Melvyl Enhancements – November 2011

Several enhancements improve the user experience in Melvyl as a result of OCLC’s Sunday, November 20 install.  The improvements are shown in detail in the attached PDF.  (There are some items that do not apply to the UC libraries’ versions of Melvyl because they refer to features that UC has not yet turned on, or work slightly differently in our versions.  Features that are not currently turned on for UC may be added in the future. )

Anchored Phrase Search

New support is provided for performing left and right anchored phrase search by using the “=” within a phrase search.  Titles and subtitles are both searched (both the 245 $a and 245 $b subfields).  Previously only “:” was used to identify index labels. However, this new feature has a specific meaning.  For example, the query: ti=”gone with the wind” searches for the anchored phrase “gone with the wind” in the title (ti) index.   Any available index can be used with “=” in a search.  Regular phrase searching does not require double quotes in the search, so there is no constraint of having to enclose the value in double quotes.

Note: This is a feature UC librarians have asked for repeatedly—please check it out.

Facet Persistence

Many users tend to use their browser’s back button to navigate back and forth between the brief results and detail record pages in Melvyl.  Previously, this action would lose the user’s facet selections in the left sidebar, causing the user to have to reset their facet selections.  Now, facet choice persists when the browser back is used.  However, facets are not persistent for the entire search session, for example, once a new search is entered; facets are cleared, giving the user the opportunity to select appropriate facets for the new search.

Boolean Operators Change

Boolean word operators now only work when used in all caps (AND, OR, NOT).   Lowercase versions of these words have been added to the Common Word Exclusion list.

Common Word Exclusion List Updated

Below is the updated exclusion list:

English: a an and (lowercase) are as at be but by for from had have he her his how in is it not (lowercase) of on or (lowercase) that the this to was which with you

French: de la le les des un une

German: der das dass du er sie es wer wie mit am im in aus auf ist sein wird ihr ihre ihres als von mit dich dir mich mir mein sein kein wird

Course Reserves Enhancement

Note: This currently impacts only the UCI library, which is piloting use of the course reserves feature in Melvyl.

Course Maintainers and Course Managers now have the ability to enter in “Notes” on an item even if item appears in more than one course.  This offers the ability to insert specific notes for students (similar to what you would see in a syllabus), e.g. “Read Chapters 2-6, 12-14.”