It provides an alternative version of the Central Catalog with newer features that your patrons are likely to find easier to use; it does not replace the version of Central that you currently use. OhioLINK will use the phrase, “Classic Catalog” to refer to the current interface for the Central Catalog and “Encore” will be the term used to refer to the new interface.

Which version should students use?

Both! The Classic and Encore interfaces are complimentary versions of the Central Catalog – it’s not an either/or choice.

For some searches, Encore’s single search and facets will be more intuitive for students; for more targeted searches, including OCLC number searches, the Classic Catalog will be the better choice, as it will allow patrons to search more granularly.

The important thing to remember is that you will be able to access BOTH versions from the new Encore interface. Simply click on the “Classic Catalog” link in the upper right corner of Encore to access the classic search interface.

Categories
General Interest

Live date for catalog refresh now January 3rd

The go live date for the new catalog is being reset for January 3rd, 2018. A number of factors went into the decision to delay roll out. The later date allows time for the Material Type project to be completed, some issues brought up in the feedback process to be addressed, more robust testing done with the students in the fall, and announcements to be sent to the Digest to give patrons notification of the change.

We are working through the feedback gathered from the online form and the feedback meeting held at the end of spring semester. Updates will be announced on the Staff portal and at library meetings. The new catalog will go live on January 3rd, and a link to the old catalog will be available for one week only while we check for any problems.

Please contact Melanie Mc if you have any questions or concerns. Mmcgurr1@uakron.edu or x5390.

Categories
Electronic Services UAL Access Services Committee UAL Technical Services Committee

New Sierra Temporary Fixed-field Codes

I’ve recently created new temporary item location, status, and imessage codes to be used during the Law Library move and renovation.  The new codes,  how they will be used, and how they will display in the UAL Catalog can found at:

https://sps.uakron.edu/sites/UL/depts/es/Shared%20Documents/Projects/Law%20Move%20and%20Renovation/system-changes-law-renovation04122016.docx

These codes are only to be used for Law items being moved or put into storage during the Law School and Law Library renovation.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Categories
UAL User Interfaces Committee

SearchOhio icon added to UAL Catalog

The UAL Catalog now displays the SearchOhio icon in addition to the OhioLINK  icon. Users can now pass their search directly to SearchOhio from the UAL Catalog.

search-blog

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Categories
Electronic Services Research & Learning Services

Serials Solutions ejournal catalog records suppressed

In preparation for the Discovery service (Search-A-Roo) launch on Saturday, September 28th, Serials Solutions catalog records have been suppressed from the UAL Catalog. We will replace these records with new records in the near future. In the interim, if you need to know if we have access to an ejournal search the A-to-Z list.

 

 

Categories
Electronic Services Research & Learning Services

Discovery service (Search-A-Roo) launches Sept 28th

On Saturday, Sept 28th we will make the new EBSCO discovery service (Search-A-Roo) available from the library homepage. You will see the search box prominently displayed. It does not replace any of our existing resources, but does provide a way for our patrons to search most of our resources at once.

In conjunction with this, we will also make the switch to the new A-to-Z List for eJournals that we receive as part of the EBSCO discovery service package. This replaces our old A-to-Z.

Finally, as part of this implementation we will temporarily suppress our catalog records for the majority of our ejournals. We will be replacing these records with new records in the near future. In the interim, if you want to know if we have access to an ejournal you simply need to search the A-to-Z list instead of the catalog.

The implementation of this new discovery service is a work in progress, not only for us but for all the OhioLINK libraries that have embarked on this adventure! We appreciate your patience and your feedback as we continue to develop this service.

Categories
Access Services Electronic Services Research & Learning Services

Problem with booking study rooms in UAL Catalog

Study room booking is not quite working right in the UAL Catalog.

A title search for study room causes the Request button to display (all three browsers). in the search results list. If you click on the link to the item record, the Book It button displays and the study room can be booked.
A keyword search for study room  causes the Request button to briefly display, then the Book It button appears and the study room can be booked (all three browsers).

Direct users to a keyword search or have users click on the record link to book a study room until this problem is resolved.

Categories
Electronic Services

Sierra: Scoping update 3/6/13

I’m in the process of enabling scoping on the individual UAL Catalog search pages. I’m started on the main catalog search page and I will update each search page (tab) in the order they appear on the screen. Except for the Advanced Search page (tab). This page is a little tricky so I prefer to work on it after hours.

Scope Drop Down

 

Joe Salem will be posting information on how to use and search scopes in the UAL Catalog. You can also learn more about scoping by visiting the Scoping SharePoint at:
https://sps.uakron.edu/sites/UL/depts/es/ulsys/scoping/default.aspx

 

Alvin Coe Voris papers are available in Archival Services

Monday February 18th the Akron Beacon Journal had an article announcing that the Summit County Historical Society will recognize Alvin Coe Voris with the Summit Award.  [ http://www.ohio.com/news/summit-historical-society-to-honor-civil-war-general-1.374092 ]   That article contained excerpts from a letter Voris wrote his wife describing a visit to a field hospital at Folly Island, SC.   If you are interested in reading more here is a pdf of the complete letter.  Alvin Coe Voris letter July 3 1863  If you or a student you know is interested in the Civil War, the Alvin Coe Voris papers 1860-1865 are available for researchers.  If reading hand writing is not your thing many of the letters were published in Professor Mushkat’s book A Citizen-Soldier’s Civil War : the letters of Brevet Major General Alvin C. Voris  available in Archival Services.

Categories
Electronic Services

Sierra: Scoping update 2/14/13

Scoping has been set-up for the UAL Catalog. Members of the Scoping Implementation Task Force will start testing to make sure scopes are working as intended. We will be testing on the staging server and not the live server. The only change you should notice at this time is the end of the permanent URLS has changed from S0 to S24.  Older links with permanent URLS ending in S0  still work.

http://library.uakron.edu/record=b2449509~S24
http://library.uakron.edu/record=b2449509~S0

For more information about Scoping: https://sps.uakron.edu/sites/UL/depts/es/ulsys/scoping/default.aspx